Automotive and Industrial Grease Selection Made Simple
13 November 2012 – Every auto manufacturer and industrial OEM has high expectations for the lubricating greases that service their products, and insists the proper product be used when greasing bearings, joints, couplings, gears and other parts. But with scores of greases to choose from, how can users be sure to get one that satisfies their equipment’s needs?
Before picking up a grease gun, smart technicians, maintenance professionals and do-it-yourselfers know to check www.nlgi.org, for a list by brand name of lubricating greases that currently meet the industry’s highest performance classification, ASTM D 4950. Officially the “Standard Classification and Specification for Automotive Service Grease,” this specification has been adopted far beyond the auto industry and finds acceptance in many industrial applications.
ASTM D 4950 is a detailed, technical specification for two Category Groups: chassis lubricants (letter designation ‘L’) and wheel bearing lubricants (letter designation ‘G’). Each Category uses a two-letter designation, with LB being the highest performance level to date for chassis greases, and GC the highest for wheel bearing greases. The automotive industry is in general agreement that these top-tier classifications are suitable for service relubrication in today’s vehicles. Many users of other equipment also insist on them as denoting the highest level of grease performance.
Fortunately, NLGI simplified the task of grease selection by developing an identifying symbol, the trademarked NLGI Certification Mark. “Any grease that has this mark on its container has undergone extensive testing to make sure it meets several testing parameters,” points out Tom Steib, chairman of NLGI’s Certification Mark Committee. “When a consumer uses a lubricating grease that has been packaged and registered with this mark, he or she is assured that the grease is of such a quality to be used successfully in the intended service.”
Below are three most common versions of the Mark, used to identify products that meet the current LB or GC standard, or both:
Grease marketers may license the Mark for their products only after submitting supporting proof of performance, and paying an initial fee and an annual fee. To further protect consumers and assure that product quality is maintained at the promised level, NLGI conducts an annual audit of licensed greases, where independent laboratory tests are performed on randomly selected grease samples, to demonstrate they fully meet ASTM D 4950. Failure to comply or pass the tests can result in withdrawal of the license and removal from the list of approved products.
To see a list of all products currently authorized to display the NLGI Certification mark, by brand name, visit https://www.nlgi.org/product_certification/certified_products.php
NLGI is a technical trade association serving the global lubricating grease and gear lubrication industry. For eight decades, NLGI has promoted the development, research and testing of lubricating greases and advances in lubrication technology. Its ongoing activities include Education, Professional Certification, Research, support for Industry Standards, and Annual Meetings to promote this key industry worldwide. Visit www.nlgi.org for more details.
