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specification but the majority of products carry both an API and ACEA claim. The recent changes coming into effect with the new ACEA E11 sequence make it very closely aligned with the requirements of API CK-4. Given the two-year window to update their labels with the new ACEA 2022 E11 claim, it’s an ideal time for marketers to review the lubricant technology they are using and their claims to ensure products are fully up-to-date before committing to new labelling.
Label changes are expensive and so oil marketers will wish to minimise the frequency of changes they make. Discussions around the next API specification are beginning only now. PC-12, as it is currently known, is not due for launch until 2027 at the earliest. Reviewing API CK-4 now means that targeted formulation changes can deliver five years’ worth of returns before the industry moves on once again.
Proof of performance in off-road Mining and Construction are large API CK-4 markets outside North America, especially in places like Australia and South Africa. Despite guarantees that OEM and industry fluid specifications look to provide, the biggest challenge for any Off Road operator is the expense of their heavy machinery. Equipment is expected to be durable and perform for many years due to the significant replacement costs. Given the high stakes, a priority for operators is being able to trust the engine oil they use.
Since their launch, API CK-4 oils have had time to prove their real world performance for anything up to a million miles, confirming that their products are robust and reliable. Oil companies have used the past six years to develop more compelling arguments to differentiate their products. Showcasing their oil delivers beyond the API CK-4 specification, such as through superior wear protection or better oxidation performance. The off-road market has room for API CK-4 fluids which go beyond the specification, ensuring protection for expensive equipment.
In addition to field testing, Afton uses a differentiated engine wear test, which runs for longer, has added contaminants, creating much harsher conditions to better demonstrate oil performance in an off-road environment.
Rising diesel costs API CK-4 has always offered superior wear protection
16 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.170 AUGUST 2022
and better oxidation control to previous specifications, with both supporting the extension of an oil drain interval and in turn reducing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of the vehicle. With the recent and dramatic increases in fuel prices, commercial vehicle operators will no doubt be looking at ways to help reduce the cost pressures faced. Savings from extending the oil drain interval are likely to be thought of even more favourably in the current environment by fleet owners.
Low viscosity oils remain a niche market in the US. The API FA-4 specification applies primarily to certain newer trucks and is not backwards compatible, which has limited the total market size. Future growth is expected from a small base and only driven by new vehicle sales.
Used for factory fill by some OEMs, the lack of popularity of API FA-4 for service fill has come from users not valuing the benefits of fuel economy- promoting oils when fuel is relatively cheap. With rising diesel prices hitting the total cost of ownership worldwide, the time is ripe to review the benefits of API FA-4 in North America.
Now is the time for action The lubricant industry is going through a challenging period; continued cost escalation - due in large part to availability issues - means that many oil marketers are spending every waking moment thinking about pricing and whether they can get hold of the materials they need.
Contemplating one more change might feel like one too many, and the task of strategically evaluating the benefits of a new project will often get benched in favour of dealing with day-to-day issues. However, as Thomas Edison famously said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
API CK-4 is definitely an opportunity. It might feel like work that you could do without right now, but there are good reasons to take another look at this specification and the technologies used to service it.
LINKS
www.aftonchemical.com
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