According to American psychologist Abraham H. Maslow (1908-1970), the need to feel safe is basic to humanity.

   In Maslow’s view, once survival basics such as food and water are catered to, safety takes top place in our priorities.
   Still, it has not been until recently – the past 50 years – that safety at work, in transportation and in the environment has begun to appear among the top items on the business agenda. As our outlook article “Playing it safer” shows, the increased emphasis on safety-related issues comes from legislation and market demand. With both the law and the customers asking for the same thing, there is only one way to go. And that way will not only benefit employees and customers, but the bottom line as well.
   In practical terms – as our case stories in this issue of Evolution show – safety concerns are ubiquitous. For Polish Famed-Zywiec, it’s important that the dentistry chairs the company manufactures are safe for both dentist and patient. And users of construction vehicles and forestry equipment increasingly want biodegradable grease in their equipment to protect the environment. This is something SKF has focused on in its development of the bearing-compatible “green” grease, LGGB 2.
   And when you travel by air 30,000 feet above the ground, safety becomes a very tangible issue: You want to be sure the aircraft you’re in offers you a safe ride. This is part of the business idea for SKF-owned Sarma, which we feature in this issue. Sarma makes structural and flight-control rods for aircraft fuselages, as well as airframe bearings and aviation electronics.
   Although they travel at a slightly lower altitude, the same thing goes for trains. Don’t miss our technology article about the new railway bogie monitoring system SKF has developed together with Swiss specialist Sécheron. The system can take a “fingerprint” of the vibration profile of a bearing and compare it with actual values – to determine if something is about to go wrong before it actually does.
   Well, it’s safe to say I’ve given you an ample introduction to this issue of Evolution. Enjoy the magazine and please do visit us online at evolution.skf.com. You are also most welcome to contact your nearest SKF office or distributor for more information. And remember – better safe than sorry.
Rachael Smythe  
Editor-in-chief