For years, engineers have turned to Excel spreadsheets for fluid piping system modeling. They are familiar, accessible, and widely used across industries. However, what many fail to realize is that spreadsheets, while convenient, are not built for precision engineering calculations.
Many businesses continue relying on spreadsheets due to concerns about the cost of software solutions like AFT Fathom, AFT Arrow, and similar modeling applications. But here’s the truth: the cost of sticking with spreadsheets far outweighs the investment in professional software.
Let’s explore why engineers should transition to modern fluid system modeling tools, backed by real-world case studies where businesses saved millions by making the switch.
1. Spreadsheets Are Prone to Costly Errors
A study from the University of Hawaii found that 88% of spreadsheets contain errors—a figure that should concern every engineer responsible for fluid system modeling.
These errors can result in:
- Faulty designs, leading to inefficiencies or safety risks.
- Incorrect equipment sizing, causing unexpected failures.
- Regulatory non-compliance, potentially leading to fines and project delays.
- Case Study: Refinery Avoids $500,000 Downtime by Replacing Spreadsheets
A leading petrochemical refinery had long relied on spreadsheets for modeling its cooling water system. An unnoticed calculation error led to incorrect pump sizing, which caused excessive cavitation and vibration issues.
The resulting downtime cost the company $500,000 in lost production over six months. After switching to AFT Fathom, engineers identified the root cause in under an hour, optimized the pump sizing, and eliminated recurring failures.
Had they relied solely on spreadsheets, the company would have continued experiencing preventable shutdowns.
2. Spreadsheets Lack Advanced Simulation Capabilities
Spreadsheets require engineers to manually input equations, pipe flow coefficients, pressure losses, and pump curves—all of which are highly complex. Excel does not have built-in fluid flow solvers, nor does it account for compressibility, phase changes, or thermal effects.
Challenges Engineers Face with Spreadsheets:
- No automated flow balancing across complex piping networks.
- No built-in databases for pipe materials, fittings, and pumps.
- No transient analysis for pressure surges or valve operations.
On the other hand, AFT Fathom and AFT Arrow provide:
- Automated hydraulic balancing with real-time flow visualization.
- Preloaded thermodynamic and fluid property databases.
- Scenario comparison for design optimization.
- Case Study: Power Plant Saves $750,000 by Identifying System Imbalance
A gas-fired power plant was experiencing unexplained pressure drops in its steam condensate system. Engineers using Excel struggled to pinpoint the problem due to the complexity of multiple interacting flow paths.
After implementing AFT Fathom, they discovered that a miscalculated pipe roughness factor had led to incorrect pressure drop predictions. Correcting the issue resulted in a 10% increase in heat exchanger efficiency, saving the company $750,000 annually.
3. Spreadsheets Can’t Handle Complex System Interactions
In large-scale piping systems—such as chemical plants, HVAC networks, and oil & gas facilities—fluid behaviour is highly interdependent.
What happens in one section of a system directly affects other parts.
Spreadsheets force engineers to:
- Make simplistic assumptions about flow distribution.
- Ignore nonlinear interactions between system components.
- Manually input changes across multiple sheets—introducing further errors.
- Case Study: Chemical Manufacturer Prevents Major Safety Incident
A chemical processing plant was using Excel to model the interaction of compressible gases in a high-pressure network. A subtle input mistake resulted in an undetected overpressure risk, which could have led to catastrophic equipment failure.
By switching to AFT Arrow, the company’s engineers ran a comprehensive simulation, accurately predicting system behavior under all operational conditions. They identified the overpressure issue and installed a relief valve in the correct location—preventing what could have been a multi-million-dollar accident.
4. The True Cost of Engineering Time Wasted on Spreadsheets
While Excel itself is inexpensive, the hidden cost comes from the time engineers waste manually updating, verifying, and troubleshooting spreadsheets.
Consider this:
- An engineer spends 6-8 hours setting up a spreadsheet model for a piping network.
- A design change requires manual updates across multiple cells, taking another 4-5 hours.
- The spreadsheet needs additional cross-checking to ensure accuracy, adding another 3-4 hours.
That’s over 12-15 hours per project wasted—time that could be spent on innovation, optimization, and problem-solving instead of manual data entry.
- Case Study: Engineering Firm Increases Productivity by 40%
A consulting firm specializing in municipal water distribution switched from spreadsheets to AFT Fathom and reported a 40% reduction in engineering time spent on system analysis.
With faster modeling, their engineers could handle more projects per month, increasing revenue while reducing costly errors.
5. Cost Concerns? The ROI of Advanced Software is Undeniable
One of the biggest reasons companies hesitate to invest in software like AFT Fathom or AFT Arrow is the initial cost.
However, when you consider:
- Engineering time savings (hundreds of hours per year).
- Avoidance of costly design errors.
- Improved system efficiency and reliability.
…the return on investment (ROI) is incredibly high.
- Case Study: A 6-Month Payback Period for Industrial Manufacturer
An industrial equipment manufacturer estimated that switching to AFT Fathom paid for itself in just six months, thanks to:
- A 30% reduction in time spent on hydraulic modeling.
- Avoidance of $1.2 million in potential energy inefficiencies.
- Elimination of recurring design errors that previously led to costly redesigns.
For many businesses, the cost of NOT upgrading far exceeds the price of software investment.
The Verdict: Spreadsheets Are Holding Engineers Back
Excel might be a staple of business operations, but it’s not a professional-grade engineering tool. Continuing to rely on spreadsheets for fluid system modeling:
- Increases risk of costly mistakes.
- Slows down engineering productivity.
- Fails to scale with complex, real-world piping networks.
- Modern engineering demands modern tools.
- AFT Fathom and AFT Arrow offer accuracy, efficiency, and reliability.
- Companies that switch recover their investment quickly—often in months.
The longer companies stick with spreadsheets, the more they pay in hidden costs.
Are you ready to leave outdated spreadsheets behind and move towards precision fluid system modeling?
About the Author
Product Lead- AFT
