U.K. Lubricant Giant Exol Targets Maritime Sector

Yorkshire-based maritime diesel engine specialist Maktec Marine has signed a new worldwide distributor deal with West Midlands headquartered lubricant giant Exol to catapult the brand into the maritime industry.

Maktec owner Mark Cornforth said he is very excited by the deal which will join Maktec’s 20 years of maritime industry experience, with Exol’s established background of working across sectors as the U.K.’s largest independent lubricants company.

“Exol is a sleeping giant in the maritime sector,” he said. “Exol is flourishing in the industrial, automotive, agriculture and transport sectors but wants to ramp up activity in the shipping industry, which is Maktec’s specialist area. Exol is a premium engineered British product, known and respected for its excellence. However, by joining forces with Maktec we can strengthen its maritime profile as well as support the product with our deep knowledge of ship and power station diesel engines. 

“A key strength of this new partnership will be pairing Maktec’s know-how with Exol’s product expertise.  Maktec has a global network of OEM trained engineers as well as agents in India, Cyprus, Singapore and Iraq. That means we can offer on the ground engineering expertise to ship owners at ports worldwide to ensure their engines and oils are being properly looked after.”

Cornforth said the prime target for the new partnership will be ship owners and managers of older vessels and large fleets drawing on Maktec’s experience working for MaK, MAN, Sulzer, Wartsila and Yanmar worldwide.

“We want to work on older ships where the Exol technology is easy to adapt to and follow whereas newer engines require more OEM factory support,” he said. “In our experience it is older engines that are most at risk of failures from oil starvation, fuel dilution and incorrect filtration.  These problems can lead to massively disruptive and expensive vessel downtime and even groundings. 

“Working with Maktec and Exol we can help ensure engines are being properly monitored to ensure operators remain on schedule and are meeting their legal requirements. Lubricants are a prime consideration on any ship which is why classification societies are big supporters of fluid checks and oil analysis. Insurance companies also like to see ships are following proper lubricant maintenance and inspection procedures.”

Cornforth said Maktec will be promoting Exol’s innovative online ‘Fluid Check’ system launched last year. He said ‘Fluid Check’ is rated as one of the world’s best fluid analysis programs for monitoring all types of fluid lubricated and insulated oil systems. He said it allows operators to draw a sample fluid from their engine and send it to Exol and Maktec for comprehensive testing. The results are then posted online within 24-hours giving guidance if the fluid needs to be changed.

“Working with Exol’s Fluid Check system we can reduce unplanned downtime and unnecessary oil changes,” he said. “Fluid Check is brilliant because it is so quick and can identify excessive fueling and contamination, extend oil drain intervals and detect future failures before they happen. It helps us ensure products are meeting the approved specification and are working as they should while quickly identifying any faults. If faults are found this is where Maktec’s engineers can provide immediate specialist advice and help.”

Steve Dunn, Exol Lubricant’s Sales Director, said: "We’re delighted to have Maktec Marine on board and believe that we can work extremely well together, using our specialist experience and services to support our customers worldwide.”

Cornforth said Exol fitted with Maktec’s ethos of long term care of customers engines at a reasonable cost.

"At Maktec we take a holistic approach to machinery solutions,” he said. “Instead of offering a quick fix, we discover the needs of a customer and anticipate how that equipment will evolve over time. The result is a lasting and cost-effective solution. We accomplish this through our commitment to advanced planning, extensive system and data analysis and offering innovative ideas and technology.  Exol is an excellent partner as it is an established expert and has a name for excellence that Maktec feels follows our professional standards and business strategy.”

Exol operates its bulk blending operation at a plant in Rotherham Yorkshire.