Automation Practice and Development Trend of Lubricant Blending and Filling Production Line

Compared with the traditional tank blending method, pipeline blending is progressiveness. The flow regulation of base oil and additives is controlled by instruments and equipment, and a specific proportion of base oil and additives are delivered to the main pipe and pipeline mixer to produce lubricating oil in a mixed flow way. The pipeline blending method can serve as the application foundation of automation technology. From the perspective of process flow, the pipeline blending method is more precise in dosage and flow control. The lubricating oil after blending on the production line can be directly filled after testing and meeting production indicators. Therefore, the pipeline blending method has higher production efficiency compared to oil tank blending.

With the continuous improvement of China's technological level, PLC and DCS have been widely applied in the industrial field. Modern and automated control programs centered on computer equipment and information technology have become key means to improve production efficiency and optimize product quality in the industrial field. Applying automation control technology to the control of temperature, pressure and other parameters of the blending kettle in the production of lubricating oil can help improve the quality of lubricating oil.

2. Analysis of common problems in the production line of lubricating oil blending and filling
Usually, the inlet and outlet pipelines in the lubricating oil blending and filling production line are shared, but there are certain differences in the outlet distance and volume of the pipelines. In addition, different production order requirements require that once the production of oil is switched, the oil in the oil tank needs to be emptied, and a certain amount of top line oil will be generated during the oil emptying process, The presence of top line oil has a direct impact on the production quality of the next batch of lubricating oil. In order to ensure the quality of each batch of oil, lubricating oil manufacturers treat and recycle the top line oil to produce the next batch of lubricating oil. The most common problems in the above processes are the excessive amount of top line oil and the control of oil quality during production. Pipeline sharing, pipeline outlet distance, and pipeline volume differences are not conducive to controlling oil quality. However, excessive top line oil has a direct impact on the production of the next batch of oil products.

3. Automation Strategy for Lubricant Blending and Filling Production Line

3.1 Automation of mixed viscosity data accounting
The Viscosity index of lubricating oils of different brands and purposes also has some differences. Therefore, in the process of blending lubricating oils, manufacturers usually produce various types of lubricating oils according to the needs of orders. However, the reuse of top line oil has a direct impact on the viscosity of lubricating oils. It can be seen that the automation of the calculation of lubricating oil mixed viscosity data is an effective way to improve the efficiency of lubricating oil blending, In the past, lubricant manufacturers used manual accounting methods, which not only took a lot of effort and effort, but also resulted in certain errors in the accuracy of viscosity data. Therefore, this article proposes to integrate information technology with calculation formulas, establish an accounting model for the mixed viscosity data of lubricating oil, and use it as the basis to determine the mixed viscosity of lubricating oil, so as to control the viscosity of lubricating oil within the standard range. Then, by obtaining the volume fraction of the filled oil, the difference between the actual viscosity of the lubricating oil and the calculated data is determined (if the volume fraction is large, the theoretical and actual differences are small); By obtaining the proportion of the last base oil in the first oil product, determine the actual impact (if the proportion is small, the impact is low); By analyzing the proportion of the previous batch of oil products at the outlet of the lubricating oil blending pipeline to the volume of this batch of oil products, the impact of the previous batch of oil products is determined (if the volume is small, the impact is low). Using the above three analysis methods as the basis for automated analysis can further optimize the overall quality of lubricating oil products.

3.2 Determination of Top Line Quantity Method
The measurement of the volume of the outlet pipeline of the lubricating oil blending pipeline and the filling pipeline is the Committed step of the measurement of the top line volume. The traditional measurement method uses the design drawings as the basis for measurement. However, the volume of the outlet pipeline of the blending pipeline and the filling pipeline is quite different. If the volume is calculated according to the small volume, the top line volume will be too much, and the quality of the oil products will be reduced accordingly. If measured according to large volumes, the production costs of lubricant manufacturers will increase accordingly. Therefore, the determination of the top line measurement method should also incorporate automation thinking, measuring the outlet position where the blending pipeline and filling pipeline converge, and using the measurement results as the basis for automatic production of oil products.

3.3 Automation of operational processes
At present, the operation process in the domestic lube oil blending and filling production line is mainly divided into two ways. The first way is to use Gear Oil and hydraulic oil to lay the return pipeline at the intersection of each pipeline. In short, it is to make the lube oil enter from the blending kettle and enter the blending kettle again through the outlet pipeline, so as to achieve a purpose of reflux. The second method is the reflux between the blending kettle and the filling equipment. Before applying this method, it is necessary to ensure the connection between the blending kettle and the filling equipment. After entering the blending kettle, lubricating oil flows into the filling pipeline through the outlet pipeline to achieve the purpose of reflux. Essentially, both of the above operating processes have achieved automated production, but compared to the second method, the first method does not require the lubricant manufacturer to consume a large amount of costs, and the operating process is relatively simple. On the basis of reducing the amount of top line oil, the quality of the oil product will not be affected. So in the process automation process, the first method can be used as the basis to optimize the operation rules of the outlet pipeline and filling top line, and achieve the goal of high-quality automated production while promoting the return of lubricating oil.

4. Development Trend of Lubricating Oil Blending and Filling Production Lines
With the continuous improvement of China's socio-economic level, the demand for lubricating oil products in industries, manufacturing, transportation, and other fields is increasing year by year. In this context, the automation, modernization, and intelligence of lubricating oil blending and filling production lines have become key measures for sustainable development of lubricating oil manufacturers in China. From the perspective of market competition, Lubricant manufacturers applying automated control systems to their production processes can significantly improve the quality of oil products, indirectly enhancing their market competitiveness and ensuring a favorable competitive position in the lubricant market. From the perspective of market demand, lubricant manufacturers can apply automation technology to lubricant blending control, production communication, and the construction of filling production procedures, which can improve the production efficiency of oil products and ensure real-time supervision of the entire production process. From the perspective of sustainable development for lubricant manufacturers, the progress of the times is driving industrial innovation and upgrading. Therefore, automated, modern, and intelligent production processes, production management, and product quality control are key measures to ensure that manufacturers achieve sustainable development. Finally, from the perspective of socio-economic development.