Auto makers keep a watchful eye on evolving environmental standards and consumer trends to produce vehicles that are in regulatory compliance and successful in the marketplace. And automotive parts manufacturers know how vital a quality process oil is to meet their needs.
Process oil is a key ingredient with many benefits for manufacturers and consumers:
- Helping to produce a desirable soft touch in interior moldings.
- Improving the blending of rubber formulations and extending the life of rubber products.
- Producing a rubber-like flexibility in TPE and EPDM rubber, enabling manufacturers to utilize these economical and versatile alternatives to natural rubber with confidence.
But there are consequences to making an inferior oil selection for interior moldings and under-hood parts. Here are five to consider when assessing your automotive parts manufacturing operations.
1. Your process oil is not meeting the highest automotive fogging standards.
Automakers and many consumers today recognize that “new car smell” is not desirable. There is a growing recognition that this is caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – from, among other sources, process oil evaporation from moldings – and inhaling them isn’t advisable.
Of course, within the industry we measure the common effect of process oil mobility, the film that develops on the interior of glass surfaces: automotive “fogging.”
Fogging from heat exposure may not appear for some time; however, “new car smell” is an early indicator that signals to consumers that something is wrong, and to automakers that process oil mobility and evaporation into the vehicle’s interior may be substandard.
A very high quality process oil with low volatility, such as Renoil 1000-LV and Renoil 1500-LV, helps reduce VOC emission. It improves your ability to meet the highest automotive fogging test standards, allowing you to expand sales to high-end automakers and into new markets.
2. You’re limited in your color options for interior moldings.
Luxury automotive interiors offer consumers a unique environment characterized by both the feel and distinctive look of soft-touch moldings.
An average process oil can provide the desired soft touch for standard black moldings. To also add color, however, a higher grade is necessary. Only a clear, water-white oil will allow precise color matching between different polymers used that each offer a different strength, stiffness or softness in auto interiors.
A gear shift, for example, may have a stiff polymer shaft co-extruded with a softer layer on the top that is soft to the touch. To achieve a true color match for these layers beyond black or brown – white, for instance – there must be no color contamination from your process oil.
Many process oils have a yellowish hue that makes many colors impossible to achieve, and often removes the option of white moldings. Renoil’s LV (low volatility) line is water-white and color stable, broadening your options for niche or limited market orders.
3. Interior moldings don’t hold up long enough to last today’s automotive lifespan.
Over the last several decades, vehicles have become more sophisticated and longer-lasting. The average lifespan today is about 12 years. Though that degree of longevity was possible with older cars, it took a lot more work to keep them running.
“Ten years ago, you’d need to change your spark plugs probably every 30,000 miles — now it’s every 100,000 miles.”
Jill Trotta, Vice President, Industry Advocacy and Sales for RepairPal Inc.
Interior moldings can only be maintained for that long with a process oil that can withstand consistent heat cycles from solar radiation through automotive glass. Otherwise, oil mobility and volatility leads to degradation of interior moldings long before the vehicle is considered end-of-life:
- They lose their softness and become more brittle to the touch.
- Color fades due to poor UV stability.
- Colors may change as well, taking on darker yellowish or brown hues.
High UV stability, in addition to water-white clarity and low volatility, is another feature of Renoil LV process oils.
4. Under-hood parts don’t meet the long-term safety requirements of high-end automakers.
Consumer trends indicate quality is a higher priority for car buyers than affordability. As Brandwatch reported from the results of their worldwide survey in 2020:
“When we asked our respondents what attributes were most important for brands in the auto industry, quality was the most popular option with 30% of the vote. Affordability followed, with 21% of respondents choosing it as the most important attribute.”
While “quality” is a broad metric open to interpretation, these numbers do suggest that factors such as safety and longevity are important enough among consumers to justify paying more. This creates a margin for automakers to invest in under-hood components that can withstand high engine temperatures for longer periods of time.
Process oil evaporation leads to stiffening of rubber, TPE and EPDM rubber hoses, gaskets and other components that are essential to keeping the vehicle running safely. As those components eventually crack, degrade and fail, frequent replacements are necessary and the risk of engine failure increases.
Though most consumers won’t link the causes of cars that are notorious for breaking down with the quality of the process oil in under-hood parts, automakers know this is key to preventing bad PR at best, accidents and subsequent lawsuits at worst.
5. You’re not prepared to meet changing standards and market demands with your process oil.
Standards set by governments and consumer trends alike are constantly evolving, and utilizing a high-grade process oil in automotive parts can keep you ahead of the game.
Environmental Regulations
One such set of standards is driven by environmental concerns. For example, automotive mats are typically after-market and don’t have the same automotive fogging requirements as moldings positioned under the windows. A mid-range oil is sufficient in their production.
However, if and when new standards for mats are introduced to the market or enforced by governments that are similar to molding standards, mat makers will need to incorporate a lower volatility process oil in the manufacturing process.
(It may be a good idea to do so regardless, as mats are a recognized VOC source.)
Market Demands
As niche markets develop in which you may see opportunities to specialize, your manufacturing process will first need to support entering them. You could conceivably produce gaskets, hoses, moldings and other components of virtually any color and shape.
A clear oil supporting precise color matching, with low volatility to keep rubber and rubber-like components pliable, and that stands up to UV light for the long term opens the door to fulfilling special orders and leading in the marketplace.
Let Renkert Oil Position You for Success with High-Performance Automotive Process Oil
More than process oil suppliers, Renkert Oil is a team of consultants with expertise in improving product quality, serving your customers with distinction, and maximizing your profits.
We offer several grades of process oils, as well as food grade oils, transformer oils and base oils, so we can properly match our products with your business needs. Renkert Oil will work with you to determine the formulation optimized for your product and industry.
To learn more about how we serve the automotive industry and many others, contact Renkert Oil today.