Making VIIs slinky can be an easy way of explaining complex technology.
While undertanding the formulae and technology behind the development and use of Viscosity Index Improvers may be everyday knowledge for lubes engineers, just getting to grips with a viscosity index can be a difficult concept for consumers themselves.
Often it's hard to admit a lack of understanding in the face of a pushy service centre manager trying hard to justify use of the latest high-performance lube, or make an informed off-the-shelf choice after reading sales literature or pack labels crammed with graphs and numbers.
Noria Corporation's Jeremy Wright may have found the solution. Writing in Machinery Lubrication Magazine, he uses simple terminology and everyday examples to explain not just viscosity itself, but the reasons why additives are needed to improve the performance of engine oils.
He uses two main examples. The first is a slinky - a child's toy which is essentially a coiled metal spring that can descend stairs and other platforms under its own 'power'. The second is the reaction of people when they become hot, either standing alone or in a crowd.
Even for the greatest expert in any industry, sometime it is useful to be reminded of the power of simplicity.