The CUSTOMER
Our customer is a long-standing producer of lubricants and cooling oils based in Lombardy. Their products are mainly used in metalworking with machine tools (emulsifiable and neat cutting oils, grinding oils, lapping and honing oils, stamping oils) and in lubricating industrial machinery (hydraulic oils, slideway oils, gear oils, protective oils, greases).
The Project
The project aimed to automate the dosing and mixing system to reduce human error and improve product quality. Dosing and mixing are crucial for producing lubricating and cooling oils. We achieved this by implementing custom solutions for automatic dosing of bases and additives, recovering residual product in the piping with PIG systems, and centralized production control via software interface.
The Plant
The plant handles oil-based and water-based components on separate lines, which are then mixed to create emulsified products. Each component consists of a base and multiple additives, specific to each product. Our focus was on dosing the oil-based components, which are more viscous and require higher precision.
The bases, stored in outdoor tanks, are transferred inside via piping. Additives, stored in drums or IBCs (some in heated rooms), are added to the bases. Previously, dosing was manual, with risks of incorrect amounts or wrong additives, leading to non-compliant products.
The Solutions
Granzotto designed and installed the entire oil-based component handling system and the water-based mixture additive management. The piping was made of stainless steel with welded joints. Custom robust supports were produced internally by Granzotto. We also implemented a compressed air management and distribution system for PIG propulsion and valve control.
The most significant improvement is the new additive dosing station. While selecting and moving the additive container (drum or IBC) remains manual, dosing is now automatic. An operator inserts a dip tube into the container and measures the added mass with a load cell base, allowing very precise weighing (up to 20 kg).
The 4.0 automation system controls dosing operations via management software that displays the product recipe. The operator positions the additive container, verifies the correct raw material with an optical device, and proceeds with dosing. The system also tracks inventory levels of raw materials and records dosed amounts for each product.
Granzotto installed different pumps for different fluids. For the less viscous bases (max. 200 cP), a hollow disc oscillating pump was installed. For the more viscous additives (up to 3000 cP), a pneumatic diaphragm pump was used. Both systems were tested and performed well in priming.
Another notable improvement is the installation of PIG systems for recovering residual products in the piping. This reduces waste, shortens production times, and limits cross-contamination. Recovering the base from pipe walls after transfer prevents contamination during base changes and prevents product solidification in external pipes during winter. Recovering additives with PIG reduces cross-contamination and speeds up the IBC replacement process during dosing.
Granzotto conducted studies to determine the best PIG design (shape and material) for this case. Given the high viscosity and elevated transfer temperatures (up to 70°C), the choice of PIG was critical. The device was made of Viton® FKM (fluorinated elastomers) and designed to balance recovery performance and pushing pressures through the pipes.
Does your company need to improve liquid recovery in a lubricating or cooling oil plant?
Find out how Granzotto’s team can create the perfect solution for your needs.
