Smart equipment operators invest heavily in proper lubricant and oil storage. They know that protecting their lubrication supplies from contamination starts in the shop. They invest in proper shelving, establish storage protocols and keep detailed records of their supplies to ensure that they are getting the best return on their investment. But even with the most careful storage and handling practices, you could still be losing money on your lubricants.
Lubricants that sit for long periods of time can still go bad even in ideal storage conditions. Over time, the additives and other minerals in the lubricant can break down or band together to form larger particles. The quality of the lubricant can degrade, and that can be harmful to your machinery.
So what can you do? Many operators choose to filter their lubricants before introducing them to their machinery. This process can help remove contaminants, but it may also remove the additives you need for your equipment. Filtration can easily foam and corrode inhibitors, demulsifiers, and anti-wear additives. For some operators, filtering lubricants before using them may be a necessary part of the lubrication process, but it takes exact science and requires in-depth knowledge to ensure that you are doing it correctly and not ruining new lubricant supplies. Many operators don’t have proper training and may ruin their supplies before using them. There is no consistent filtration method or procedure for each lubricant product. The lubricant manufacturer determines the guidelines.
Clean lubricants are essential to good equipment performance. As an equipment operator, you rely on your lubricants to extend your machinery’s performance and avoid costly repairs and downtime. You buy specific types of lubricants for your individual equipment needs and specifications. The additives and performance enhancers in the lubricants you choose are essential to keeping your equipment in good working order. But if those additives get filtered out, your lubricants will not perform the way you want. That’s why you have to start with quality lubricants from the start.
As a southern California fuel and lubricant supplier, we recommend Chevron products to our customers. The main reason we believe so strongly in Chevron products is the ISOCLEAN® Certified lubrication program. This program is one of the best in the business. From the very beginning, the oils and lubricants produced under these standards are cleaner than the rest. Here are a few of the benefits Chevron outlines that you’ll get from choosing ISOCLEAN® products:
- Meet OEM cleanliness requirements
- Increase component and equipment life
- Optimize oil life and reduce disposal costs
- Improve reliability and increase uptime
- Reduce the need for onsite pre-filtering
- Reduce maintenance time and costs
- Eliminate the risk of over-filtering lubricants
- Improve safety
Let’s examine a few of these claims in more detail.
- OEM cleanliness requirements. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) developed the OEM cleanliness requirements. They developed end targets used by oil analysis labs to determine how clean oil is, which is defined as particulate matter in parts per milliliter (p/ml). The ISO code is one of the most rigorous in the world. Chevron lubricants meet these standards using the ISOCLEAN® lab process. Every lubricant is tested to meet OEM requirements and backed by their brand. They even offer an ISOCLEAN® lubricant’s calculator so you can find the right standards for your equipment.
- Reduce the need for onsite filtering. As mentioned earlier, filtering can be problematic for lubricant use. Many operators do not know the exact they need to take to ensure lubricant quality, so they don’t filter out essential additives. Many of the particles that cause equipment issues are often too small to be removed through filtration. That’s why it’s so important to start with high-quality oil and lubricants that have been tested and meet OEM cleanliness standards, like ISOCLEAN® products. Products backed by Chevron and certified ISOCLEAN® undergo precise filtration and lab testing before hitting the market. Each product is tested for filtration cleanliness and product integrity after filtration. The ISOCLEAN® program was developed here in California at Chevron’s Richmond Technical Center. To learn more about the ISOCLEAN® Certified lubrication program, visit their webpage. It’s full of great informative articles and videos that we highly recommend to our clients!
As a proud supporter of Chevron products, we know their value to our clients and other businesses. We’ve seen firsthand how their high-quality products extend equipment life and save businesses money. We want to share an example of how their products helped a business from their website.
A waste collection company in Georgia provided residential, commercial, and industrial waste collection services. The company owned 26 collection trucks of various makes and models. But they had a major problem. The hydraulic oils they were using were not working properly. The heat generated by the trucks’ packer systems caused the oil to break down, which led to seal failures and issues with valve bodies and cylinders. To combat the problem, the company was changing the oil in each truck every 250 hours.
The company decided to take advantage of Chevron’s RBL™ program and get a complete site assessment. After an audit and lab testing of their equipment and oils, Chevron recommended switching to ISOCLEAN® certified products. Their previous oils and lubricants were not meeting OEM cleanliness standards. This switch reduced the need for hydraulic repairs, reduced downtime, and saved almost 400 dollars per truck. The company representative said, “sticking valves and leaking seals were costing us over $12,000 a year in pump cylinder and valve body costs. With ISOCLEAN…one pump’s life was almost doubled.”
This company’s experience is just one of many. We’ve personally seen how our clients have benefitted from Chevron ISOCLEAN® products. As a fuel and lubricant supplier for more than fifty years, we know that choosing the right products from the start will protect your equipment and save your business money. Contact us today and let us help you find the right ISOCLEAN® products for your needs.