They’re Adding Dye To Fluids

They’re Adding Dye To Fluids For nearly 40 years, King Oil Lubricants has manufactured premium heavy-duty motor oils, agricultural fluids, and industrial lubricants at its Hagerstown, Md., facility. Unlike private-label resellers or distributors, King Oil blends its products in-house, maintaining complete control over formulations, additive packages and quality standards. “Recently, King Oil has begun re-adding dye to select lubricants as a direct response to customer feedback,” says Caleb Ryan, King Oil Business Development Manager. “It wasn’t something we had originally planned to do, but more and more customers in the agricultural, trucking and industrial markets wanted a more visible lubricant that could be easily seen through sight glasses and tubes, while also making it easier to identify the source of a leak in the field.” Ryan explains that modern refining processes remove many naturally occurring compounds that once gave lubricants their color. As a result, base oils are as clear as water, making many finished lubricants difficult to distinguish by sight alone. “By adding a distinct dye, such as green, blue or red, the lubricant becomes much easier to identify during everyday maintenance,” Ryan says. “This provides a clear visual reference when checking fluid levels, helps identify leaks, and reduces the chance of confusing one lubricant with another during service.” Currently, King Oil Lubricants adds specially formulated colorants only to its transmission and hydraulic fluid categories. The oil-soluble colorants are designed to remain stable in petroleum-based fluids. Passenger car motor oils and diesel engine lubricants are not dyed. The company’s primary customer base for dyed lubricants has been the agricultural community. King Oil brand products are manufactured in Hagerstown, Md., and are available throughout the U.S. through its strategically located distributors. Ryan explains that larger lubricant manufacturers focus heavily on minimizing production costs and maintaining the most competitive pricing possible. Adding dye introduces additional costs through raw materials, manufacturing processes and inventory management. “What sets us apart from our competitors is that we see the difference in the decision to add dye to additional fluid categories where visibility provides a practical benefit for the end user,” he stresses. “It’s an additional cost, but at King Oil, we believe the added value of easier fluid identification, improved maintenance visibility, and faster troubleshooting provides a meaningful benefit to our customers.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, King Oil Lubricants, 12314 Huyett Ln., Hagerstown, Md. 21740 (ph 240-707-6464; www.kingoillubricants.com).

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