Engineering News

To assist companies in fully understanding the financial impact of a power outage or load-shedding on their businesses and operations, power solutions manufacturer Himoinsa developed the opportunity cost calculator, which is an interactive tool that consists of a template that clients can complete either by themselves or with the help of a Himoinsa consultant.

Clients would then be able to see the financial implication of an outage for a company when no backup power is available during those periods.

The calculator highlights the hidden costs of companies during an outage, which entails not only loss of production but also the cost of staff overtime and insurance, as well as the health and safety considerations.

Himoinsa business development director Matthew Bell explains that there are manufacturing plants that can shut down over a weekend or overnight without the manufacturing process being affected negatively.

However, in process manufacturing, the cost of downtime means loss of production and starting the plant up again will result in product waste.

“But, when companies factor in all of the costs of not having power, they will see the value in having a generator set and start investing in obtaining one.”

Meanwhile, Himoinsa’s detailed knowledge of the market, gained through its extensive sales network, has enabled it to develop increasingly tailored products for clients. Bell adds that, with these products, Himoinsa also offers value- added services and after-sales support.

Himoinsa offers clients a service agreement and maintenance contracts. “We have an in-house team of trained technicians and operational staff who ensures that regular maintenance is done in terms of after-sales and the service level agreement.”

This also ensures that warrantees are maintained, and the generator sets are serviced by an original-equipment manufacturer to ensure optimal performance.

Bell notes that, to ensure generator reliability, the company also offers a load-bank rental option. “Himoinsa recommends that companies use a load-bank at least once a year, especially in countries where load-shedding occurs more frequently.”

Additionally, as part of its value-added service, Himoinsa’s can integrate with uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems as an integrative measure between a generator set and the utility’s power supply, Bell explains.

UPS systems provide instant battery backup when the electrical power fails or drops to an unacceptable voltage level. Small UPS systems provide power for a few minutes, while larger systems have enough battery for several hours. Whereas a generator does not start immediately – and can take a short period of time to start and obtain full load – when the utility power supply stops.

“Mining houses and manufacturing facilities that require uninterrupted power will use this system to ensure that critical equipment runs uninterrupted until the generators are able to provide sufficient power for the full load requirements.”