Oils and lubes 32 www.aftermarketonline.net OCTOBER 2024 Morris Lubricants has announced a £3 million investment at its Shrewsbury production plant. The company said on August 22 that the move makes it even more equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly changing lubricants industry. The days of having one oil fits all engine types and small selection product lines are long gone, Morris said. After years of planning, designing, and scheduling the build, phase one of the new production facility has been completed, tested and is now fully operational. This new facility sees it optimised for the sustainable manufacture of sophisticated small-batch formulations. The design and development of the new facility is in response to customer requirements and with a backdrop of optimising the manufacture of sophisticated small-batch product formulations in a more sustainable way. Morris said it believes it now has one of the most technologically advanced and flexible oil blending capabilities in Europe. As well as the increased efficiency, reduced energy use and optimised workflows, one of the major benefits of the new facility is the increased flexibility. Smaller volumes of high-quality products can be manufactured to the specifications expected by customers, demanded by the OEMs and stipulated by industry regulations. Morris executive chairman Andrew Goddard said: “Moving with the times is something we’ve done for over 150 years and this project has enabled us to ensure we are at the very leading edge of technological advancements so that we can continue to provide the quality and service our customers have a right to expect from us.” With a focus on efficiency and flexibility, as well as the mitigation of carbon emissions and the reduction of waste within operations, improvements to the production plant have included the installation of a new tank farm comprising 30 stainless steel storage vessels, the relocation and reconfiguration of production lines, and the integration of a state-of-the art, fully automated control and recovery system. As well as the capital investment in new pieces of manufacturing equipment, investigation of the workflows on the factory floor took place over two years to establish the most efficient ways of working. This investment in equipment, monitoring and analysis has resulted in higher levels of productivity by significantly reducing transfer times of raw material, packaging and finished product, as well as reducing the amount of wasteful double handling. This investment builds upon the existing sustainable solutions which includes onsite solar power generated electricity, ultrasonic product blending capabilities, the removal of unnecessary dye in in some products, the use of recyclable packaging and the introduction of recycled plastic bottles. To ensure the purity and quality of each product batch, at various stages of its manufacture, tests are performed and checked in the onsite Morris Lubricants’ quality control laboratory. Around 5,000 tests are performed monthly. To prevent crosscontamination when moving oils and lubricants between different areas of the plant, for example, strict procedures have always been in place. The improved and expanded infrastructure of stainless steel pipework — which features product specific pigged routes — combined with the advancements that have been made in regulating the different aspects of its operation through computerisation and automation, such as cleaning and waste recovery, further minimise the risk. Part of the masterplan is to facilitate the repeat manufacture of the more bespoke formulations that industry regulations stipulate and OEMs require. This ability to maintain the flow of production means Morris can manufacture multiple grades simultaneously. A small-batch production run of 2,000 litres, which can be filled in less than 40 minutes, can be processed at the same time as a batch comprising 100,000 litres. Morris believes the fragmentation of the oil and lubricant market will continue as emission legislations tighten. The introduction of alternative fuel types such as hydrogen, e-fuels and synthetics, will also pose new challenges for the industry and formulation for oils, greases and other lubricants must meet these everchanging requirements. Goddard said: “As technology and customer needs change, our service and product offering will change. We plan on being here for the long term, so investing in the future has always been a priority. Whatever the future brings Morris Lubricants will be well placed to supply whatever is needed.” Invested in the future How one UK lubricants company intends to stay ahead of the game amid advances in the sector
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