DRIVES & CONTROLS 2020 SHOW PREVIEW
THE KEY TO EFFICIENCY
RITTAL
Climate Control maintenance is no false economy
By Karl Lycett, Rittal’s Product Manager for
Climate Control
The implementation of a semi-regular
maintenance schedule doesn’t have to
be massively tasking. Even something as
simple as a weekly visual check of cooling
equipment filter mats or any system alarms
can give you the time needed to call in
the experts who can then perform a more
detailed review for you.
£480,000…. That is the amount I was told
it costs one of the UK’s largest automotive
manufacturers PER HOUR when they
experience downtime on their paint plant.
Your overheads may not be as substantial
as the above example, but that doesn’t
take away from the fact that the old adage
you hear in every corner of business and
production is true:
TIME IS MONEY
Regardless of your industry and the product
you manufacture, production downtime is a
crucial performance indicator to monitor as it
can directly affect your bottom line.
More downtime equals increased spares/
maintenance costs which is taking directly
from your profit. This could have been
invested to meet more pertinent business
objectives, purchasing new machinery etc..
When I speak with customers across the
UK regarding their attitude towards climate
control maintenance, it tends to fall by the
wayside on the priority list and there seems
“MY EQUIPMENT IS CURRENTLY
OPERATING AND I HAVEN’T SERVICED
IT IN MONTHS/YEARS”
to be some main drivers for this thought
process:
“I WILL JUST FIX A PROBLEM WHEN IT
OCCURS”
In the past the approach of reactive
maintenance was seen as acceptable for
most businesses. However times have
changed. The key goals of any sized
business are now becoming “increased
throughput”, “Cost Efficiency”, “Continuous
Improvement” potential roadblocks to
output targets need to be nipped in the bud,
nobody wants to be the one in the morning
meeting explaining why yesterday’s targets
weren’t met!
The problem may be “out of sight, out of
mind” for now but the longer your cooling
equipment is left unchecked the higher the
risk.
For example, if a fan unit is in a dusty
environment and the filter mat becomes
clogged, this will reduce its effectiveness
to cool the electrical equipment within due
to a reduced level of air throughput.
This in turn can increase the enclosure
internal temperature. Approximately for
every 10°C you increase your internal
temperature, you halve the life of the
equipment within and increase the
likelihood of an unexpected failure.
SEE US ON STAND
DRIVES & CONTR
21-23 APRIL 2020 NEC BIRM
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