Challenging ATF Claims
Adam Banks, Afton Chemical
In a market that is heavily fragmented and constantly evolving, establishing claims for automatic transmission fluids can present real challenges for marketers. There is no longer one proxy industry standard for ATF, and little formal industry structure or regulation of product claims. As competition becomes more aggressive and complexity increases exponentially, remaining rigorous with claims will be a struggle for many. This article looks at some of the reasons behind these issues and questions whether the service-fill market in Europe presents a growing problem, or a potential opportunity.
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) can deliver significant value as part of an automotive lubricant portfolio. Not only is the ATF segment growing across the EU, it also generates attractive margins. For oil companies it represents a great offer completer; expertise in ATF provides opportunities to differentiate, highlight technical credibility and engender customer loyalty, all of which support long-term retention of profitable business.
However the ATF market is fraught with conflicting dynamics that have created a fluid ‘tug of war’. Team Simplicity stands on one side, the driving force behind multi-vehicle ATFs. These fluids meet the customer desire for speed and ease of use, and have a low risk of fluid misapplication in the workshop. Broad coverage can be achieved with clear guidance, bringing many benefits such as fewer SKUs, lower inventory levels and savings from bulk purchases.
Team Complexity, the inevitable result of a highly fragmented ATF market, stands on the opposing side. The sheer variety
of hardware – from step transmissions with an increasing number of speeds, to dual clutch or continuously variable transmissions – creates challenges for service workshops. ‘Each transmission design has differing performance requirements. Take friction characteristics, for example. It is not a simple case of maximising or minimising friction for all transmissions; rather, optimisation is the goal. The rise of electric and hybrid vehicles, with their specific lubricant demands, has complicated matters even further,’ explains Dr Harald Maelger, Senior OEM Relationship Manager at Afton Chemical.
Another layer of complexity comes from the market’s drive to reduce ATF viscosity. Lower viscosity often results in better fuel efficiency, which is clearly desirable for OEMs and the trend has been relentless. ATF viscosities are approaching just 4cSt in some OEM specifications.
This market fragmentation has encouraged niche expertise and bespoke solutions have flourished. Understandably, OEMs have remained firmly focused on fluid approvals that will address their particular technical challenges, protecting hardware and reducing potential warranty concerns. ‘Given the complexity in the current fleet, workshops in Europe may have to manage anything from 10 to 100 different technical requirements for ATF over the course of a week,’ commented Jon Burgess, Customer Technical Service Specialist at Afton Chemical.
With such strongly opposing forces in action, how best can the integrity of the ATF market and its players be protected? The most obvious answer is by applying rigour. For a thriving ATF market, all parties need to be able to trust in the fluid claims that are being made.
ATF’s relentless drive for low viscosity
38
LUBE MAGAZINE NO.142 DECEMBER 2017
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73
