COMMENT u SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC Circularity in manufacturing:


Four steps to smarter lifecycle management Rhonda Doyle, senior director field services operations for UK and Ireland at Schneider Electric, explains why circularity and repairability are critical for a sustainable future


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Industrial technologies have advanced rapidly over the last two decades. But manufacturers are still having


to rethink how to bring their facilities up to today’s new standards, beyond wholesale equipment replacement. Manufacturing firms in Ireland are under


pressure to demonstrate that they are making tangible progress in achieving their corporate sustainability and related circularity goals. While adopting renewables and reducing energy consumption is critical, the reduction of material waste through circular manufacturing is also integral to sustainable operations. Subsequently, the shift to decarbonised, low- waste operations has become a top business priority. The growing awareness of the need to address energy waste and embrace efficiencies has led to a change in mindset. The traditional linear model of ‘buy, use, dispose of, replace’ is changing to a more circular process comprising ‘buy, use, repair/upgrade, recycle’. However, organisations must be adequately equipped to implement whatever structural and process changes are necessary without causing any significant disruption to production. In recent years, businesses have observed that increased visibility through data analytics and digitally-connected supply chains have been critical to overcoming traditional sustainable manufacturing hurdles. From a maintenance perspective, businesses


have found that using software-based monitoring and management technologies, combined with sensors, helps assess equipment performance and proactively predict optimum


10 June 2023 Irish Manufacturing


repair and refurbishment cycles. This type of condition-based maintenance extends the lifespan of manufacturing assets and reduces failure and downtime. It drives greater operational and electrical efficiency while optimising material usage and decreasing carbon footprint.


Businesses can use the following four steps to maximise the lifespan of products and equipment used to support operations:


BASE-LEVEL ASSESSMENT The process of life cycle management begins with a rigorous audit of an organisation’s electrical infrastructure. This assesses the criticality of assets and equipment across multiple sites. It’s used to catalogue assets and equipment based on age, location, quality, product lifecycle, and resilience. It provides a baseline that can be used to


evaluate equipment against current and future power requirements, while also informing decarbonisation strategies?. In addition, it provides an assessment of critical installations that may be exposed to risk via sensors and networks connected to IT and cloud infrastructures.


DIGITISE EQUIPMENT From that point, you can begin developing upgrade plans to replace outdated components with modern, digitised versions that could add


decades of useful life to existing equipment. REFURBISH Rather than ‘rip and replace’ systems that have been running for 20-30 years, essential infrastructure products can be affordably refurbished to meet optimum quality standards and performance standards. This minimises waste and maximises efficiency. Additionally, these older units can be configured with sensors to take advantage of predictive maintenance service plans and enable around- the-clock remote monitoring.


RECYCLE AND REPAIR Historically, industrial equipment requiring simple repairs has been replaced by expensive new equipment. But this approach has led to unnecessary material waste and higher costs. Repair solutions that embrace innovative spare parts strategies offer a much more affordable alternative while contributing to circularity while achieving greater sustainability. This process also ensures hazardous substances like sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) gas are recovered and, where appropriate, purified for use in other applications. When combined, these circularity services help to eliminate waste by up to 90%. It helps manufacturers make the most out of their existing assets while reducing their impact on resources, materials, and carbon emissions- driven climate change.


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