Bonus Content for STLE Members
20 Minutes With Lynn Billings
By Rachel Fowler, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief | TLT 20 Minutes June 2024
This scientist for RSC Bio Solutions discusses lubrication formulation and volunteering for STLE.
Lynn Billings - The Quick File
STLE member Lynn Billings is currently an R&D product development scientist at RSC Bio Solutions in Charlotte, N.C. Billings’ previous roles include senior technical service and sales, R&D product specialist, laboratory manager, operations manager, formulation specialist and metallurgy technologist with extensive experience in lubricants used in commercial and industrial manufacturing. She is skilled at troubleshooting and failure analysis to determine root causes. She is respected for expertise related to the chemistry behind products, how they perform and the equipment for which they were developed.
Billings has supported STLE in many different leadership capacities. Her contributions to STLE include serving as a member of the STLE Board of Directors, the organization’s senior governing body, from 2012 to 2018. While on the board, she was a member of committees dealing with section affairs, technical education and strategic planning. She also has been a volunteer leader for over 30 years in the STLE Hamilton Section, which supplies education and networking opportunities to members at the local level.
Lynn Billings
In 2016, Billings’ peers recognized her work as a leader by presenting her with STLE’s prestigious Victor E. Joll Award. The Joll Award honors outstanding and selfless contributions by a member of an STLE local section. It is given to an STLE section member who has worked tirelessly and continuously for the benefit of the section, devoting numerous hours in the performance of many tasks necessary to promote and advance the mission of the section and of STLE.
She holds the professional designation of STLE Certified Lubrication Specialist™ (CLS). She graduated with honors in chemical engineering with a technology diploma along with two years of a four-year bachelor of applied science program. She has successfully completed several credit courses with the American Society for Metals – Metals Engineering Institute (ASM International) and National Association of Corrosion Engineers as well as the certificate for Mohawk College’s Industrial Lubrication Certificate Program.
STLE Past President Martin Webster (left) presenting the Victor E. Joll Award to Lynn Billings in 2016.
TLT: How long have you worked in a lubrication-related field, and how did you decide to pursue a career in the lubricants industry?
Billings: I have worked in a lubrication-related field for over 44 years. My lubricant-related career began at Gulf Canada R&D in the analytical laboratory doing atomic absorption spectrometry (AA), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and chromatography. After about a year and a half and the birth of my daughter, I returned to Gulf Canada but in the metallurgy department. I completed several metallurgy online courses to increase my knowledge base as well as learning the scanning electron microscope (SEM), receiving my Nondestructive Testing Certificate and Welding Inspection Certificate. Due to a reorganization at Gulf Canada during its acquisition, I then continued my career at the family-owned business Forsythe Lubrication Associates Ltd., where my knowledge and experience was a great asset to my positions as a laboratory manager, product development and technical sales for 20 years. Subsequently, I returned to the R&D department at PetroCanada Lubricants where I had originally started my career. I worked on the bench as a technologist and made my way up to a product specialist within a couple of years. After about 12 years, I ventured out into the senior technical service advisor role and supported sales in three regions in Ontario, and continued in that role for four years before I was caught up again in a reorganizational change. Over the following two years I was employed by Canoil Canada Ltd. as an operations supervisor on the plant floor and then at Applied Lubrication Technology Inc. as a lubricant formulator.
Lubricant formulation became a passion of mine, learning the chemistry behind the fluids and the equipment that the products lubricate. This brings me to my current position at RSC Bio Solutions where I am increasing my knowledge and expertise in the field of biodegradability and sustainability. This career change has brought me to a different country and never-ending possibilities of learning, networking and mentorship.
Lynn Billings working in the lab.
TLT: What has been your most rewarding accomplishment throughout your career in the lubricants industry?
Billings: My most rewarding accomplishment was being on the STLE Board of Directors and on the first STLE Strategic Planning Committee where I was honored to provide insight into an organization to recommend strategic goals and provide knowledge and direction to STLE. One of my most rewarding technical projects was using an SEM to analyze the surfaces in the electrical contacts of the Canada Arm in the space shuttle to help determine why it failed to operate correctly in orbit.
Lynn Billings (front row, second from the right) on the 2016 STLE Board of Directors.
TLT: What is the No. 1 piece of advice you would give to a person who might be interested in starting a career in the lubricants industry?
Billings: Invest yourself in the industry. Join STLE. Get involved. Volunteer. There are many career opportunities in the industry with a great network of companies and colleagues. Find a mentor who will assist you along the lubricants pathway. I must give credit to my mentors and experts that have empowered me to learn and succeed. The more you network, the more you are learning. Never be afraid to ask questions.
Lynn Billings networking at the STLE Annual Meeting & Exhibition.
TLT: Throughout the different segments within your career, which one has been the most interesting, challenging and/or rewarding?
Billings: One of the most interesting segments of my career was the visit to the oil sands in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. You never realize how big the Komatsu Haulers are. Another major challenge that I had during my career was passing the CLS Exam. My perseverance was rewarded and eventually I achieved my goal. The most challenging and rewarding segment is now at RSC Bio Solutions where I am formulating biodegradable base oils and additives to produce hydraulic fluids, gear oils, greases and cleaners that are biodegradable, renewable and sustainable. It is incredibly challenging to make formulas to meet the increasingly stringent environmental requirements while still gaining OEM approvals. These products must show similar or better performance than mineral oil-based lubricants out in the field. Such success is always rewarding.
Lynn Billings visiting the oil sands in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada.
TLT: What are some of the most technical lubrication-based concepts or topics you have encountered throughout your career?
Billings: There are a few; one was analyzing metallurgical explosions or disasters (like compressor fires and pipeline issues). The second would be solving customer lubrication/equipment investigations. The third would be collaboration efforts with design engineers, maintenance, mechanical and chemical engineers, reliability professions, laboratory personnel and upper management to demonstrate that our product would exceed their expectations to move from a Group I to a Group II lubricant without any foreseen issues to replace a product that they had been using for over 30 years.
TLT: What is the one thing you wish you would have learned earlier in your career?
Billings: Not to be afraid to ask questions. Challenge yourself by going “all in”, in areas that were not your expertise. You only learn by asking, and no question is ever thought of as being unimportant.
TLT: What do you enjoy most about your position and duties at your new job in the U.S.?
Billings: First, the southern hospitality is great—the brisket, southern fried chicken, fried okra, white beets and various new foods that I have tried are absolutely delicious. Second, my career has not come to an end; I am learning new things every day and still able to provide my experience and expertise into a new field of study for me. Learning more about the marine industry with our machine cylinder lubes, engine oils, hydraulic fluids and greases in the various applications is exciting. It is a new pathway forward for me.
You can reach Lynn Billings at lbillings@rscbio.com.