Andrew Lawson-Dick, Lubricants Business Manager
Andrew has 35 years’ experience in developing value-based solutions for clients across a broad spectrum of industries. He has spent the last 10 years growing Hayley Group’s portfolio of products and services, working closely with supply partners to deliver real value to customers.
We continually develop our offering alongside our suppliers, to provide a comprehensive lubrication solution every time. More often than not, those solutions involve intelligent product selection, as well as other elements of an effective lubricants maintenance system like storage, compliance, and training.
We’ve been partnered with ROCOL® for more than ten years. Since 2020, we have strengthened that partnership, committing to developing new business and delivering products at the very forefront of quality industrial lubrication as well as a range of valuable services. Here, I explore five ways that we work in conjunction with ROCOL® to provide benefits for our customers.
1. Quality assurance
ROCOL® takes great pride in the quality of their products. In fact, they are one of only a handful of companies worldwide that holds ISO 21469 approval, the highest accolade that a manufacturer of food grade lubricants can achieve. It proves that products are manufactured in a hygienic environment, using both best practices and the very safest ingredients. As well as this, all ROCOL® products and services are carefully controlled within BS EN 9100 and ISO 9001 quality management systems. Every ROCOL® product that leaves a Hayley Group branch has been tested and approved by under laboratory standards.
All ROCOL® products stocked by Hayley Group, have only made it through the supply chain because they have passed through these stringent QA processes. As a result, Hayley Group customers purchasing ROCOL® products can be confident that they are getting superior quality for their money.
2. Safety compliance
A natural extension to the quality assurance that our customers benefit from when purchasing ROCOL® products through us, is compliance. ROCOL® has one of the largest portfolios of food grade products in the market, and in no other industry is compliance more pertinent than in the manufacture of food, drink, and pharmaceuticals. The FOODLUBE® range holds the aforementioned ISO 21469 certification. The certification provides proof that products have been manufactured in a hygienic environment, using both best practice and the safest ingredients, all in-line with NSF H1 requirements. Further to this, products from the FOODLUBE® range have also received Halal and Kosher certification from the respective regulatory bodies, meaning it’s safe for use across a broad spectrum of applications.
It’s not only for the food industry where ROCOL® compliance can benefit Hayley Group customers. ROCOL® also holds the AS 9100 approval for work with the aircraft, space & defence industry.
3. Stores management and handling
Both ROCOL® and Hayley Group value the safe and effective storage and handling of lubricants. As part of the Rocolcare® service package, ROCOL® can provide users with purpose-built storage cabinets and units that make selection easier and safer for users, and also asset management easier for those in charge of stock replenishment. Hayley Group also has plenty of experience in implementing lubricant dispensing and handling solutions for our customers up and down the country.
All of this experience can assist customers with their 5S system, a methodology that puts into place continually-improving housekeeping practices. This system is a widely-adopted approach including the pillars of; sort, set in order, shine, standardise, and sustain. These 5S pillars maintain the workplace in a good visual condition, which in-turn reduces risk to staff wellbeing and enhances operational efficiency.
4. Lubrication training
Application requirements vary wildly across industries and even within their subsegments (consider the diversity of the food industry with dairy, confectionery, and meat products). Therefore, a bespoke and specific approach to training is needed.
Working in collaboration with ROCOL®, the expertise and resource we jointly have at our disposal means that we can provide training sessions suitable for any need or level. With operatives fully-trained in fields such as selection, usage, and best practice, the efficiency of the operation is improved, bringing higher productivity as well as cost-savings. Advanced courses are designed to allow businesses to move towards self-sufficiency with selected personnel able to deliver the lubrication training themselves.
5. Customised lubrication services
The term “lubrication survey” can mean different things depending on what the desired outcomes are, and that’s why Hayley Group and ROCOL® provide customised surveys for customers. These surveys can either take the form of granular examinations of individual equipment to determine its lubrication needs or a more macro-level inspection which has the power to identify key areas for improvement. Whatever the level required; a customised lubrication survey can bring about a whole range of benefits. For example, the insight provided can help businesses to implement better lubricant selection and best practice, while also helping them to improve plant efficiency, extend equipment life, reduce maintenance costs, and maintain operational uptime.
For more information on ROCOL® products, speak to your local Hayley Group branch.
This article appears in Issue 6 of Maintenance Essentials. Find all of the current and back-issues by clicking the button below.