Indian industrial lubricant market sees growth
Q. What are the major technology trends in the metalworking lubricants and coolants industry?
Tougher metals, more advanced, severe metal working processes and the ongoing drive by machine shops to increase productivity and reduce costs has seen the importance of cutting fluids rise up in the agenda of metal working operators in recent years. The metalworking industry continues to go green as more shops adopt vegetable-based coolants and implement recycling programs. To reduce overhead costs, more shops are investigating in new ways to reuse their coolant rather than dispose it, including new coolant recycling programs that can reduce coolant waste and increase sump life.
However, with a multitude of factors including the operating environment, machining application and machined metal type, all having an impact on a cutting fluid, one cutting fluid cannot provide the lubrication, cooling and protection required in each and every operation. As such, leading lubricant and metal working fluid providers such as Mobil Industrial Lubricants have developed a range of fluids to meet many of the varied machining operations in machine shops today.
There are two classes of cutting fluids: Water Soluble (Aqueous / Water Miscible) and Neat (Straight). While water soluble cutting fluids are used in a number of machining operations and are provided in a concentrate form and must be diluted with water at the machine shop site before use. Neat cutting oils are not mixed with water and are provided in packs for immediate use. They are used in applications which are beyond the typical performance profile of water soluble coolants, such as tapping and threading of high alloy steels
Q. Brief us on the influence of metalworking fluids on the machining process. With new materials coming in, how is the industry aligning its R&D to the changing demand trends?
Whether a manufacturing company specialises in producing nuts and bolts, complex gear sets or high precision valves, keeping its equipment running efficiently is the key to profitability. Lubrication plays an integral role in reducing friction between critical rotating or moving machine tool components, dissipates heat which can translate into equipment durability and availability.
To help ensure that the machine tool runs smoothly, it is important to choose a combination of high-quality lubricants – slideway oils, water soluble cutting fluids and neat cutting oils. As a company that helped pioneer synthetic lubricant technology, ExxonMobil devotes significant resources to product research and development. We use an advanced, scientifically engineered ‘balanced formulation approach’ that leverages the company’s leading technology and application expertise. This comprehensive process enables us to develop lubricants that deliver exceptional performance across all critical areas for each application – such as oxidative stability, component wear protection, corrosion control, filterability, shear stability and extreme temperature performance.
New challenges continue to be addressed with our new products and services. With every new technological development there will be continuous challenges in the industry. With our relationship with equipment builders we closely monitor the trend of technology development on the equipment side so that we are geared up to deliver the right product, which will cater to this requirement in the industry. So that is how proactive we are in terms of developing and delivering the right product for the industry.
Q. How is the metalworking industry evolving in terms of tie-ups with OEMs and end-users to enhance value propositions of their products?
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or Equipment Builder (EB) recommendations / approvals are a key factor when industrial organisations select lubricants for their machinery. Working closely with EBs to elevate awareness and knowledge of metal working fluid technology including health and safety aspects of usage, at the same time delivering improved productivity of the equipment on a shop floor is very important since they help one understand equipment trends as well as current and future lubricant requirements.
At ExxonMobil, our ultimate goal is to improve our customers’ competitiveness by facilitating improved productivity through our commitment to being the technology leader with the highest level of application expertise.
We at ExxonMobil place an enormous emphasis on ongoing investment in R&D, working side-by-side with the world’s leading EBs / OEMs to develop the most effective products as well as maintenance solutions. By working so closely with EBs / OEMs and our customers, we can ensure that our Mobil-branded lubricants deliver exceptional all-around performance. As a result, we are much more than a lubricant provider— we’re a valued, strategic business partner to many EBs / OEMs. With many of the world’s leading EBs / OEMs, we actually participate in early product development, assisting with new machine designs while making recommendations on lubricants and lubrication systems.
Our range of high-performance synthetic lubricants are recommended for use in a wide range of applications by more than 500 major equipment builders, and is ideal for use in a wide range of industries. This close collaboration has enabled ExxonMobil to develop a range of high performance industrial lubricants which help to optimise the performance of industrial applications. ExxonMobil’s flagship Mobil SHC™ synthetic lubricants are approved for use in more than 10,000 applications and have preferential endorsements from more than 2,500 equipment builders. The Mobil SHC™ 600 Series oils alone are recommended for use in 1,800 applications by more than 500 OEMs
Q. Which are the market drivers for coolants & lubricants?
In India, the lubricant industry is on a growth path. The industry has been growing considerably above industrial output in the last few years. The industrial lubricant market in India has grown significantly owing to strong growth through green field projects, capacity expansion and upgrading to new technology in key sectors like Energy, Manufacturing, Process, and Metals in the last decade and an increasing number of customers are demanding superior performing, high technology products to deliver sustainability benefits. We envision a robust growth in this sector despite efficiencies in lubrication as well as equipment technology in the next few years
Q. What are the various innovations happening in coolants & lubricants in terms of lower operating costs, extended tool life, better surface quality and productivity improvements in metalworking industry?
Technology is evolving and new energy efficient technologies are contributing to reducing energy demand. Mobil Industrial Lubricants have developed a range of fluids to meet many of the varied machining operations in machine shops today.
Slideway oils
Poorly formulated slideway oils may not separate readily from aqueous coolants. This can result in the formation of ‘tramp oil’ which can compromise the effectiveness of the coolant by shortening its effective life and adversely altering cutting performance. Tramp oil can also lead to bacterial growth resulting in foul odour, short service life and potential health and safety concerns. To identify high performance slideway oil, maintenance professionals seek out products with outstanding frictional properties and Exceptional coolant separability. One product that meets these requirements is the Mobil Vactra Oil Numbered Series of slideway oils, which have a proven track record in service.
Water Soluble Cutting Fluids
To optimise productivity it is very important to choose technology-leading aqueous coolants. The highest performing coolants can provide reduced maintenance requirements by resisting biological attack which helps to extend batch life. Ease of maintenance needs to be balanced with good machining performance as well as protecting the machine tools and work pieces from corrosion and sticky deposits. In addition, the fluids should meet the latest Health and Safety regulations and be easy to monitor and maintain in service. Collectively, these properties will help deliver long service life, excellent cutting performance and reduced maintenance downtime. The Mobilcut range of water soluble cutting fluids have demonstrated superior performance in demanding applications in the industry across various geographies in India.
Neat Cutting Oils
The new Mobilcut series from ExxonMobil, comprising milky emulsions, high performance micro-emulsions and a fully synthetic grinding fluid, are cutting fluids designed to offer long service life, good operator acceptability and easy waste management. The high performance, long-life semi-synthetic cutting fluids in particular have been designed to meet the wide variety of applications and operations found in medium to small sized machine shops where flexibility, inventory management and machine downtime are of paramount importance.
From Mobil Industrial Lubricants’ perspective, we are geared up to meet and exceed industry requirement through a suite of step up technology lubricants designed to potentially deliver Energy Efficiency benefits. As a pioneer in energy efficient lubricant technology, Mobil Industrial Lubricants is committed to help customers improve their fuel economy and energy efficiency – these are key metrics important to customers. In addition, Mobil Industrial Lubricants offer a range of system oils that help enhance machine tool productivity and continuous operation of utilities that keep machine shops operating with minimal downtime. Mobil SHC range of supreme performance gear and bearing circulating oils, Mobil Grease brand of high performance industrial greases and a host of other lubricant products supported by Technical Services deployed through our expert network of engineers deliver enhanced productivity with safety and environmental protection.
