July 2018 | VehicleServicePros.com 33
where hoses need to drop from,” says Jimmy Kukulski,
president of Elite Lubrication Specialties. “It’s all about
making it as easy as possible for the fl eet without aff ecting
oil quality and cleanliness. I also try to make it
easier for whomever is delivering oil.” Kukulski is also
a manufacturer’s rep for Lubrication Engineers.
Th ere are alternatives to ceiling-dropped hoses,
Jones adds.
“Some shops don’t have the right facility setup or
budget to run hoses,” he says. “Color-coded top-off
containers are a good solution. Th ey have unique lids
and spouts that make dispensing easier.”
Cart-mounted mobile transfer tanks represent
another alternative. Th ey allow technicians to keep
a lube supply closer by, reducing the downtime associated
with having to walk to the main storage container
to refi ll dispensing containers.
When confi guring a shop’s lubrication system, fl eets
should keep an eye on the future.
“Many changes in lubricants have happened
over the past 10 years as OEMs try to increase fuel
economy,” says Don Youman, president and COO
of Balcrank, a manufacturer of fl uid dispensing
equipment used in the automotive, commercial and
industrial markets. “Th at has resulted in high-tech,
advanced low- and multi-viscosity oils. Planning for
the future will make the management of these fl uids
less costly over the long-run.”
Youman says fl eets must have a good understanding
of the following:
Number and grade of fl uids the shop will be
consuming
Phase-in and phase-out process of lubricants
Tank capacities and future permitting/requirements
Design and footprint of tanks
Adequate tank room size
Venting, piping and alerts/alarms that indicate
low- or high-level fl uid status
Storage, pumping and dispensing
With respect to fl uid storage, container size should
be dictated by a fl eet’s rate of consumption. Elite
Lubrication Specialties’ Kukulski says fl eets can do
themselves a favor.
“Look at your PMs preventive maintenance schedules
and the quality of the oil you are using,” Kukulski
says. “A lot of fl eets will drain at 10,000 miles, but
they likely could go a lot further if using a premium
lubricant with extended drain intervals. Getting your
drain intervals dialed in could allow you to go with a
500-gal bulk tank as opposed to a 1,500-gal tank. Th at
smaller tank will consume less space and overhead.”
Fleets also need to think about tank construction.
“You could go with steel storage tanks that hold several
hundred gallons,” Lubrication Engineers’ Jones says.
“Fleets may also have the option of poly (plastic) that
you can see through to monitor levels. Check with
your insurance company to ensure that poly is even an
option for you.” If poly is an option, totes are becoming
increasingly popular. Th ey are smaller and stackable
so they consume a smaller footprint in the shop.
Once fl eets have devised a bulk storage plan, it’s
time to scrutinize the pumping system. As Balcrank’s
Youman points out, fl ow rate is critically important.
“Proper fl ow rate is a function of how long the actual
dispense takes,” Youman explains. “In an automotive
» Changes to lubricants in the last 10
years require fleets to prepare for updated
methods of fluid storage in the shop.
Photo courtesty of Wheeltime
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» LE Lubrications’ Oil Safe is
a 65-gal, color-coded transfer
cart with dual filtration, spill
containment and 25’ hose reel.
Photo courtesy of LE Lubrication
» (Above)
Balcrank’s
Tiger HP 6:1
ratio pumps
can supply
multiple
hose reels in
a large shop.
Photo courtesy
of Balcrank
Continued Page 34
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