TPT September 2024

TUBE WELDING MACHINES & TECHNOLOGY

The value of maintenance for achieving sustainable pipe welding By Guilliaume Roeckel, global machines sales director, Welding Alloys

to make preventative maintenance a priority task on everyone’s agenda. This will empower workers to contribute to the company’s eco-friendly goals, as they will feel the responsibility to promote sustainable behaviours in their operations. If you’re in a senior position, provide your co-workers with training sessions on maintenance and environmental best practices. With all the right resources and knowledge, they are more likely to embrace an eco-conscious mindset and play an active role in preventing energy consuming downtime. Preventative maintenance program- mes can minimise emissions and aid your carbon footprint. Underperforming machineries tend to emit higher levels of pollutants, affecting the wellbeing of your surroundings. This is particularly relevant in the welding industry, as ill kept assets can generate fumes and particulate matter. Conversely, well maintained equipment is more likely to operate in a clean, effective fashion. By monitoring your machinery’s health and performance, you can avoid leaks, spills, and other malfunctions that could harm the environment. What’s more, preventative main- tenance can help minimise water consumption, too. Every day, just under three billion litres of water, equivalent to 1,180 Olympic swimming pools, are lost due to leaks. However, by monitoring your tools on a regular basis, you can identify and rectify any problems causing water leaks and ensure they’re adequately conserved to drive your operations forward. From improving your business’ energy efficiency to extending your equipment’s longevity, there are many ways in which preventative maintenance can support your sustainability efforts. By checking the health of your assets consistently, rather than when the damage is done, you can minimise downtime, save money on expensive repairs and make a difference in the wellbeing of your surroundings.

allow your assets to always operate at the height of their efficiency. “Well-maintained machinery tends to consume less energy as everything is ticking as it should. In turn, this will significantly lower your carbon emissions and leave you with a more affordable bill at the end of the month. When comparing the energy requirements of replacement versus the maintenance and repair of components, it is always more beneficial to adhere to preventative maintenance when aiming to improve sustainability goals. “It’s also worth noting that preventative maintenance to reduce downtime can actively help with resource conservation. Any inefficiencies and hiccups in your processes can waste lots of precious energy, as your assets will need to work twice as hard to overcome the fault and keep operating as usual. “So, regular maintenance tasks can nip any potential problems in the bud and promote a more sustainable use of your resources,” he added. Looking after the wellbeing of your tools will no doubt increase their life expectancy. In fact, from regular inspections to cleaning and timely repairs, preventative maintenance measures allow you to identify issues before they escalate into bigger, more troublesome problems. This means that you can monitor your equipment’s health and tackle any hazards on the spot, which will then favour optimal longevity and reduce the need for frequent, pricey purchases. In this respect, extending the lifespan of your machinery will cut your wastage levels, too. For example, regularly

KEEPING equipment and machines efficient and maintained can greatly improve sustainability efforts. For example, having preventative maintenance schedules in place can lead to up to 20 per cent savings in raw material usage, as well as a 30 per cent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. So, if you are actively trying to become more eco-conscious in your operations, what value can preventative maintenance bring to the table? Welding Alloys, an expert in cladding and hardfacing applications, looks at the importance of minimising equipment downtime to ensure energy is used as efficiently as possible. Whether it is machining equipment, cement plant components or components in the recycling industry, most industries are generally exposed to challenging wear environments. Many parts and components of machinery experience continuous friction, heat and stress during operation and will gradually wear out over time. As part of an effective preventative maintenance strategy, these require inspection, maintenance and repair to delay or avoid costly replacement and to keep the machinery running efficiently. Minimising equipment downtime by repairing components using the latest technologies is important to ensure energy is used as efficiently as possible. One of the most beneficial advantages of keeping your machinery in order is that it can improve energy efficiency. Pieter du Plessis, group product engineer at Welding Alloys, said: “Performing constant maintenance checks on your tools and equipment will

replacing worn-out welding torches with brand-new assets can generate significant waste, putting a dent in your sustainability efforts. Educating people about the impact of downtime on the environment might encourage them to review the performance of their own tools, too. Fostering a culture of sustainability within the business is a crucial step

Well-maintained equipment is more likely to operate in a clean, effective fashion

Welding Alloys www.welding-alloys.com

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SEPTEMBER 2024