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“Did you know that the camshaft pressure on the cam follower lever is equal to the weight of seven Volkswagen Golf hatchbacks?” And this happens 50 times per second!”- Paul Beasley, head of Castrol Europe and Africa regional technology division, instantly cuts.
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Further more: on the next slide we are shown photos of a red-hot turbine and fiery tailpipes of the exhaust manifold. “If you could look inside the hood at the moment when you are moving uphill for a long time or towing something, you would see that it looks exactly like that. But there is a bearing inside the turbine, and for normal operation it must be lubricated.” With these examples, Beasley denotes the degree of responsibility of the product entrusted to him.
BP Technology Center, Pangbourne
Castrol technology centers exist in Japan, China, India, USA, Germany, Italy, South Africa. Such a number of units is fully justified by the spectrum of use of fuel and lubricants. In addition to the motor, the lubricant in the car serves air conditioning, steering gear, brake system, shock absorbers, transmission, CV joints and much more. And the differentiation of the client portfolio is great - from the ocean liner to the lawn mower. Penborn is the main generator of ideas. 450 people work here, most chemists and engineers with sophisticated wording of posts on the badges.
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In general, the team of workers is multicultural: there are Afro-Brits in the center and many bearded Sikh Indians in black turbans. Some specialists are engaged in the routine work of taking readings from instruments and recording this information, while others analyze this data and draw conclusions based on it. Before the oil is poured into test motors suspended on chains, a series of bench tests will take place. The oil will be checked for friction of two contacting surfaces. This is much cheaper than full-fledged tests in the engine, and, like in any laboratory, these experiments are repeated repeatedly, due to which maximum data accuracy is achieved.
BP Technology Center, Pangbourne
Unique technology is everywhere. Apparently, that's why we were forbidden to take pictures inside the technical zone. We are led to a large white tank equipped with a manipulator and a mini-conveyor with oil samples. According to David Taylor, who is responsible for working with customers, this device allows for rapid tests in different temperature conditions. The price of the device is about $ 250 million, and there are no more than seven such devices in the world.
BP Technology Center, Pangbourne
Another rarity, but already animated properties, is the specialist responsible for the external inspection of the motor after testing. It turns out that in order to determine the visual nuances of wear in this high-tech field, one must have at least 10-15 years of experience. In total there are 70 such "hypertechnologies", again in the world. Accordingly, their salary is no less than that of the company's top manager. “And we are very happy that we got such an employee,” Taylor jokes.
BP Technology Center, Pangbourne
On one of the posts there is a sport bike, on top is a headless robot, entangled in electronic tinsel of wires. This unique one makes you smile. The wheels of the motorcycle are on the “drums”, a different temperature is set inside. The operator changes the oil every week, the motor of the bike is already at the end of his life, but he completed his task and recouped the costs a hundred times …
BP Technology Center, Pangbourne
Paul Beasley brings us back to the theory of the oil business. The finished oil, which is sold in a beautifully packaged bottle, consists of 80% base oil, 10% of the additive, and 10% of the viscosity modifier.
How is the basic foundation obtained? Crude oil is delivered to the refinery. Of one barrel of raw materials, only 1% will go to the oil base. Factory dirty mineral oil is the product of first purification. This oil is of low quality and depending on the degree of purity, it is divided into two subgroups. A notch stands a mineral water, refined in the process of hydrocracking. The chemical formula of the resulting oil is different from the raw material substrate, but still it is not “synthetics”.
BP Technology Center, Pangbourne
The synthetic base is obtained in the process of polymerization of ethylene gas. Synthetic oils have much better viscosity and temperature stability. Castrol prefers to work with just such a “base”. According to Beasley, this allows you to go one step ahead in relation to the increasingly complex environmental requirements and technical tasks of partners and, just as importantly, to get ahead of competitors.
BP Technology Center, Pangbourne
Skate Castrol is that they work closely with partners. Among them are Volkswagen, BMW, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo. With Ford, the work is so tight that the development of new oil begins simultaneously with the development of the engine itself. Oil, if I may say so, is made for specific operational characteristics of the internal combustion engine.
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And in this regard, one of the main challenges faced by Castrol, and other competitors, is a huge direction in the motor industry, called “downsizing” (translated as “downsizing”). Its meaning is as follows: the volume of the combustion chamber of the motor decreases, but the power due to the mechanical compressor or turbocharger increases, and often even becomes larger. A tougher working environment presents new demands on oil endurance.
BP Technology Center, Pangbourne
But what about the targeting of the product? For example, Castrol’s subdivision in South Africa helps a lot to adapt the oil to local fuel, obviously not of the best quality. I ask a logical question: “But what about Russia, we also have problems with fuel. I don’t point a finger, but some Japanese car companies, speculating with a “fuel argument”, limit interservice mileage to ridiculous five thousand kilometers. Would you like to make a product tailored to our market?” The question is marketing and, apparently, not quite at the address. Beasley politely explains that in this case, the manufacturer decides how to limit the life of the oil.
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The Penborne Research Center leaves no ambiguous impression. This is a truly scientific laboratory, equipped with the highest standards and maintained by professionals. On the move, you can give their products only positive ratings. That is why it is very obvious to me how important the consumer research of Za Rulem magazine is, which helps consumers understand the many brands.
