David Phillips wins BFPA’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award

24 Apr 2018

David Phillips was the winner of this year’s BFPA Lifetime Achievement Award announced at the Motion Control Industry Awards in Birmingham on 10 April 2018.

David has been a leading light in the field of fluid power for almost half a century. A Chemist by training from Manchester University, he has worked for a range of blue chip organisations including major players such as Ciba Geigy, FMC and Chemtura Corporation. During what has been a very successful technical career, he has also managed to become Fellow of the UK Energy Institute and a Fellow of the Society of Tribologists and Engineers.

He has long been associated in one way or another with the BFPA but it has been during the last thirteen years as a widely respected independent consultant to both the BFPA and the wider industry, that he has done much of the work for which he is best known.

On the speaker circuit he contributed to the STLE Education Courses on ‘Synthetic Lubricants’ and ‘ Hydraulic Fluids’; he contributed to the Oxford Princeton Programme on ‘Synthetic Lubricants’ and also the ‘Hydraulic Fluids’ and Lubricants’ course at the Esslingen Technical Academy in Germany.

Somehow, he also found time to be an author helping to write a book called ‘Hydraulic Fluids – A Practical Guide’; which was subsequently published by the British Fluid Power Association and is still available for sale today.

He has contributed to texts on ‘Phosphate Esters’ for a Handbook of Hydraulic Fluid Technology; and to a publication on Synthetic Lubricants and High Performance Functional Fluids. He has published material on ‘Turbine Lubricating Oils and Hydraulic Fluids’ and on Lubricating Oil Additives’ in a variety of publications. He has also been called upon to make contributions to the Encyclopaedia of Tribology and if that wasn’t enough, he also writes a regular column on Hydraulic Fluid use for the ‘Fluids and Lubricants International’ Journal.

Much of his contribution to the BFPA has been in the area of Technical Standards where he is current Chairman of the UK National Committee on Hydraulic Fluids and he is also a Past Chairman of the European CETOP Committee on Hydraulic Fluids. On the wider international front, he is a much sought after UK expert to several ISO Committees on Hydraulic fluids and Turbine Oils.

Alastair Johnstone, President of the BFPA and Managing Director of Bosch Rexroth Limited who announced the winner on the night said: “I could go on citing accolades about David but perhaps he is best known for the fact that despite having every reason to be proud of his considerable achievements, he is actually known for being one of the most modest, self-effacing and warm hearted individuals in the industry. Always available to support and encourage those with less experience and fewer years under their belts, he has a natural talent for engendering both trust and enthusiasm amongst both his peers and those seeking to follow in his career footsteps”.

In David’s absence his friend and colleague, Jerry Hughes, collected the award on his behalf on the night and David was subsequently presented his award at the BFPA a week later.

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