Archive for April, 2009
An AINmedia.tv interview with Steve Kirchner, COO for SOMS Technologies LLC by Automotive Digest
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009Motor Age / Search Auto Parts – “SOMS expands automotive filter line to more models.”
Thursday, April 9th, 2009April 9, 2009: Motor Age / Search Auto Parts – “SOMS expands automotive filter line to more models.”
SOMS Technologies Expands Eco-Friendly Oil Filter Offering to Include European and Asian Vehicle Models
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009Strong demand for microGreen oil filter prompts product line extension, enabling more businesses and consumers to save money while greening their vehicles
Valhalla, New York – April 8 – SOMS Technologies LLC, a provider of engine oil filtration products, today extended its line of microGreen oil filters to include major European and Asian automotive brands, including Audi, Honda, Infinity, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Range Rover, Toyota and Volkswagen. This latest expansion is in response to increased demand from fleets and individual drivers looking to reduce their carbon footprint while also saving money. By extending the filter’s availability, now an even greater range of businesses and consumers can use the microGreen filter to increase environmental efficiency of their current vehicles or boost the efficiency of new hybrid vehicles.
The patented microGreen oil filter has two filters in one standard spin-on canister, which ensures that the oil stays cleaner, far longer – improving the life of the engine and allowing drivers to better maintain their vehicles. While traditional oil filters capture the larger particles in engine oil between 25 to 40 microns, microGreen’s patented microfilter system captures particles down to two microns in size. This allows vehicles to operate up to 30,000 miles without an oil change, reducing motor oil use by 70 percent, filter use by 50 percent and cutting oil maintenance costs by 65 percent. As a result, businesses and consumers can ‘green’ their vehicles and see an immediate return-on-investment, unlike other eco-friendly alternatives.
“We have seen a tremendous response from businesses and consumers alike that are focused on being more cost and environmentally conscious. By offering our filter for a broader range of vehicles, we are enabling drivers to make the most of their current vehicle investment while positively impacting the environment,” said Miles Flamenbaum, CEO of SOMS Technologies. “If every vehicle in the U.S. were to convert to the microGreen filter, we could reduce annual motor oil use by 420 million gallons. With today’s expansion covering European and Asian vehicle models, we are one step closer to achieving that goal.”
This announcement comes on the heels of SOMS’ recent expansion into the Canadian market, further demonstrating the company’s growth and continued success. The filter is used by fleets in enterprises, government organizations and educational institutions across the U.S. and is also available for consumer purchase at http://www.microgreenfilter.com/.
About SOMS Technologies LLC
SOMS (Spin-On Microfilter System™) Technologies has pioneered the most significant breakthrough in engine oil filtration technology since the early 1970s. Developed by SOMS, the microGreen™ Extended Performance Oil Filter significantly reduces maintenance costs for both individual vehicles and fleets, and protects our environment by eliminating hazardous waste and decreasing dependence on natural resources. The microGreen oil filter combines 2 filters in 1, providing a clean technology that dramatically improves filtration efficiency, allowing vehicles to operate up to 8 times the standard change interval without changing the engine oil. The microGreen oil filter has recently been introduced to the market and has been overwhelmingly accepted by leading national and local fleets. The microGreen filter is protected by 2 U.S. patents and has additional U.S. and international patents pending. The company is headquartered in Valhalla, New York. For more information, please visit http://www.microgreenfilter.com/.
SOMS Technologies - Featured on BusinessWeek: Auto Parts
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009FleetOwner - “Filters boost oil life”
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
Filters boost oil life
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Fleet: Standard Oil of Connecticut, Bridgeport, CT
Operation: Family-owned heating oil company that also offers home security systems and personal insurance services
PROBLEM
It’s an issue facing many fleets large and small operating everything from big rigs down to light-duty vans — how to be more “green” while cutting operating costs at the same time. Solving that ticklish dilemma is even more problematic for fleets serving industries with a decidedly less than positive green image, such as the home heating oil business. But that’s not deterring those companies in the slightest.
“As a company that works in the oil industry, we have a strong commitment to preserving the environment,” says David Cohen, executive vp of Standard Oil of Connecticut. “The challenge we face is how to change things to benefit not only the environment, but our own bottom line as well.”
Engine oil changes were one of those things Cohen personally identified as an area where cost savings and environmental benefits could be achieved simultaneously. Standard Oil operates a fleet of 50 heavy- and medium-duty trucks along with 60 light-duty cargo vans, with the vans on a short engine oil change interval of just 3,000 mi.
“We’ve been using synthetic oil for some time and I kept asking myself, why are we changing out oil so frequently? We don’t change the radiator fluid that much,” he says. “It seemed like a wasteful — and expensive — practice.”
Part of the reason for the frequent oil changes centered not so much on the oil itself but what accumulated in it. Conventional motor oil filters can only filter out particles down to 25 to 40 microns in size, but the problem is that most of the particles that cause engine wear are between 3 to 10 microns in size so they are not filtered. Therefore, after only 3,000 to 5,000 mi., most engine oil becomes contaminated with these small particles and must be changed.
SOLUTION
To get better engine oil filtration, Standard Oil tested and then adopted the microGreen filter developed by Valhalla, NY-based SOMS Technologies. Introduced in October 2008, the microGreen filter combines a conventional filter with a second micro-filter to capture particles down to 2 microns, so the oil is kept exceptionally clean and can last much longer.
Standard Oil initially tested the filter on several of its GMC 2500 one-ton gasoline engine powered service vans and received oil analysis reports from an independent laboratory to monitor the filter’s effectiveness. The results showed it could extend oil drains safely out to 30,000 mi. due to the removal of those small particles, so Cohen quickly had them installed on all of the company’s service vans at the end of last year.
“Even in the severe stop-and-go environment we work in, the oil sampling we conducted showed the oil continued to get better even as it got older in terms of protecting the engine,” Cohen says. “It offers us a nice combination benefit by first reducing the amount of engine oil we consume, which helps the environment; and second, it’s a nice savings for us too in terms of reducing the oil and labor needed for oil changes. It’s up in the $10,000-a-year range in terms of savings.”
Only available for light-duty vehicles now, Cohen plans to expand Standard Oil’s use of the microGreen filter when it reaches the market for heavier truck classes.
“The filter lowers our costs significantly, is better for our vehicles and is much kinder to the environment,” he says. “It’s a winner from every point of view.”
Find this article at:
http://www.fleetowner.com/equipment/maintenancebay/filters-boost-oil-life-0409/index.html
