Introduction

Founded in 1854, Condat Group, France, celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. Condat today is a leader in lubricants, specialising in developing, producing, and marketing chemical products, including a wide range of industrial lubricants. Established on a seven-hectare site in Chasse-sur-Rhône, near Lyon, since 1971, the group has 425 employees, 380 of them in France. It has nine subsidiaries, eight of them abroad.

Company history

The small factory established by François Condat was located in Lyon-Gerland, and sold greases refined from animal fat. These greases were sold to local industrial concerns or to the Paris - Lyon - Marseille railway company for use in its steam locomotives. In 1909, the factory was enlarged and further developed, and subsidiaries were opened in Marseille and then in Algeria. By 1930, Condat was producing soaps, calcium greases, sulphoricinates, briquettes for rolling mills and motor applications, as well as industrial oils. During this period, the director’s son, Mr Emile Lefaucheux, worked in the United States with the Swan Finch Oil, a supplier of greases to Condat. The family business thus gained the necessary expertise for producing the whole range of high-melting-point greases. Other specialties included the “white greases” much in demand by its customers of the time.

Mr Didier Boussault joined Condat in 1984 and became chief executive officer in 1996

Condat also created a full-scale control and analysis laboratory, for testing all the products coming out of the plant and also samples submitted by customers. This laboratory was to become a prominent feature in the company’s reputation for quality and in its future diversification. By 1939, the production capacity of Condat averaged 3,000 tonnes per year. From 1945 on, company management followed a new strategy. While continuing to produce industrial lubricants and greases, Condat decided to identify new high-value-added niche markets to differentiate it from the competition. By the 1960’s it was clear that the plant had to be enlarged. The Chasse-sur-Rhône site, which became operational in 1971, offered production and R&D facilities geared for high growth. In the 1980’s, the company formulae acquired through licenses were improved, and an international distribution network was implemented. Condat’s market share worldwide has grown tenfold since 1980.

The Condat plant in Chasse-sur-Rhône, near Lyon, France

Technical skill and niche market strategy

Condat’s own laboratories are the source of the group’s innovations and advances. From the postwar period to the 1980’s, the group acquired control of its technology by buying manufacturing licenses from French and foreign partners. Thus enriched and broadened, the group extends these benefits to its customers by constantly improving its range of products. International business currently represents 50% of Condat’s total turnover. But the 100% family-owned group is committed to controlling its development in order to retain its financial independence and its “human scale”. Two main lines direct the group’s growth strategy:

• Retaining control over the technology and chemical formulations of its products;
• Developing niche markets.

Condat’s control of its technical know-how and formulations is ensured by its acquisition of usage or product-distribution rights through licensing agreements.

The Condat factory

As to its other strategic aim, 150 years of expertise have led Condat to develop a growth plan based on niche markets and tight linkage to its customers’ own strategies for growth. The group has set up businesses abroad, following its customers’ lead with the acquisition of its own production units in the United States and, more recently, in China. Condat has become indispensable in developing and producing chemical products and lubricants for a host of French, European, and international industries. For example, the group is now a world leader in the creation and production of lubricants for cold forming, providing a complete range of products for wire drawing. Its VICAFIL® range includes powders, soluble lubricants, oils, greases and pastes.

Condat’s engineers develop and produce chemical products and lubricants

Condat is also a leading supplier in the underground construction field (tunnelling, mining, drilling). Its activity here began in 1989 with the start of work on the Channel Tunnel linking France and England. Condat supplied WR 89 tail seal greases developed in its research laboratory and also devised some innovative solutions tailored to the requirements of underground construction. Now, having gained 15 years of experience, it supplies a complete range of products for this market, including special greases and lubricants, sealant compounds, non-flammable fluids, and ground foam treatments.

Satisfying industrial needs with precision

Condat’s activities are divided into specialised departments to satisfy the requirements of numerous trades. The Condat range of industrial lubricants, wood preservation and decoration products, and associated chemical specialties is one of the widest on the market. In the field of wire drawing, Condat offers such lubricants as:

• Non-reactive precoatings for use after acid pickling, descaling, or shot blasting. These create a rough, adherent deposit on the wire surface to improve lubricant pick-up and drawability;
• The Vicafil range of dry powder lubricants includes some 100 products, including calcium, sodium, and aluminium soaps. These cover all types of drawing, whatever the surface preparation;
• Soluble lubricants designed mainly for the wet drawing of fine wires and the drawing of a variety of metals (low and high carbon, copper, etc.);
• Oils, greases, and pastes that constituted of mineral or synthetic oils and extreme pressure additives;
• Protection products such as waxy, oily, and dry films designed to prevent corrosion on drawn wire (e.g. bare steel, galvanised, and copper-coated steel).

Condat’s range of oils and greases

In addition, the group has launched a new range of non-reactive pre-coatings suitable for stainless steel products. One of the latest developments here permits heavier weight deposits on the metal surface whilst keeping excellent adhesion and roughness. Boron-free pre-coatings (TS1350) are suitable for carbon steel products, limit waste disposal, and are usable at low concentrations. Of particular interest is TS 1589, a new nonreactive coating - very adherent, rough, and stable - that offers an eco-friendly alternative to phosphate coating.

Condat soluble lubricants

Condat also offers a range of calcium soaps (TF1418, TF1322) and sodium soaps (TN1315, 1180NF). Using new mineral fillers to improve their degreasing abilities, the calcium soaps work under a thinner lubricant film, for lower consumption. The TN1315 sodium soap features a limited humidity pick-up. The 1180NF sodium soap facilitates waste disposal by its use of chemical components. New products such as TF1522 and TF1392 are combinations of sodium and calcium that provide a very clean finish at high speeds. The company also offers a range of copper wire lubricants, its TCU series. This range is designed to enhance lubricant and detergent properties; their improved stability can improve bath life.

Condat lubricant powders

Research and development at Condat

From the 1970’s onwards, marketing and R&D have worked hand-in-hand at Condat. The determination of the group to keep pace with the technical development of its customers enables Condat to maintain its position as leader in specialty lubricants and its presence in highly technical markets.

Condat’s research & development laboratory

In parallel, Condat developed a logistics service adapted to the reality of the industrial markets. On one hand, the group holds storage capacity of its finished products (packaged or in bulk) in proportion to its production capacity (40,000 tonnes per year), on the other hand, it has an extensive commercial network through agents and distributors present in the countries where are its customers.

A global presence (Condasia products - P.R. China)

Certified quality and added value

A European leader in the production of highly technical chemical products, Condat pays close attention to environmental concerns. The group devotes 6% of its turnover and maintains a staff of 40 in its Research & Development department. The desire to respect the environment is obvious in the development of new ranges of products (e.g. biodegradable lubricants) and in the concept of fluid management. In 1989, Condat was among the first French companies to be certified by AFAQ for compliance with the international standard ISO 9002; this was followed in 2000 by ISO 9001. In 1998, the unit in Chasse-sur-Rhône was certified ISO 14001 for its system of environmental management.

“La Cathédrale”: Condat’s storage warehouse

Cecil, a 100%-owned subsidiary of Condat, specialising in the development of wood preservation and decoration, has set up three specialised R&D laboratories (biology, eco-toxicology, entomology) which can boast the development of several NF, EN, and ISO standards.

Conclusion

Since its foundation in 1854, the French company Condat has specialised in developing, producing, and marketing special chemical products, among them the wide range of industrial lubricants. Condat’s technical and commercial expertise continues to grow as the company promotes its active partnership with those it serves. With a presence in more than 50 countries, Condat has become a leader in lubricants for wire drawing, providing that industry with a full range of products for all wire drawing applications. Condat’s own research laboratory, engaging 6% of the total work force, helps to ensure that the group’s customers stay current with advancing technologies and fully achieve their productivity goals.