Air compressors are engineered products that are essential for production in millions of businesses globally. In fact, compressed air is so critical to these facilities that it is often call the “fourth utility.” If your facility requires compressed air, then it is always a best practice to have 100% redundancy. Redundancy is accomplished when two air compressors are operating in parallel and alternate to meet demand with either of the two compressors capable of handling full demand.
Advantages of having 100% redundancy:
Service Time – Reduces the need to shut your facility down or schedule after hours to service your air compressor. Having an additional unit means that while on compressor is being serviced, the other compressor can keep your operation running. This can minimize downtime for scheduling the preventive maintenance for your compressed air system and save you time and money on operating costs. Maintenance can be done at virtually any point in time, rather than after hours or during the holidays or weekends when production isn’t occurring.
Wear and Tear – Like any mechanical component, time will eventually take its toll. As components age, energy efficiency declines and the wear and tear can lead to problems down the line. With an additional unit, you can alternate the lead machines to equalize and minimize run hours to allow for easier maintenance of both machines and longer life.
Emergency Backup – It’s unfortunate, but even the best equipment will fail. This means that having a compressor system, complete with 100% redundancy, is absolutely critical. Should a Compressor ever unexpectedly go offline, you will be covered with a backup compressor. Without a backup compressor available for immediate use, the time, money, and productivity lost in the interim between unexpected shutdown and being back up-and-running can be extremely detrimental.
At the very least, redundancy provides insurance for your plant should you ever have an issue with a compressor. The costs of buying an extra compressor pail in comparison to the downtime of a facility. Depending on the size of the operation, downtime can cost thousands, or even millions of dollars.
What is the cost of downtime to your facility?