Navigating Power Uncertainty- Production Lines At Half Speed
"Reduce Speed" The New Marching Orders in the Face of Power Quality Chaos
Imagine you are an industrial powerhouse, and your strategy to prevent constant breakdowns crippling your operations is to reduce production speed, a crucial aspect in managing your Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). I’m seeing it more and more: top-tier manufacturers who are deliberately reducing their power-intensive machinery’s operational intensity to avoid catastrophic breakdowns. They are maintaining operations 50% or even 25% capacity, just to keep heavy equipment running at some level. In a recent example, a major production facility the size of a football field with nearly 100 employees, was scaling back in the order of nearly 70% at times, just to keep some of its massive machinery going in the face of unexplained shut-offs.
Their GC couldn’t figure it out, and the local utility was stumped. So the next inevitable call is to a power quality expert, equipped with knowledge and suited diagnostic devices designed to analyze the disruptive cycle in extreme detail. The power quality meter can help deliver a relatively quick solution to the issue. It is installed at the main incoming service point, which is where the electrical utility’s power first enters a facility. This location is crucial for monitoring the overall power quality of the incoming supply and determining if any issues originate from the utility side. The data collected from these meters can then be analyzed to identify trends, intermittent issues, and potential problem areas. But more and more proactive operations managers are understanding the importance of purchasing these meters, to allow for constant monitoring. It’s actually more cost-effective to buy a power quality meter than to rent, install, and uninstall repeatedly.
The Janitza multifunction power analyzer UMG 509-PRO is designed for integration into control panels, allowing continuous monitoring of power quality and analysis of electrical interference causing your network problems. It acts as a proactive diagnostic guardian preemptively scanning for disruptions before they infiltrate your system.
The surprising practice of intentionally reducing operational intensity to avoid equipment failure is a significant financial burden and a threat to delivery schedules. Yet the answers are out there. You just need to take the right steps to determine causes and install effective, lasting solutions. It’s time to stop operating in fear and start working towards a dependable solution that guarantees the functionality and longevity of your industrial operations… at full speed.
For expert guidance on optimizing your production with PQ metering, contact Encompass Power Solutions today.