Manufacturers in the UK are placing more and more importance on what they can do to achieve tough net zero targets set by the government after the UK becomes the first major economy to pass net zero emissions law. Whilst 2050 may seem a long way off, the spotlight is upon the manufacturing sector - not just from the Government, but also from investors, shareholders, activists, suppliers and consumers to see what manufacturers will do to clean up their act. There is also a growing sentiment that sustainability and perhaps the savings associated with energy efficiency can be a key driver of the UK’s economic recovery in a post Covid-19 world.
The list of big energy users in the UK is not surprising or unique. It is not a shock to learn that Chemical manufacturers, Engineering, especially Metal producers and workers, the Food & Beverage, and other process sectors use more energy and contribute the most emissions to the UK’s 0.4 metric gigaton annual output. In these energy-intensive sectors, energy costs can amount to as much as 20% of operational costs. Why? Firstly, energy is expensive. Secondly, because even basic goods require huge amounts of energy to produce. Energy in the volumes consumed by these types of manufacturers is usually measured in units called megajoules. Aptly named, perhaps because in part of the huge volume’s energy is being consumed in. As an illustration, it would take approximately 1 megajoule of energy to move a one-tonne vehicle at a speed of around 100mph. It is perhaps shocking then to consider that to produce just one 1 kg bag of pasta, you need about up to 2.4MJ of energy – that’s from field to packet. What then a much more complicated product like a car? Incredibly, the manufacture of your average family saloon demands 119,150MJ3 for its entire build and assembly – a figure so large it is difficult to fathom!
Clearly, any efficiency gain available in a manufacturer's process or plant brings with it a huge potential benefit. So, what can be done to reduce emissions and energy costs and what part can maintenance management software play in this process?
Let us first think about that term maintenance, a dictionary definition may read something like this. Activities required or undertaken to conserve as nearly, and as long, as possible the original condition of an asset or resource while compensating for normal wear and tear. Straight forward enough, but no easy task in an environment that operates around the clock like a busy production facility. It is a fact that deterioration of manufacturers systems’ condition, and its capability, begins to take place as soon as the system is commissioned. In addition to normal wear and deterioration, other failures may occur especially when the equipment is pushed beyond its design limits or due to operational errors. As a result, equipment downtime, quality problems, energy losses, safety hazards, or environmental pollution are likely outcomes. All these outcomes have the potential to impact negatively the operating cost, profitability and productivity of a business. One of the major challenges of any maintenance team faces is implementing and delivering an effective but also practical maintenance strategy. One which maximizes the availability of assets, but also controls the rate of equipment deterioration and minimizes the total cost of the operation - which means both production and energy cost. This is where your maintenance management software begins to show a return on your investment.
So how can the effective use of your maintenance management software help manufacturers reduce their energy consumption, their energy costs, help them become more sustainable and begin to contribute toward that bigger net zero objective?
A Robust and Practical Preventive Maintenance Strategy
A great preventive maintenance strategy is fundamental to keeping your assets in peak condition, it is the implementation and delivery of the strategy, in the form of a schedule that achieves this goal for as long as possible. It goes without saying that well maintained assets are more likely to perform better for longer. However, this is about more than asset longevity, it is about the amount of energy an asset requires to maintain the required output or performance. Take the example of a compressed air system. Maintaining a consistent supply of quality compressed air requires regular maintenance. Failure to undertake even rudimentary activities like hose inspections may result in your previously very economical system costing your business more than you bargained on. There are multiple examples of where the simple activity of maintenance has been proven to reduce energy consumption and your energy costs straight of the bat. Conducting regular checks on important assets and equipment to identify problems and correcting them, before they begin to negatively impact an asset’s performance is bread and butter for a forward-thinking maintenance team. What is vital is that your preventive maintenance strategy is built on a solid foundation of facts. The generation and collection of high-quality data will help users determine the most efficient way to maintain specific assets whilst maximising performance and energy efficiency. Maintenance software is one way to create, instill, and deliver a solid preventive maintenance management strategy, considering the many variables that determine this and achieve peak asset efficiency throughout their lifetime.
Automated & Electronic Work Orders
Using maintenance software to automatically generate Work Orders both regulates this key maintenance activity and can contribute to the goal of reducing energy in marginal, but repeatable and impactful ways. Not only can work orders be created to direct your team to undertake energy monitoring tasks, such as powering equipment down, checking heating temperatures, taking meter readings, etc. With mobile technology in place, your maintenance management software also eliminates the need for paperwork. This both reduces your environmental impact and the associated costs of the paper itself and of course the printing. A digital work order also includes the option to attach standard operating procedures to ensure that maintenance tasks are undertaken correctly further contributing to the long-term efficient performance of equipment and yet further reducing paper consumption.
Actionable Data
Another way to address runaway energy consumption and therefore save money is to identify potential issues with assets and address them before they happen or become too onerous and costly. Remember, the asset may be performing as expected in terms of output, but a lack of maintenance may mean it is working harder to do so. Potentially having an impact on its longevity, not to mention that it may be costing you more to operate in terms of energy and by default producing more emissions too. This process starts with collecting solid data and using this information to make informed decisions. One way to ensure actionable data is accurately collected and turned into useful reports is through maintenance management software. By simply using your CMMS you will generate data. Reports based on the facts collected can be used to identify trends, patterns, or possible problems before a breakdown, or worse an asset that continues to perform, but outside of its acceptable range accelerating its decline and at risk of repeating myself costing the operator more. Addressing the likely issue offers many returns these include less scrap and rework, reduced energy use and lower operating costs.
Get To Grips With Your Spares
Getting your spares store under control will help companies stop wasting energy and cut costs. Having a spare part on hand for every eventuality may be comforting, but it is also costly and unnecessary in a world where next day or even same day deliveries are commonplace. Simply storing an expansive inventory of spares requires energy. Reducing your stock on hand will have a positive impact on reducing energy consumption and your operating costs. To do this with confidence you need to understand your stock - what spares are critical, what spares will be needed for which task, and how many of a part to hold in stock. This is the kind of functionality your CMMS will provide. Not only that but your software can also automate purchasing from suppliers, help you with forecasting and identifying redundant items. There are also associated upstream benefits, in terms of energy consumption. If you purchase fewer spares because you know you need less, less would be produced, which in turn saves energy and money.
This list is by no means all-encompassing there are many more ways that maintenance management software can positively impact a business’s operating costs, more specifically by maximising energy conservation strategies. A CMMS is not a silver bullet, simply choosing a system and having it deployed at your business will have no measurable effect. In fact, a survey in 2008 found that it is not uncommon for manufacturers to suffer the consequences of insufficient or inappropriate preventative maintenance, even though they have computerised maintenance management systems (CMMS) to assist with maintenance management decisions, data collection and record keeping. There is certainly a challenge to further understand the interdependencies between energy performance and maintenance. It is clear, however, that a lack of a structured methodology inhibits companies from effectively managing their facilities and assets and reaching their maintenance and energy performance goals.
If you would like to learn more about MaintiMizer, Ashcom Technologies inhouse developed maintenance management software and how it can help you proactively manage your maintenance operation, boost productivity, control costs, and help you take the right steps to reduce your energy consumption please get in touch.