ATIEL, the European lubricants industrys technical association, released a new version of its Code of Practice, which provides guidance for developers and marketers of engine lubricants designed to meet European performance specifications.
The association said the changes bring Code of Practice Issue 20 into line with the latest engine lubricant performance limits set out by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) in its 2016 European Oil Sequences released on Dec. 1 last year.
Updates to technical guidelines and read-across tables in Issue 20 accommodate several key changes introduced in ACEA 2016, including new engine and lab tests, introduction of the C5 category, removal of the A1/B1 category, and removal of the grandfathering principle for certain tests. The new C5 oil category defines oils that do more to improve fuel efficiency.
In addition to the substantive updates, the association noted Issue 20 was given a clearer, more logical format designed to make it more user-friendly and easier to follow.
Other significant changes to issue 20 include closer alignment with the ATC (the Technical Committee of Petroleum Additive Manufacturers in Europe) Code of Practice and deletion of the European Engine Lubricant Quality management System guidelines, which is now a stand-alone document. The alignment with ATC means that all guidelines relating to viscosity modifier improvers are now found solely within the ATC Code of Practice.
Issue 20 of the ATIEL Code of Practice supersedes issue 19, which remains applicable for claims made against the ACEA 2012 Oil Sequences that are valid until Dec. 1, 2018.
Code of Practice Issue 20 and related forums and templates may be downloaded from ATIELs web site.