How klarx saves 5,028 liters of hydraulic oil with Zeppelin Oil Lab

klarx is the pioneer of digital procurement for construction equipment and machinery, operating three logistics centers in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin. These centers stock a wide selection of construction machines from leading manufacturers, ensuring our customers have access to the equipment they need for their projects. All construction machines in our logistics centers receive regular service to keep them ready for deployment at any time – whether it's mini excavators, wheel loaders, or delta loaders. Hydraulic oil changes are part of this routine maintenance. To protect the environment, timing is crucial when disposing of used hydraulic oil.

1. Partnership with Zeppelin Oil Lab

In April 2024, Sven Blanke, Service and Warranty Manager at klarx, launched an initial test phase with Zeppelin Oil Lab (ZOD) to make construction equipment maintenance in klarx's logistics centers more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable.

During this pilot phase, the hydraulic oil from all Yanmar construction machines at the Munich logistics center was analyzed. Samples were taken from each machine, labeled, and sent to the lab. Since 1997, Zeppelin has been analyzing engine, transmission, axle, and hydraulic oil samples as well as cooling water and fuel samples in their own lab – with growing volumes. Today, around 140,000 samples are analyzed annually. Thanks to their extensive database, Zeppelin experts can determine from an oil sample exactly when an oil change is needed. Oil analysis results follow a traffic light system that provides information on contamination, oil condition, oil purity, and viscosity.

Quote: "We work with incredible precision here. Wear elements, additives, and contaminants are all measured in the invisible range and reported in ppm (parts per million)," says Dagmar Welzl, head of ZOD.

Oil test examination result

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2. First hydraulic oil tests

During this initial test phase in spring, klarx had the hydraulic oil from 64 Yanmar construction machines analyzed. Each machine requires between 35 and 100 liters of hydraulic oil. The Zeppelin lab's analysis showed that the hydraulic oil from all these machines was in the green zone and didn't need to be changed. "This way, we saved 5,028 liters of hydraulic oil and reduced the environmental impact from refilling new oil and disposal. Plus, working with Zeppelin Oil Lab is very efficient – we had our test results within 48 hours," says Sven Blanke, Service and Warranty Manager at klarx.

Beyond lower environmental impact, oil analysis at the Zeppelin Oil Lab offers additional benefits. The klarx logistics center team can continuously monitor the condition of individual construction machines and prevent damage before it occurs. Oil diagnostics also reveal wear patterns, allowing us to avoid repair costs and ensure all machines are fully functional for our customers' jobs. This helps our customers meet project deadlines.

"klarx is committed to not only digitizing the construction industry but also making it more sustainable. We do this through our 5,100+ partner stations across Germany, enabling our customers to source machines locally and reduce transportation distances to the job site. We're excited to launch another initiative with our partner Zeppelin that makes our logistics centers even more sustainable," says Florian Handschuh, Managing Director and Co-Founder of klarx.

The hydraulic oil tests for Yanmar construction machines at klarx's Munich logistics center was just a first trial. Following this successful pilot phase, the klarx team is already planning to extend oil testing to other equipment types and oils across all three logistics centers.

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Image credits:

"Oil sample excerpt" - ZOD