Fluke data reveals 61 percent of manufacturers hit in the past year; outages stretch up to 72 hours and threaten profitability at the board level.
Fluke Corporation today released survey findings, exposing the true cost of downtime in industrial manufacturing. The Fluke study findings reveal a silent crisis: more than six in ten (61 percent) manufacturers suffered unplanned downtime in the past year, costing the sector up to $852 million every week, capital the industry cannot afford to lose. Downtime is not only frequent and prolonged, but also reflects vulnerabilities that threaten profitability, competitiveness, and board-level resilience.
- Nearly half (48%) report 6–10 downtime incidents weekly; almost one in five (19%) face 11–20 incidents weekly.
- 45% say outages last up to 12 hours; 15% report incidents stretching to 72 hours.
- At an average cost of $1.7M per hour, a single incident can equal up to $42.6M in losses: the equivalent of powering 2,500 factories for a week.
The research, conducted by Censuswide, surveyed over 600 senior decision-makers and maintenance professionals in the U.S., the UK, and Germany. Among those affected, frequency is alarming: 48 percent report 6–10 incidents each week, and nearly one in five (19 percent) face 11–20 weekly incidents. The impact is then compounded by duration, with 45 percent of respondents saying outages last up to 12 hours, while a further 15 percent experience incidents up to 72 hours.
At an average cost of $1.7M per hour, a single incident can reach up to $42.6 M in losses: the energy equivalent of powering 2,500 average manufacturing facilities for a week, or a single factory for nearly 50 years. These Fluke study findings indicate that downtime is a recurring operational reality and a board-level risk to profitability and resilience.
On a global level, the risks are more acute within large enterprises, among organizations with more than 50,000 employees, 40 percent report experiencing 11–20 downtime incidents each week, and half (50 percent) endure up to 72 hours per incident.
Despite the scale of the risk, the industry remains fragmented in its response to it. The findings show that Manufacturers are scattering digital investments across multiple solutions to build resilience, including predictive maintenance (12 percent), digital twins (12 percent), and condition monitoring (13 percent).
Parker Burke, Group President of Fluke Corporation, said: “Our research shows a tough reality: too many manufacturers are stuck reacting to downtime instead of getting ahead of it. Quick fixes might keep things running for a while, but they don’t build long-term resilience.
“The data shows us that downtime can’t be viewed just as operational problem anymore. It’s a real risk to competitiveness and enterprise value.
He concluded, “Without a clear plan to scale digital investments, efforts are spread too thin to make a lasting, measurable impact. It’s time to bring reliability into the boardroom as a core part of how we drive growth, performance, and customer trust.”
The survey, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Fluke, surveyed 600 respondents representing manufacturing firms across the Food & Beverage, Oil & Gas, Life Sciences, and Automotive industries operating in Germany, the UK, and the US.
Weekly losses were estimated using average figures for outage time, cost, and frequency based on respondent data across different impact scenarios.
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