Challenges in lubricant additives technology

TRIZ provides a number of tools to not only solve, but also to properly define, problems. The definition stage is crucial for the successful output of the project and sometimes can be more time consuming than the solution stage. The problem definition techniques based on TRIZ have been applied to: 1) indicate if there is a room for development of current lubrication technology, 2) place the investigated problem in time and space and, finally, 3) prepare for the next stage of dealing with TRIZ – application of an appropriate problem solving tool.