The Hidden Cost of Downtime in Food Factories
Because a failed £40 bearing can cost you £40,000 before lunch.
Food Factory downtime (and particularly bearing-related downtime) doesn’t always start with a bang. More often, it begins with something minor — a quick job, a vibrating line, or a bearing swap that “should’ve taken ten minutes.” And then? Everything snowballs.
That “quick stop” turns into a hygiene delay, a wasted batch, and a full production backlog. By the time QA has finished the paperwork, the team’s already missed its window.
Bearing-related downtime is one of the most common — and most preventable — causes of disruption in food factories. Yet it’s often ignored until it costs you.
What Food Factory Downtime Actually Costs
Let’s split it into two buckets: what’s visible, and what’s hiding behind the pallet stack.
Direct Costs:
These are the obvious ones:
- Lost or spoiled product.
- Wasted ingredients and energy.
- Idle staff across the line.
- Emergency call-outs.
- Overtime costs to catch up.
“Even five minutes of food factory downtime during a bottling run can ruin thousands of units — and you might not notice until QA flags it.”
These losses stack up shift after shift — especially in high-output lines.
Hidden Costs:
These are sneakier:
- Cleaning schedules thrown off.
- Start-up rejects post-clean.
- Expedited shipping or late-night transport.
- Staff morale nosedives after late finishes.
Some plants report 10–15% efficiency losses due to minor failures that never make the maintenance board.
Downtime Doesn’t Just Cost Money — It Costs Trust
It’s not just about pounds lost. It’s about people and process.
- Missed delivery slots bring retail penalties
- Hygiene slips lead to audit failures
- Supply chain stumbles affect client confidence
Downtime raises red flags with buyers, auditors, and shift leads. You might lose more than money — you could lose the next contract.
Food Factory Downtime: A Real-World Domino Effect
Here’s a painfully familiar scenario:
- A £35 bearing fails mid-shift.
- The team shuts the line to replace it.
- The area needs cleaning and re-certifying.
- QA orders a full swab before restart.
- The shift’s plan is wrecked.
Time lost: 3.5 hours
Cost: £15,000+
Cause: One bearing, not built for washdowns
The scariest bit? No alarms. No flashing lights. Just slow-motion chaos.
Why It’s Always the Small Stuff
Catastrophic failures make headlines. But most losses come from:
- Bearings without IP-rated seals.
- Lubricants that aren’t food safe.
- Housings that corrode quietly behind covers.
- “Cost-saving” part swaps that go wrong.
Each of these looks small — until it halts a 12-hour run.
The fix? Better spec, smarter maintenance, and fewer assumptions.
How to Prevent food factory Downtime (Without Reinventing the Line)
✅ Use the Right Bearings
Stop thinking “does it fit?” and start asking “is it built for food?”
Look for:
- IP66 or IP69K ingress protection.
- NSF H1 food-safe grease.
- Stainless steel or polymer housings.
- Certified materials for food zones.
Even a small plant needs bearings that match its hygiene risk. Explore LDK’s food-safe range.
✅ Use the Right Bearings
Most bearing failures happen after cleaning — when someone forgot the re-grease.
Perma auto-lube systems:
- Deliver precise, food-safe lubrication 24/7/365.
- Eliminate seal blowouts from over-lubing.
- Cover remote or awkward bearing zones.
They’re not just for show. They protect every hour you’re not watching. Check out Perma lubrication systems.
✅ Train Teams for Visual Maintenance
Not all faults need diagnostics. Some are staring you in the face:
- Grease trails on housings.
- Pooling water around mounts.
- Rust at bolt holes or seals
- Subtle vibrations near guards.
Visual checks take minutes. Missed signs cost thousands.
Train line leaders to spot red flags during clean-down and restart.
✅ Keep a Downtime Log
Every failure is a learning opportunity — if you record it.
Track:
- What failed?
- Where it failed.
- How long it took to fix.
- What the real cause was?
You’ll spot patterns, justify upgrades, and stop the next shift from repeating the same mistake.
Use a clipboard, tablet, or even a whiteboard. Just use something.
Ask This Before Restarting Any Line
A simple maintenance walk can stop a costly failure. Ask:
- Are bearings spec’d for food zones?
- Do any mounts sit in pooled water?
- Have post-wash greases been reapplied?
- Is vibration normal or new?
- Are the same failures repeating?
- Can we prove spec with documentation?
Audit it like a BRCGS assessor would. You’ll thank yourself later.
Extra Tip: Don't Rely on Memory for Lubrication
Busy teams forget. Even the best ones. And dry bearings don’t care.
Make lubrication part of your hygiene schedule, not an optional job:
- Assign it to a named person.
- Use lube schedules by line or area.
- Highlight high-risk units on the plan.
- Install visual grease indicators if needed.
If in doubt, automate it. You’ll remove the risk and free up time.
Conclusion: Don’t Let a £40 Part Cost You £40K
Food factories run on narrow margins and stricter schedules. Downtime eats through both.
Most failures? Preventable. Most parts? Underestimated.
Spec properly. Maintain deliberately. Lube without fail.
At Godiva Bearings, we supply trade-only, food-grade solutions that help prevent bearing-related downtime. From washdown-ready housings to NSF H1 lubricants and Perma systems, we help food plants avoid the predictable problems.
Download The Complete Guide to Bearings in Food Production
Speak to our team about the right spec for your site
Let’s stop bearing-related downtime before it starts.
TOM HAMLETT
Tom Hamlett is a respected authority in the global bearings marketplace, with over 35 years of experience in industrial bearings, lubricants, and adhesives across a wide range of industries. As Managing Director of Godiva Bearings, Tom has built a trusted business renowned for its commitment to quality, technical expertise, and ethical service. Under his leadership, Godiva Bearings has remained the UK’s only trade-exclusive bearings supplier, proudly serving engineers and distributors worldwide since 1977. Tom’s in-depth knowledge and dedication have cemented his reputation as one of the most knowledgeable figures in the sector.