Electric heaters in industry — how to avoid costly breakdowns and extend their service life?
Failure of an electric heater at an industrial plant is not only an expense associated with replacing an element, but also real losses due to production downtime. Sometimes one faulty heater is enough to stop the entire technological line, stop the execution of orders and generate costs calculated in tens of thousands of zlotys. In such situations, we realize how crucial these inconspicuous components play and how important their trouble-free operation is.
Invisible risk — where do failures come from?
Although electric heaters are relatively simple devices, their operation in a demanding industrial environment carries many risks. Damage often results from overheating of elements, improper installation, operation in conditions exceeding the permissible parameters or ordinary wear of the material. A lack of regular maintenance also contributes to the failure — in many companies, heaters are left unattended until they stop working. Then it is too late for prevention — all that remains is to react quickly and count losses.
The accumulation of deposits is also a common problem, especially in heaters operating in tanks with water or other liquids. Boiler stone creates an insulating layer that interferes with proper heat transfer and leads to overheating of the core. In extreme cases, there is a burnout of the heater, which can even damage the device in which it was installed.
Material selection — the foundation of durability
In order for the heater to work flawlessly for many years, only good build quality is not enough. Of key importance is the material from which it is made - especially the outer jacket, which has direct contact with the working environment. In conditions of high humidity, aggressive chemistry or elevated temperature, ordinary stainless steel may not cope with the task. In these cases, it is worth investing in solutions made of more resistant alloys that maintain stability even in the most demanding applications.
Engineers are often faced with a choice between cost and durability. However, practice shows that the savings at the purchase stage often pay off in the long run - cheaper heaters require more frequent replacement, and each failure is not only the cost of a new part, but also the operational and logistical costs resulting from the stoppage of work.
Operation with your head — or how to extend the service life
Regular inspection of the technical condition of the heaters allows you to detect wear even before it leads to failure. It is extremely important to monitor the operating temperature, the tightness of the installation, as well as the resistance of the insulation. Simple service operations, such as cleaning from deposits or checking power lines, can significantly increase the time of trouble-free operation. In precisely designed industrial installations, temperature sensors are used that work together with the control system, ensuring stable operation of heaters and protection against overload.
It is also becoming increasingly popular to plan preventive replacements — before the heater fails. Based on the operating history of a given device, it is possible to estimate its life cycle and prepare in advance for technical downtime. Such a strategy allows for better production management and reduces the risk of sudden stops.
An investment that pays off
A well-chosen and properly operated heater can work reliably for many years, without the need for intervention. Examples from the market show that the use of heaters made of resistant alloys and the implementation of simple maintenance procedures can reduce the failure rate by up to 60%. In plants where heaters were previously replaced every 6—12 months, after upgrading the installation, their service life increased to three or even five years.
In an era of rising energy, raw material and labor costs, any failure is a potential source of loss. Therefore, more and more companies stop treating heaters as a cheap, replaceable component and begin to see them as an investment in the stability and safety of technological processes.
Example from practice
A good example of how costly a seemingly minor failure can be is the situation in one of the plastic processing plants in the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship. During a routine production shift, there was a sudden breakdown of the band heaters in the extruder — a key device in the process of extruding plastic profiles. The entire line was immobilized for almost 72 hours. The problem was not only the lack of efficient heaters, but also the lack of spare parts on site — bringing in new components and installing them took longer than expected.
The direct cost of purchasing and replacing the heaters amounted to about PLN 2,000, but the biggest losses occurred on the downtime side. Within two days, the plant was unable to fulfill orders, which translated into lost revenue of PLN 53,000. In addition, it was necessary to pay contractual penalties against key customers — a total of PLN 23,000 for delays in deliveries. As a result, the total cost of this one failure reached PLN 60,000.
After this event, the company approached Sinkoplex with a request to select a more durable solution. After conducting a detailed analysis of the operating conditions of the device and the history of failures, we proposed replacing the existing heaters with a more resistant solution — ceramic band heaters, which better cope with long-term operation at high temperatures and achieve a higher thermal range. The heaters used were additionally equipped with a built-in temperature sensor, which cooperates with the precision control system, which allows constant monitoring of operating parameters and protection of the element from overheating.
The effect of this change was both immediate and long-term. Since the implementation of the new solution, the plant has not recorded a single breakdown of the heaters for more than three years of continuous operation. The investment paid off after just a few months, mainly due to avoided downtime and a more stable production rhythm. Today, the heating system is treated as a key element of the infrastructure — with full awareness of its impact on the safety and efficiency of the entire process.
summary
Electric heaters, although often invisible and underestimated, are one of the pillars of the stable operation of many industrial installations. Their failure can paralyze production and generate unnecessary costs. The key to avoiding such situations is the conscious selection of materials, consideration of environmental conditions, thoughtful operation and implementation of routine maintenance activities. Caring for heaters is not a technical detail — it is part of strategic production management.