lubricating the Wheels of Growth PETROFER

Stuart Gregory, the managing Director of Petrofer uK

l lubricating t ubricating tH He e wHeels of growtHwHeels of growtH

PETROFER UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of PETROFER Germany, one of the world’s leading companies for industrial lubricants, oils and specialised fluids, is set to embrace emerging sector changes. Stuart Gregory, the Managing Director of Petrofer UK and a member of the Global Executive Committee, spoke to Romana Moares about the latest developments and upcoming challenges and opportunities.

Established in 1948 in the northern German city of Hildesheim, PETROFER has developed into a leading company in its sector, offering a combination of chemical products, services, and technical expertise in almost 50 countries throughout the world, supported by 14 manufacturing sites. Combining tradition and vision, this privately owned company builds on innovation, quality, expertise and employee dedication.

PETROFER’s portfolio of process fluids and products is divided into ten distinctive product groups; these are used in applications such as metal forming, forging, die-casting, pressing, metal cutting, cleaning, hydraulics, general lubrication, heat treatment and corrosion prevention. All of the products exceed current environmental, H&S and legislative requirements.

embracing change

Mr Gregory, who has been with the company for 24 years, and is also the Technical Co-ordinator for Japanese Business in Europe, as well as the President of the UK Die Casting Society and the ViceChairman of UK Cast Metals Federation, explained that in addition to its sales team, the UK subsidiary has service engineers covering the whole of the UK along with a laboratory providing regular fluid analyses on the majority of our products to all our customers.

“Our core business is very much market led,” he noted. “Different countries have different sectors which are in focus; for example, Germany is a very much an automotive led country, while Turkey, on the other hand, is perceived as a metal processor or a component supplier. Our product offering reflects local needs and local demand. However, our global market perspective generally focuses on hot metal industries around the automotive sector and its supply chain.”

He further acknowledged that the company is ready to embrace market developments. “The biggest challenge that we see in the formulated chemistry industry is the huge change in the automotive technology worldwide in terms of electric drives, lower weight, new materials and new techniques. The market is further affected by factors such as the REACH registration of chemicals, restriction of certain products as well as the geopolitical situation in terms of

availability of raw materials. So there are several winds hitting the ship, so to speak – a changing society, changing raw material availability and changing legislation.”

“Responding to the new challenges in the die-casting and metal forming processes, we have developed a whole range of new die-casting products that are very efficient, with minimum losses. They have been very well accepted in the marketplace,” Mr Gregory affirmed.

Ergon, Inc.

ergon has been refining the definition of service since 1954 and is the world’s largest producer of naphthenic specialty products and second largest producer of bright stock. The company has earned the trust of customers in more than 90 countries around the world by offering reliable, consistent supply and products of the highest quality. With both naphthenic and paraffinic refineries and a global terminaling and distribution network, they are committed to meeting customer needs for solvency and viscosity. ergon continues to invest in leading manufacturing practices, innovative service and global distribution, which is enhanced through relationships with suppliers such as Petrofer Chemie H.R. Fischer GmbH + Co. KG.

• World Largest Producer of Naphthenic Base Oils • Global Distribution Network • Regional Offices and Depots • Secured Raw Material Resources • Reliable, Consistent Base Oil Supplier

learn more at ergoninternational.com. Sustainable chemistry

As one of the leading suppliers of quality products including industrial lubricants, chemicals and specialised fluids, PETROFER bears a high responsibility for people, nature and the environment. Certified according to ISO 9001 in the UK and ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 at the German manufacturing plant, the company is committed to remaining a preferred partner for quality products and services in the coming decades.

“With our sustainability claim, we strive for ecological, economic and social balance. Specifically, this means for our commercial actions: the conservation of natural resources, the avoidance of environmental pollution, the use of environmentally sound and energy efficient processes and the selection of suppliers according to quality and environmental aspects.”

“All of our facilities are run with environmental protection in mind. This is reflected in such things as chemical cleaners. With modern chemicals, these can achieve great performance with ambient temperatures, thus improving energy savings as well.”

Speaking about current trends, Mr Gregory acknowledged that just like in other sectors, the focus on sustainability is increasing in the chemicals sector. “We produce about 600 formulations globally, and the main drive is to be part of sustainable chemistry for the future. Efforts are directed, in particular, at a reduction in disposal costs, i.e. towards products with longer life expectancy that are sustainable, commercially attractive and offer higher performance for emerging technologies, while reducing impact on the environment.”

Setting the benchmark

Today, just like in the past, PETROFER is committed to continuous improvement and technical advancement. The company is growing its global presence, and its research and development sets international innovative benchmarks and quality standards utilising unique know-how.

“Growth is supported on several fronts. We are building a new facility in China, have a new grease manufacturing facility in Turkey and are expanding our operation in India. We are also looking at building a new facility in Brazil. These expansion plans follow the developing economies in those countries. China, India, Turkey, Brazil, and also Mexico with its rising automotive industry are all high growth markets with substantial potential.”

He affirmed that PETROFER’s future is to move quickly with a rapidly changing world and adjust the product range to new technologies. “With new emission regulations looming, many countries are building smart, modern and highly advanced super factories. We need to monitor these developments and match our products to future demand, to continue to stay at the forefront of our sector.” Our company motto reflects this; “We listen, We develop, We deliver”. n

PURAGLOBE

As a strategic partner, PuRAGloBe is proud that PeTRoFeR makes process fluids and industrial lubricants using our sustainable base oils — which are re-engineered from used oil, and processed in ways that mitigate Co2 emissions.

Together, we’re helping to meet the increasing demands for innovative, sustainable lubricants and fluids for metal forming, die casting, and other manufacturing applications.

And aside from satisfying current demands, we’re also working on future innovations. These include developing base oils, lubricants and process fluids enhanced with graphene nano-molecules that could provide outstanding protection against friction and wear — while helping to reduce costs and increase productivity.

These are just some of the ways PuRAGloBe and PeTRoFeR are working together to make manufacturing “cleaner and greener” and more eco-friendly.