Lubricant and Grease Blending Systems and Equipment: From Raw Materials to Finished Products

How are automotive engine oils, industrial lubricants, and greases made from crude oil? What processes and equipment are involved? This article covers the lubricant production process from raw materials to finished products, including key equipment, blending technologies, and system integration. It is useful for both lubricant manufacturers selecting equipment and readers looking to understand the production process.

1. Where Do Lubricating Oils and Greases Come From?

Lubricating oils and greases are petroleum-based products. Many lubricating oils are made from base oils derived from crude oil. After extraction, crude oil undergoes heating, distillation, refining, and other processes at a refinery to separate and purify its components.

Heavy oil fractions undergo further processing and refining to produce base oils. These base oils are then blended with selected additives in specific proportions to achieve the required lubricant properties. Base oil viscosity is an important factor because lubricants must form a protective film on equipment surfaces while maintaining suitable flow characteristics.

To achieve the required lubrication, oxidation resistance, corrosion protection, and foam control, manufacturers add different types of functional additives. Additive blending is therefore a key stage in lubricant production and the main application for lubricant blending systems and equipment.

2. Complete Lubricant Blending Process

A typical lubricant and grease production line follows a process similar to this:

Raw Materials → Transfer → Storage → Pigging → Additive Decanting → Blending → Finished Products → Pigging → Storage

The actual process varies depending on raw materials, production methods, and plant capacity. Raw materials may arrive by tanker truck, rail, or ship before being pumped into raw material storage tanks for further processing.

A typical production route is:

Raw Material Tanks / DDU / Preblend Tanks → Automatic Blending System (ABB/SMB) → Finished Product Tanks → Filling

The production line can be divided into three main stages:

1. Raw Material Handling: Raw materials → Pump Transfer → Storage Tanks → Pigging
2. Automatic Blending: Additive Decanting → Blending → Finished Products → Pigging
3. Finished Product Handling: Finished Product Tanks → Filling → Packaging

3. Key Equipment for Lubricant Production

A complete lubricant blending line typically includes the following equipment:

Process Stage	Key Equipment	Main Function
Material Transfer	High-Viscosity Gear Pumps, Lobe Pumps, Transfer Pumps	Transfer of high-viscosity fluids
Additive Handling	DDU Additive Decanting System, Preheating Oven	Accurate decanting and metering of drum-packaged additives
Polymer Predissolution	VI/VM Dissolving System, Crusher	High-shear dissolution of polymer additives to prepare concentrated additive blends
Material Distribution	Sistema de colectores	Flexible routing between selected inlets and outlets
Automatic Blending	ABB / SMB / ILB Blending Systems	Recipe-based dosing, metering, and blending
Pipeline Cleaning and Product Recovery	Sistema de limpieza con rascadores	Pipeline cleaning, product recovery, and faster product changeovers
Product Packaging	Filling Machines	Automatic filling into bottles, drums, and IBCs
Production Management	Recipe Management System	Coordinated control of production processes across the line

The following sections explain the functions and selection considerations for each key system.

4. Key Equipment Explained

4.1 Additive Decanting System (DDU)

Why use a DDU? Some lubricant additives are extremely valuable, with a single 200 L drum potentially costing tens of thousands of yuan or more. These materials may also have high viscosity and poor flowability. Manual decanting can be slow and inaccurate, while increasing the risk of material residue and cross-contamination.

A Drum Decanting Unit (DDU) automatically decants and meters additives from 200 L drums or IBCs according to production recipes. It can include automatic cleaning of the decanting lance and associated pipework to reduce cross-contamination between different additives.

The system often uses a drum-tilting mechanism to direct material toward the extraction point and reduce residual material at the bottom of the drum. For high-viscosity additives, preheating may be required, typically below 120°C depending on the material, to improve flow and decanting performance.

Typical applications: Viscosity index improvers (VII), high-viscosity polymer additives, and specialty lubricant additives.

4.2 VI/VM Dissolving System

Viscosity index improvers (VI improvers) are common polymer additives used in lubricant formulations. They may be supplied as granules, flakes, or blocks and can have high viscosity, poor flowability, and a tendency to absorb moisture and form lumps. Direct addition to a blending tank can result in slow or uneven dissolution.

A VI/VM Dissolving System combines polymer additives with a portion of the base oil in a heated, agitated tank to prepare a concentrated polymer solution or masterbatch. The process typically combines high-shear mixing and in-line recirculation:

• A high-speed shear device generates intense local shear to break down and disperse polymer particles.
• An in-line high-shear pump, often using a rotor-stator design, further reduces agglomerates and recirculates the mixture back to the dissolving tank.

A crusher can also be installed upstream to break down large or moisture-compacted polymer blocks into suitable sizes, helping improve dissolution efficiency.

4.3 Manifold System

Consider a plant with four raw material tanks and four finished product tanks. A conventional point-to-point layout may require up to 4 × 4 = 16 dedicated pipelines, increasing installation costs, floor space, and maintenance requirements.

A Sistema de colectores works like a valve matrix, using coordinated valve configurations to establish the required flow path between selected inlets and outlets. It can be integrated with a Sistema de limpieza con rascadores to recover residual product after transfer and reduce contamination risks during product changeovers.

Manifold systems can support multiple transfer operations, depending on the piping layout, valve configuration, and control strategy. Operators select the source and destination through the control system, which executes the required valve sequence and can initiate pigging after transfer.

Manual manifolds are suitable for simpler applications, such as loading and unloading. Automated manifold systems are better suited to large production lines with frequent product changeovers and complex routing requirements.

4.4 Blending Systems: ABB / SMB / ILB

ABB — Automatic Batch Blending: Ingredients are dosed into a blending tank according to a recipe and mixed in batches. Load cells or flowmeters can control the quantity of each ingredient. ABB offers flexible recipe management and is well suited to multiple products and small-batch production.

SMB — Simultaneous Metering Blending: Multiple flowmeters control the flow of individual ingredients simultaneously, combining them in predefined proportions in a common pipeline. This approach can reduce reliance on large blending tanks and is suitable for medium- to large-volume production with established formulations.

ILB — In-Line Blending: Ingredients are continuously metered into a common pipeline at controlled ratios and mixed during flow before entering the finished product tank. ILB is designed for high-throughput, continuous production and is suitable for large-scale lubricant manufacturing.

Quick Comparison:

Parámetro	ABB Batch Blending	SMB Simultaneous Metering	ILB In-Line Blending
Blending Method	Mixing in a tank	Simultaneous metering of multiple streams	Continuous mixing in a pipeline
Dosing Accuracy	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆
Production Throughput	★★★☆☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★
Product Changeover Flexibility	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆
Typical Applications	Multiple products, small batches	Medium- to large-volume production	Very high-volume continuous production

The most suitable system depends on production capacity, formulation requirements, metering accuracy, product range, and changeover frequency.

4.5 Pigging System

What is pigging? Pigging uses a cylindrical pipeline cleaning device, known as a pig, which travels through a pipeline under compressed air, nitrogen, or liquid pressure. It pushes residual product toward the receiving end, helping clean the pipeline, recover valuable materials, and speed up product changeovers. A pig is designed to maintain contact with the pipe wall, wiping away residual material as it moves.

Why use a Pigging System? Products such as food ingredients, paints, coatings, and specialty chemicals can deteriorate, solidify, or react if left in pipelines for extended periods. A pigging system helps reduce product loss, lower cross-contamination risks, and reduce cleaning requirements, improving both operating efficiency and environmental performance.

The core equipment includes a Pig Station, consisting of a launcher and a receiver. Depending on the design, pigs can be launched and received in either direction for repeated use. Magnetic pig detectors monitor pig launch and arrival, while directional valves and 3-way pigging distribution valves route pigs through selected pipelines. A gas-liquid separator separates discharged gas and liquid after pigging, supporting safer handling and recovery.

Selection considerations: Product recovery applications typically use purpose-designed cylindrical pigs. Brush pigs can be used for specific pipeline cleaning tasks, such as removing welding debris or deposits from suitable large-diameter pipelines. Common pig materials include polyurethane (PU) for wear resistance and flexibility, as well as fluorocarbon rubber (FKM), silicone rubber, and EPDM for applications requiring specific chemical or temperature resistance.

4.6 High-Viscosity Gear Pumps and Fluid Transfer Equipment

High-viscosity materials such as asphalt and grease can be difficult to transfer using conventional pumps. High-viscosity internal gear pumps and other positive displacement pumps can provide reliable transfer when properly selected for the fluid’s viscosity, temperature, and operating conditions. Pipeline heating or heat tracing may also be required to maintain flow.

For valuable chemical materials, including viscosity index improvers (VII) and MDI, appropriately designed pumping and metering systems help control flow, improve transfer accuracy, and reduce material waste.

5. Recipe Management System: The Brain of the Production Line

When a production line integrates pigging, manifolds, additive decanting, and blending equipment, manually configuring each unit can be time-consuming and prone to errors. A Recipe Management System standardizes and automates production operations:

• Operators select a product recipe and enter the required production quantity.
• The system calculates ingredient quantities and coordinates DDU decanting, manifold switching, ingredient dosing, blending, agitation, temperature control, material transfer, and pigging.
• Recipes can be expanded and managed for hundreds or even thousands of products, depending on system configuration.

The system organizes basic operations into standard functional modules, including heating, dosing, agitation, transfer, pigging, and filling. Process engineers can configure these modules to develop new production sequences without repeatedly programming the underlying control logic.

6. About BJVP

BJVP (Beijing VP High Technology Co., Ltd.) has more than 30 years of experience in fluid automation. We develop, design, and manufacture equipment and integrated process solutions for lubricant, grease, and other high-value fluid applications, covering automated transfer, additive handling, blending, and product recovery.

Our Products: Pigging Systems, Drum Decanting Units (DDU), Manifold Systems, ABB Blending Systems, VI/VM Dissolving Systems, high-viscosity gear pumps, lobe pumps, and related fluid processing equipment. Our solutions serve the petroleum and chemical, lubricant, coatings, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and other industries.

Our Services: We provide end-to-end project support, from process design and engineering consultation to customized equipment design and manufacturing, automation and control system integration, on-site installation guidance, commissioning, operator training, and long-term after-sales support. Available configurations range from standalone equipment controls to centralized PLC systems, with flexible project delivery options including turnkey solutions.

Our Approach: We provide more than individual machines. We deliver integrated fluid automation systems and process solutions that connect raw material storage, additive handling, fluid transfer, automatic blending, product recovery, and finished product filling. Our solutions help manufacturers reduce material losses, improve production efficiency, and achieve safer, more reliable, and more automated operations.

Contact Us: Contact BJVP for lubricant and grease blending line solutions, equipment selection, and project consultation.