Industry Issues:

The long road ahead
Extending drain intervals promises miles of trouble-free motoring. And now, more and more people are considering the length of the drain interval when they purchase a new vehicle. But formulating the lubricants is not as simple as it may seem. It requires quality lubricants with staying power - those able to withstand a host of adverse conditions and maintain up-to-scratch performance. Here we look at the challenges involved.

A quest for quality
Often, fuels trends from Europe are reported without mention of the fact that there is tremendous variety across the region. In particular, the countries of Eastern Europe are often overlooked. However, here lie some of the most rapidly changing and developing markets. Although very different situations exist across Eastern Europe, there is a common factor in the move toward higher quality, Western European standards, via many different routes. Here, Insight takes a snapshot look at diesel production in the Czech and Slovak Republics, Russia, Poland, Hungary and Romania.

Special feature:

Infineum. A seventy year history
On 3 May 2000, it will be 70 years since Garland H.B. Davis filed a patent for 'a new composition of matter - an invention for improved methods for the production of high grade lubricating oils'. Our lubricant additives business was born. Today, Infineum, formed a year ago as a world-wide joint venture between Paramins and Shell Additives, can trace its roots back to that invention in 1930.

Face to face:

Max Gairing on today's issues for fuels and lubricants
"When I was a young boy, a vehicle on the street was something exceptional," says Max Gairing, Senior Manager of Operational Fluids for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. In not-so-many years, it is stunning to see how this has changed, bringing with it fuels, lubricants and additives industries with a dynamism of their own. Lesley Welbourne discovers Gairing's thoughts on the key issues for these industries today.

Global viewpoint:

Asia Pacific - Fuels and Lubes Asia: the 6th annual conference
January 25-28 this year saw the 6th Annual Fuels and Lubes Asia conference take place in Singapore. The conference represents a sounding board for the latest developments in the Asia region. Industry economics was a key focus at this year's conference, apparent in the keynote address 'Fuels and lubes market recovery in Asia: is it real?'. Presented by Caltex Chairman and Chief Executive, Jock McKenzie. This plus some 60 presentations on a wide range of topics made the event a valuable industry forum as well as providing a perspective on rapidly developing technologies, markets and opportunities.

The Americas - Cool running for clean diesels
For over a decade, US heavy-duty diesel engine emission limits have driven changes in engine design. Now, manufacturers are facing what may be the most dramatic change in emissions control technology yet - exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). Although EGR may reduce exhaust emissions significantly, it introduces many concerns and potential problems, including increasingly severe conditions for the lubricant - conditions which require higher quality, heavy-duty oils. Pat Fetterman of Infineum and Greg Shank of Mack Trucks report.

Exhaust gas recirculation: a typical system