People from many organizations must come together to advance lubricant specifications, ensuring that engines both old and new continue to be protected.
The table below, contributed by Steve Haffner of SGH Consulting, outlines some of the committees that are instrumental in developing and implementing new specifications.
Specification Development Committees
| Organization | Full Name | Represents | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILSAC | International Lubricant Standardization and Advisory Committee | Light-duty original equipment manufacturers | Informal group of OEMs who support and help develop engine oil specifications for gasoline engines. OEMs act as test sponsors for new and current tests, making them responsible for test development relating to new specifications. |
| PCEOCP | Passenger Car Engine Oil Classification Panel | ASTM | Reviews status and concerns around test development and maintenance; includes recommending ballots to Subcommittee B on various items relating to ASTM tests; responsible for keeping ASTM D4485 updated |
| AOAP | Automotive Oil Advisory Panel | ILSAC, API, ACC | Develops and recommends ILSAC GF-x specs; oversees timing and test development critical to new specifications; defines tests and limits for new specifications |
| CLOG | Category Life Oversight Group | API | Monitors test life and supports development of new and replacement tests to maintain current and older API categories |
| SP | Surveillance Panel | ASTM | Monitors engine tests and supports new developments |
| Task Force | Task Force | Various | As needed to investigate problems or develop base oil interchange and viscosity grade read-across guidelines |
| EMA | Engine Manufacturers Association | Diesel engine manufacturers | Formal OEM organization that defines and finalizes draft diesel engine oil specifications based on feedback from HDEOCP |
| HDEOCP | Heavy-duty Engine Oil Classification Panel | ASTM | Reviews status and concerns around test development and maintenance; reports to Subcommittee B |
| DEOAP | Diesel Engine Oil Advisory Panel | EMA, API, ACC | Supports the development of new heavy-duty engine oil categories; forum discusses topics pertaining to new and current heavy-duty diesel oil categories; reports and makes recommendations to the Lubricants Standards Group |
| NCET | New Category Evaluation Team | API | Recommends to API Lubricants Group regarding the need, language, timing and funding mechanism for a new category; not a standing team |
| NCDT | New Category Development Team | API, EMA | Develops the new heavy-duty diesel engine oil category; not a standing team |
| LG or LSG | Lubricants Group (Lubricants Standards Group) | API | Officially establishes and finalizes new API categories and associated engine oil specifications for both diesel and light-duty passenger engine oils; makes decisions on items pertaining to existing categories; AOAP, DEOAP, BOI/VGRA and CLOG are sub-groups that report to LG |
| LSDRG | Lubricants Standards Development Review Group | API | Cross-functional group that recommends process improvements for specification development; disbanded |