Benefits of Upgrading Industrial Equipment Sooner Rather Than Later

Each year, you may wonder whether it’s time to upgrade the industrial equipment in your treatment plant, refinery, factory, or another industrial work environment. The gear you use isn’t cheap, and you want to get as much use out of everything as possible. Should you upgrade as soon as possible, or would it be okay to try to get more use out of older equipment?

While you can take several steps to preserve your current industrial equipment, it’s good to recognize the advantages of being proactive. Here are a few benefits of upgrading industrial equipment sooner rather than later.

Less Downtime

Your industry may rely on rugged electronic equipment, such as a class 1 div 2 certified device, like an Antaira ethernet switch. If so, you likely want to give your employees time to learn how to use new equipment. Switching out older models before they break down completely means your workforce has time to learn how to make the most of new equipment. The more time your employees have to familiarize themselves with new equipment, the less downtime they endure.

Greater Efficiency and Productivity

How do you quickly determine how well a piece of equipment’s performing? Two of the most vital factors are cost and time. For instance, if you or your team take longer than usual to finish a task because of an equipment malfunction, it could be due for an equipment upgrade. The same applies if equipment requires constant costly repairs or maintenance.

By not waiting to upgrade industrial equipment, you can maintain overall productivity and efficiency. Upgraded equipment helps your team keep up with their job duties and work projects. Understandably, you don’t want to put projects on hold while waiting for new equipment to arrive. Enduring the wait or work disruption is sure to be less of a headache compared to the lost revenue and wasted hours endured while using outdated equipment.

Fewer Malfunctions and Breakdowns

Older industrial equipment doesn’t have as many monitoring instruments, fail-safe mechanisms, or industry upgrades as newer equipment. This could mean malfunctions and breakdowns happen unexpectedly more often. With a sufficient warning of an impending failure, you can have a technician repair the equipment before it stops working suddenly or malfunctions. 

Greater Availability of Parts

Technology advances at a lightning-fast pace, and equipment manufacturers may stop producing outdated equipment in favor of newer models. It could be harder to buy replacement or spare parts for older equipment. Even if you find the part you need for older equipment, it may come at a higher price if the manufacturer discontinued the model.

Greater availability of parts also comes into play with regular maintenance. If you have older equipment, you could have trouble finding someone with the know-how to repair it. The longer equipment goes without maintenance, the longer you may have to wait to use it.

Improved Customer Experience

Depending on your industry, customers may depend on your industrial equipment just as much as you do. Malfunctioning or broken equipment could trigger delivery delays and lost revenue. 

Upgrading equipment sooner rather than later could help keep customers happy, help you meet your obligations, and preserve your professional reputation. Your customers could be so pleased with your services and updated equipment that they recommend you to others, which could bring in new business and more revenue.

While it costs money to upgrade industrial equipment, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. See how much more efficient your company can be and how much happier your employees and customers feel when you act quickly on upgrading your industrial equipment.