Cpi Engineering Services
Industrial Engineer in Cape Town

CPI Engineering Services (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd - Home Page.

Our joint mission is to provide our customers with the most effective service and support that can be offered in the field of compressor lubrication technology. Although CPI Fluid Engineering's main focus has been compressor lubrication technology and development, they also offer a complete industrial synthetic lubricant product line, with an extensive range of synthetic and semi-synthetic lubricant products for use in compressors, pumps, rotary shaft seals, gear boxes, bearings, hydraulic systems and instrumentation. CPI lubricants are custom-tailored to service your needs and can be custom-blended to your viscosity requirements. CPI Engineering Services SA is the major supplier of synthetic lubricants to the compressor OEM market. But is also due to a desire by original equipment manufacturers and end users to improve the efficiency and reliability of their refrigeration systems. Traditional lubricants for refrigeration systems have been based on mineral oils. Additives have sometimes been used to help improve lubricity or stability. Their lower miscibility with highly fluorinated refrigerants caused concerns over oil return from evaporators, particularly at low temperatures. Lubricant professionals and equipment manufacturers had to improve their knowledge over application selection of various oils with the particular refrigerant to be used. The result was a better understanding of the properties required, and an increase in the number of types of these oils being specified. Paraffinic oils, with a lower cost, are now known to be acceptable for a wide number of applications. These lubricants have better low temperature properties and improved stability over those previously offered. Improvements have been made in ammonia systems where paraffinic oils have been traditionally used. Our CP-1009 -68 is a severely refined hydrotreated oil, sometimes called semi-synthetic, which has been found to greatly improve the efficiency and reliability of these systems. This type of synthetic is based on hydrocarbon chemistry and is similar to a high aromatic containing naphthenic oil. Most suppliers of these lubricants are now offering a range of products which are classified as highly miscible (such as our SOLEST LT series, or moderately miscible. These products meet the requirements of various original equipment manufacturers. The way POEs behave with different refrigerants is dependent on their chemistry, particularly on the ratio of the amount and type of the alcohols and acids being used. Applications generally result for a need for a lubricant which operates at environmental extremes. It is only the formulation chemistry that has been developed to meet the needs of HFC refrigerant compressors and systems. These products have even been used in halocarbon refrigeration applications. The major difference of today’s POE from those used fifteen years ago is improved miscibility and lubricity in HFC compressor systems. These include new chemistry hydrocarbon oils and some interesting new types of synthetics. Quality lubricant manufacturers such as CPI are also testing their products with a variety of compressors.