R&D Lubricants

What R&D Lubricants does

R&D Lubricants, S.A. de C.V. is a privately held Mexican specialty lubricant manufacturer headquartered in Poncitlán, Jalisco, that formulates and sells high-technology lubricants, greases and process fluids for the steel and metalworking industries. The company's product portfolio is organized across two main verticals — Steel Industry (rolling oils, hot and cold mill lubricants, temper mill coolants, continuous casting lubricants, roll grinding fluids, acid pickling inhibitors and rust preventives) and Metalworking Industry (soluble and synthetic machining fluids, neat cutting and grinding oils, hydraulic and fire-resistant fluids, gear oils, quenching oils, stamping/drawing oils, wire and tube forming oils, mold release agents, degreasers and specialty greases) — with an additional offering for the aluminum industry.

The core technical differentiation rests on three proprietary technology platforms: ADT (Advanced Dispersion Technology) for cold rolling oils, capable of rolling the hardest alloys and lightest gauges in a single oil and reducing oil consumption up to 30% versus conventional emulsions; AST (Advanced Soluble Technology) for metalworking fluids, providing extended solution life and resistance to bacterial and fungal growth without tank-side biocide additions; and SDT cold rolling technology, licensed through a core partnership with Guzmán Technologies Inc. and qualified into steel mills across Mexico, the USA, Korea, India, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and South Africa.

The company monetizes through direct B2B sales of specialty lubricants to enterprise industrial customers, complemented by Chemical Management Services that provide fluid monitoring, data processing, process improvements and discard reduction at customer mills. Go-to-market is executed via a direct field sales force reachable by phone and email, technical mill-survey-led consultation, an active bilingual website, and participation in industry trade events such as Expo Conac 2018 and Expo Acero 2019. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers contact the sales team for product recommendations and quotes.

Name

R&D Lubricants

Legal name

R&D Lubricants, S.A. de C.V.

Website

https://rdlubricants.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

R&D Lubricants is a privately held Mexican specialty lubricant manufacturer that formulates and sells proprietary ADT and AST technology lubricants, rolling oils, machining fluids and Chemical Management services to steel mills and metalworking operations worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Lubricants

NAICS

Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Manufacturing (324191)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAEAMAB

Industrial & Heavy-Duty Lubricants

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Chemicals & Industrial Materials/Lubricants & Industrial Fluids

SECONDARYEUALAJAG

Industrial Lubricants (Hydraulics, Gear, Compressor, Turbine, Metalworking)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Oil & Gas (Upstream, Midstream, Downstream and Refining)/Lubricants & Base Oils (Blending, Additives, Distribution)

SECONDARYIMAEAMAA

Automotive Lubricants & Fluids

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Chemicals & Industrial Materials/Lubricants & Industrial Fluids

Keywords

• Industrial lubricants
• Rolling oils
• Metalworking fluids
• Steel mill lubricants
• Specialty greases

Headquarters

HQ city

Poncitlán

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialty Lubricant Sales: Manufacture and sale of high-technology lubricants, greases and special products for the steel and metalworking industries. Includes rolling oils, machining fluids, hydraulic oils, gear oils, and specialty greases.
2. Chemical Management Services: Service for preservation and maintenance of steel mill lubricants and machining fluids in centralized systems and/or individual machines. Includes monitoring of fluids, data processing, process improvements and discard reduction. Works with clients to implement cost reduction initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Manufactures and sells high-technology specialty lubricants, rolling oils, machining fluids, hydraulic fluids, gear oils, greases, and related specialty chemical products for the steel and metalworking industries. Also offers Chemical Management Services for fluid monitoring, process improvement, and discard reduction at customer sites.

Product overview

R&D Lubricants is a manufacturer of specialty lubricants for the steel and metalworking industries, offering a comprehensive portfolio of products organized into two main categories: Steel Industry products and Metalworking Industry products. The steel portfolio includes ADT (Advanced Dispersion Technology) rolling oils with One-Oil capability, SDT rolling oil technology, hot mill rolling oils (RD 100 HM), temper mill coolants (RD 9000, RD 5000-SP, RD H 5000 AE), continuous casting lubricants (HEATLUBE PBQ-100), electrolytic detergents (RD CLEAN), acid pickling inhibitors (RD INHIB 98), roll grinding coolants (Rollgrind RD 500 Plus), and rust preventives. The metalworking portfolio includes AST (Advanced Soluble Technology) soluble fluids (RD CORT, RD CORT SI, RD BIO, RD ECO), mineral-based cutting oils (RD CUT), grinding oils (RD CUT YM), degreasers (RD CLEAN, RD KLEEN), rust preventives (RD PROT), quenching oils (RD TEMP), stamping and drawing oils (RD DRAW), tube forming oils (RD TUBE), wire drawing oils (RD WIRE), mold release agents (RD MOLD), hydraulic oils (RD LUB), fire-resistant hydraulic fluids (RD FR), gearbox oils (RD GEAR), guide oils (RD WAY), and specialty greases (RD GREASE). The company also offers a Chemical Management Service for fluid monitoring and optimization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ADT (Advanced Dispersion Technology): Rolling oil technology for cold mills capable of rolling the hardest alloys without a Flex system; enables One-Oil technology across all gauge thicknesses.
• AST (Advanced Soluble Technology)
• RD CORT
• RD CUT
• RD LUB
• RD FR
• RD GEAR
• RD WAY
• RD GREASE / RD Grease
• RD TEMP
• RD DRAW / RD DRAWSOL
• RD TUBE
• RD WIRE
• RD MOLD
• RD CLEAN / RD KLEEN
• RD PROT / RD PROTECT
• RD 100 HM
• RD 9000
• RD 5000-SP
• RD H 5000 AE
• HEATLUBE PBQ-100
• RD INHIB 98
• Rollgrind RD 500 Plus
• SDT Technology

Products and services

• RD ADT Rolling Oils Cold rolling recirculating oils using Advanced Dispersion Technology (ADT) that provide optimum, continuous, and uniform lubrication for cold reduction mills running the hardest alloys and lightest gauges; features One-Oil capability across all mill grades from heavy gauges to tin gauges.
• RD 100 HM Hot Mill Rolling Oils Semisynthetic lubricants dispersible in water for hot strip mills, bar mills, structural mills, and tube mills, providing substantial reduction in roll forces and friction and reducing work roll wear.
• RD 9000 Temper Mill Coolants Water-soluble products for wet tempering of automotive steel, formulated with surfactants and lubricant additives designed for maximum detergency at the roll bite to minimize dirt defects and produce cleaner steel strip.
• RD 5000-SP Series (Skin Pass Mill Products) Water-based products for Skin Pass mills requiring minimal elongation and high detergency to prevent accumulation and zinc adhesion on rolls after galvanizing processes; recommended for Galvalume, Galvanneal, and regular galvanization.
• RD H 5000 AE Electrical Steel Lubricants Water-based lubricants for wet tempering of electrical steel and difficult alloys, capable of producing elongations up to 7.5% in concentrations of 3-8%.
• HEATLUBE PBQ-100 Continuous Casting Lubricants High-quality lubricants for continuous casting produced with highly refined oils without petroleum base components to avoid carbon generation on mold walls, providing consistent lubricating performance for critical surfaces such as SBQ.
• RD CLEAN Electrolytic Detergents Highly alkaline concentrated liquids for continuous electrolytic and non-electrolytic sheet cleaning lines, formulated to remove sludge and oils in short contact time and prevent re-deposition of waste; phosphate-free.
• RD INHIB 98 Acid Pickling Inhibitors Inhibitors for hydrochloric acid pickling lines for batch and continuous pickling of ferrous metals, providing minimum base metal loss, good surface brightness, and fast controlled pickling rate.
• Rollgrind RD 500 Plus Roll Grinding Coolants Water-based coolants for roll grinding applications, superior to traditional sodium ethanolamine-nitrite products with superior lubricity, elimination of potential nitrosamine-forming materials, and high detergency.
• RD CORT Soluble Fluids Soluble fluids with formulations ranging from general applications to medium and heavy-duty products for machining and grinding operations of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, built on Advanced Soluble Technology (AST).
• RD CORT SI Synthetic Fluids Fully synthetic machining fluids completely free of mineral oils, providing non-aggressive environment for operators, maximum tramp-oil rejection for long life, low foaming tendency, recyclability, and maximum cooling capacity.
• RD BIO and RD ECO Bio-Stable Fluids Bio-stable soluble fluids with small particle size distribution, perfectly emulsified in aqueous solution, totally free of bactericides and fungicides; suitable for most alloys including aerospace industry applications, environmentally friendly and 100% recyclable.
• RD CUT Cutting Oils Neat cutting oils for machining operations where water-soluble fluids cannot meet requirements; mineral-based oils providing superior lubrication, increased tool life, low mist formation, and recyclable properties.
• RD CUT YM Grinding Oils Neat grinding oils for high-speed grinding operations, formulated with high-quality base oils with low aromatic carbon content offering excellent surface finish, high filterability, and recyclability.
• RD CLEAN and RD KLEEN Degreasers High-performance degreasers including water-base neutral, water-base alkaline, and biodegradable non-toxic solvent-based options; some formulations compatible with R 134 A cooling gas.
• RD PROT Rust Preventive Oils Complete line of rust preventive and protective oils for steel and metalworking industries, including water-base multipurpose, solvent-base, and synthetic base totally free of solvents or petroleum oils; some formulations compatible with R 134 A Freon gas.
• RD TEMP Quenching Oils Oils selected for normal and rapid/accelerated quenching of steels with optimal oxidation resistance, low tendency to form oxidized sludge, minimal evaporation loss, and no toxic components.
• RD DRAW Stamping and Drawing Oils Mineral oils, extreme pressure additives, synthetic esters, corrosion inhibitors and antioxidants for stamping and drawing operations on steel and non-ferrous metals; recommended for stamping of automobile parts, wire drawing, and manufacture of nuts and steel bolts.
• RD TUBE Tube Forming Oils Water-emulsifiable products for forming ferrous or non-ferrous metal tubes, depositing an oily film that inhibits corrosion in high-humidity environments with protection periods from 30 days to 6 months depending on concentration.
• RD WIRE Wire Drawing Oils Water emulsified products for wire drawing of copper and aluminum wires from thick wires to capillaries, producing threads with superior surface finish without staining and with high detergency.
• RD MOLD Mold Release Agents Synthetic products or solvents with special additives for casting processes of metals and reinforced concrete, including synthetic concentrated release agents and high-temperature non-toxic solvent bases.
• RD LUB Hydraulic Oils Hydraulic and lubricating oils made with highly refined mineral oils meeting DIN 51.502 requirements for HL, HLP, HLPD systems; available in low, medium, and high pressure formulations with antioxidant, anti-wear, and detergent additives.
• RD FR Fire-Resistant Hydraulic Fluids Fully synthetic fire-resistant hydraulic fluids free of mineral oils, phosphate esters, and chlorinated hydrocarbons; includes Polyol Ester type (RD FR) and Water-Glycol type (RD FR-S) for severe service conditions.
• RD GEAR Gearbox Oils Gear lubricants and reducers with extreme pressure additives and highly refined base oils meeting DIN 51.502 specification (CL and HL grades) and AGMA 3 EP to 8 EP standards.
• RD WAY Guide and Slide Lubrication Oils Non-dripping lubricating oils meeting DIN 51020 specification in CGLP grades with extreme pressure and adhesive additives for guides and slides of operating machines.
• RD GREASE Specialty Greases Synthetic and conventional greases for high loads, extreme temperatures, elastomer compatibility, chemical resistance, and oxidation protection; including lithium soap EP, general use, high temperature, and waterproof (marine) formulations.
• Aluminum Industry Lubricants Complete line of products for aluminum industry processes including hot rolling, cold rolling, special cold rolling additives, roll grinding fluids, D&I lubricants for cans, POST LUBES for coils, evaporative fluids for stamping, and fire-resistant hydraulic fluids.
• Chemical Management Service Service plan for preservation and maintenance of lubricants and machining fluids in centralized systems and individual machine reservoirs at customer sites, including fluid monitoring, data processing, process improvements, and discard reduction to optimize lubricant usage and reduce costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces oil consumption up to 30% compared to current emulsions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GUZMÁN TECHNOLOGIES INC.coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership with Guzmán Technologies Inc., developers of SDT and ADT (Cold Rolling Technology). Guzmán Technologies developed the proprietary cold rolling technology that R&D Lubricants licenses and commercializes. This technology is currently used in major steel mills worldwide including AHMSA, Ternium, USS/POSCO, POSCO Mills, SIDOR, CSN, Duferco, and Jindal Steel across Mexico, Argentina, USA, Korea, Venezuela, Brazil, South Africa, and India.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Quaker Houghton: The largest specialty chemicals supplier dedicated to metalworking fluids, rolling oils, and steel mill process fluids. Direct competitor to R&D Lubricants in cold rolling, hot rolling, and metalworking fluid chemistries globally.
• Condat: French specialty formulator focused on lubricants for steel and wire drawing, including cold rolling oils and metalworking fluids. Closely comparable niche specialty player competing for similar mill customers as R&D Lubricants.
• Petrofer: German specialty lubricants and metalworking fluids producer with deep steel mill exposure including rolling oils, pickling inhibitors, and machining fluids. Comparable formulation-driven specialty competitor to R&D Lubricants.
• FUCHS PETROLEUM: Global specialty lubricants manufacturer with a strong industrial and metalworking portfolio including rolling oils, machining fluids, hydraulic and gear oils. Competes head-to-head with R&D in steel and metalworking accounts worldwide.

Broad incumbents

• ExxonMobil Lubricants: Global major lubricant supplier with industrial and metalworking fluid products. Competes with R&D particularly in hydraulic, gear, and general-purpose industrial lubricants at large accounts.
• TotalEnergies Lubricants: Global lubricants business with industrial and metalworking offerings including rolling and machining fluids. Competes with R&D for the same industrial customer wallet across Latin America and Europe.
• Shell Lubricants: One of the world's largest lubricants marketers with industrial and metalworking fluid offerings. Competes with R&D at major steel mills via its global account coverage and OEM relationships.
• Castrol (BP): Global lubricants major with a broad industrial and metalworking portfolio. Competes with R&D at large steel mills and metalworking shops where it offers bundled product and service programs.

Regional players

• Lubrication Engineers: US-headquartered specialty industrial lubricant manufacturer with a focus on heavy-duty and metalworking applications. Compares to R&D as a similarly sized specialty competitor serving industrial customers.

Emerging players

• MotulTech (Motul): Industrial metalworking fluids division of Motul offering soluble, neat, and synthetic machining fluids. Comparable to R&D's AST metalworking line as a specialty competitor targeting metalworking shops.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/r-d-lubricants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 R&D Lubricants