Key Trends Hitting Manufacturing,
Processing And Maintenance
Businesses in all sectors, from food processing, manufacturing, construction and
automotive are under pressure to be cleaner, to be quicker and to produce less waste, all
while improving the return on investment. Here, Peter Crossen, VP of the Maintenance and
Partsmaster Innovation Platform of water, energy and maintenance solutions provider,
NCH Europe, looks at the top five industrial trends we can expect in the year ahead.
1. Demand for environmentally 2. Fast repairs will be made
friendly products will increase in-situ to minimise downtime
costs
Our homes and cities are getting smarter,
3. Food-safe chemicals will
improve safety and reduce
contamination in food
processing
our transport is moving to cleaner hybrid
One of the biggest challenges in industrial
electric propulsion and plant managers
process environments is keeping a plant
Industrial supply chains are getting bigger
are becoming increasingly conscious of
up and running. Smart monitoring, control
and expanding into further reaches of
what goes into the makeup of chemicals
systems and the Internet of Everything
the globe. To keep the process safe, it will
and products used to maintain and service
(IoE) is certainly transforming the way
become even more necessary to ensure
industrial machinery and equipment.
we manage plants, but even these
that food processing and packaging, as
systems have limitations. Breakdowns still
well as the cleaning and maintenance of
inevitably happen and repairs are essential.
industrial machinery and parts, is done
For years acidic solvents have been used to
clean, remove rust and degrease industrial
without chemical contamination to the
machinery. This means that engineers
This is why products that can be used
have to wear personal protective
to address issues quickly, easily and can
equipment (PPE) to prevent burns to skin
withstand high temperatures will continue
Manufacturers, retailers and consumers
and hands when handling chemicals,
to innovate in the industrial maintenance
will increasingly demand the use of
as well as taking precautions with
sector. Pastes, putties, bandages and wraps
food-safe chemicals to clean industrial
breathing equipment because solvents
that use polymer technology, similar to
equipment used in all stages of processing
are flammable and contain volatile
that found in aerospace products, will be
as part of the wider push on regulatory
organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause
the go-to extreme temperature repair
compliance. Technologies including
respiratory problems. Not to mention
solution to burst pipes and in-situ leaks.
high-pressure parts cleaning machines
the environmental impact when these
These solutions will ultimately reduce
that eliminate the use of solvents, or
chemicals make their way through waste
downtime costs and keep plants running.
food-grade lubricants and degreasers used
processes into rivers and streams.
As plant engineers become increasingly
end product.
in process lines will improve safety and
reduce contamination.
aware of the human and environmental
Certification bodies such as NSF
damage that highly acidic and alkaline
International, the public health and safety
chemicals can cause, we will see the rise
organisation, will increasingly provide
of demand for water-based pH neutral
testing, training and certification to ensure
derusters, degreasers, emulsifiers and
that no non-food compounds enter into
surfactants that make products safe to use
human consumption.
without gloves, are easier to apply, and are
less damaging to dispose of.