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I. Improved efficiency: The trend in the development of mechanical equipment today is toward smaller size, lower weight, higher efficiency, and longer lifespan. As a result, lubricants are also being updated, with high-efficiency additives such as polar substances like sulfur, phosphorus, and chlorine being incorporated into them. By forming a chemisorption film through reaction with the metal surface, the lubrication mechanism of the new generation of oils differs significantly from that of conventional oils. Traditional oil selection relies on the nodal velocity to determine the viscosity of the oil, in order to ensure that sufficient oil is delivered to the mating surfaces to form an oil film. This approach is appropriate for pure mineral oils, but it is not correct for oils containing extreme pressure additives. Due to the fundamental change in the adsorption mechanism, the chemisorbed film formed has a strength 5 to 10 times greater than that of the physical adsorption, eliminating the problem of oil not reaching the mating areas. Therefore, linear velocity is no longer a factor in determining the viscosity of the lubricant. This change in the lubrication mechanism represents almost a revolution in the history of lubricant development; the improved performance of lubricants brings significant economic benefits: for example, by replacing calcium-based greases with barium-based greases of the same viscosity, the oil change interval can be increased by 6 times ； By replacing conventional HL hydraulic oil with anti-wear hydraulic oil HM of the same viscosity, the pump’s lifespan can be increased by 10 times. The 650 rolling mill at Guangzhou Steel Plant originally used No. 40 machine oil; the tooth thickness wore down by 0.1 mm per year, resulting in a gear lifespan of only 5 years (420,000 yuan per pair of gears). After switching to No. 220 medium-load gear oil, the annual wear of tooth thickness decreased to 0.01–0.03 mm, extending the gear lifespan by 10–15 years and increasing the oil change interval from 1 year to 3 years. High-performance oils such as 7417 (formerly EPU) base grease, 7019-1 composite lithium base grease, and high-pressure anti-wear hydraulic oils (32#, 46#, 68#, 100#) all exhibit significant effectiveness. SKF, a bearing manufacturer, is one of the most renowned companies in the world. Through numerous tests, it has conducted in-depth studies on the impact of various factors such as load, oil viscosity, and particulate contaminants on bearing life, and concluded that removing solid particles of 2–5 μm from the lubricating oil can extend the lifespan of rolling bearings by 10 to 50 times. According to the comprehensive engine research theory, the engine life is extended by 8 times using a modified clean lubricant. Through research on lubrication issues during operation, Nippon BHP Steel reduced equipment failures at the NSC steel plant from 342 per year to 85 between 1975 and 1985, resulting in an 87% reduction in the failure rate. By implementing lubrication pollution prevention and control processes, the bearing purchase rate across the entire plant was reduced by 5%, the replacement rate of hydraulic pumps was decreased by 80%, lubricant consumption was cut by 83%, and the incidence of lubrication-related failures was reduced by 90%. The Tianjin Port Authority began working on oil purification in the 1990s, which led to a significant reduction in failures in various engines, forklifts, cranes, and loaders. Downtime for maintenance has been significantly reduced, saving up to 5 million yuan annually in fuel and maintenance costs. An American company introduced the concept of Total Cleanliness Control (TCC), aimed at reducing the occurrence of contaminants and their impacts throughout the entire production process, starting from the manufacturing system of individual components and throughout their operational life. TCC requires the participation of the entire process, the entire system, and all personnel. Currently, China also has high-purity oils, such as Lanan Feitian clean hydraulic oil. Even with high-purity oil, online filtration is superior, as particulates in the oil are continuously generated due to mechanical wear as the lubrication system operates. Additives account for only a few tenths of a percent to a few percent of lubricants, but their role is extremely crucial. As modern machinery and equipment operate at higher speeds, higher temperatures, and under greater pressures, there is a demand that friction material systems have the ability to automatically compensate or even repair themselves after operating for a certain period of time or in abnormal operating conditions. Such as the Metal Wear Self-Healing Technology (ART), which is a mixture composed of extremely fine minerals at the nanometer to micron scale. When used, it is added to various carriers (lubricants, greases, or liquids). It does not undergo any chemical reaction with the carriers, nor does it change their viscosity; it is not considered an additive, yet it is added in a manner similar to one. As ultra-precision grinding of the contact surfaces occurs during oil operation, under the action of the catalyst, it diffuses rapidly into the interior of the metal parts and melts onto the crystal lattice of the metal surface, resulting in a cerametallic structure. As a result, the metal surface possesses excellent wear resistance, and it is also capable of repairing the worn surfaces of machines that have been in operation for a long time. II. Energy efficiency: High-performance oils possess excellent viscosity-temperature properties, are capable of separating water from the mixture, resist agglomeration, are resistant to fatigue, do not corrode metals, have a long service life, help save energy, and meet environmental requirements. For example, adding 0.1% to 1% antioxidant to turbine oil can increase its service life from several hundred hours to several thousand hours ； Synthetic oils are also high-performance oils, and their price is several times to dozens of times higher than that of mineral oils. However, practices both domestically and internationally have shown that synthetic oils can significantly save energy and reduce costs; for example, in some developed countries, the energy consumption associated with road transportation accounts for around 80% of the total energy consumption in transportation. Synthetic oils can directly save 5% to 10% in fuel consumption. A 22kW small rotary compressor that replaces machine oil No. 68 with 4502 diester compressor oil of the same viscosity saves 13,256 kW·h in electricity consumption per year ； In the textile printing and dyeing industry, the operating temperature of the drive chains in heat setting machines exceeds 215°C. In the past, mineral oil was used, but it tended to cause coking, led to high energy consumption, and caused severe wear on the components. By replacing mineral oil with 4402 synthetic oil, coking is reduced, and energy consumption is lowered by 30% to 80%. Synthetic gear oil No. 220 reduces power consumption by 5.3% compared to mineral oil of the same viscosity. High-performance oils use high-quality raw materials and are formulated with strict standards, resulting in high production costs. However, considering the overall benefits such as energy savings, extended machine life, and reduced maintenance needs, they are beneficial. Many foreign lubricants are formulated using synthetic oils. Since many people are not familiar with the classification, codes, and performance characteristics of domestically produced synthetic oils, they prefer to pay several times or even dozens of times more to buy foreign oils, which is quite abnormal. Furthermore, high-performance oils can achieve low viscosity; for example, it has been suggested that the 22 different grades of gear oil in our country could be combined into just two viscosity levels, namely 68 and 150. According to available data, reducing the oil viscosity by one grade can save 1% to 5% in energy consumption; it improves flow properties at low temperatures, allowing the elimination of heating equipment in the lubrication system and thus further saving energy. 60% of wear on car engines occurs at the beginning of startup, as the lubricating oil has not yet been pumped to the friction areas. When multi-grade oil is used, the situation is very different; this type of oil improves the viscosity-temperature properties of the oil. It ensures sufficient viscosity at high temperatures, while simultaneously reducing the viscosity at low temperatures, allowing it to be pumped more quickly to the areas that need lubrication and thus helping to reduce initial wear. Multi-grade oil allows the engine to operate within a wider temperature range, eliminating the need to change the oil with the seasons and enabling use in both winter and summer, as well as in different geographical regions. It can reduce fuel consumption by 5% to 10%. Easily starts in cold weather. The bearings are well lubricated, which helps to maintain low fuel consumption. In regions such as the northeast of our country, SF10W/30 and SH5W/30 can be used; in areas with high temperatures throughout the year, like Hainan and the Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, SF40 and CD50 can be employed. Currently, over 90% of gasoline engines and over 60% of diesel engines in the United States use multi-stage oil ； In Japan, the utilization rate for gasoline engines is nearly 100%, while it is 52% for diesel engines. In our country, only 13% of gasoline engines and 16% of diesel engines use multi-stage oils. It is evident that the potential economic benefits are self-evident. III. Environmental Protection: Existing petroleum-based lubricants will gradually be replaced by biodegradable lubricants, such as Mobil EAC224H environmentally friendly hydraulic oil, Castrol HTCT22, 32, HTS32, 46, 68 biodegradable hydraulic oils, as well as the R134A green refrigerant oil developed by Shanghai University in China. Environmentally friendly lubricants have become the trend in the development of lubricants. Solid lubrication involves the use of solid powders, thin films, or certain bulk materials to reduce friction and wear between surfaces in contact with each other as they move relative to one another. In Japan, solid lubrication coating technologies and composite self-lubricating materials are used in automobile design; many of the bearings used in the large molds of automobile manufacturers are of this type, and they feature smooth operation, low vibration, and low noise. In solid lubrication, embedded bearings offer advantages such as long service life, resistance to contamination and corrosion, and high-temperature tolerance. They do not require lubrication with oil during operation. These bearings are made by using steel or stainless steel as a base, onto which a porous bronze layer is sintered; a layer of PTEE, modified polyoxymethylene, or a Pb mixture is then rolled onto the surface, and special-formulated solid lubricants are embedded at certain angles and densities to complete the construction. It can be applied in various operating conditions, such as low speeds, heavy loads, reciprocating motion, environments where it is difficult to form an oil film, or situations where the use of oils, greases, or other strong media is not possible, as well as in high-temperature and low-temperature environments. Currently, there are several companies in our country that produce oil-free lubricated bearings. Users can choose solid lubricated bearings with various matrices and formulations based on factors such as load capacity, temperature, linear velocity, and PV value; for example, the COB series of products offered by Zhonda Self-Lubricating Bearing Company. Leaks, spills, and other forms of fluid loss have long been a persistent problem for many companies; especially in industries such as tobacco, food, and pharmaceuticals, the damage caused by oil leaks is even greater. Leaks, spills, drips, and leaks are caused by problems with design, manufacturing, or sealing components; many cases are also due to inadequate operation and maintenance. The issue can be resolved by using lubricants, that is, applying greases to stop leaks; this applies to components such as gearboxes, transmission boxes, etc. When the linear velocity is 6–8 m/s or less, GM film-forming paste can be used as a substitute for lubricants. Semifluid greases based on synthetic oils can also be used when the linear speed of the gear is below 10 m/s, such as the 1ping 7412, 7408 and other semifluid greases. Under certain suitable operating conditions, it is possible to use greases instead of oils; greases such as 7019-1 high-temperature grease and 1-ping 7903 can all yield satisfactory results. Using lipids to address leaks not only enables civilized production, reduces maintenance needs and environmental pollution, but is also much simpler than modifying mechanical equipment; it results in low costs and quick benefits. The scrapping of oil generally refers to the situation where it has reached the criteria for replacement. It is said that the actual waste content in used oil accounts for only 1% to 15% of the total oil volume; this waste includes mechanical impurities, moisture, carbon particles, and other contaminants. If these contaminants are removed, then over 90% of the oil can be transformed from waste into a useful resource. The market now offers a variety of oil and water filtration devices, and companies with the necessary resources can use online filtration, which yields very significant benefits. IV. Safety: Comprehensive oil monitoring technology is a method that involves analyzing changes in the properties of the lubricating medium in the machine being monitored, as well as the presence of abrasive particles, in order to obtain information on the lubrication status and the condition of abrasive particles within the machine, thereby identifying the type of fault. By analyzing the detected data changes and trends, along with other relevant monitoring methods, it is possible to predict potential failures. Various measures can then be taken in advance to delay or prevent such failures, ensuring the safe and stable operation of the equipment. At present, there are over 600 types of oils (greases) in our country; almost every type of operating condition has a corresponding oil, which fundamentally changes the long-standing practice of relying mainly on machine oils and calcium-based greases. The new oil type features a 4/5 reduction in carbon buildup, enabling long-term safe operation. Furthermore, for various types of steel ropes that are used in large quantities, the problem of lubrication using oil-based lubricants has not been resolved over the years; this has led to frequent wire breaks and shortened lifespan of these ropes, resulting in accidents. Synthetic cable oils with high penetration capabilities have solved this issue. For example, the WRP cable protection oil produced by the British company BP is considered a new type of oil that is safe and reliable. As for brake fluids used in vehicles, older products have a low viscosity index, poor flow properties at low temperatures, and they can corrode metal parts as well as cause rubber components to swell, leading to brake failure and potential safety hazards. New types such as 4606 and 4604 ensure that brake fluid quality is sufficient to guarantee safe operation. In environments such as mines and steel mills, where high temperatures are present, fires have occurred in the past due to the lack of flame-retardant fluids. 4631 water-glycol and KR-231 ester-type flame-retardant fluids are both types of oils with excellent flame resistance and heat tolerance. From this brief analysis, it is clear that focusing on equipment lubrication is a fundamental solution that requires little investment yet has a significant impact. It is necessary to shift the mindset of seeking causes for failures solely in spare parts (such as material quality, hardness, machining precision, and installation) to first examining the lubrication aspect. Because domestic and international sources report that 40% to 60% of equipment failures are caused by poor lubrication. Lubrication is no longer merely a technical issue; it is also a management issue that affects the entire society. It relates to matters of great importance for the country and its people, such as energy conservation, environmental protection, and safety, and must not be taken lightly.