Signum has become a global service

Glen Sharkowicz, Global LTS Laboratory Manager, ExxonMobil Fuels, Lubricants & Specialties Marketing Company

What is ExxonMobil’s Signum Oil Analysis Programme? How does this revolutionise the oil analysis services?
Signum is ExxonMobil’s oil analysis programme specifically tailored to monitor critical indicators for in-service lubricating oils. Signum has become a global service based on over 40 years of expertise in lubricating oil analysis. This delivers safety, productivity and environmental care because it is supported by the full technical rigor of the ExxonMobil team of formulators, scientists and engineers who not only develop the products, but under¡stand their performance and life cycle in the field. Managing over one million samples a year, Signum delivers timely and useful oil analysis results with three key benefits:

• Flexibility: Customers’ oil analysis results can be accessed anytime online. They can also manage and modify equipment registrations in our online system.
• Expertise: Test control limits are based on ExxonMobil’s unparalleled knowledge of our lubricants and how they perform over time, as well as our relationships with global equipment builders. Our analysis identifies potential issues and recommends actions for follow-up.
• Quality: ExxonMobil’s Quality Practices and Guidelines (QP&G) standard are implemented in Signum laboratories, and this aligns with both ASTM D6792 and ISO 17025.

How does Signum deliver detailed, actionable recommendations using proprietary test control limits set specifically for equipment?
Signum control limits are derived from a variety of factors, including: OEM specifications; test method precision; statistical studies of historical results; in service field trial information; industry guidelines; and field experiences documented by internal application experts.

Originally launched over a decade ago, why has Signum now been launched for Asia Pacific region?
The new Signum Laboratory at the Shanghai Technology Center extends ExxonMobil global technology footprint in Asia Pacific and enables us to better support our customers in the region. With our lubricant business growing steadily in Asia Pacific, more and more customers are requesting superior oil analysis to improve machine efficiency and reduce downtime. The new Signum Laboratory will help meet our customers’ requests quickly through technical application expertise.

How does ExxonMobil plan to educate the customers about Signum oil analysis benefits in Asia Pacific region?
ExxonMobil has a comprehensive training program for our current and potential customers in Asia Pacific, which includes: introduce the Signum oil analysis service; how to use the Signum online systems; oil sampling process; and understanding sample results.

In addition, our field engineers can help customers to assimilate the oil analysis programme into maintenance regimes. We regularly share our expertise on relevant technical topics, including the benefits of Signum oil analysis, to industry stakeholders.

What are your immediate and long term priorities and thrust areas for Signum programme in Asia Pacific?
The new Signum Laboratory in China is the company’s fourth fully operated Signum laboratory in the world and the first Signum laboratory in Asia Pacific, designed specifically to support our customers using our centralized Signum database. With our lubricant business growing steadily in Asia Pacific, more and more customers are requesting superior oil analysis to improve machine efficiency and reduce downtime.

We are committed to addressing our clients’ needs more quickly in Asia Pacific – we focus on delivering a reliable supply of high-quality lubricants and providing technical application expertise, eg, Signum Oil Analysis and planed engineering service to customers.

Who are the likely users of this lab and its services?
We recommend Signum Oil Analysis for customers in industries such as wind, mining, steel, power, cement, petrochemical, paper, and commercial vehicles.