Lubo International, based in Kortgene, the Netherlands, has developed a lubrication that it says offers unique benefits for stainless steel screw thread connections. Here we interview Peter de Bruine, owner of Lubo International, to find out more about the company and what makes its ‘Lubo’ lubrication so special.
When was Lubo International established and how has the company developed?
“When I had my own construction company I frequently dealt with the problem of galling of stainless steel bolts. Like everybody else, I found myself constantly greasing up bolts and machines, and even worse cleaning everything afterwards.
In 2007 I decided there must be a smarter solution to these cold welding issues. I set up Lubo International and started to develop a ‘smart’ lubricant that could be added to stainless steel products in a similar way that coatings are added to metals.
It took several years to get the lubrication to a level where it was ready to be tested in real life situations, but finally – at Fastener Fair Stuttgart in 2013 – we launched the Lubo lubrication with full FDA compliance, which means it can be used on fasteners for the food industry.”
What does the Lubo product do and what further product developments lie in the near future?
“The Lubo lubrication is a ‘smart’ lubricant that is composed of natural raw materials and minerals, which makes it harmless to the environment. Once the Lubo layer has been added to fasteners, it stays below the outer bounds of the thread in a fixed state. When adding a nut to a bolt, the high temperature created by the friction of the nut and bolt makes the Lubo melt and creates instant lubrication – completely preventing the possibility of galling.
Our main focus currently is in bringing a new Lubo version to the market, which has a stainless steel ‘look and feel’. Besides that we already have orders and interest from other applications and products, such as hydraulic coupling threads, stud bolts and – due to requests – we’re now even testing the effectiveness on other steel alloys.”
Which markets can Lubo International supply? Are there any markets you are looking to supply in the future?
“Our main supply is to the Dutch market, but we are starting to grow our deliveries into Belgium and Germany. We realise that for scaling up to the rest of Europe, and beyond, a few things are vital. The first one is to attain production control at higher volumes at well chosen locations. To tackle this we are looking to establish partnerships in Europe with leading coating companies that can add Lubo to fasteners at locations nearby major volume demand – such as Germany, the Benelux and southern Europe. At the moment we’re exploring potential partnerships and what standardised process and equipment set-up is needed.
In addition to strong coating partners we are also actively seeking cooperation with distributors and wholesalers. We want to make sure the partnerships involve attractive terms for all parties and facilitate availability and lead times that make end users happy.”
Why should stainless steel companies choose Lubo? And what is Lubo International mission for the future?
“At the moment the stainless steel companies find themselves in an unwanted ‘catch 22’. They need to choose between the evils of greasy lubricant paste, high galling repair cost or coatings that at best only reduce a fraction of the galling problem. Lubo can free up these companies, it simply takes away the grease, repair cost and possibility of galling in a cost-effective way.
Our mission is to provide the stainless steel fastening world with a complete solution. We’re working very hard to continue to grow the business and we are already looking to expand into Europe in the early part of 2016. As you might imagine, we see many roads after that to grow beyond Europe and to expand our product portfolio with new developments.
Once a customer has trialed the Lubo lubrication they immediately decide to convert their full assortment – which shows the power of Lubo.”
Will joined Fastener + Fixing Magazine in 2007 and over the last 15 years has experienced every facet of the fastener sector - interviewing key figures within the industry and visiting leading companies and exhibitions around the globe.
Will manages the content strategy across all platforms and is the guardian for the high editorial standards that the Magazine is renowned.
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