PacB Group // Quality Generator Maintenance is a Mission-Critical Requirement

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Quality Generator Maintenance is a Mission-Critical Requirement

A reliable source of electricity is an essential requirement of any manufacturing operation, and when the mains supply proves unreliable or lacks sufficient power to meet the load demands of an industrial plant, electricity must be provided by means of an in-house, auxiliary power source. In remote locations, such as mining and construction sites that are beyond the reach of the national grid, their continued operation is totally dependent upon the ongoing ability to generate all of the required electrical power on site. Whether full-time operation or used on occasions only, wherever and whenever, it may be necessary to rely on a generator, regular maintenance is likely to be a mission-critical requirement.

These machines provide the life-blood of industry, and are often required to work under heavy loads for extended periods to maintain planned production levels. A new unit will normally carry a warranty of between two and five years, but any repairs or replacements will be contingent upon compliance with the recommended usage and servicing requirements. For this reason, many plants choose to keep one or more standby units that can be brought online when others need to be taken offline in order to undergo repairs or routine servicing. The added expense is more than justified when this is compared with the potential losses as a result of interruptions to a production line while the concept underlines the importance of implementing a programme of preventative generator maintenance.

As a general rule, manufacturers recommend that their products undergo a service about every six months or after 400 hours of operation, whichever comes first. Only in this way can one rely on the equipment to continue operating at peak efficiency and attaining the planned production targets. Some units are only able to run continuously for about eight hours while others may do so for several days. None, however, should be allowed to run for much longer than this, as doing so will significantly increase the risk of a breakdown and might even result in irreparable damage. In practice, correct usage is every bit as important as regular generator maintenance.

The question arises as to whether it might be sufficient to delegate the task to a suitably experienced member of staff or, instead, to rather seek the support of a third-party professional. While a staff member may well have the skills, it is important that he or she is also familiar with the brand and model of the equipment in use. In addition, the decision to conduct servicing in-house will also necessitate maintaining a stock of essential spares on site, along with any special tools that might be required. Furthermore, if the decision is to employ a staff member to conduct generator maintenance, he or she will be unable to undertake regular work tasks whilst busy with a service. These, in fact, are some of the main reasons why most owners prefer to assign this responsibility to the supplier.

A specialised company, such as the PacB Group is not just a supplier of gensets, but also a designer and manufacturer of bespoke systems based on world-leading brands, such as Perkins, Cummins, Volvo, Mitsubishi, Scania, and more. This means the group can be relied upon to stock the widest range of spares and accessories for each of these brands whilst possessing the knowledge, experience, and facilities to provide the quality of service that is essential both for reliable installation and ongoing generator maintenance.

Those clients who chose to appoint Electech, the group’s installation, service, repair, and monitoring division, to undertake the servicing role will not only be guaranteed the attention of an engineer with an in-depth knowledge of their particular model of generator and its specific maintenance requirements, but will also enjoy a generous extension of six months to the basic warranty period. All good reasons to place your next order with PacB Group.