BubbaRay
10-13-2007, 07:24 PM
I think this needs to be a sticky also.
A great article for bowlers and coaches is the following Kegel article on lane conditions. It will prepare you with a solid understanding of the basics of lane conditions and some elements that impact lane oil. For example, have you ever wondered how temperature affects lane conditions and how viscosity impacts ball motion?? If you are serious about the sport, this is a must read.
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There has been a lot of scuttlebutt written about the bowling ball evolution. The dramatic changes in cover-stocks, weight blocks, drilling techniques, ball reaction, you name it. What about lane conditioners? Bowlers are quick to take credit for when they bowl well and in some cases rightfully so, but we all know that when they have an off night it's seldom the bowlers fault…..it's the LANE CONDITIONS! Believe me, I'm a long-time bowler myself and I am just as guilty as the next guy. So why isn't there more information explaining the TRUTH about lane conditioners?
Today's products have numerous additives, varying viscosities, different levels of surface tension, and many other components to give oil companies reasons to proclaim that their product "Holds Up Longer", and "Doesn't Carry Down." This is all fine and dandy, but what does it all mean. The following is a list of ten very important things that everyone should know about lane conditioners. We will talk about what everything really is and why it is important when choosing or applying a particular lane conditioner. Hopefully this will help clear up some of the confusion that surrounds this mysterious invisible substance.
1. Solvent Based / 100% Solids / High Performance
Solvent Based conditioners were developed in the 40's and used primarily during the rubber and plastic bowling ball era. Some are still being manufactured and used in bowling centers today. The basic idea was that solvents would be added to the mineral oil base which would help break down dirt and aid in the cleaning process. This was very important at that time because most centers were only cleaning anywhere from once a week, once a month, or never, but who can blame them really when they were doing it by hand.
100% Solid conditioners were simply a progression to having no solvents in the formula. This was brought upon by the urethane bowling ball era and technically can be used to define most lane conditioners in production today. From the mid 80's to the mid 90's, products contained anywhere from 4-8 components with mineral oil being the main one usually accounting for about 98% of most formulas.
High Performance conditioners are becoming more popular and necessary in centers now to help combat the aggressive bowling balls. The ultimate goal of these products is to minimize change in ball reaction and maximize application consistency. The percentage of mineral oil can be as low as 75% in some formulas with the total number of components reaching the 14-16 range. These new components or additives (which we will explain later) are items such as friction modifiers and lubricity agents.
One important thing to note here is that conditioners have evolved as well. Most of our bowlers are not throwing the same bowling balls they did when older conditioners were made so it is imperative that we "Maintain Par" and move towards using products that are designed specifically for today's environment.
2. Viscosity
Definition - The measure of the internal friction of a fluid. This friction becomes apparent when a layer of a fluid is made to move in relation to another. The greater the friction, the greater amount of force required to cause this movement, which is called "shear." Highly viscous fluids therefore, require more force to move than less viscous materials. Also, the unit of measurement for viscosity is the centipoise (cps).
Importance - There are some very important things to know about viscosity. Some people think that a higher viscosity lane conditioner is slicker, Not True. In fact, the exact opposite is correct because there is more resistance to the bowling ball when the viscosity is higher which causes the ball to slow down and hook a little bit earlier.
Viscosity & Lane conditioners
Second Most Important component of a lane conditioner
Lower viscosity is slicker
High viscosity is more durable
Perfect balance is between 35 and 45 viscosity
Lower viscosity conditioners flow better and more consistently through wicks
Lower viscosity conditioners also tend to create more effective carry down.
New additives lower the importance of viscosity
3. Surface Tension
Definition - Surface tension is a study of how well a liquid wets a solid. This is a pretty technical section so I'll do my best to keep it simple.
Most manufacturers check surface tension in relation to air. That is the number that is given on the certificate of analysis.
It can also be measured by internal liquid/solid interaction. What that means to you and me is how well a conditioner recovers, or "Self Healing", when a ball rolls through it. The goal being that the conditioner will flow back together once the ball travels through the conditioner.
Surface Tension is also directly related to surface energy. All lane surfaces have a surface energy that can be different from surface to surface and by the conditioners and cleaners applied to it. Let me give you an example:
If you apply wax to the surface of your car the water will bead up and not "wet" your hood. The energy of the hood was changed and you will protect the paint because the water will not penetrate.
Our goal with lane conditioner is the exact opposite. We don't want the conditioner to bead up, we want it to lye down and form a bond to the surface. This helps create durability and also helps enhance the self-healing characteristics.
Importance - Studies are being done now on this topic that will help us gain some valuable ground on today's bowling balls. There are also complimentary studies testing the relationship with conditioners and bowling ball cover-stocks. The perfect lane conditioner is one that likes the lane and not the ball giving us ultimate durability. I hear the Trojan horse is on its way.
4. Temperature
Effects on Lane Conditioner - I can't say enough of how important temperature is to lane conditioners. Many people have their theories about how lane conditions change when the weather changes so we decided to get some hard facts.
In early 1997, we conducted several tests to see how much conditioners changed when the temperature was raised or lowered. What we found was eye-opening. The viscosity of some conditioners changed 2 cps (centipoises) for every 1ºF of temperature change. That means if you start with a 20cps (viscosity) conditioner and the temperature drops from 80 ºF to 70ºF, the viscosity of that conditioner would be 40cps. This is not true for all lane conditioners. Some only change 1cp for every 2º F of temperature change. That is only 25% the change as some of the others, BUT regardless of how much they change it's important to know that all of them do.
Temperature affects the molecules of lane conditioners by causing them to slow down when cold or speed up when hot. Think of water turning to ice and water boiling.
Temperature will affect the viscosity, which in turn also changes the flow rate through wicks.
When the viscosity of the conditioner is changed the ball reaction will also be different as a result.
The capillaries in most wicks will shrink up when it gets colder restricting flow.
Tips:
Keep the lane conditioner in a temperature controlled environment. (Office, Front Desk, or wherever the temperature is constant)
Keep the lane machine in a temperature controlled environment so the machine functions properly as well. We understand that this may not be possible in all situations so you can look for other solutions like an electric blanket or a space heater to keep the machine warm.
5. Order of Addition
Definition - The order of which ingredients are combined in a formula to create a desired result.
This is just a little inside information to share about the sensitivity of lane conditioners. If I was given the ingredients to one of today's conditioners, not only what was in the formula, but also how much of each, I still would have no shot at making the product.
The order and timing in which the components are added together is equally as important as the components themselves. When mixing a cocktail the order is always: ice, liquor, and then mixer. If we poured the liquor in a drink last what would happen? The liquor would float on the mixer. This is simply because the density of the mixer is usually greater than the liquor.
The main thing to understand is that there is more actual "chemistry", not just "mixing" taking place with today's products.
Tip: Leave the mixing to the chemists. Some centers are mixing different conditioners with some success, BUT we do not advise doing so based on the technical make-up of conditioners today.
A great article for bowlers and coaches is the following Kegel article on lane conditions. It will prepare you with a solid understanding of the basics of lane conditions and some elements that impact lane oil. For example, have you ever wondered how temperature affects lane conditions and how viscosity impacts ball motion?? If you are serious about the sport, this is a must read.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
There has been a lot of scuttlebutt written about the bowling ball evolution. The dramatic changes in cover-stocks, weight blocks, drilling techniques, ball reaction, you name it. What about lane conditioners? Bowlers are quick to take credit for when they bowl well and in some cases rightfully so, but we all know that when they have an off night it's seldom the bowlers fault…..it's the LANE CONDITIONS! Believe me, I'm a long-time bowler myself and I am just as guilty as the next guy. So why isn't there more information explaining the TRUTH about lane conditioners?
Today's products have numerous additives, varying viscosities, different levels of surface tension, and many other components to give oil companies reasons to proclaim that their product "Holds Up Longer", and "Doesn't Carry Down." This is all fine and dandy, but what does it all mean. The following is a list of ten very important things that everyone should know about lane conditioners. We will talk about what everything really is and why it is important when choosing or applying a particular lane conditioner. Hopefully this will help clear up some of the confusion that surrounds this mysterious invisible substance.
1. Solvent Based / 100% Solids / High Performance
Solvent Based conditioners were developed in the 40's and used primarily during the rubber and plastic bowling ball era. Some are still being manufactured and used in bowling centers today. The basic idea was that solvents would be added to the mineral oil base which would help break down dirt and aid in the cleaning process. This was very important at that time because most centers were only cleaning anywhere from once a week, once a month, or never, but who can blame them really when they were doing it by hand.
100% Solid conditioners were simply a progression to having no solvents in the formula. This was brought upon by the urethane bowling ball era and technically can be used to define most lane conditioners in production today. From the mid 80's to the mid 90's, products contained anywhere from 4-8 components with mineral oil being the main one usually accounting for about 98% of most formulas.
High Performance conditioners are becoming more popular and necessary in centers now to help combat the aggressive bowling balls. The ultimate goal of these products is to minimize change in ball reaction and maximize application consistency. The percentage of mineral oil can be as low as 75% in some formulas with the total number of components reaching the 14-16 range. These new components or additives (which we will explain later) are items such as friction modifiers and lubricity agents.
One important thing to note here is that conditioners have evolved as well. Most of our bowlers are not throwing the same bowling balls they did when older conditioners were made so it is imperative that we "Maintain Par" and move towards using products that are designed specifically for today's environment.
2. Viscosity
Definition - The measure of the internal friction of a fluid. This friction becomes apparent when a layer of a fluid is made to move in relation to another. The greater the friction, the greater amount of force required to cause this movement, which is called "shear." Highly viscous fluids therefore, require more force to move than less viscous materials. Also, the unit of measurement for viscosity is the centipoise (cps).
Importance - There are some very important things to know about viscosity. Some people think that a higher viscosity lane conditioner is slicker, Not True. In fact, the exact opposite is correct because there is more resistance to the bowling ball when the viscosity is higher which causes the ball to slow down and hook a little bit earlier.
Viscosity & Lane conditioners
Second Most Important component of a lane conditioner
Lower viscosity is slicker
High viscosity is more durable
Perfect balance is between 35 and 45 viscosity
Lower viscosity conditioners flow better and more consistently through wicks
Lower viscosity conditioners also tend to create more effective carry down.
New additives lower the importance of viscosity
3. Surface Tension
Definition - Surface tension is a study of how well a liquid wets a solid. This is a pretty technical section so I'll do my best to keep it simple.
Most manufacturers check surface tension in relation to air. That is the number that is given on the certificate of analysis.
It can also be measured by internal liquid/solid interaction. What that means to you and me is how well a conditioner recovers, or "Self Healing", when a ball rolls through it. The goal being that the conditioner will flow back together once the ball travels through the conditioner.
Surface Tension is also directly related to surface energy. All lane surfaces have a surface energy that can be different from surface to surface and by the conditioners and cleaners applied to it. Let me give you an example:
If you apply wax to the surface of your car the water will bead up and not "wet" your hood. The energy of the hood was changed and you will protect the paint because the water will not penetrate.
Our goal with lane conditioner is the exact opposite. We don't want the conditioner to bead up, we want it to lye down and form a bond to the surface. This helps create durability and also helps enhance the self-healing characteristics.
Importance - Studies are being done now on this topic that will help us gain some valuable ground on today's bowling balls. There are also complimentary studies testing the relationship with conditioners and bowling ball cover-stocks. The perfect lane conditioner is one that likes the lane and not the ball giving us ultimate durability. I hear the Trojan horse is on its way.
4. Temperature
Effects on Lane Conditioner - I can't say enough of how important temperature is to lane conditioners. Many people have their theories about how lane conditions change when the weather changes so we decided to get some hard facts.
In early 1997, we conducted several tests to see how much conditioners changed when the temperature was raised or lowered. What we found was eye-opening. The viscosity of some conditioners changed 2 cps (centipoises) for every 1ºF of temperature change. That means if you start with a 20cps (viscosity) conditioner and the temperature drops from 80 ºF to 70ºF, the viscosity of that conditioner would be 40cps. This is not true for all lane conditioners. Some only change 1cp for every 2º F of temperature change. That is only 25% the change as some of the others, BUT regardless of how much they change it's important to know that all of them do.
Temperature affects the molecules of lane conditioners by causing them to slow down when cold or speed up when hot. Think of water turning to ice and water boiling.
Temperature will affect the viscosity, which in turn also changes the flow rate through wicks.
When the viscosity of the conditioner is changed the ball reaction will also be different as a result.
The capillaries in most wicks will shrink up when it gets colder restricting flow.
Tips:
Keep the lane conditioner in a temperature controlled environment. (Office, Front Desk, or wherever the temperature is constant)
Keep the lane machine in a temperature controlled environment so the machine functions properly as well. We understand that this may not be possible in all situations so you can look for other solutions like an electric blanket or a space heater to keep the machine warm.
5. Order of Addition
Definition - The order of which ingredients are combined in a formula to create a desired result.
This is just a little inside information to share about the sensitivity of lane conditioners. If I was given the ingredients to one of today's conditioners, not only what was in the formula, but also how much of each, I still would have no shot at making the product.
The order and timing in which the components are added together is equally as important as the components themselves. When mixing a cocktail the order is always: ice, liquor, and then mixer. If we poured the liquor in a drink last what would happen? The liquor would float on the mixer. This is simply because the density of the mixer is usually greater than the liquor.
The main thing to understand is that there is more actual "chemistry", not just "mixing" taking place with today's products.
Tip: Leave the mixing to the chemists. Some centers are mixing different conditioners with some success, BUT we do not advise doing so based on the technical make-up of conditioners today.