For more than five decades, Viscol has relied on GEA high-pressure homogenization technology to ensure consistent lubricating grease quality, from laboratory development to industrial-scale manufacturing.
Founded in 1955, Viscol SpA has been producing lubricating oils and greases for customers all around the world. Today, the company is among Italy's leading lubricants manufacturers, supplying products for a wide range of industrial applications.
For more than fifty years, homogenization has played a key role in Viscol’s success. Since the installation of its first GEA homogenizer in 1968, the company has relied on high-pressure homogenization technology to optimize product stability, develop new formulations and ensure consistent results. Some of those early homogenizers are still running today, providing the same dependable performance that earned Viscol's trust decades ago.
Bringing homogenization into the lubricating grease industry
At Viscol, the decision to introduce homogenization was a forward-looking move. Inspired by the results achieved in other industries, the company owners recognized the potential of homogenization to further enhance product quality and process reliability. Their intuition proved right: over time, homogenization has become an essential step in Viscol’s production process and a key contributor to the quality of its lubricants.
Lubricating grease is a semisolid lubricant consisting of a base oil, thickeners and additives. «Grease is a soap much like hand soap, except that ours is oil-soluble, while hand soap is water-soluble» explains Paolo Carminati, Production Manager at Viscol SpA. By reducing particle size and distributing them uniformly, high-pressure homogenization helps Viscol achieve the quality required by its customers – improving mechanical stability, keeping consistency under control, preventing separation and contributing to a more stable, viscous and reliable product.
"The homogenizer is essential because it ensures better product performance and improved mechanical stability."
Paolo Carminati
Production Manager at Viscol SpA
Seamless scale-up from laboratory to production
Innovation remains a central part of Viscol's business. Whenever a new grease formulation is developed, the company first evaluates its behavior using a GEA Panda® laboratory homogenizer, which has been supporting R&D activities since 2001. The Panda® homogenizer allows the team to test formulations and produce tailored samples for customers. Once the formulation has been validated, the same homogenization process can be seamlessy scaled up with GEA Ariete® industrial homogenizers. «When we develop a new product, its behavior can change over time» explains Fabio Parodi, CEO & Owner of Viscol SpA. «The Panda® homogenizer allows us to validate the process before reproducing the same results on an industrial scale using our Ariete® homogenizers.»
Five decades of operational reliability with GEA homogenizers
Viscol owns five GEA Ariete® homogenizers installed in 1968, 1971, 1973, 1975 and 2001, alongside the GEA Panda® laboratory homogenizer acquired in 2001. Remarkably, all these machines continue to support the company's operations today. The durability of the equipment is matched by its performance: one Ariete® homogenizer installed in 1975 still processes approximately 2,000 kilograms of lubricating grease per day at pressures of up to 300 bar, while newer units achieve capacities of up to 104 kilograms per minute and operating pressures of 500 bar. For Viscol, this exceptional service life represents more than just robust engineering: it is a proof of the reliability and consistency required in a demanding manufacturing environment. «I joined the company in 1985 and the oldest homogenizer was already here. It is still working today» says Paolo Tavella, Machine Worker at Viscol SpA.
Service support that stands the test of time
The longevity of GEA homogenizers is supported not only by robust machine design, but also by reliable after-sales service and long-term spare parts availability. At Viscol, maintenance activities are carried out through a combination of GEA Service support and in-house expertise developed over decades of operating the equipment. This combination of robustness, maintainability and continued parts availability helps Viscol maximize uptime and protect long-term investments.
"I take care of much of the maintenance myself. I replace heads, seals, packing sets, and pistons. What we really appreciate is that spare parts are still available even for machines that have been operating for decades."
Paolo Tavella
Machine Worker at Viscol SpA
A long-standing partnership built on performance
More than 50 years after installing its first GEA homogenizer, Viscol continues to rely on homogenization technology as a key enabler of product quality, innovation, and production excellence. From supporting the development of new formulations in the laboratory to ensuring consistent performance at industrial scale, GEA homogenizers enable Viscol to meet changing market demands while maintaining the high standards its customers expect. What began as a pioneering decision to introduce homogenization into lubricating grease production has evolved into a long-standing partnership built on proven results.
"The life span of GEA machines is truly remarkable. Today we are even more convinced that the choice we made many years ago was the right one."
Fabio Parodi
CEO & Owner of Viscol SpA
