There are some obvious, and some not so obvious, issues that affect your factory’s efficiency. Some are more technical than others, but this article will mainly deal with the less technical side of things; ways you can improve energy efficiency without having to call in the experts.
Toe the line
Let’s start with the obvious place first; your line and its operating systems is the first place to look for inefficiencies. Does your line break down in places? Does it at times crank along waiting to be fed inventory or components? Is energy expended even when the line isn’t being fed what it needs to operate at full capacity? Assess the locations of all stock and line supplies. Are they as close as they could be? Are they replenished as often as they should be? Are your inventory and restocking systems as fast and accurate as they need to be?
Assess your equipment
Is your production line operating on a larger scale than it needs to be? Is your equipment designed for the levels you currently operate? Or are you expending unnecessary energy on a line your current demand can’t yet match? Match your equipment to your output now, not what you hope to achieve in five years. Excessive equipment will only eat into profits and hold your factory back.
Assess your clients
Are there any bad eggs in your production basket? Let’s face it, some clients are more profitable than others. Some are high volume, high efficiency additions to your monthly output. Others are simply complicated and place unwarranted demands on your line; demands of unrealistic volume and variety. If you have clients that create regular bottlenecks in your efficiency, maybe it’s time to suggest they go elsewhere. Only work with clients who match your factory’s strengths in both volume and inventory requirements.
Stop the spikes
Spikes are massive jumps in voltage when a bunch of machines are turned on at once resulting in an equal jump in your energy bill. By starting machines in a slower, more staged manner, you avoid spikes and save valuable energy.
