Varnish Resistant Product Breaks the Mold

June 11, 2021

The world of plastic injection molding has just got injected with a brand new product from Benz called ECLIPSE VR. The ‘VR’ stands for “varnish resistant” and this new lubricant has some special properties that could be a game changer in the plastic injection molding industry.

The main problem that manufacturers face in the industry is varnish. Sticky varnish deposits increase friction, cause valves to fail, reduce machine efficiency, and can lead to mechanical failure. The ASTM International standard, ASTM D7843, defines varnish as “a thin, hard, oil-insoluble deposit, composed primarily of organic residue and most readily definable by color intensity.”  What makes varnish so damaging is that it can attach to any moving machinery parts, clog filters, impair valves and pumps, and cause friction. Making matters worse, it is hard to clean by wiping with cloth and is resistant to saturated solvents. The potential problems that varnish causes makes minimizing oxidation and varnish formation critical.

The color of varnish varies but it usually appears in gray, brown, or yellowish hues. But is not always easy to see. Testing for vanish to avoid future problems is done by Membrane Patch Colorimetry (MPC). This test tracks the amount of insolubles present in the lubricating oil so you can act before harmful varnish and sludge build up occurs in critical components. This is the test of choice but cleaning is not a quick process and a 40+ hour cleaning regimen is common.

By degrading oils in a precise and predictive environment by using MPC, the Benz technology team has learned how to modify hydraulic oil chemistry to minimize varnish formation as well as reduce downtime, cycle time, and hydraulic oil usage with Benz ECLIPSE VR.