Like all good things, my Bharat Darshan travel came to an end. I spent the last six weeks living out of a suitcase, traveling across four states almost continuously for 6 weeks. Meeting clients, getting great insights, learning, and growing.

One question stayed with me as I waited at airports for flights – how much loss the mechanical manufacturing industry is bearing due to hot oil issues the world over? It was disappointing not to be able to find an accurate answer to this question

I could not find any reliable source that provided the estimated loss figures for losses caused by heated oil issues in the mechanical manufacturing industry. What I did find was that, in a survey of manufacturing professionals by Plant Engineering magazine, 57% of respondents reported that heat-related issues had caused unscheduled downtime in their facility. This is not even the tip of the iceberg. I have a scary estimation of the industry data which I have gathered over the past two decades.

Root cause analysis of over 500 machine failures conducted personally across India and research thereafter. Investing a huge time and money, I have found out that 73% of mechanical machine failures are directly or indirectly associated with hot oil issues in such systems.

I have elaborated my findings in my widely-read book. The Ultimate Guide to Air Cooled Oil Coolers, to nail the cause #1 devouring this industry.

Though, there is a distinction that the costs and losses associated with heated oil issues vary widely depending on the specific circumstances in each case, and can include a range of factors such as lost production, equipment damage, and safety risks.

In addition, the extent and severity of the problem can vary by region, depending on factors such as the regulatory environment, industrial practices, and climate.
But even then, it is important to note that hot oil is the root cause of the majority of mechanical machine failures. And the bad part is that hot oil does this damage silently and enterprises decode this as ‘fault at some other level’ or ‘done by some specific part’. More often than not, it’s the manufacturer of the failed part gets blamed.

I identify Hot oil as a silent killer because it deceives the fine brilliance of industry owners, CEOs & CFOs and redirects them to point to a ‘culprit’. Often heard as “XYZ companies product quality is not what it used to be” OR “These damn seals aren’t any good these days”

But the respite from this heat is that hot oil issue is easily preventable and can be controlled. For that, we have to first acknowledge this ‘mischievous player’ then we can definitely save the mechanical manufacturing industry from profit burning due to increased breakdowns, high power consumption, low productivity, higher maintenance, and many more negative aspects.

This awareness will definitely go a long way in saving brand image & impacting future business on a positive note. I am looking forward to a time when more awakening on this issue curbs this menace and offers a ‘cool flourishing ground’ for the mechanical manufacturing sector.

Yours for better Air Cooled Heat Exchanger Knowledge

Daddy Cool – www.vineet-taneja.com