High-Performance Multiuse (HPM) Grease Certification
Start Formulating Products to Meet Specification Details
• HPM Certification is now in-house with NLGI • • STREAMLINED APPLICATION PROCESS • REDUCED PRICING • ELIMINATION OF DOUBLE-TESTING
HPM Certification Now Delivers Even More Value for Companies and More Confidence for End Users When customers are choosing a grease, they are not just buying a product. They are buying confidence that it will perform in their equipment, under their conditions, and for their expected service intervals. That is exactly what the NLGI High-Performance Multiuse (HPM) Grease Certification was designed to provide, and now it is more affordable for companies to add this trusted differentiation to their product lineup.
A modern certification built for today’s applications For decades, NLGI GC-LB served as the widely recognized baseline for a “good” grease. As equipment demands evolved, NLGI convened industry experts to develop a more modern, universal specification. HPM includes a core specification and optional enhancement tags that help end users quickly identify greases designed for specific operating challenges. Tags currently include: +WR (Water Resistance), +CR (Salt-Water Corrosion Resistance), +HL (High Load), and +LT (Low Temperature). Future tags in development include +HT (High Temperature) and +LL (Long Life).
Additional Enhancement Tag Classifications
Figure 1 – HPM Plus Enhanced Tags
Why HPM? NLGI’s High-Performance Multiuse Grease Certification, known as HPM, helps bring clarity, confidence, and consistency to grease selection. It gives the industry a recognized performance benchmark that supports better decisions for manufacturers, marketers, OEMs, specifiers, equipment owners, and grease users.
For OEMs and Grease Specifiers
HPM helps simplify the process of selecting and specifying grease for equipment. With defined performance standards and optional enhancement tags, HPM makes it easier to match grease performance to specific operating conditions. HPM helps you: • Select the right grease with greater confidence • Identify where high-performance grease is required • Create clearer grease specifications for equipment • Match performance needs to operating conditions • Compare products using an industry-recognized benchmark
For Grease Manufacturers and Marketers
HPM gives manufacturers a development guide for high-performance greases and gives marketers a credible way to support product claims. Certification shows that a product has met defined testing requirements, while enhancement tags highlight added performance benefits. HPM helps you: • Guide product development for high-performance greases • Characterize grease for specific operating conditions • Show that products have passed defined testing • Support stronger, more credible marketing claims • Differentiate certified products in the marketplace
For Equipment Owners and Grease Users
HPM helps users cut through confusion when selecting grease. Instead of relying only on broad claims, users can look for HPM certification and applicable enhancement tags to identify products suited for their equipment and operating environment. HPM helps you: • Ensure products meet performance standards • Build confidence in grease selection • Streamline product options • Reduce overall cost of ownership • Weed through unsupported marketing claims
A Common Language for Grease Performance
HPM gives the grease industry a shared way to define, compare, and communicate performance. Whether you are developing, specifying, marketing, or using grease, HPM helps answer one key question: Why this grease? With HPM, the answer is clearer.
Frequently Asked Questions Equipment Owners / Grease Users How will the end-user ensure that greases of different chemistries certifying to the HPM specifications will be compatible in real application situations?
Because the HPM and HPM+ enhanced specifications are “chemistry neutral,” there is a possibility for different HPM-certified greases to be incompatible, even if the greases are from the same supplier. If NLGI were to include some sort of compatibility requirement in the HPM specifications, it would likely lead to exclusion of some types of grease thickener technologies, which goes against the HPM specification “chemistry neutral” design principles. Given the wide variety of chemistries utilized in grease products, there is no way to include such a compatibility requirement in the HPM specifications.
What type of applications will an HPM certified grease work in?
While the NLGI HPM grease specifications are designed to ensure a high level of performance for many different applications, they are not suitable for all applications. We consider that multiuse applications may include the following: • Conveyor Bearings • Pillow Block Fan Bearings • Industrial Gearbox Bearings • Ball Screws • Linear Bearings • Plain Bearings
• Hinges • Electric Motor Bearings • Rollers • Thrust Bearings • Presses • Pump Bearings • Winches • etc. • Bushings • Rolling Element Bearings
What is critical to remember is that the HPM specification should not be used as a short cut to grease selection. Each application should be evaluated for its requirements, based on speed, load, temperature, and operating environment. These parameters will affect the choice of base oil viscosity, consistency, thickener type and additive needs. An HPM-certified grease may or may not meet these requirements. Consult an application engineer from your grease supplier to find out if an HPM grease is right for your application.
Grease Manufacturers and Marketers Are some thickener systems or chemistries required to meet the HPM grease specifications?
No. One will notice that the thickener type or grease chemistry is never mentioned in the HPM grease specifications. Since new technology or breakthrough approaches for manufacturing grease may be developed at any time in the future, there is no limit to the raw materials, chemistry or manufacturing process that is used to create a product certified as a High-Performance Multiuse grease. The HPM and HPM+ specifications are “chemistry neutral.” The underlying requirement is that the product pass the performance requirements defined by NLGI’s HPM grease specifications.
What are the Core Performance Requirement and Additional Performance Requirements?
Since greases in some applications experience certain conditions, such as low temperature or exposure to liquids, different sub-categories with additional performance requirements were defined as part of the overall specification. In these sub-categories, a grease must meet the performance of the core HPM grease specification plus the additional testing related to water resistance (+WR), high load-carrying capacity (+HL), salt water corrosion resistance (+CR), and/or low temperature performance (+LT). NLGI continues to work on a “Long Life” sub-category, but this specification will require a new grease life test method, which is not expected until a future timeframe. The additional performance requirements are often referred to as “tags” attached to the core HPM grease specification.
Do HPM products have to be renewed each year? Yes. 100% of HPM products are audited each year.
OEMs and Grease Specifiers
OEMs and Grease Specifiers What about the specifications for specialized industries or specialized applications that need even higher performance? The HPM grease specifications will not satisfy all applications or industries. Since specialized applications typically have their own specifications, the HPM grease specification will not replace those specialized specifications. However, a user or manufacturer creating specialized specifications may build upon the HPM or HPM+ grease specifications for their individualized specification.
What about bio-based greases? Are there special limits or designations for greases registered under a bio-based standard?
Biobased grease is not addressed by the HPM grease specification. Users or specifiers can define their own requirements as to whether a grease must meet certain bio-based requirements. Early in the HPM grease project, it was noted that there are bio-based grease products that meet the GC-LB specification without any modification to the test procedures or limits. Therefore, the HPM grease specification does not differentiate between bio-based and other grease products. All greases must meet the performance limits defined by the core HPM grease specification and the applicable sub-categories.
2026 NLGI CERTIFICATION MARK PRICING EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2025. There are several cost structures depending on your position as a member or nonmember. Please contact us for more information.
MEMBER PRICING HPM Product
Rebrand or Additional Brand Name
Type
Price
Type
Price
New Product
$2,900
New
$300
Renewal
$150
Renewal Product $2,200
Enhancement Tag (per tag) Type
Price
New
$380
Renewal
$190
*Enhancement Tags: Water Resistance (WR), Corrosion Resistance (CR), Low Temperature (LT), High Load (HL)
Non-member, add 40% to member pricing
Additional Information For more details, please visit www.nlgi.org.
LICENSED PRODUCTS as of May 7, 2026
Supplier
Product
CORE
49 North Lubricants
XPG 15
CORE+
AXEL Americas, LLC
ACINOL 152 HQS (US) – ALL COLORS
CORE+
AXEL Americas, LLC
AXELLENCE 652 HQ (US) – ALL COLORS
CORE+
BP Lubricants USA Inc./Castrol
CASTROL MOLUB-ALLOY 860/4601 ES
CORE
BP Lubricants USA Inc./Castrol
CASTROL TRIBOL™ GR SW 460-1
CORE+
Calgary L&G Inc.
JMX-007
CORE+
Dynamic Green Products, Inc.
DEWALT BIO SYNTHETIC LITHIUM COMPLEX #2 GREASE
CORE+
✓
Dynamic Green Products, Inc.
DGP BIO SYNTHETIC LITHIUM COMPLEX #2 GREASE
CORE+
✓
Dynamic Green Products, Inc.
MAC TOOLS BIO SYNTHETIC LITHIUM COMPLEX #2 GREASE
CORE+
✓
ExxonMobil Technology & Engineering Company
MOBILGREASE XHP™ 222
CORE+
FUCHS LUBRICANTS CO.
RENOLIT CXS BGR
CORE+
FUCHS LUBRICANTS CO.
RENOLIT CXS CRM 1
CORE
FUCHS LUBRICANTS CO.
RENOLIT LX 2
CORE
Loadmaster Lubricants, LLC
LML LITHIUM COMPLEX GREASE
CORE+
Lubricantes de America S.A. de C.V.
LUBRAL CSX 2000 PLUS
CORE
Lucas Oil Products
LUCAS RED “N” TACKY NLGI #2
CORE+
✓
Lucas Oil Products
LUCAS X-TRA HEAVY DUTY GREASE
CORE+
✓
Molykote Specialty Lubricants
MOLYKOTE® BR-2 PLUS HIGH PERFORMANCE GREASE
CORE
Petro-Canada Lubricants / HF Sinclair
PEERLESS™ LLG
CORE
Petro-Canada Lubricants / HF Sinclair
PEERLESS™ OG2 RED
CORE
PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI)
PETRONAS PROGRIS LIX EP 2/460
CORE
Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc.
GADUS® S3 V220C 2
CORE+
Tomlin Scientific Inc.
SUPERB CSC HPM
CORE
Tomlin Scientific Inc.
SUPERB CSC HPM-HL
CORE+
TotalEnergies Lubrifiants
CERAN HRM 460
CORE+
✓
✓
TotalEnergies Lubrifiants
CERAN XM 220
CORE+
✓
✓
TotalEnergies Lubrifiants
CERAN XM 460
CORE+
✓
✓
TotalEnergies Lubrifiants
MULTIS COMPLEX SHD 220
CORE+
Valvoline Global Operations
VALVOLINE™ AMBER EP 2
CORE
Valvoline Global Operations
VALVOLINE™ EXTREME RED
CORE
VinTech Nano Materials
ATOMLUBE® PREMIUM MULTIPURPOSE FOOD GRADE GREASE
CORE
CR
WR
HL
LT ✓
✓
✓ ✓
✓
✓
✓ ✓
✓ ✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Certification and Renewal Process Certification
Please visit the NLGI HPM page at NLGI.org for details. Complete and submit all required forms to NLGI@nlgi.org. Renewal
You will be contacted by NLGI with a renewal form at the start of your annual billing cycle.
NLGI International Headquarters 118 N Conistor Lane, Suite B-281 Liberty, MO 64068 (816) 524-2500 nlgi@nlgi.org | www.nlgi.org