Lubrication Engineers

What Lubrication Engineers does

Lubrication Engineers South Africa (Pty) Ltd is a privately held, family-led industrial lubricant supplier founded in 1951 and headquartered in Fourways, Gauteng, with an additional sales office in Rustenburg, North West. The company markets more than 50 lubricant variants — industrial greases, gear oils, hydraulic oils, engine oils, synthetic lubricants, food-grade NSF H1 lubricants, oven chain lubricants, turbine oils, wire rope lubricants, and specialty formulations — differentiated by four proprietary additive technologies: Quinplex (food-grade and moisture-resistant barrier), Duolec (gear oil extreme-pressure performance), Monolec (liquid wear-reducing additive), and Almasol (solid additive rated to 1038°C). Sales are conducted on a quote-based, multi-year contract basis through a direct technical sales force with regional representatives and on-site engineers providing oil analysis, contamination control, and training; reliability solutions are layered on top via the Xtend specialist technician team, the Viper MK II wire rope lubricator, the isoPOD portable storage and dispensing unit, and bulk lubricant storage systems. The company sells primarily into South African mining (primary), manufacturing (primary), cement production, ports and maritime, food processing, agriculture, and automotive and fleet operators, with NSF H1, USDA H2, Kosher Pareve, IFANCA Halal, and ISO 9001:2015 certifications used to qualify into regulated procurement. Ownership appears concentrated in the Ford family (Colin Ford as Managing Director, Gavin Ford as National Marketing Manager), with no disclosed institutional, PE, or VC capital, no parent company, and operations confined to South Africa.

Name

Lubrication Engineers

Legal name

Lubrication Engineers South Africa

Website

https://lubricationengineers.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lubrication Engineers South Africa is a privately held, family-led industrial lubricant supplier in Gauteng offering 50+ lubrication variants built on four proprietary additive families (Quinplex, Duolec, Monolec, Almasol). It serves South African mining, manufacturing, cement, food processing, ports, and agriculture customers through direct technical sales, oil analysis, and reliability services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Lubricants

NAICS

Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Manufacturing (324191)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Heavy-Duty Lubricants (IMAEAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Lubricants (Hydraulics, Gear, Compressor, Turbine, Metalworking) (EUALAJAG), Gear Oils & Transmission Fluids (IMAEAMAE), Lubricant Additives & Performance Chemicals (EUALAJAB), Lubricant Formulation & Blending (Finished Lubricants) (EUALAJAC), Marine Lubricants (IMAEAMAM)

Keywords

• Industrial lubricants
• Food grade lubricants
• Synthetic lubricants
• Wire rope lubrication
• Hydraulic fluids

Headquarters

HQ city

Gauteng

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industrial Lubricant Sales: Direct sale of high-performance lubricants including industrial greases, gear oils, hydraulic oils, engine oils, synthetic lubricants, food-grade lubricants, and specialized formulations. Products are sold in various packaging including barrels, buckets, tubes, and aerosol cans. The company also offers reliability solutions including equipment, systems, and technical services.
2. Technical Services and Training: On-site technical support, oil analysis for predictive maintenance, contamination control guidance, and training services provided as part of the company's comprehensive lubrication solutions offering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Manufactures and supplies high-performance industrial lubricants — over 50 variants including greases, gear oils, hydraulic oils, synthetic and food-grade lubricants, oven chain lubricants, turbine and transformer oils — built around four proprietary additive technologies (Quinplex, Duolec, Monolec, Almasol). Also delivers specialized lubrication equipment (Viper MK II wire rope lubricator, isoPOD, Easy Bar solid grease stick) and supporting services such as the Xtend Wire Rope Specialist Team, oil analysis, and LE Reliability Solutions for industrial and heavy-industry customers.

Product overview

Lubrication Engineers is a South African industrial lubricant supplier offering over 50 high-performance lubrication variants and comprehensive reliability solutions. The portfolio includes core lubricant products (industrial greases, gear oils, hydraulic oils, engine oils, food-grade lubricants, synthetic lubricants, open gear lubricants, oven chain lubricants, turbine oils, wire rope lubricants, and specialty products) complemented by proprietary additive technologies (Quinplex, Duolec, Monolec, Almasol) and reliability solutions (automatic lubrication systems, bulk storage, oil analysis, Viper wire rope lubricators). The company also offers specialized services including the Xtend wire rope specialist team and isoPOD portable storage systems, serving mining, manufacturing, automotive, and heavy industry sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LE: Abbreviated company name used in marketing materials
• Xtend
• Quinplex®
• Duolec®
• Monolec®
• Almasol®
• Wirelife®
• Greentastic®

Products and services

• Easy Bar with Almasol Solid grease stick containing Almasol additive, designed to be rubbed onto open gears, chains, and wire ropes for in-situ lubrication in mining, quarrying, cement, and heavy industry.
• Viper MK II Wire Rope Lubricator Compressed-air-driven wire rope lubricator that forces lubricant through the core of wire ropes to deliver internal lubrication, targeted at ports, shipping, mining, and heavy lifting operations.
• isoPOD Portable Lubrication Storage and Dispensing Unit Portable, sealed container for storing and dispensing lubricants at the point of use, intended to keep lubricants clean and reduce contamination in industrial workshops.
• Almagard Vari-Purpose Lubricant Multipurpose industrial grease for general bearing and chassis applications across manufacturing and agricultural equipment.
• Almaplex Industrial Lubricant and Almaplex Ultra-Syn Lubricant Synthetic and semi-synthetic industrial greases formulated for high-load and high-temperature bearings in food processing and general industry.
• H1 Quinplex Food Machinery Lubricant and H1 Quincal Syn FG Grease Food-grade greases certified for incidental food contact, designed for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical processing machinery.
• H1 Quinplex Synthetic Food Grade Oil Synthetic food-grade lubricating oil for hydraulic systems, gearboxes, and chains in food-processing equipment.
• Almasol Worm Gear Lubricants and Almasol High Temperature Lubricant Specialty lubricants fortified with Almasol solid additive, used in worm gearboxes, elevators, and high-temperature industrial applications.
• Monolec Industrial Lubricant, Monolec Multiplex Lubricant, and Monolec Extend EM Grease Industrial lubricants built on Monolec liquid additive technology, targeted at bearings, plain surfaces, and electric motors.
• Monolec Rock Drill Lubricant Specialty lubricant for pneumatic rock drills used in mining and quarrying, formulated to withstand moisture, heat, and shock loading.
• Almamoly HD Grease and Almatek General Purpose Lubricant Heavy-duty greases for demanding industrial bearings and chassis points, including mining and construction equipment.
• Equipower Ultra Hydraulic Oil High-performance hydraulic fluid for industrial and mobile hydraulic systems, offering anti-wear protection and long service life.
• All-Purpose Turbine Oil, Endure Turbine Oil, Monolec Spindle Oil, and Transformer Oil Specialty lubricating oils for steam and gas turbines, machine tool spindles, and electrical transformers requiring oxidation stability and long drain intervals.
• Monolec Syn Engine Oil and Monolec Syn Industrial Oil Synthetic lubricants for stationary engines and industrial circulating systems, leveraging Monolec additive technology for extended drain intervals.
• Monolec High Temperature Oven Chain Lubricant, Almasol Oven Chain Lubricant, and Ovenworx H1 Syn Chain Lubricant High-temperature chain lubricants for bakery, food, and industrial oven chains, including an NSF H1 food-grade synthetic option.
• Almasol Dry Film Lubricant Dry film lubricant for applications where wet lubricants cannot be used, providing long-lasting anti-wear protection on metal surfaces.
• Wirelife Almasol Coating Grease and Wirelife Low Tox Penetrating Lubricant Specialty greases and penetrating oils formulated for wire rope lubrication in mining, ports, and heavy lifting.
• Monocal GP Grease General-purpose calcium-sulfonate grease for a wide range of industrial bearings and chassis lubrication.
• White Utility Oil Food-grade white mineral oil used as a lubricant, rust preventive, and release agent in light industrial and food-contact applications.
• Greentastic Industrial Cleaner Industrial cleaning and degreasing product used to prepare equipment for lubrication and general maintenance cleaning.
• LE Reliability Solutions Consultative reliability program combining LE lubricants with oil analysis, training, and on-site technical support to reduce unplanned downtime for industrial customers.
• Xtend Wire Rope Specialist Team In-house specialist team that supplies, applies, and services wire rope lubrication equipment (e.g., Viper MK II) for mining, port, crane, and shipping customers, including on-site lubrication services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 75% of bearing failures are lubrication related, highlighting the critical importance of proper lubrication practices.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Viper Wire Rope Lubricator (Manufactured in Australia)coreTechnology or IntegrationLE South Africa distributes the Viper wire rope lubricator system, designed and manufactured in Australia over 15 years ago. The Viper system provides fast and effective lubrication of wire ropes and has been key to LE's wire rope lubrication benchmarking standards development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fuchs Petrolub: Germany-based global specialty lubricants manufacturer with deep industrial and food-grade ranges, including proprietary additives and reliability services — directly comparable to LE South Africa's premium industrial positioning.
• Klüber Lubrication: Specialty industrial lubricants company owned by Freudenberg, focused on high-performance greases, gear oils, and food-grade H1 products with strong technical service — closely mirrors LE's specialty, application-engineered approach.
• Quaker Houghton: Global leader in industrial process fluids and specialty lubricants serving metalworking, primary metals, and heavy industry — overlapping with LE's mining, cement, and manufacturing customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Shell Lubricants: Mass-market lubricants arm of Shell serving industrial, mining, and automotive segments across Africa — competes broadly with LE on industrial greases and hydraulic oils but lacks LE's specialty additive positioning.
• TotalEnergies Lubricants: International oil major with a substantial industrial lubricants portfolio covering hydraulics, gear oils, and greases — competes with LE across mining and manufacturing in Southern Africa.
• ExxonMobil Industrial (Mobil): Major industrial lubricants supplier with extensive reach in mining and heavy equipment applications across Africa, offering direct competition to LE in hydraulic and gear oil categories.
• Chevron Lubricants (Caltex): Global lubricants major with strong presence across Africa via the Caltex brand, competing in industrial and automotive lubricant segments where LE also operates.

Others

• Castrol (BP):

Regional players

• Engen Petroleum: South African-based oil company with an industrial lubricants range serving mining and manufacturing locally — comparable geography and overlapping customer base with LE South Africa.
• Sasol Oil: South African integrated chemicals and energy company producing base oils and finished lubricants domestically; competes with LE in industrial greases and process oils within the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@LubricationEngineersSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lubrication-engineers-south-africa-pty-ltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/LESouthAfrica

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lubrication Engineers