

Industrial machinery often operates in a climate controlled environment, thus there is no reason to use multi-grade oils (in fact, it may be harmful).
#SAE OIL VISCOSITY CHART ISO#
The differences in viscosity of an SAE 20 and SAE 5 oil relative to being poured on the same angled surface.Ĭonversely, the aforementioned AW-68 hydraulic oil has an ISO VG rating of 68 this, in turn, allows it to be classified as a single-grade lubricant, or straight-grade oil. In short, for engine lubricants, the lower the "W" rating, the lower the pour-point will be. Instead of it taking 15 minutes to warm up your engine oil, potentially damaging your engine, these additives allow for quicker lubrication of all engine components, eventually evening out at operating temperature. To be clear, 5w-20 motor oil is an example of a Multi-viscosity oil - these oils contain a VI improver to compensate for the range of temperatures an automotive engine may be exposed to: these additives allow for cold startups without sacrificing lubrication efficiency. Shop Industrial, Manufacturing, Automotive Lubricants: Petroleum Service CompanyĪside from the industrial applications which specifically require a High Viscosity Index (HVI) oil (when machinery is exposed to a wide range of temperatures), many industrial lubricants lack VI improvers because the machinery in which they operate are not subject to changes in temperature. Static over a wider range of temperatures this occurs via unique additives referred to as "Viscosity Index Improvers" (VI improvers). When it comes to automotive engine lubrication, we often prefer oils with a low viscosity spectrum, but a "High Viscosity Index"- in short, this means that the viscosity stays Liquid water has an extremely narrow viscosity spectrum (in the range of 33 F to 211 F) when compared with honey: meaning that the viscosity of water goes relatively unchanged over that temperature range alternatively, honey would pour much slower at 33 F compared to 211 F, which means that its viscosity spectrum is much wider (in said temperature range). But what about water? Whether near freezing or just about to boil, water pours relatively the same. Honey when you heat it up: it immediately becomes easier to pour once it reaches a certain temperature also, when cooled, the consistency of honey thickens. Lubricants resembling this liquid are higher viscosity oils. This is because honey is more viscous than water and has a much higher viscosity.Īlternatively, this fluid is a great deal thicker - somewhat like honey. Immediately - but a glass of honey would slowly spill over, giving you a second to react. If you were to knock over a glass of water, the liquid would spill out Take, for example, this comparison of two common substances with different viscosities: water and honey. In a nutshell, the thicker the fluid is, the more resistance to flow it will demonstrate. Viscosity is the measure of a fluid's resistance to flow (under certain conditions). This liquid's water-like state is reminiscent of a lower-viscosity lubricant. Viscosity and though the word may sound a bit dense, it's actually pretty simple: it is a number value for the relative thickness (or weight) of your oil or lubricant. These numbers are representative of a lubricant's Numbers in 5w-20 might signify? Or - should you work with machinery that requires an industrial lubricant - the AW-68 on your pail of hydraulic oil? Established to represent a universally accepted grading system (e.g.If you've changed your own oil before, then chances are you know what the "w" in 5w-20 means (HINT: it stands for winter grade, or rating). International Standards Organization (ISO) grades for hydraulic fluids and industrial gear lubricants. SAE 75W-90)Īmerican Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) grades for industrial gear lubricants (e.g. Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) grades for automotive gear oils (e.g. Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) grades for automotive motor oils (e.g.

More specific classifications give us a better idea of how fluids move, but you’ve likely seen at least a few different ways to designate viscosity: However, these terms are general and difficult to measure. Terms such as thick, heavy or high suggest a fluid with strong resistance to flow, such as honey.

Some of the informal terms used to describe the viscosity of a relatively free-flowing fluid, such as water, include thin, light and low. Viscosity, defined as a fluid’s resistance to flow, is one of the most important characteristics of a lubricant.
