A leading South African process instrumentation specialist, Endress+Hauser, believes it has redefined the way in which business will be conducted in its field by introducing the concept of full maintenance leasing of instrumentation.
"Primarily, there are two factors that have lead to this decision," MD John Immelman explains. "The first revolves around obtaining accurate information from process measurement devices."
Although assumed to be a precise science, process measurement faces challenges like measured product chemical composition, abrasion characteristics, material compatibility - variables that each play a significant role in the reliability and longevity of process measurements. Therefore, selecting the right instrument for a particular measuring application not only requires vast technical knowledge, but also extensive experience. Recently introduced software tools provide some assistance, but are far from being definitive.
The second problem standing between process industry and well maintained measuring equipment is the increased pressure of having to improve productivity and shareholder value, which often leads to instrumentation departments being downsized and often integrated with electrical departments.
"While I am not for one second saying that electricians are less competent than instrumentation technicians, one cannot ignore the different skills-sets required by the respective divisions," Immelman points out. "Add to that the fact that scheduled yearly shutdowns for maintenance purposes including instrumentation are becoming increasingly undesirable in many industries and you have a real dilemma with regard to the efficient and reliable operation of process measurements."
Having identified this problem, Endress+Hauser devised the solution of full maintenance instrumentation leasing. In exchange for a pre-determined monthly premium, the instrumentation specialist will take responsibility for all its new measuring points in a plant, from financing the initial capital investment and replacement costs to maximising performance and ensuring optimal operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The company estimates that a typical pressure measuring point could cost less than R200 a month over 36 months. "Clearly there are measuring points that are more suited to this concept, such as high capital cost industrial samplers for effluent treatment monitoring, or high maintenance applications, such as wastewater analysers that need frequent replacing of reagents, but even electromagnetic flowmeters would fit the strategy," says Immelman.
"In general though, the concept is about reducing cost of ownership by removing the instrumentation maintenance responsibility from the client, and for Endress+Hauser to guarantee accurate, reliable process-variable information, on a 24/7 basis.
"We already have a few industrial effluent sampling stations effectively operating on this principle," Immelman reveals, adding that he expects significant interest in the concept to come from "plants who accept the philosophy of paying for process information as opposed to purchasing instruments".
Endress+Hauser
(011) 262 8000
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