Lubricants are critical to a number of industries — including but not limited to the automotive and hydraulic/gear oil sectors. Lubricant blending is the start of the process for lubricants such as passenger car motor oils (PCMOs), heavy duty motor oils (HDMOs), and industrial oils, among others. Without proper lubricant blending, you could struggle with downtime on your job site and see reduced equipment longevity. It’s important to work with the right partner who can help you validate formulas and support your production demands.
At Crystal Packaging, we offer complete lubricant blending services to support your production demands. We partner with some of the most recognized brands in the world to blend and package their lubricants. When you’re ready to begin the lubricant blending process, contact us.
Stages of the Lubricant Blending Process
The blending process will vary slightly for each client depending on the components and amount of lubricants being blended. However, we can typically break our process up into a few repeatable sections.
Before the Blend
Before we begin the process, we’ll work with our customer to decide on the product formula. Most of the time, our customers provide the exact specifications they need. Other times, our customers don’t have a ready-made formula. In that case, we can provide Crystal-owned formulas with proven performance throughout our 45-year history.
Once we decide on a formula, we’ll work to secure the ingredients for the blend. Upon receiving the chemicals/additives, we test them to make sure that they meet applicable specifications. This preliminary test is one of the most crucial steps to ensuring a quality end-product. Once all the additives are tested, we’re ready to begin the blending process.
During the Blend
First, we add the components in precise amounts using a scale or meter. Then, we can start the mixing process.
We’re one of the only companies in the area that warms our lubricants before and during the blend. Our stock and additive tanks have steam coils that heat the components, resulting in a higher-quality product. Blending warm reduces additive drop-out and ensures a longer shelf life for lubricants.
We prefer the warm blending process because it eliminates stress that cold blending puts on the product. Lubricants that are cold blended can chemically deteriorate, experience additive drop out, and separate into phases. This results in a shorter shelf life and lower overall product quality.
After the Blend
We also sample the blend and send it through our in-house lab for testing. When the blend is complete, we use an x-ray diffractometer to check the product. We look at the additive ratio and make sure it’s up to the customer’s specifications. Once everything checks out, we can handle loading it into trucks or rail cars.
Key Crystal Packaging Differentiators
Crystal Packaging offers a variety of services that our competitors do not. When you work with us, you’ll get a higher quality product and faster distribution times.
Easy Distribution with Rail Access and Rapid Truck Loading
Our eight-car rail access allows us to load product and have it released for most destinations within 3-5 business days. Along with rail distribution, we can easily load trucks to deliver your product.
With our robust equipment and friendly personnel, we’re able to load two or more lubricants onto a rail car or truck at a time, resulting in faster distribution times. To give you an idea of our efficient distribution capabilities, we can typically load a 6,500-gallon oil truck in under 2 hours, and all with a smile!
Dedicated Lab Personnel and Testing Processes
We have dedicated lab professionals on-site to quickly and efficiently test during the lubricant blending process. We test blends multiple times throughout the process (during blending, after blending, and before loading) to ensure our customers receive the highest quality product. During the test, we’ll analyze the blend for metals, viscosities, pour points, and more, all driven by your specifications for the product.
Ample Storage
We have huge storage spaces on-site to support virtually any production demand. Our blend tanks run out to a tank farm that has more than 2,000,000 gallons of storage.
Small Business that Delivers Big Results
Our smaller company size translates to efficient blending and testing, along with fantastic customer service. Our 70,000 square-foot facility and large-scale equipment support our lubricant blending services, and allows us to serve as an all-in-one chemical production partner and streamline your operations. We’re capable of running large production blends and we’re the perfect facility for test blends.
Industry Certifications and Memberships
We’re proud to be a member of the Industrial Lubricants Manufacturing Association (ILMA). Through its enforceable Code of Ethics, ILMA ensures integrity and quality in lubricant manufacturing.
Choose the Right Lubricant Blending Partner
Before you start working with a lubricant blending partner, you’ll want to make sure they’re the right fit for your business and can deliver a superior product. A quality lubricant blending process is imperative to avoiding downtime on your job site and reduced equipment longevity, which can dramatically impact your bottom line. A partner who can validate your chosen lubricant formulas and carry out important testing throughout the whole process can take a massive amount of stress off your plate. Additionally, choosing a partner who can blend your lubricants warm will result in a superior quality product.
Ready to Get Started?
When you’re ready to begin the lubricant blending process, we’d love to hear from you. Our team will help you develop a liquid blending program that simplifies your supply chain, reaches new markets, and consistently meets customer expectations.