Bradley, glad to hear you have been a Clean Burn customer for so long.  The Energy Retention Plates (ERP) you are referring to, have a dual purpose.  First, they are there to protect the heat exchanger from overheating which may result in costly repairs or replacement.  Second, they add to the efficiency of the furnace by forcing the heat vapors to stop, go back and around the lip of the ERP, and then through the heat exchanger.  The original "targets" from the 80's were just a flat piece of steel.  They protected the heat exchanger but did very little to add to efficiency.  The new fibre, cupped ERP's add about 2% to the efficiency of the furnace.  This may not be a factor for you since you have a quick lube and probably generate much more used oil than you need, but most of our customers do not have enough used oil, so the efficiency is a big deal. 

Trying to figure out why some ERP's last for years and others don't, is frustrating.  ERP's typically last for years, but the following reasons can lead to premature destruction.  First, lack of maintenance.  Allowing the ash to build up will increase the temperature in the chamber which may ruin the ERP.  Second, insufficient draft from high altitudes or building conditions.  A lack of draft can also lead to increased temperatures in the chamber and can also ruin the ERP.  Third, on older style units, over-firing the furnace will prematurily destroy your heat exchanger.  This is not an issue on the newer style units, since they come with flow control pumps which prevent over-firing, but they still need to be set up properly.  The final potential reason that your ERP may not be lasting is your oil.  Some used oil's seem to have more grit in them and can eat up ERP's.  There are a lot of parallels between ERP's and tires.  I just replaced the tires on my truck and the dealer could not believe that I got 150,000 km (90,000 miles) out of the original tires on my truck.  He told me that those tires generally get, 70 - 100,000 km (40 - 60,000 miles).  He couldn't explain why they lasted that long and also told me that he didn't expect the new set to last even close to that.  Designing the best ERP is not an exact science because all used oil is different, altitudes and draft are different, and customer cleaning intervals vary.  I have seen numerous styles in the 20 years I've been with Clean Burn and there is a balance between operational functionality and cost.  The newest ERP seem to last the longest and are reasonably priced.  I'm not sure what is causing your's to fail, but if you want the old style stainless steel ERP's, let your rep know and they can get you one.  Thanks for your support of Clean Burn over the last 15 years.  I trust that you will continue to receive thousand of dollars in savings, for years to come.