AMSOIL Changes XL-7500 Formula To Enhance Oils, Stay Competitive
AMSOIL Vice President of Manufacturing Alan Amatuzio discusses changes in the AMSOIL XL-7500 Series Motor Oils.
Reprinted from the June issue of the AMSOIL Action News
XLT/Competitor Comparisons
10W-30 Motor Oils
 |
Action News: AMSOIL will be using a different formula for its XL-7500 Motor Oils. Why did AMSOIL
change the formula?
Amatuzio: Our XL-7500 oils are the oils of choice in
the retail oil change market, and primarily because of warranty concerns the customers in this market require API-certified.
In order to obtain API SL/ILSAC GF-3 certification and still remain cost-competitve with the other oils sold at retail oil
change outlets, we had to change to Group III basestocks. To obtain API certification with our top tier basestocks would
have priced our Dealers out of the market.
Action News: Are Group III basestocks synthetic?
Amatuzio: Yes, they are synthetic. Group III base oils are highly processed
oils and were classified as synthetic in 1999. That year, the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better
Business Bureaus ruled in a complaint by Mobil Oil Corp. against Castrol North America Inc. Castrol claimed its product,
Synthec, was a synthetic oil even though it had used Group III base oils since 1997.
Action News: How did that change impact the lubricant industry?
Amatuzio: Initially, the decision by NAD shocked the lubrcant industry.
However, many studies show that Synthetic Group III base oils have been completely changed and converted and are
significantly different from traditional Group I mineral oils. They have come to be recognized in the industry and by
consumers as synthetic.
Action News: Are all Group III oils equal?
Amatuzio: No, as a matter of fact, they are not. One of the big problems
with Group III base oils is the lack of consistency from one manufacturer to another. While the physical properties may meet
performance parameters, the performance characteristics can vary widely. That's because of differences in the crude oil and
the different processes used to refine the crude into Group III basestocks. It's quite different from PAO production where
the properties and performance are fairly consistent between manufacturers. (See Table 1.)
Action News: How did AMSOIL resolve these differences in performance
characteristics in the Group III basestocks?
Amatuzio: AMSOIL has selected the best quality Group III base oils and
spiked them with oxidation inhibitors and TBN. They have more gusto than other Group III oils and are fully formulated for
7,500-mile drain intervals. (See Chart 1.)
Action News: What prompted the new GF-3 designation?
Amatuzio: The new designation was driven by three key performance
requirements:
improved fuel economy, improved protection of emissions control systems and the need for more robust engine oils that offer
extended drain intervals.
Action News: What does the new formulation mean for AMSOIL Dealers?
Amatuzio: The new formulation allows Dealers and customers to save money.
Effective July 1, the XL-7500 5W-20, 5W-30 and 10W-30 motor oils cost 20 cents per quart less for all programs. Retail
on-the-shelf cash commissions change form 15 to 20, consistent with all other AMSOIL products, and commission credits in the
MLM program remain unchanged.
Action News: Are the other AMSOIL motor oils impacted in any way?
Amatuzio: Our other motor oils remain unchanged. They are the very best
quality synthetic motor oils, formulated for 25,000 mile, or one-year drain intervals. Our main line motor oils are the
premier, top quality oils on the market and that is where they will stay. Unlike the competition that considers Synthetic
Group III a major step up in performance, our PAO-based motor oils are still the best.
Action News: How are basestocks defined and classified?
Amatuzio: The American Petroleum Institute classes basestocks in five
Groups, defined by sulfur content, saturates and viscosity index. Groups I and II are petroleum-based oils. Group III, as
mentioned before, have been most recently designated synthetic, Group IV synthetic basestocks are PAO chemistry. Group V
represents all stocks not included in Groups I-IV, such as esters, silicones and polyglycols.
Action News: Why did AMSOIL choose to use Group III basestocks in these
particular oils?
Amatuzio: The AMSOIL XL-7500 oils are particularly appropriate for Group III
basestocks because they are stable and resist oxidation and volatility. They are recommended for only 7,500-mile, or
six-month, drain intervals. Primarily sold to the installed retail market, they give the retailer and customers what they
want and need for their vehicles.
Table 1 - API Base Stock Categories
| Group |
Sulfur Wt% |
Saturates V.I. |
| I |
>.03 |
and/or |
<90 |
80-119 |
| II |
<.03 |
and |
>90 |
80-119 |
| III |
<.03 |
and |
>90 |
>120 |
| IV |
All Polyalphaolefins (PAOs) |
| V |
All stocks not included in Groups I-V (Pale oils and non-PAO synthetics such as esters, silicones and
polyglycols). |
Alan Amatuzio Earns Lubrication Specialist Certificate
AMSOIL Vice President of Manufacturing Alan Amatuzio recently earned his lubrication specialist certificate from the
Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers.
The certification program designed by this international professional society began in 1993 to provide unformity to the
knowledge a lubrication specialist must have, and recognizes those individuals who can demonstrate their expertise in
critical areas of lubrication technology.
It is designed to test knowledge and the application of that knowledge, said Robert Gresham, Director of Professional
Development at STLE.
"That means candidates who pass this test can go into any manufacturing plant, in any industry, and have a sense of the
key issues and what to do about them," Gresham said.
Similar to a lawyer's bar exam or a public accountant's certification process, the CLS exam tests the working knowledge
of the person taking the test. It is unlike a certificate program where candidates take a course taught specifically to the
information of the exam.
The test covers 16 categories in a wide range of topics with many "scenario" questions that give applicants a set of
circumstances and ask them to determine the problem.
The STLE recommends reading material, but there is no specific text. Last year, the STLE further toughened the criteria
by adding a three-year minimum experience requirement. And, anyone who fails the test now must wait one year to retest.
Candidates for the certificate must earn a minimum of 70 percent on the three-hour exam that has 150 questions chosen at
random from a stockpile of questions covering all aspects of lubrication technology. Each year, about 50 percent of roughly
200 applicants fail the exam.
"That's not an unusual percentage of failures," Gresham said. "most attorneys don't pass the bar on their first try, and
accountants really have to work for their certification."
|
|
