To help airlines slash the number of greases they use, an inter-industry committee has finished developing a standard for general purpose airframe greases. Now the group has begun drafting another specification for aviation wheel-bearing greases. The standards are the work of SAE Internationals AMS-M Committee on Aerospace Greases – a panel that includes representatives of grease suppliers and aircraft manufacturers. The committee balloted the airframe grease specification three months ago...

China is drawing a lot of attention these days as a growth opportunity for lubricant marketers. But a new study says prospects are also good on the opposite side of the world, in South America. Lube demand in South and Central America is projected to grow 2.4 percent annually for the next decade, according to Kline and Co.s Competitive Intelligence for the Global Lubricants Industry, 2003-2013. As the Little Falls, N.J., firm noted, that is significantly greater than the projected global rate of...

Milacron Inc. reported last week that earnings from its industrial fluids business fell 42 percent during the third quarter as rising raw materials costs ate away at margins. The fluids business turned an operating profit of $2.8 million for the three months ended Sept. 30, down from $4.8 million during the same period of 2003. Sales were nearly flat, rising $200,000 to $26.6 million. Earnings as a percent of sales slid from 18.2 percent to 10.5 percent. Management said it plans to raise prices ...