The Hidden Costs of Oil Changes

Categories:
  • Hydraulic Oil
  • Cost Saving
  • Oil Analysis

Oil is at the heart of powerful hydraulic systems, from diggers to plant machinery, and each system relies on oil to function. 

 

Changing oil is a headache for service engineers as, unlike changing the oil in your car, oil changes for industrial equipment is based on need. Often service engineers plan an oil change to halt further contamination. However an oil change is not correcting the problem; not only is this costly but provides further consequences for the environment with oil waste.

 

It is not always clear the costs attached to oil changes; in the simplest case it is the cost of the worker to change the oil, disposal costs and the cost of new oil. Although these are a major aspect of the overall cost, there are also other significant hidden costs. These include overall machine downtime halting production, administrative costs and storage. Even testing the oil often equals or exceeds the cost of oil on its own.

 

For example, take changing the oil. During this change damage to the machine can occur due to:

  • Adding the wrong oil
  • Over/under-filling the sump or reservoir
  • Cross threading a drain plug
  • Starting the equipment dry 
  • Introducing contaminated oil

 

It is important to know your choices when it comes to oil and the real costs associated with each option. Making the right choice provides greater savings.

 

To summarise the ‘hidden costs’ are as follows:

  • Availability cost – if the oil is being changed, the machinery is unavailable therefore minimising production
  • Workers – the cost of the workers time to change the oil
  • Oil Analysis – the cost to analyse the oil often taken over to laboratories 
  • Oil disposal costs – the cost of correctly disposing the oil in line of the government regulations

 

 

Filtertechnik are here to help and advise the best plan of action to manage your oil and save you money.

 

For expert advice please contact our team today on 0115 9003600 or alternatively email us: sales@filtertechnik.co.uk

 

 

For further information on hidden costs please visit: http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/58/cost-of-oil-changes