Reducing Downtime through Control System Preventative Maintenance

Your control system is the lifeblood of your operations. Whether your installed systems are modern, mature, or out of support from their vendors, keeping your plant running is often the top priority. A disruption to any of your control systems can cause long periods of downtime, leading to a negative impact on your company’s bottom line. Are you taking proactive measures to reduce unplanned downtime caused by control system failures? Are you equipped to quickly recover the system and return it to normal operations when such failures happen? Additionally, is economic uncertainty causing your CapEx to dry up, forcing you to squeeze in a few more years of your outdated system that had previously been slotted for an upgrade?

Modern control system hardware just isn’t as physically robust as it was in, say, the 1980s. Large, heavy metal chassis and modules have given way to smaller, plastic parts with smaller components. Communication equipment and protocols are orders of magnitude more complicated than your legacy Modbus, Data Highway, or ControlNet networks. Backup requirements for DCS, PLC, and HMI configurations are similar, but are they regularly backed up?

Think about your personal vehicle. Performing regular maintenance, such as oil changes and tire replacements will extend the life of your vehicle, giving you peace of mind. The same holds true for your control systems. Preventative maintenance (PM) can help to extend equipment life, optimize operational efficiency, and avoid disruptions due to unexpected issues.

When was the last time you opened the control cabinet to look for red indicator lights on modules, unwanted pests nesting (yes...we’ve seen it), or standing water in your outdoor cabinets? When was the last time you took a fresh backup of your control configuration or analyzed the error logs for issues? When was the last time you vacuumed out the dust from that server or workstation located in the control room? Preventing unplanned downtime is a critical responsibility for site personnel, and the ability to recover quickly from such downtime may be even more vital.

A strong control system preventative maintenance program should include regular visual inspections, software and configuration backups, system and error log reviews, operator interviews about recent issues, panel and network drawing verifications, and more. If you are not already performing these tasks at your site, why not? Again, you regularly change the oil in your car, right?

Applied Control Engineering, Inc. (ACE) has been designing and executing strategic preventative maintenance programs for our customers for over thirty years. Based on the criticality of your systems, we may recommend monthly or quarterly maintenance visits, with certain specialized tasks scheduled even less often. Our team collaborates with you to determine the optimal maintenance plan that meets your system requirements.

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