When it comes to the production of apparel, a wide variety of products use process oils to help lower costs and increase efficiency while maintaining quality. Choosing the right process oil is a crucial part of designing and manufacturing useful products.
For apparel products it is important to choose an oil with:
- Color stability
- Low oxidation
- Rubber polymer compatibility
- Low volatility
Process oils benefit your production process both by increasing production speed and reducing the amount of more costly materials required to make products. This is why the highest quality oils are necessary for running an efficient and productive manufacturing operation.
From shoes to clothes to bags, here are some of the most important considerations to think about when choosing a process oil.
How Process Oils Reduce Costs
For any product, one of the main benefits of using a process oil is how it can reduce costs during production. This is why Chevron ParaLux process oils from Renkert Oil are ideal for a variety of applications.
Across volatility levels, Chevron Paralux oils tend to have lower viscosities than competing solvent refined process oils.
When Paralux is part of processing:
- Less make-up oil is needed, leading to waste reduction.
- The amount of materials passing through the process is increased, increasing efficiency.
- Manufacturing costs are lowered, helping your bottom line.
- Overall product quality is improved, resulting in a product consumers will love.
Problems that normally cause delays, like evaporation, are solved when using a process oil such as ParaLux, which results in longer time periods where machines can function without a need to stop for maintenance or repairs.
Footwear
Footwear is a massive part of the clothing and apparel industry and the U.S. market, the largest in the world, raked in over $91 billion in 2019.
The industry depends on high-quality process oils to aid in manufacturing and to be used as constituent parts of the shoes.
As process oils are used in the rubber shoe soles, they make ideal processing aids or extender oils due to their high compatibility with rubber polymers.
Expanding Volume
They can expand the volume of rubber-based products and improve softness, while maintaining the key physical traits (strength and elongation) of the rubber compounds.
Reducing Cost
This reduces costs by reducing the amount of expensive rubber compound, with the process oil adding the requisite volume.
Reducing Product Loss
Chevron Paralux’s lower volatility means that weight loss and emissions that normally occur during processing can be minimized.
Improving Product Quality
Additionally, they help final products maintain their natural flexibility over time by not evaporating in use conditions, which is very important for shoe soles.
Clothing
Clothing is another major market worldwide that uses process oils as an integral part of the production process.
Process oils are useful in the production of textiles for a number of reasons:
- They decrease the amount of wear on the fibers in the textile.
- They stop dust from accumulating on the textile products.
- They lubricate and protect guides and rollers used in the production process from catastrophic wear.
One of the most relevant considerations in picking a process oil for clothing is making sure that it will not discolor (yellow) the finished products.
Color Stability in Clothing
Renkert’s paraffinic process oils are able to maintain a high degree of color stability due to the modern, all hydroprocessing method used to produce them. This method substantially lowers the amount of reactive aromatics in the oil, reducing them into more stable saturates.
The end result is an odorless, water-white process oil that will not yellow from exposure to UV rays or heat, allowing clothing products to maintain a precise and vibrant color. A high-quality process oil like Chevron ParaLux is absolutely essential for maintaining a consistent standard of quality in clothing products.
Increasing Efficiency in Production
It’s also important that the right process oils be used for the right lubrication jobs, which is essential in large-scale, high efficiency textile manufacturing.
Having a good lubricant increases efficiency, safety, and allows machines to run for longer without requiring maintenance.
The right lubricating oils must be applied at the right steps when dealing with a complicated production process that includes a wide variety of machines including:
- Spinning machines
- Knitting machines
- Weaving machines
- Finishing machines
- Stenter frames
This is why it’s useful to work with a supplier with a wide range of different process oils with different viscosities, so that the best lubricant can be chosen for each application.
Bags
Accessories such as handbags also require process oils that will meet the stringent needs of large-scale production processes. Both leather and synthetics such as thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) have use for process oils.
Oils like ParaLux have the benefits of low volatility, no color or odor, which are important in a number of ways in the production process.
Reduced Product Waste
Lower volatility means less evaporation and therefore reduced product loss, so the same amount of oil can be utilized to produce a greater volume of bags and similar accessories.
Color Stability for Accessories
Low volatility also means more stability in end use applications. Since they have low aromatic content, these process oils are inert and do not readily discolor. This color stability is just as important for designing accessory items like bags as for other apparel. ParaLux helps manufacturers meet exact color specifications and prevent yellowing from UV exposure.
Consistency and Safety
ParaLux’s low volatility means greater consistency in high temperature environments, where evaporation is more of an issue. And its high flash point helps maintain a safe environment during the mass production process.
Renkert Can Meet Your Needs for High-Quality Process Oils
Apparel items are one of many markets in which good process oils are crucial for maintaining efficiency and high product quality.
For their low volatility, color stability and high flash point, process oils like Chevron ParaLux stand tall in comparison with alternate products used in apparel manufacturing.
Let Renkert Oil’s consultants help you:
- Select from a variety of options in Chevron and Renkert’s own line of process oils for product application or as production aids.
- Optimize your production processes for maximum efficiency.
- Leverage our strategic locations and logistical experience to provide superior supply security.
If you’re interested in improving the quality of your products and the efficiency of your production process, contact us to learn more about how Renkert Oil can help you.