methods, procedures, codes of practice and the ACEA Oil Sequences themselves.
ATIEL has been testing products for conformity since 2014, but testing was stepped up when the new policy was introduced in 2017 An independent company, SAIL, was contracted by ATIEL to provide administrative, financial and management services in support of ATIEL’s product compliance and Letter of Conformance activities, including carrying out continuous independent monitoring of engine lubricant quality to ensure compliance with sequences claimed.
Over the years, this programme has regularly found non-compliant products available on the global market. Most non-compliances were due to incompatible combined claims, such as products claiming ACEA A3/B4, C3. Other failures included chemical characteristics such as Total Base Number, Sulphated Ash, Phosphorous content, Noack volatility or evaporation, or viscometric characteristics such as high temperature high shear rate (HTHS) and low temperature pumping or cranking viscosities required for the ACEA sequences being claimed.
Their results have always come as no surprise and mirrored VLS’s own findings. The benefit of the VLS programme is that its scope allows us to go further and delve deeper.
Whilst SAIL can only comment on ACEA engine oil sequences, VLS can investigate and offer guidance on OEM specifications as well as ACEA, API, and any other specifications and marketing claims made by lubricants marketers and manufacturers. VLS can also investigate other lubricant products, such as gear and transmission oils, hydraulic and other industrial lubricants. Our robust investigation process ensures that products are correctly marketed and really can deliver what they claim.
The future of VLS Investigations The lubricants industry has been through immense change over the past ten years as engine technology has evolved. To meet government requirements for reduced emissions and consumer needs for economy and performance, smaller engines are running at higher temperatures to maximise efficiency, power output and fuel economy. Longer oil drain intervals, taken together with smaller sumps and the need to
minimise emissions, have created the need for less viscous, synthetic or semi-synthetic oils to provide the protection and performance required in these challenging conditions.
We expect to see this ultra-low viscosity trend continue, with engine oils such as SAE 0W-8 hitting the market. For the consumer, this could pose an issue. If you put a 0W-8 oil in an older vehicle which requires a 5W-40, the vehicle will be starved of the protective lubricant film it needs, leading to increase wear in the engine.
Over the past fifteen to twenty years, the contribution of engine oil has been increasingly recognised by OEMs. No longer just a consumable, the lubricant is viewed as an essential component in the same way as any other car part. The right lubricant properties can assist OEMs in delivering fuel economy and meeting emissions regulations whilst providing engine durability. This is only set to increase, leading to further complexity and a continued increase in different specifications for the manufacturer, marketer and end users to understand. VLS will continue to play a vital role in ensuring that all performance claims are correctly made and that products really can deliver on their promise.
The strive towards electrification has created a whole new market of Electric Vehicle (EV) fluids Electric and hybrid vehicles act in a very different manner from conventional petrol and diesel combustion engines.
Hybrid electric vehicles operate at lower temperatures with higher stress during stop/start and require additional lubricant additives to disperse increased sludge effectively. Battery electric vehicles reach very high temperatures, particularly during rapid charging. Specifically designed fluids must cater to the increase in oxidation and the need to dissipate the increase in generated heat around the power units. These coolants need the correct copper compatibility to avoid copper corrosion, used to conduct electricity, and must help avoid foaming produced by higher revs per Minute (RPM) as air is taken into this high-stress environment.
Led by the major motor manufacturers, specifications are emerging for different EV applications, including transmission, thermal and corrosion management
Continued on page 50 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.177 OCTOBER 2023 49
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
