• 2025/2/11 9:43:29

Air compressor "not bad not maintenance" can save money?

In industrial production, compressed air is the second largest power source after electricity, and its supply stability and reliability are crucial. As the core equipment of compressed air generation, the air compressor maintenance (hereinafter referred to as "maintenance") strategy has been the focus of attention of enterprises.

In recent years, in order to save costs, some enterprises have adopted the strategy of "not bad, not maintenance", that is, regular maintenance is not carried out when the air compressor does not fail, and maintenance is carried out only after the equipment fails.

This article will take a deeper look at whether this strategy actually saves money from multiple perspectives, and explore its potential risks and long-term implications.

First, the apparent cost advantage of the "no bad no maintenance" strategy

In the short term, the "no bad, no maintenance" strategy seems to bring the following cost advantages:

(1) Direct savings in maintenance costs

1. Reduce regular maintenance costs:

Regular maintenance usually includes the replacement of lubricating oil, filter, oil core and other wearing parts, as well as a comprehensive inspection, cleaning, debugging of the equipment.

Adopting a "no break, no maintenance" strategy can avoid or reduce the cost of these regular maintenance projects.

2. Reduce labor costs:

Periodical maintenance Arrange professional personnel to periodically check and maintain the device.

Do not carry out regular maintenance, can reduce labor input, reduce labor costs.

(2) Reduce spare parts inventory costs

1. Reduce the frequency of spare parts procurement:

Periodic maintenance requires regular replacement of wearing parts and reserve a certain number of spare parts.

If regular maintenance is not performed, the frequency of spare parts procurement can be reduced and spare parts inventory can be reduced.

2. Reduce capital usage:

Spare parts inventory requires enterprise funds.

Reducing spare parts inventory can free up funds for other purposes and improve the utilization rate of funds.

Second, the potential risks and long-term costs of the "no bad, no maintenance" strategy

However, in the long run, the "neither bad nor bad" strategy is not wise, and its potential risks and long-term costs far outweigh the short-term savings.

(A) Equipment failure rate increased, maintenance costs soared

1. Lack of maintenance leads to accelerated aging of equipment:

Lubricating oil deterioration, filter blockage, oil core failure and so on will affect the normal operation of the equipment.

Without regular maintenance, these problems cannot be solved in time, which will accelerate device wear and aging.

For example, lubricating oil deterioration will lead to reduced lubrication effect, increasing friction and wear of moving parts; Filter clogging can lead to increased intake resistance, affecting equipment efficiency and life.

2. Small problems add up to big breakdowns:

Regular maintenance can detect and solve minor equipment problems in time to prevent them from developing into major failures.

Without regular maintenance, small problems will accumulate, and eventually lead to sudden equipment failure.

For example, the slight wear of the bearing is not treated in time, which may lead to bearing damage, and even cause serious failures such as rotor jam.

3. Significant increase in maintenance costs:

The repair cost of a sudden failure is usually much higher than the cost of regular maintenance.

Unexpected failures require emergency maintenance, which may require additional costs such as overtime pay and emergency spare parts procurement.

Some serious failures may require replacement of core components, which can be costly to repair.

In addition, equipment failure shutdown will also lead to production interruption, resulting in greater economic losses.

(2) The equipment life is shortened, and the replacement cost is increased

1. Shortened equipment life:

If regular maintenance is not carried out, the equipment will be in a sub-health state for a long time, and the life will be greatly shortened.

For example, a properly maintained screw air compressor can have a service life of 8-10 years, while a lack of maintenance equipment may only be able to use 3-5 years.

2. Increased cost of equipment replacement:

Shorter equipment life means that equipment needs to be replaced more frequently.

Equipment renewal requires a lot of investment, increasing the capital expenditure of enterprises.

In addition, new equipment procurement, installation, commissioning, etc., also requires time and labor costs.

(3) Increased energy consumption and rising operating costs

1. Reduced equipment efficiency:

Lack of maintenance can lead to decreased equipment efficiency, such as:

Lubricating oil deterioration will increase friction loss and reduce mechanical efficiency.

Filter clogging increases intake resistance and reduces volumetric efficiency.

A cooling system failure increases the temperature of the device and affects the compressor performance.

2. Increased energy consumption:

Reduced equipment efficiency means that more energy needs to be consumed to produce the same amount of compressed air.

For example, a lack of maintenance screw air compressor, its specific power may be 10%-15% higher than normal maintenance equipment.

3. Rising operating costs:

The increase in energy consumption directly leads to an increase in operating costs.

In addition, equipment downtime can also cause energy waste.

(4) Increased security risks

1. Equipment failure may lead to safety accidents:

For example, serious wear of equipment components may result in an explosion or fire.

Equipment that lacks maintenance is more likely to have problems such as oil leakage and air leakage, and there are security risks.

2. A threat to the health and safety of personnel:

Device faults may degrade the compressed air quality and affect the production environment.

For example, the leakage of lubricating oil into the compressed air system can pollute the compressed air and endanger the health of the operator.

Third, the correct maintenance strategy

In order to effectively control costs under the premise of ensuring equipment reliability and safety, enterprises should adopt the following maintenance strategies:

(1) Formulate reasonable maintenance plans

1. According to the type of equipment, use environment and use intensity, develop a personalized maintenance plan.

For example, for heavy load air compressors that run continuously for 24 hours, the maintenance period should be appropriately shortened.

2. Follow the maintenance cycle and project recommended by the equipment manufacturer.

The manufacturer's maintenance suggestions are based on a lot of experiments and practices, and have high reference value.

(2) Implementing condition monitoring and predictive maintenance

1. Install sensors and monitoring systems to monitor the running status of the equipment in real time.

For example, monitoring lubricating oil temperature, pressure, vibration and other parameters.

2. Use data analysis technology to evaluate and predict equipment status.

Identify potential problems in time and make a targeted maintenance plan.

3. Implement predictive maintenance to reduce the occurrence of sudden failures.

For example, based on monitoring data, preventive maintenance is carried out before equipment fails.

(3) Strengthen the training of maintenance personnel

1. Improve the professional skills and responsibility awareness of maintenance personnel.

Ensure that maintenance work is carried out in a standard and efficient manner.

2. Conduct regular training for maintenance personnel and update knowledge system.

Master the latest maintenance technology and methods.

(4) Attach importance to spare parts management

1. Establish a reasonable spare parts inventory management mechanism.

It is necessary to ensure the timely supply of key spare parts and avoid overstocking of spare parts.

2. Select high-quality spare parts suppliers to ensure the quality of spare parts.

(5) Regular evaluation of maintenance strategies

1. Regularly analyze maintenance costs and equipment operating conditions.

Evaluate the effectiveness of the maintenance strategy and adjust it according to the actual situation.

2. Continuously optimize the maintenance plan, improve the maintenance efficiency, and reduce the maintenance cost.

Although the "no bad no maintenance" strategy can save a certain amount of maintenance costs in the short term, in the long run, it will lead to increased equipment failure rate, shortened life, increased energy consumption, increased security risks and other problems, and ultimately cause greater economic losses.

Enterprises should abandon this short-sighted approach, develop scientific and reasonable maintenance strategies, effectively control maintenance costs under the premise of ensuring equipment reliability and safety, and achieve the optimization of equipment life cycle costs.

Only in this way can we create greater value for enterprises and escort safe production.