ATIEL, the technical association of the European lubricants industry, has developed new guidance for engine lubricant marketers on making valid performance claims against more than one Category within the ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association) 2012 European Oil Sequences.
The guidance on combined claims has been produced in response to findings of an ATIEL quality survey that revealed a number of products on the market bearing incompatible or incomplete claims.
Combined ACEA Category claims on the same lubricant formulation are only possible where the associated chemical limits and physical testing limits of each Category can be met. But some combinations are either technically impossible due to conflicting requirements of two or more categories (example, ACEA A3/B4, C3 is not a valid claim), or highly unlikely because of demanding combined requirements.
In most cases of incompatible claims highlighted by ATIELs quality survey program, it is likely that the lubricant marketer did not fully appreciate the exact requirements of all the individual Categories involved or may have misunderstood the legitimate claims that can be made in relation to the ACEA 2012 Sequences.
The ATIEL combined claims guidance, including a matrix table that clearly identifies the possible, impossible or highly unlikely claims, has been added to the Industry Information section of the
ATIEL website.
The matrix table not only shows the possible and impossible combinations of claims that can be made against the ACEA 2012 European Oil Sequences but also shows combinations that are possible but have restrictions that make the combination unlikely.
Combinations in the orange boxes are technically incompatible and so should not be made. Combinations in the grey boxes are possible, but have engine/bench tests with differing requirements or test limits making combined claims unlikely in a single formulation.
