This is stated by Lars Eriksson, Key Account Manager at FUCHS Lubricants Sweden.
Since hydraulic fluid is absolutely crucial to a system’s performance and service life, it would be much easier to choose an oil suited to the intended application at the start of the design process and then design the hydraulic system in harmony with it. The hydraulic fluid selected affects, for example, the flows in the system, which in turn can influence the sizing of the hydraulic system.
More than 60 different oil products
FUCHS Lubricants has German roots and, following an acquisition of Statoil Lubricants, has gained a strong position in the Nordic markets.
We have a wide range of hydraulic fluids, certainly more than 60 different products. A product’s properties depend on the base oil, additives and viscosity selected. There are also many special oils that may, for example, have an extra cleaning effect, be food-grade or perform better at high or low temperatures, he explains.
Trends in hydraulic fluids
A clear trend in recent years concerns the choice of base oil.
Base oils are usually divided into five groups, among other things depending on purity. In the past, Group 1 base oils were most common, but in recent years more companies have chosen base oils from Groups 2 and 3. They are somewhat cleaner and offer somewhat sharper properties, mainly longer service life.
One reason why Group 1 base oils are becoming less common is that supply has been limited because Russia’s war in Ukraine has affected the base oil market.
Another trend is that hydraulic oils are developing a better environmental profile and that energy savings affect which oils are chosen.
In several hydraulic oils, including ester-based ones, there is a clear potential for energy savings, partly due to the lower system temperature they contribute to, which makes it possible to reduce viscosity.
Most hydraulic oils are still fossil-based, but our range of readily biodegradable hydraulic oils based on synthetic esters is growing. Some synthetic esters have many advantages besides being more environmentally friendly.
They often provide a lower system temperature and have a cleaning capability. However, the purchase cost is somewhat higher, so it is important to balance the system’s service life in relation to the product cost.
Such a balance is an example of the importance of treating the oil as a machine element and choosing the oil early in the design phase.
If you know that the system will be heavily loaded and will probably experience higher operating temperatures, an oil should be selected that is adapted to those specific operating conditions. Depending on which oil is chosen and, for example, what viscosity it has, the system can be optimized accordingly for the best possible performance, Lars Eriksson notes.
Synthetic ester oils also come in many varieties depending on area of use and composition.
Re-refined oil has the same high quality as virgin oil
One environmental trend is to start using re-refined oil as a base oil, something FUCHS is working with. They call it ACT (Advanded Circular Technology). Today, modern circular technology makes it possible to recover base oil from used products by refining it again and removing water and contaminants.
Since the largest carbon emissions in lubricant production occur during the extraction and refining of crude oil, there are major environmental benefits in now being able to clean used oil and use it again. This also reduces the need for fossil raw materials.
A decisive advantage in cleaning and recycling used base oil is that the molecules do not change chemically. Re-refining therefore does not break down the material, which creates great reuse potential.
The fact that the cleaned base oil also offers the same high quality as virgin oil makes it possible for our customers to reach their environmental goals without compromising efficiency.
Recommends oil analyses
Customers who do not choose synthetic ester oils or re-refined base oils can still contribute to environmental efforts by ensuring that the oils they use last as long as possible.
We offer our customers the opportunity to carry out different types of oil analyses. We take oil samples, analyse them and provide recommendations on what they can do to keep the oil as clean as possible. One option may be to add a little new oil to improve quality, Lars Eriksson says.
Continuous monitoring of the oil with digital tools is another way to make both the oil and the hydraulic system last longer.
However, we see that such monitoring is not yet very common, even though the possibilities exist. One reason may be that customers do not have sufficient knowledge to make qualified assessments of the data they receive from monitoring. They do not know how to interpret the data. As a result, collected data becomes something that may be nice to have, but not a real working tool. That is where we come in and help by training staff on site.
Important to monitor additive levels
Digital monitoring systems also do not measure all parameters. Such systems are good for tracking contamination, water content and other factors, but they miss one important thing.
A crucial factor in hydraulic oil is the additives included in our product formulations to create different functions in the oil. These additives are consumed over time, which eventually affects the oil’s performance. To get a picture of additive levels in the oil, an oil analysis is required, and one also needs an understanding of what additive levels are necessary for the oil to perform its task. These assessments can only be made in consultation with the lubricant supplier.
Through different oil analyses, FUCHS helps its customers care for their hydraulic units in the best possible way, thereby saving energy and reducing carbon emissions.
It is also about securing technical performance and extending the service life of both the lubricant and the hydraulic system.
