Meeting API specifications in mining and construction segments

The TOTAL RUBIA WORKS range of off-road engine oils has met OEM requirements, including Caterpillar, Cummins and MTU.

Total has proven its commitment to serve customers by designing the TOTAL RUBIA WORKS to meet and exceed American Petroleum Institute (API) standards.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) has been continuously publishing standards for the petroleum industry and these include performance requirements of automotive lubricants.

The service classifications of API are updated and have evolved with time, based on prevailing and latest equipment design technologies and regulatory requirements.

The commonly referenced API lubricant categories are the gasoline engine ‘S’ (spark-ignition), diesel engine ‘C’ (compression-ignition) and gear ‘GL’ lubricant service classifications.   

The nature and severity of the machine component operation and its lubricant application condition are usually first described, and then the associated performance tests are built around these.

In Europe, the counterpart of API for engine oils is ACEA, while in Japan, it is JASO – both the latter standards are following similar evaluation principles as API, but require other test methods and acceptance criteria on some specification parameters.

On May 1, the new API SP service classification came into effect. This classification specifically pertains to the latest spark-ignited internal combustion engines focussing on low viscosity lubricants (fuel economy), avoidance of low-speed-pre-ignition (LSPI) and higher protection against timing chain wear.

For diesel engines, API CK-4 classification describes oils for use in high-speed four-stroke cycle diesel engines.

API CK-4 oils are designed to provide enhanced protection against oil oxidation, viscosity loss due to shear, oil aeration, as well as protection against degradation of low- and high-temperature properties, catalyst poisoning, particulate filter blocking, engine wear, piston deposits and soot-related viscosity increase.   

API FA-4 is the low-HTHS-viscosity version of API CK-4, but majority of mining and construction equipment manufacturers recommend the use of API CK-4 or the earlier version (and disallow API FA-4) oils to ensure adequate oil film thickness during high temperature operation in off-road application.

Meeting a specified API service category means subjecting the candidate engine oil in several laboratory and fired engine tests under controlled conditions in order to determine the performance of said lubricant against a set criteria.

In addition, many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) take these industry specifications as a reference starting point and often require additional performance testing to address their own design requirements.

Following testing and associated engine strip downs, the candidate fluid must earn enough merit points to pass the prescribed tests to qualify for said API classification.

Further, the evaluation can only be conducted in recognised engine test laboratories; meaning that an engine oil meeting an API service classification, provides the end users with the confidence that the lubricant is able to do the job for which the engine oil has been designed, especially when considering standard service intervals and normal operating conditions.   

The TOTAL RUBIA WORKS range of off-road engine oils are specifically designed to meet and exceed API requirements, while also meeting the European ACEA ‘E’ and Asian JASO ‘DH’ diesel engine oil standards, as well as having obtained OEM approvals from various OEMs and meeting their requirements, such as Caterpillar, Cummins, MTU, Detroit Diesel, Deutz, Volvo and others.   

This means that the TOTAL RUBIA WORKS range of engine oils are robustly formulated and able to perform at extended drain intervals, while maintaining engine durability and efficiency even when operating in severe conditions.

The use of lower SAE viscosity grade, fuel efficient (FE) lubricants such as the TOTAL RUBIA WORKS range of engine oils can also further reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO), an added benefit for end-users.

This article will appear in the October issue of Australian Mining.