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In order to compete with the larger manufacturing companies, smaller firms will need to run a highly efficient and resilient operation. Uninterruptible power supplies are, therefore, a vital and fundamental component of this.
Small and medium manufacturers face energy waste and equipment downtime—areas where well-equipped solution providers can deliver impact and value.
As with any business, a growing carbon footprint combined with inefficiency can sap any manufacturing operation. And the result can be dire if not addressed.
“In our experience, a successful footprint transformation can improve companies’ resilience and sustainability and cut their global manufacturing and supply-chain costs by 20 percent to 50 percent,” Boston Consulting Group said in a recent study. “It can also help companies build competitive advantage by staying ahead of evolving global trends and capitalizing on new opportunities.”
Schneider Electric agreed in a recent blog post:
“There are two main reasons small and medium-sized manufacturing is such an interesting market right now: The size of the sector in any economy, and the opportunity for Schneider Electric to provide manufacturing digitization solutions that address some of the most prominent pain points of the industry,” said Schneider Electric’s Zurica Hansen.
The manufacturing sector consisted of fewer than 240,000 firms in 2020, according to a report from the National Association of Manufacturers. More than 93 percent of these organizations had fewer than 100 employees. This sector makes up more than 33 percent of all energy consumed in the U.S.
In order to compete with the larger manufacturing companies, smaller firms will need to run a highly efficient and resilient operation. Uninterruptible power supplies are, therefore, a vital and fundamental component of this. A key consideration for this type of UPS installation is the need to maintain high availability. The EcoStruxure Micro Data Center R-Series offers a complete IT solution that combines power, cooling, security, and monitoring in an enclosed, NEMA-rated enclosure, ideal for manufacturing floors.
Investment in energy-efficient software is equally important to manage and reduce operating expenses effectively. Getting a handle on energy use in a manufacturing setting isn’t just important to maintain efficiency and control over the carbon footprint, but data on energy use in this setting can act as a much broader barometer. To track this in real time, solution providers should consider Scheider Electric’s EcoStruxure Energy Hub.
The EcoStruxure Energy Hub actively offers a cloud-based energy management service for commercial, industrial and institutional buildings, streamlining energy management across their operational lifecycle and aiding in achieving sustainability goals. It was designed and deployed as an effective tool in achieving sustainability—particularly in manufacturing environments.
But the company doesn’t just provide sustainable IT solutions for manufacturing; it uses its own technology itself. Earlier this year, Schneider Electric opened its latest smart manufacturing facility outside El Paso, Tex., after a $300 million investment in the site. There, Schneider Electric produces custom electrical products for diverse settings, with the new El Paso plant's initial products recently shipped to data center sector customers.
Find more by visiting the Schneider Electric Technology Partner Program.
