How to Maximize Plant Downtime

Planned plant shutdowns are a great time to run critical tests, perform upgrades, plan for the future and optimize automation. Even remote or small access plants may benefit from utilizing this downtime in a productive manner.

The holiday months are an excellent time to arrange downtime or a complete shutdown. With decreased staff numbers inside the building, machines may be individually tested  and data may be collected in a controlled, isolated environment. If you missed the opportunity to schedule a shutdown this past holiday season, you and your operations team can look ahead to prepare for the next major holiday.

Thinking about the future is a critical component of plant operations. Planned downtimes are the perfect time to audit processes, mitigate risk by updating all safety protocols, perform machine upgrades, test connectivity and reporting between platforms, or test abilities for future implementation. Consider taking your audit a step further by leveraging the time to:

• Gather data and perform tests to identify issues that might come up in the future.
• Perform network testing, simple electrical upgrades, and substation maintenance.
• Do a walkthrough of all equipment to ensure it is still within warranty and running optimally.
• Assess maintenance processes and existing output abilities.

Speaking of looking ahead…

Let us say you have plans to increase in output or have an upcoming expansion, is your facility able to handle it? Testing before a shutdown lets you know if sufficient capacity for an upgrade exists. What’s your power availability? Are your panels able to handle more output? Tests during a shutdown will evaluate where you stand, and Tri-State Electrical Contractors can help.

Preventative maintenance is a big part of planning for the future. Tri-State Electrical Contractors provides predictive testing designed to evaluate risk and identify non-compliance issues. Comprehensive reporting, which includes IFR Heat Scans and power distribution inspection, panel and breaker testing, and much more, ensure facilities are performing optimally and are up to code. Preparing for your future allows you to decrease overall downtime, avoid expensive upkeep and replace equipment before it malfunctions. In the long run, it pays to make the best use of such downtimes. For plants of every size, from multi-function beverage and food packaging and processing plants to large scale electrical projects, contact us to find out how partnering with Tri-State Electrical Contractors will help you maximize your plant’s downtime.