Top 5 Ways MRO Plants Drain Profits — How to Prevent Hidden Losses

For maintenance engineers, the primary goal is clear: boost plant reliability and efficiency by preventing equipment failure before it happens. While total prevention isn’t always possible, targeting the most common failure modes can cut production costs by 8‑12% through smarter, predictive maintenance.

Below are the five most frequent equipment and facility failures in MRO plants and proven Loctite® solutions that keep the budget and downtime in check.

1. Vibrational Loosening

Threadlocking or industrial adhesives are the most reliable and cost‑effective way to keep threaded assemblies tight and leak‑proof. Loctite® single‑component anaerobic adhesives, applied as a liquid, gel, or stick, cure to a hard thermoset plastic that resists corrosion and seizure while allowing easy disassembly when needed.

2. Air and Hydraulic Leaks from Threaded Fittings

Even a single drop of hydraulic fluid every 10 seconds can cost 40 gallons of fluid per year. A 1/16‑inch air leak can add roughly $1,000 to your annual maintenance budget. Loctite thread sealants create a barrier that stops moisture, air, gas, and oil from escaping, reducing leakage costs to near zero with minimal effort.

3. Spun Bearings and Keyway Wallow

Bearing replacement costs range from under $100 to $20,000, depending on the equipment. Loctite retaining compounds—formulated for unthreaded cylindrical metal parts—secure bearings and keyways, preventing fretting corrosion and ensuring a robust fit that extends service life.

4. Gasket Failure

Formed‑in‑place gasket sealants act as both a sealant and adhesive between flanges. Once cured, these Loctite adhesives resist displacement, shrinkage, cracking, and relaxation, eliminating the need for proactive maintenance after flanges are mated.

5. Equipment Wear

Physical damage from mechanical, chemical, or corrosion attack can lead to costly, critical failures. Reactive “quick‑fix” solutions often fail to prevent recurrence. Loctite’s epoxy‑based, wear‑resistant coatings provide long‑term protection, reducing both planned and unplanned downtime. They’re ideal for restoring worn parts or protecting new equipment from the outset.

Read the full article on Henkel’s website: Henkel.

At J/E, we are an authorized distributor of Loctite (Henkel). We offer a wide range of adhesives, lubricants, and thread‑lockers. For product inquiries, visit our contact page or email info@je-bearing.com.