ATIEL, the technical association of the European lubricants industry, has released Issue 20 of its Code of Practice, which provides guidance for developers and marketers of engine lubricants designed to meet current European performance specifications.

 

Issue 20 incorporates new technical guidelines that bring it into line with the latest engine lubricant performance limits set out by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) in its 2016 European Oil Sequences that were released on December 1, 2016.

 

In addition to the technical updates, Issue 20 has also been given a clearer, more logical format and structure designed to make it more user-friendly and easier to follow.

 

Updates to technical guidelines and read-across tables in Issue 20 accommodate several key changes to performance specifications introduced in ACEA 2016 including introduction of new engine and lab tests, introduction of C5 category and removal of A1/B1 category and removal of the ‘grandfathering’ principle for certain tests.

To assist lubricant developers in complying with the new requirements of ACEA 2016, ATIEL has made some changes to the structure of Issue 20 including: section ordering more closely reflecting a typical lubricant development programme, clearer definitions of roles and responsibilities of parties involved in the development process, new sections to enhance clarity for auditing purposes, more logical restructuring of appendices with all BOI and VGRA read-across tables grouped together and additional examples.

Other significant changes to Issue 20 include closer alignment with the ATC Code of Practice and the extraction of the European Engine Lubricant Quality Management System (EELQMS) guidelines, which is now a stand-alone document.

 

The alignment with ATC means that all guidelines relating to Viscosity Modifier Improvers are now found solely within the ATC Code of Practice.

 

The removal of EELQMS is to clarify its position as the overarching quality system for engine lubricant development meeting the ACEA requirements, with its own website and guidelines document.  Both the ATIEL and ATC Codes provide key technical inputs to the EELQMS along with other standards and best practices.

 

Issue 20 of the ATIEL Code of Practice supersedes Issue 19, which remains applicable for claims made against the ACEA 2012 Oil Sequences that are valid until December 1, 2018.  To view the Code of Practice Issue 20, click here