NYCO designs the aeronautics lubricants of the future

NYCO designs the aeronautics lubricants of the future

In partnership with the University of Cergy-Pontoise in Neuville-sur-Oise, the laboratory of the French specialist in aeronautics lubricants (oils, greases, hydraulic fluids) is working on the formulas and solutions of tomorrow.

In 1997, NYCO moved its factory originally located in Conflans Saint-Honorine to Belgium. The city’s urbanization and the site’s activity could no longer give the company the opportunity to grow. On the other hand, the research and development laboratory stayed in Ile-de-France and was established in a nearby commune, Neuville-sur-Oise, in 2007. More than 1,000 m2, located 60m away from the RER station and a few hundred meters from the University of Cergy-Pontoise.

Useful to communicate and to find future talents. “We have close relations with the University as well as various specialized schools that send us trainees and apprentices of all levels, technicians, engineers, doctoral students. They strengthen our teams from several generations of engineers and technicians in the Paris region, “said Guillaume Forestier, Director of the Aeronautics and Defence Division. It is in Neuville-sur-Oise that the oils, greases and hydraulic fluids have been designed and developed and have enabled the company to grow very rapidly in the civil aeronautics market these last few years.

Latest important contracts: Air France, easyJet and flydubai have chosen the Turbonycoil 600 synthetic turbine oil for their CFM and LEAP engines which the different versions power their mixed fleets of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, as well as long-haul A340 and B777. An oil that is also used on the engines of the Dassault Rafale fighter and whose technological evolution, the Turbonycoil 635 was also selected for the Lockheed Martin F-35. It is also the Neuville-sur-Oise teams who have developed this specific grease, the Nyco Grease GN3058, to extend the service life of wheel bearings against increasingly resistant tires.

Not long ago, the tires of an airliner were changed every 200 landings. Today we are going to an interval of 800 landings. This means longer intervals of lubrication for wheel bearings. The Nyco Grease GN 3058 is proving to be a solution to many modern aeronautics’ problems such as runway deglazing,” explains Guillaume Forestier, who continues: “therefore, we must be able to offer manufacturers, users, greases that resist longer not only splashing water but also the load, high temperatures, corrosion.”

Solving this type of equation is not the only substantive work of the laboratory that currently employs 25 people, including trainees and apprentices. “We have to be able to propose tomorrow’s solutions to operational changes and develop products that will meet future environmental standards. This is a very important deal,” says the director of NYCO’s Aeronautics and Defence Division.

In addition to its proximity to the University, the other advantage of the location of the laboratory allows to promote after-sales follow-up. “It’s an ideal place to invite our customers and show them our know-how. But not only. Some of our customers sometimes want more information on specific products. We bring them our expertise answering their questions about the products’ behavior thanks to tests carried out in the laboratory. For example, we evaluate an oil used on a specific engine or an oil that has not been used for several years, etc.” Says Guillaume Forestier.

For all these reasons, NYCO’s research and development laboratory is not ready to leave the Ile-de-France.

Interview by Yann Cochennec – Chief Editor Air & Cosmos