The Rising Cost of Raw Materials and How Steel Manufacturers Can Adapt
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Facing the Future: How the Steel Industry Must Evolve to Stay Competitive
Wednesday, July 2, 2025INDUSTRIAL MODERNIZATION
How to Deal with Downtime
How Poor Maintenance Practices Hurt the Steel Industry
The High Cost of Silence
Importance of Timely Maintenance
Understanding the Challenge of Downtimes
In the steel industry, time is molten metal—and downtime is money lost. Unplanned shutdowns can paralyze an entire operation, delay deliveries, damage customer trust, and inflate production costs. While occasional maintenance is inevitable, frequent and unexpected breakdowns are often symptoms of poor maintenance planning. In a sector where heavy machinery operates under extreme conditions, neglecting preventive maintenance can have far-reaching consequences.
Understanding Downtimes in the Steel Industry
Downtime refers to any period when equipment or production lines are non-operational. It can be categorized into:
1. Planned Downtime
Scheduled maintenance, upgrades, or inspections.
2. Unplanned Downtime
Sudden equipment failures, power issues, or human error.
Common causes of Downtimes in the Steel Industry
1. Lack of Preventive Maintenance
Failure to regularly service furnaces, rolling mills, cranes, and other critical systems leads to avoidable breakdowns.
2. Poor Equipment Monitoring
Without real-time monitoring tools or SCADA systems, early warning signs go unnoticed.
3. Outdated Machinery
Legacy systems are prone to malfunctions, and sourcing spare parts becomes a challenge.
4. Improper Staff Training
Operators unaware of standard procedures may mishandle equipment or miss early fault indicators.
The Hidden Costs of Poor Maintenance Leading to Downtimes
1. Loss in Production Output
Idle machines mean unmet production targets.
2. Damage to Equipment
Ignoring minor faults can lead to catastrophic failures.
3. Increased Operational Costs
Emergency repairs and overtime labor spike costs.
4. Safety Hazards
Neglected equipment poses serious risks to workers.
5. Customer Dissatisfaction
Delayed orders or inconsistent quality erodes trust.
How to Combat Downtime Effectively
1. Implement Preventive Maintenance Programs
Schedule regular inspections and servicing of all core equipment.
2. Adopt Predictive Maintenance Tools
Use IoT sensors, SCADA systems, and analytics to identify early signs of wear or failure.
3. Upgrade Critical Equipment
Invest in modern, energy-efficient machinery with better fault tolerance and remote diagnostics.
4. Train and Empower Staff
Ensure teams are equipped with the skills and knowledge to handle equipment and minor troubleshooting.
5. Establish Maintenance KPIs
Track downtime incidents, repair times, and root causes to build a more reliable process.
5. Digital Maintenance Logs
Maintain an accessible digital history of repairs, parts replaced, and inspection notes.
Maintenance is not an expense—it’s an investment
What needs to change?
Steel plants that prioritize proactive maintenance not only reduce downtime but also improve safety, efficiency, and profitability. In Pakistan’s competitive steel landscape, where energy costs are high and raw material prices are volatile, avoiding unnecessary downtime can be the difference between surviving and thriving.
At Unisons, we help steel manufacturers implement modern maintenance strategies using smart instrumentation, SCADA integration, and operational training. If downtime is costing your plant more than just time, let us show you how to take control—before the next breakdown strikes.
Digitalize your Industry
Digitalization automates data collection, reduces human errors, speeds up reporting, and allows real-time monitoring, leading to improved decision-making and operational efficiency.
Industries such as steel, cement, glass, manufacturing, and energy sectors benefit greatly from digitalization due to the need for efficiency, real-time monitoring, and process optimization.
Our team of experts will start by assessing your current manual processes, identifying key areas for improvement, to implement the right solutions tailored to your operations.
