Food and Beverage processing is entering an era of automation driven by the ability to collect and analyze data at unprecedented scale. Companies that find efficiencies through capital investments will remain profitable while those that maintain business as usual will struggle.
"The engineers are really focusing on all types of equipment and systems and drains are one that play a really important role in hygiene."
The 40 Year Old Problem
Scale through consolidation has been the mantra of food and beverage conglomerates for the last 2 decades, but scale alone can concentrate failure if it is not intelligently maintained. Fast moving consumer goods have seen an increase in unplanned downtime since 2019. While outdated drainage cannot be blamed for an industry wide trend, it can be seen as a contributing factor. Standing water and blockages waste hours on tasks unrelated to the manufacture of saleable products.
There is a freight train coming in the form of failing 40 year old cast iron and plastic drainage buried under legacy facilities. Our team has encountered this first hand through site visits with our many valued clients. In response we have built a framework to help facility managers tackle this issue head-on.
From understanding the asset lifecycle to building a culture where planning and prevention take priority over reactivity, our RENEW program seeks to holistically solve drainage and related productivity issues. This is accomplished through the assessment, preparation and replacement of these core systems on timelines that work within facility production schedules rather than against them.
"I have first hand experience in these aging food facilities where you see a blockage occur and you see standing water and pooling water right in the production area."
Drainage Reliability 101
To this day many companies do not treat drainage in the same way that they do other pieces of hygienic equipment on the factory floor.
In the past substandard drainage systems could be supplemented with cheap labor in order to raise their performance. Due to structural labor shortages and increased wages that time is gone. Now a single worker must oversee tasks that were once handled by multiple employees. That means that efficiencies need to be gained at every turn. Substandard drainage is now not only a liability it impacts performance, productivity and ultimately market valuations.
Workers can no longer spend time dealing with system blockages or calling expensive professionals to come handle the job. They need systems and SOP’s that are part of a daily maintenance plan. This maintains HACCP compliance and ensures the safe and orderly operation of the automated systems within the plant.
From understanding the asset lifecycle to building a culture where planning and prevention take priority over reacting to breakdowns, our team formulates a plan built for you. Our RENEW program is for anyone whose decisions influence asset performance and planning, even when maintenance isn’t part of their day-to-day title.
Simple changes can make big differences. One of the first things that we check is if the drains have proper strainer baskets and if there is an SOP to guarantee they are emptied on a regular schedule. These straightforward tools prevent solids from entering and eventually clogging the plumbing and piping system.
"Really it comes down to ensuring that there are proper strainer baskets in the drains and ensuring that these strainer baskets are regularly emptied."
Building on success.
Our drainage evaluation program is designed to deliver as much or as little service as our clients require. Starting with a simple change like adding strainer baskets we can proceed to intermediate solutions like replacing individual drains and even larger projects like excavating to add modern linear drainage solutions while upgrading plumbing and piping.
As a manufacturer of hygienic drainage we consider drains to be paramount to efficient and sanitary operations, but we know that great products need to be paired with great services. Once a drainage evaluation program is completed it is passed through to our project management team who connect the dots. Our Alliance Partner Program connects you with contractors who are qualified to perform all aspects of the scope of work laid out in the original plan.
Hygienic drainage is an essential component in the race to modernize infrastructure for the coming wave of AI and associated automation. We have the tools, people and processes to set our clients up for success in the marketplace of the 2030’s and beyond.
Contact one of our trained drainage experts today for a free consultation.