Industrial plant downtime isn’t something to overlook. It can add up in costs over time: to the tune of $30,000 to $50,000 every hour. It’s little surprise that unexpected downtime bites into bottom lines more than planned shutdowns, given the unplanned nature and price hit. However, even planned downtime calls for mitigation in order to retain healthy bottom lines. These three factors could play into instances of downtime, and should be top of mind for facilities.
Aging Equipment
Many plants have begun to feel time’s toll. Being built decades past, your plant’s equipment may not be able to keep pace with demand as it once did. Unfortunately, some plants operate under a “work until failure” procedure, which increases the risk for extended periods of resource-draining industrial plant downtime.
With time, requirements ramp up in key aspects: quality, speed, and product. This rings in the need for updated processes and equipment, which may need fine-tuning to remain functioning and optimal.
Changing Conditions
Change has immense influence on plants in general. These can be as big as switches in processes or equipment, or as seemingly trivial as changes in long held weather patterns. Both big and small condition changes can affect plant’s uptime, as well as potential downtime.
For instance, changes in weather may reshape your plant’s infrastructure. Increases in humidity and heat may call for updates—in the form of dehumidifiers and chillers to cool down both personnel and processes.
Crisis Emergence
For plants, it’s usually not a matter of if, but when, a crisis strikes. A natural disaster could demand everything from renewed power sources to process cooling equipment. Other crises may be equipment specific, requiring shutdowns and well-tooled upgrades to ensure safety. Any way they come, crises can cause downtime in their wake.
How Southern Field-EEC Can Help
Industrial plant downtime isn’t unique in its occurence: in fact, plants endure 5-20% actual downtime every year. That totals to tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue for a plant or facility.
All of this underscores the need for maintenance technicians with experience you can trust. That’s where the good news comes in: Southern Field-EEC has that exact expertise. We’re maintenance consultants that serve a number of industrial sectors, including power generation, pulp and paper, cement, steel, and more. Having someone you can call will end up saving your plant in time, energy, and money. Connect with a qualified Southern Field-EEC representative, request a quote of services, and see what else you can do to avoid downtime and shoot profits north.