Predictive Maintenance Important for Plant Operations

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Maintenance shutdowns are one of the most crucial events in the routine operation of any plant.

Unexpected downtime can cost not just a lot of money and time, but also can affect the production and growth of the company. A turnaround that lasts for too long or exceeds its budget could result in fiscal losses for a company.

Machine availability and reliability are the top concerns for production activities; the cost of secondary damages of such breakdowns can be massive.

Unexpected downtime can significantly affect product quality, operational efficiency, loss of productivity, and increased risk of accidents on site. Using predictive maintenance to avoid such situations is necessary.

Timely shutdowns provide an essential opportunity for various maintenance issues to be resolved because they cannot be addressed while the plant is operational. They also allow for an internal inspection of equipment that would otherwise be impossible while the equipment was running or while it contains the product.

There are certain advantages of predictive maintenance for plants, such as reducing downtime and ensuring asset longevity, reducing maintenance costs, improving workplace safety and enhancing productivity. Ideally, a turnaround should result in the plant returning to peak performance levels when it comes back online and should allow it to function efficiently until the next shutdown.

Industrial Info is tracking more than 1,200 active maintenance projects in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, including RWE Power AG's (Essen, Germany) major maintenance of a natural gas-fired power unit in Lingen, Germany. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here for detailed reports.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).