PANOLIN HLP SYNTH 32 is the first and so far only eco-friendly hydraulic oil to feature in the Bosch Rexroth RDE 90245 Fluid Rating List.
“Yet again, we have proven that our biodegradable products such as PANOLIN HLP SYNTH 32 also meet the highest industry requirements,” said Patrick Lämmle, Chairman of the Board of Directors of PANOLIN International. “The Bosch Rexroth test results were excellent, the rigorous requirements of the RDE 90235 were met without a doubt.”
“PANOLIN HLP SYNTH is the first rapidly biodegradable hydraulic oil to obtain the Fluid Rating (ISO 15380 in combination with RFT-APU-CL test),” Lämmle said. “HLP SYNTH 32 has proven its worldwide prominent position amongst eco-friendly hydraulic oils.”
HLP SYNTH was the first hydraulic oil to obtain the 'Blue Angel' environmental award around 20 years ago and has been approved by numerous manufacturers. Its inclusion in the Bosch Rexroth list means that HLP SYNTH now also bears the label of what is currently the most rigorous OEM test on the market. Recent years have seen a sharp increase in the requirements to be met by hydraulic oils. Growing power density – the result of higher working pressures, motor speeds, oil circulation cycles and temperatures – has driven the development of hydraulic systems forward in past years, imposing more demanding requirements on the hydraulic liquids used in these systems. These liquids have a decisive impact on the friction characteristics of the hydraulic components, among other things. The ongoing technical development of high-performance hydraulic systems and suitability of new hydraulic media and additives are only partially reflected in the tests used to date. Whereas in the 1970s, specific power density was approximately 4 to 5 KW/kg pump weight, that figure, at over 8 KW/kg, had almost doubled by 2010. Today’s hydraulic fluids must be carefully engineered to cope with these developments, i.e. smaller pump units with a higher output and a range of other efficiency improving modifications to the hydraulic system.
“Mineral oils in the DIN 51524 T.3 category and eco-friendly lubricants in the ISO 15380 category naturally have to pass a pump test to meet the requirements of these standards, but those tests are a minimum requirement only,” Lämmle said.
Indeed, more than one hydraulic fluid which meets DIN 51524 T.3 or ISO 15380 fails in new-generation hydraulic systems because it no longer meets the requirements of state-of-the-art hydraulic systems such as higher pressures, shorter circulation times, smaller reservoirs and shorter rest times, Lämmle said. In recent years, Bosch Rexroth has come up with a neutral evaluation procedure designed to realistically reflect current requirements.
Hydraulic fluids that successfully complete this procedure are featured in the Bosch Rexroth Fluid Rating List. This new, scientifically standardized evaluation procedure is designed to test the fluid characteristics and interaction with key components, i.e. pump and motor, in realistic operating conditions. Among other things, the test includes verification of the liquid technical ratings for accuracy and standard conformity. An application-oriented pump and motor test, plus a specific seal test, put the liquids through their paces in demanding conditions and varying cycles over several hundred operating hours, at both high temperatures and low viscosities. Conventional tests are conducted at 350 bar, the new test imposes up to 500 bar. Hence, the quality of the hydraulic oil has an ever more important impact on the service life and dependability of hydraulic systems.
“This proves that we continue to set the industry standard in the field of rapidly biodegradable hydraulic oils. Users of HLP SYNTH have the peace of mind of knowing that these oils reduce the maintenance and downtime costs of their machinery and plant whilst increasing operating reliability, thereby delivering a significant reduction in total operating costs,” Lämmle explained.
