Strike Up The Band: Instrument Lubrication by TUNAP

Reading time ca. 3 min | An article from Sebastian Ullrich | TUNAP Blog

Music is much more than a string of sounds. It is also something that affects our mood, makes us feel good and prompts us to dance. How does TUNAP fit in?

A leading maker of rotary valves, valves, slides and keys for brass instruments – coveted by musicians around the world because of the durability, exceptional precision and flexibility of its products – asked TUNAP Industry to help it with a special job: The company needed our particular expertise to optimise instrument lubrication. For our team, this request turned into a fascinating project because this usage differed so dramatically from the usual applications we address.

One of the challenges we faced was to gain the trust of world-class musicians who have an extremely tactile feel for the finest nuances of their instruments and to simultaneously facilitate the flawless function of these instruments. We needed the right lubricants to develop the oils that were to be used in various ways. The initial task was to define the appropriate product characteristics: If, for instance, a valve turns too slowly, the instrument’s timbre will be off.

In the end, the products developed by our lab team had to prove themselves on the job. We called on the sensitive musicians to carefully test the various products we developed. These tests uncovered the need to address one fairly significant issue: the smell. We then made it as neutral as possible without running the risk of hurting product performance. The high demands placed on the lubricants finally resulted in the development of various suitable products that even include a gel.

After the lubricants had been defined, the next challenge was to find a way that they could be applied in the constricted openings of the instruments without forcing the musicians to take the instruments apart. An oval bottle was chosen as the container. The challenge was to find a manufacturer who could produce the appropriate needle-tipped container (the term for this special type of cover).

After a long search, we found a company that worked with us to develop this container – the result: The best-possible lubricant can now be easily applied to the musicians’ instruments. The product line for the broadest array of valves, slides and keys produced by this collaborative effort will soon be established in the marketplace. Two other products will follow.