LASSI FOR US, LUBE FOR THEM: SURVIVING SUMMER, HUMAN & MACHINE EDITION

It's that time of year again—when fans whirl at full speed, ACs groan under pressure, and the only thing hotter than the sun is the debate over whether buttermilk or coconut water is the better coolant.

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What Indian Summers Can Teach Us About Keeping Equipment Cool

As India heads into peak summer, we're all trying to cope.

I'm not an engineer, but working closely with reliability professionals through training sessions, interviews, and magazine stories, I've picked up a thing or two about how heat doesn't just test people—it tests machines too.

And unlike us, machines can't reach for a cool drink or complain. They just keep running... until they don't.

Heat Hurts Machines More Than We Think

In almost every training session I've coordinated, someone inevitably mentions this: “Our breakdowns go up in summer.”

It makes perfect sense. Higher ambient temperatures cause:

• Lubricants to break down faster

• Bearings to overheat

• Seals to fail

• Oil viscosity to drop

• Cooling systems to underperform

I once spoke with a maintenance planner from Gujarat who said their gearboxes regularly overheated in May and June—especially those near furnace areas or under tin sheds. “It's like working out in the sun with no water,” he said. “You can’t blame the machine if it gives up.”