The Importance of Quality: Inside the Morris Lubricants Quality Control Laboratory
Choosing and using the correct quality oil, lubricant and grease is vitally important to ensure your car, truck, tractor, motorcycle, machinery or any other mechanical piece of equipment works as it should.
With the many different products manufactured by Morris Lubricants, how does the company maintain product quality and product performance? The answer lies in the company’s commitment to product testing, measurement, analysis and the processes that are conducted in the dedicated quality control laboratory.
Morris Lubricants has very high-quality standards and continues to invest in the latest testing equipment that is used in its laboratory situated within the manufacturing facility in Shrewsbury.
The laboratory is equipped with the latest and arguably some of the best testing equipment available, designed to make sure the oils and lubricants manufactured on site maintain the highest quality standards.
The Morris Lubricants laboratory is maintained at a constant cool temperature to ensure that various computer systems and pieces of scientific equipment operate at optimum efficiency, especially when you consider there are over 5,000 tests processed every month.
“As lubricant specifications become more complex, these tailored product formulations often dictate test methods which require new and expensive equipment,” says Morris Lubricants’ Technology Manager, Adrian Hill
“Morris Lubricants has always invested in the latest equipment because consistent product quality is key to the success of the company, and without it you cannot guarantee the highest quality oils and lubricants. This dedicated equipment allows us to keep up to date and compliant with new and evolving industry and manufacturer requirements, formulations and customer demands.”
A recent capital investment has been in the ability to test High-Temperature High-Shear (HTHS) capability, a measure of an engine oil’s ability to provide fuel efficiency improvements.
Further investment has recently been made, including new Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometers (FTIR) which are used to identify organic materials and also the addition of the latest generation X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyser, which measures elemental content to confirm the integrity of the finished product.
The chemists process incoming product samples throughout the working day. Adrian adds: “We test empty tankers as well as deliveries to make sure they are free of for moisture and are clean. Our products are tested throughout the manufacturing process from raw materials arriving on site, to blending, to filling the finished product, guaranteeing quality to the end user.”
“An extensive test matrix is deployed throughout the manufacturing process., in order to meet or surpass the customer’s expectations. Certain products have a high number of raw materials that combine to meet specifications, so it is vital that we get this right.
Methods of testing can range from a simple ‘Appearance’ assessment that evaluates a lubricant’s clarity, colour, texture and smell within in minutes, to a more complex test methods that can take up to three days. These more extensive tests include pour point checks, running viscosity checks establishing corrosion protection and many more. Only then, once everything has passed the tests, we can deliver the finished product to customers knowing that it’s going to meet or exceed requirements, and excel in the application that it is designed for.
With much of the Laboratory team’s work taking place behind the scenes, customers and end users are unaware of the hard work that goes into maintaining Morris Lubricants quality. To explain this in more detail, Morris Lubricants Technology Manager, Adrian Hill showed the company’s ambassador Guy Martin, some of the critical tests that were performed in the quality control laboratory.
“Guy’s reaction to the quality control laboratory was a great compliment,” says Adrian who also gave Guy a tour of Morris Lubricants’ industry leading facilities.
“There’s no doubt our enthusiasm is infectious, but when you are talking to someone as knowledgeable as Guy, and see how surprised he was by the extent to which we test the products to ensure quality and performance with every batch we make. It’s not just in the quality control laboratory that is important, the technical support tools, industry knowledge and expertise we have at our disposal is extensive."
Reflecting on his visit during a day of filming with Morris Lubricants, Guy said the reality far exceeded his expectations.
“The quality control laboratory is immaculate, I saw what they’re doing and thought, ‘you’re not messing about are you?’ When you see what goes into the formulating, manufacturing and testing of the oils it’s amazing. These guys know what they’re doing and the level of quality is b****y marvellous, there is no doubt of that in my mind.”
You can watch three dedicated specials, where Adrian Hill shows Guy Martin the latest laboratory testing equipment by clicking here.
You can also watch the entire series of 'How Oil is Made with Guy Martin by clicking here.