This ceramics plant creates catalytic converters, and to make sure these can withstand vibration and diesel fumes, the plant tests them in a simulator at the final stage of production.

The problem with this is that in the summer months, humidity in the testing area was rising above spec. Moisture was getting trapped inside the honeycomb shape of the ceramic parts, which blocked the diesel from getting through.

Parts that were perfectly fine were getting a "fail" stamp and had to be destroyed, costing the plant hundreds of thousands of dollars every month.