By Steve King, STLE CLS

A great way to improve your lubrication program for Heavy Duty or Industrial Plants is through performing an independent lubrication assessment.

Many companies specialize in performing these assessments but customers are usually left with an unrealistic and/or cost prohibitive report that many times goes nowhere. Not to mention the large price tag that went with it. At PetroChoice, we have designed an assessment program that provides our customers with a realistic road map to improve their programs in a low cost and easy to execute fashion. We focus on what the facility is capable of and grade our findings accordingly.

As you can see, we determined that it would be cost prohibitive or unrealistic to score a 10 on all items. Our focus is identifying the gap from current status to what is obtainable.

Over the next 12 weeks we will unpack what we look for in each of these areas. Below is a brief description of each category.

Check back for more:

Part 2 :Lubrication Assessments -Safety

Part 3 : Lubrication Assessments -Product Selection

Part 4 : Lubrication Assessments -Contamination Control

Part 5 : Lubrication Assessments -Automation

Part 6 : Lubrication Assessments -Monitor & Inspections

Part 7 : Lubrication Assessments -Product Handling

Part 8 : Lubrication Assessments -Sustainability

Part 9 : Lubrication Assessments -Training

Part 10 : Lubrication Assessments -Vendor Assistance

Part 11 : Lubrication Assessments -Waste Management

Part 12 : Lubrication Assessments -Process Flow

Part 13 : Lubrication Assessments -Culture

Car dealerships in Florida and New Jersey are suing Mazda of America over its new dealership bonus program, which they claim gives some dealers a pricing advantage while hurting others.

A Tampa area Mazda dealership had initially filed suit in August, claiming the Mazda Brand Experience Program 2.0 violates the Robinson-Patman Act.  The New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJCAR) also targeted the program, filing suit this month.  The group filed on behalf of 16 Mazda dealers who claim the program violates the New Jersey Franchise Practices Act.

The issue in the more recent New Jersey suit focuses on the program’s two-tier pricing, which NJCAR said unfairly favors standalone Mazda dealers.  Mazda has yet to respond to the suit.

Scientists in Singapore have created a pair of robots that can work in unison to 3D print concrete building structures.

According to reports, the robots were created by scientists at Nanyang Technological University.  They can be programmed using a computer and use a technique called “swarm printing” to create designs without crashing into each other.  The robots use a specially formulated cement mix designed specifically for use in 3D printing.  The machines built the small structure in eight minutes and it took about a week to achieve its full strength.

The ability to use multiple robots could make it easier and more efficient to 3D print larger concrete structures.

A ban on the sale of gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol during the summer months has been lifted, allowing the fuel to be sold year-round.

According to reports, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will publish a rule allowing high ethanol “E 15” blends to be sold during the summer.  Sale of E 15 had previously been restricted in summer months due to concerns over excessive smog.  Gasoline normally contains 10 percent ethanol.

Related: Fluid Leaks Can Lead to Downtime, Environmental Issues

The ban lift comes as a relief to corn farmers, who have pushed for looser restrictions on the fuel.  Lifting the ban did have opposition from some groups, including the American Petroleum Institute (API).  Critics say E 15 blends can cause harm to engines and ruin older cars.

The American Iron and Steel Institute have reported a decrease in steel imports this year, with declines continuing in the month of September.

According to reports, imports have fallen 10.6 percent in 2018, with permit applications in September falling 7.6 percent over the previous month.  Through the first nine months of the year, the U.S. has imported 26.5 million tons of steel, including 20.1 tons of finished steel.  That represents a 12.1 percent drop from 2017.

South Korea, Turkey, Germany, Taiwan and Japan have been the biggest suppliers of steel in 2018 to date.  Imports have fallen 21 percent from South Korea, 14 percent from Japan and 49 percent from Turkey.

A new study by skill assessment provider Scientific Management Techniques shows an increase in manufacturing skill assessment scores in 2018.

According to reports, this would mark the first time since 2000 where scores will have increased in two of the last three years.  This comes at a time when many companies are finding skilled labor difficult to come by.  Skill assessment scores remained largely flat for much of the late 20^th century before declining sharply after 2000.

The increase in scores could be a sign that the gap in skills most employers are concerned about has begun to shrink.  However, assessment score averages are still considerably below their pre-2000 levels.

A British advertising watchdog has censured Nissan over claims made by the automaker regarding the charging  speed of batteries in its all-electric leaf models.

According to reports, the United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) censured the Japanese automaker for claiming the Leaf’s battery could charge to 80 percent of its capacity in 40 to 60 minutes using a rapid charger.  According to the ASA, those claims were not substantiated and misleading.  Nissan since changed the wording of their advertisement, but the ASA has decided to uphold its complaint, saying the changes weren’t enough.

Related: Nissan Fails to Meet National Testing Standards in Japan

Representatives from Nissan have said they were disappointed in the ASA ruling, but would respect the decision.

Fluid leaks can be extremely costly and lead to large quantities of product wasted and extensive equipment downtime.  They can also lead to environmental issues, which can be even more costly and severely damage a company’s reputation.

In addition to machine downtime, the price of leaking lubricants can quickly add up if the leaks are not found and fixed quickly.  A leak dripping one drop of fluid per second can result in just over a gallon lost, almost 34 gallons a month. At three drops per second, that increases to almost four gallons a day and 113 per month.  If a system has multiple similar leaks, that number can add up very quickly.

“Every leak situation is different when evaluating the financial impact,” Dan Wideman, Territory Manager for PetroChoice and Certified Lubrication Specialist, said.  “All one needs to do is multiply the daily or monthly loss by the cost of their hydraulic or circulating fluid to determine the cost of the oil alone.  The time operators spend topping-off a leaking system varies by company but can usually be estimated at $40 per hour.”

Related: Simple Steps Can Help Reduce the Cost of Downtime

While those costs can add it, leaks can also lead to problematic environmental situations.  The cost  of downtime and lost fluid can be further amplified if leaks enter groundwater or damage the area around the facility.  With environmental regulations stricter than ever and environmental issues as hot button topics, these kinds of leaks can be crippling for a business.

“A leak that is allowed to reach ground or groundwater has the potential to create an environmental remediation situation for a company,” Wideman said.  “Companies do not want that expense as it usually involves specialized equipment, time, and regulatory follow-up as well as the potential for fines. Most facilities have spill containment devices in place that prevent leaks from affecting groundwater.”

Leaks can quickly go from bad to worse, as small drips can turn into large flows in an instant.  Wideman said it isn’t uncommon for this to happen, with multiple machines losing 24 or more gallons per day.  Finding these leaks is critical and there are a variety of ways they can be detected, including through PetroChoice’s leak detection service.

“We add ultraviolet dye to each affected system and allow it to circulate through the entire system,” Wideman said.   After the dye has had ample time to reach all areas of the fluid circuit, we systematically inspect the reservoir, pipes, hoses, pumps, valves and other pipes with a UV lamp.  Fluid leaks will glow.  After the site visit, we prepare an Engineering Service Report that documents our findings and distribute it to plant personnel.”

By Mike Havenga, Vice President of Fuels for PetroChoice

PetroChoice’s additive blending program begins October 15 and is scheduled to run through mid-March. Purchasing quality fuel is not the only component to experiencing a flawless season. There are several measures you can take to help keep your fleet in service and out of the shop. We know there is nothing worse than changing filters in the middle of the night in subzero conditions while your customers are waiting for you to deliver your service on time.

Here are a few simple tips to reduce downtime this winter:

• Check and remove any water from all storage tanks by Nov 1. Most issues are actually caused by “icing,” not the gelling of fuel
• Be sure water is drained from running tanks and filters are changed by Nov 1
• Be sure 100% of your fuel inventory is blended to handle extreme temperatures by Nov 1 (yard tanks, transfer tanks, running tanks, job site tanks). Transfer tanks should operate through a filter as well
• Be sure treated fuel is operating throughout the fuel systems in all equipment.  The running tank should be treated and the engine should run for 10 minutes with the new filter on to ensure treated fuel is throughout the whole system
• It’s much better to use a non-alcohol winter diesel fuel anti-gel additive designed for on highway fuel versus a blend using #1 fuel. Blended fuel has lower cetane and doesn’t have lubricity additives for newer high-pressure injectors
• Additionally, larger micron filters may be used, per OEM, during winter months
  Blend additives in your truck at appropriate ratios as over-treating can coat your filter and lead to plugging as well

It’s inevitable that we will experience extreme conditions at least once a winter in the Midwest. PetroChoice is committed to providing high quality, clean, optimal performing diesel fuel.

Bulk and package emergency and conditioner additives in cases are available through PetroChoice. Give us a call at 800-997-3835 or ask your Sales Representative.

Ford has announced it will recall almost 200 2017 and 2018 GT supercars over concerns the vehicles are leaking hydraulic fluid.

According to reports, the leaks have occurred under the rear wing blocks of the vehicles.  Fluid leaking into the exhaust system could result in fire, with one such instance already reported in Germany.  No one was injured during that fire.

Related: GM Issues Recall on 2015 Trucks, SUVs

The impacted vehicles were built between late 2016 and the summer of 2018.  The GTs are hand made and sold for $450 thousand.  Ford has plans to build 250 GTs each year through the 2020 model year.