Automotive 

The functionality and reliability of a component belonging to the main apparatus of a vehicle are determined via a successful combination of construction techniques, material selection, and targeted test benches, which can establish with certainty that the mix of focused engineering efforts put into making the component is well balanced and ready for an operational long-life.

Macon Research addresses the market of articulated components in the automotive industry with high-tech lubricant solutions, formulated with fully synthetic base and thickening agents that can enhance the potential of additives and lubricating base oils.

Special Macon Research lubricants offer a key contribution to the automotive industry, since the duration and consistency of the chemical and physical characteristics are guaranteed for the entire life of the component through the use of ingredients characterized by high chemical stability and synthesized with the specific intent to create synergies when subjected to continued mechanical stress.

Focus and pre-requisites

A car is made up of thousands of electromechanical components: motors, axles, brake systems, switches, electrical drives, Bowden cables, connectors, drives and actuators, and at least 15% of these components need a suitable lubricant to ensure proper functioning and the achievement of the required life cycles.
Numerous, varied, and combined prerequisites are needed in a lubricant, in terms of the component within which it operates:

Wide range of operating temperatures

Starting from the climatic conditions the components must operate in, up to the heat generated by the engine compartment following prolonged operation.
It is necessary to ensure high stability and constancy of lubricity for the achievement of anticipated cycles, which, depending on the component and its function, may vary from a few thousand up to several billion cycles for plug-in connectors subjected to vibration and wear through fretting corrosion. From the cold starts of arctic climates at -40 ° C up to 150°C generated from inside the engine compartment.

Low coefficient of static and dynamic friction

The control of a motor vehicle's energy efficiency is decisive, the energy saving and the consequent reduction in consumption increasingly represent one of the main aspects in the market value of a vehicle. The reduction of static and dynamic friction of sliding surfaces in the many mechanical components of a car is possible thanks to the choice of base oils with a high viscosity index, additives, friction modifiers and compound solid lubricants that are appropriately selected.

Macon Research has developed a family of fatty synthetic lubricants with a low content of thickener called MaconSynnth to ensure a lubricating film of oil rich in additives and synergistic action upon the friction point, which guarantees the natural plasticity and adhesiveness of a high consistency lubricating grease.

The MaconSynnth range of grades is very wide and constantly updated; the grade most appropriate to the operating conditions can be assessed on the basis of working conditions.

Compatibility polymeric materials

The lubrication of polymeric plastic materials, rubbers and composites requires special attention due to their composition and molecular structure, which is often of an olefinic and amorphous nature. Chemical interactions between an unsuitable lubricant and the partners in contact friction can affect and modify the mechanical properties of materials during the operation of the component. Such interactions may result in a premature rupture of the components and/or intermittently irregular operations. The combined action of the workload, the rise in temperature and the presence of moisture can produce an acceleration of the aging process that can lead to the occurrence of a mechanical defect.

Macon Research always pays attention to the use of lubricant solutions that have reduced chemical interaction with plastics and elastomeric properties, the choice of inert and suitably treated base oils that reduce and prevent any risk of contamination to the materials in direct contact. This is the idea behind the Kindlube W-grades (available on request) family of lubricants, which are poly alpha olefin synthetic lubricants characterized by a balanced combination of base oils, thickeners and additives: all that is necessary in optimum amounts in order to ensure high chemical inertness.

Where it is necessary to evaluate a priori the compatibility of a lubricant with a polymeric material of a new generation, in direct contact with the lubricant in order to achieve a preset targeted, it is possible to perform tests of compatibility with the standard required and/or according to the specifications provided by the customer. Our technicians are at your disposal to discuss individual cases.

Low emissions and pungent odours

The interior cabin has more and more lubricant solutions for the halting friction in control accessories, such as buttons, bridge, drawers, and handles, so as to provide the user with a velvety drive and soft touch, and this effect is only possible thanks to the use of plastic compounds lubricants with a high molecular weight and high dynamic viscosity. The use of transparent base fluids, light in colour, and odourless additives is critical for an environment in direct contact with the user, which is characterized by a significant diurnal and seasonal temperature level. The high temperatures inside a car can reach 70 to 80°C during prolonged sun exposure and facilitate the release of malodorous substances from lubricants that bother the end-user.

Reducing noise phenomena

A quiet ride is what a motorist considers today as the highest priority element when choosing a motor vehicle. Smooth operation and a long-life today are not enough anymore, and the mechanical components fitted onto a vehicle can generate noise over time and encourage the spread of noisy vibrations inside the passenger compartment. Wear and tear, along with the subtle and unpredictable variations in size of the plastic components over time, contribute to an increase in this phenomenon.

Macon Research has developed a series of solutions called Dynamic Active Compounds, further diversified into the Tixogel, Rheofluid, Dampgel and Damping Fluid families, which are grades of a synthetic nature characterized by a high molecular weight and an apparently modulated dynamic toughness, which is able to confer a good lubricating effect and effective friction control, so as to prevent the spread of vibration and noise phenomena within the structure of the component. The Tixogel, Rheofluid, Dampgel Fluid Damping solutions have goals, objectives and different application fields, but are united by their high thermal stability, excellent resistance to mechanical stress, good lubricity, total transparency and the absence of smells.

The DACs base their technology on the combined effect of lubrication and friction control, their formulation fluids with high molecular weight and additives guaranteeing a gradual tracking of the clearance between the pair and an accurate control of movement across a wide range of temperatures.

• Greases   • Oils