In 2013, in response to growing concerns over the increasing specificity of vehicle lubricants, and claims being made by some companies about their product, trade body the United Kingdom Lubricants Association (UKLA), which includes some of the biggest names in the sector, established the Verification of Lubricant Specifications (VLS). With an increasing number of vehicle specific products available at ever lower levels of viscosity, VLS was set up to investigate products that might not be what they claim to be. Fast-forward 10 years, and the organisation has now looked into 96 different complaints that have been brought to its attention by oil companies, garages and members of the public. Once underway, a sample will be obtained and independently tested, and then the VLS Technical Review Panel bring forth their findings. The shortest-running case was settled within a month, while the record for longest case has yet to be definitively set with a three-year case still up and running. In most examples, the company that brought the item in question to market more accurately relabel their product, and the case is settled. With its first decade under its belt ,VLS decided to commemorate the milestone with a new white paper, Complex Chemistry: A Technical Review of VLS Investigations 2013-2023, and a press lunch at London’s RAC Club in Pall Mall. Members of the organisation met the press to discuss the organisation’s ongoing mission, and it also provided an opportunity to meet the the new VLS Chair, Jacquie Berryman, who has taken over from Mike Bewsey who himself has become President of the UKLA. On the organisation, Jacquie commented: “There are a real mix of businesses from across the industry. We have both the independent oil marketers, and major oil marketers like Total Energies, the additive suppliers, associations related to workshops and garage networks.” Key principles Alan Outhwaite, Chairman of the VLS Technical Review Panel, then took us through the highlights the newly published White Paper, looking at how the market has changed over the last 10 years, and how VLS has influenced the market. “The key principles are that we have to verify if we receive a complaint, we have to verify if it's a valid complaint. We're prepared to source an independent sample and we'll test accordingly. All the information that I receive as the head of the Technical Review Panel is anonymized.” He continued: “The Technical Review Panel consists of 58 AFTERMARKET DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024 ON THE ROAD www.aftermarketonline.net The 10th anniversary of VLS led the body to reflect on the work it has undertaken thus far, and look ahead to upcoming challenges myself and eleven other recognised experts in the lubricants industry. We’ve got major companies, lubricant companies, additive companies, as well as some independents. It’s a good cross section of the market. We'll look at data and information about a particular product. We then meet as a panel and say is this valid? What are our concerns? We then instruct the Secretariat to procure a sample and then we'll look at some testing. Sometimes it's just a desk exercise where you'll look at the technical data sheet and say there's conflicting claims here, there's wrong application advice or it is too general on where products can be used. This dialogue is important. and in the majority of cases it's resolved amicably. The purpose of BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=