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Evidence of support for claims was not provided, and the Technical Review Panel felt sufficient action had not been taken to remove mutually exclusive claims or clarify claims being made.
The Primary Authority relationship with Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards, which VLS entered into in 2020, has proved effective in concluding certain cases where escalation by exception has been required to prompt action.
Testing has continued to play a critical role in investigations
In a recent hydraulic oil case, the lubricant manufacturer said they recalled stock and reformulated the product. VLS accepted the evidence they provided. At the six-month review stage, VLS purchased a product sample, which failed again. Varol, the lubricant manufacturer, said the sample had been purchased from a distributor, which was old stock still in the marketplace. A third sample was procured, which produced a perfect result. Testing demonstrated the importance of tracing non-compliant products throughout the supply chain to protect end users.
The lubricants industry has been through immense change since VLS was formed in 2013, and the pace of change shows no sign of abating
Electric vehicles now have a much larger share of the vehicle parc, even if sales have stalled recently. Hybrid vehicles place immense stress on lubricants, with longer warm-up times and engines starting at high speeds and high revs once battery power has been exhausted. Lower viscosity fluids have continued to become more commonplace, but the vehicle parc is ageing. The latest 0W-8 oil could cause damage in an older vehicle, which requires a 5W-40, starving the engine of the protective lubricant film it needs and leading to increased wear.
“Additives play a vital part in lubricant performance, delivering a variety of characteristics to combat wear and corrosion, disperse soot and prevent the build-up of deposits whilst ensuring compatibility with emission control devices. Along with the proliferation of lubricant products in general, VLS is concerned
58 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.185 FEBRUARY 2025
about the integrity of products from new companies entering the additives market. Their additives may be cheaper, but they may also not be fully tested or approved as published industry and OEM specifications require. This market development is one VLS is monitoring closely, as additives are a critical aspect of lubricant formulations.
VLS continues to be incredibly grateful to the members of the Technical Review Panel and their organisations for their support. Without their expertise and our robust, anonymous process, we would not have the skills and resources required to adequately investigate products and work with Lubricant Marketers to assist them in taking the required action to bring products into compliance.
As our industry rises to the continuing challenges of even greater change and complexity, their technical expertise will be even more valuable than ever to support lubricant blenders, manufacturers, and distributors and protect end users,” Alan Outhwaite, Chair of the VLS Technical Review Panel.
You can find out more about VLS and keep up to date with the latest case investigations at the VLS website:
https://ukla-vls.org.uk/
If you have any concerns about a lubricant’s ability to deliver what it claims, you can report your concerns to VLS by calling 01442 01442 875922 or emailing
admin@ukla-vls.org.uk
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