May 15 is deadline for submitting grease production data to NLGI

May 15 is the final deadline for submitting your company’s lubricating grease production data to the National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI) for inclusion in the 2015 NLGI Annual Grease Production Survey, according to Chuck Coe of Grease Technology Solutions. Coe is responsible for putting together the survey for NLGI.

Speaking at the 28th Annual General Meeting of the European Lubricating Grease Institute (ELGI) being held this week in Venice, Italy, Coe emphasised the confidentiality of the production data submitted by participating companies. He said there were 269 reporting plants last year from all over the world. About 90% of 2014 reporting companies have already submitted their 2015 data, he said.

Reviewing the results from the 2014 survey, Coe said that global grease output increased by 3.4% from 2013, on a comparative data basis. Japan and Southeast Asia were the only regions with measurable production growth in 2014, he said.

Both China and India reported significant decline in grease production in 2014, by 6% and 12% respectively, while other regions were flat.

Lithium plus lithium complex grease represent three-fourths of total global grease production, Coe said. But while lithium complex grease production continues to increase, lithium grease production continues to decline, representing a shift to higher quality greases, he said.