Technological advancements in the last one hundred years have led to the regular use of advanced piping systems built to transport, store, and manufacture our resources. All of these require some level of mechanical insulation to keep each system working at its most efficient. High efficiency directly correlates to sustainability. Here are three ways that mechanical insulation helps to encourage sustainable practices:
Sustain Your Energy
At its core, mechanical insulation was first developed to prevent heat loss and gain within mechanical systems. This means that those systems do not need to work as hard to get the same amount of work done. Imagine having a shovel and needing to fill a bucket with sand, but the bucket has a hole in the side. You would have to work harder and faster in order to fill the bucket before more sand leaks out. Now imagine the bucket is reinforced, with nowhere for the sand to leak out. That’s what mechanical insulation does for industry. The more energy is conserved, the less needs to be used. The less energy being used, the lighter the environmental footprint.
Sustain Your People
Furthermore, mechanical insulation directly creates a safer and healthier environment for workers. It can combat mold growth, inhibit the spread and development of contaminants, controls surface temperature of equipment, and reduces noise from ducts, pipes, and equipment. A healthier workplace means less time off for sick leave, greater employee satisfaction, and more productivity. In short, your people will be healthier, happier, and put out more efficient work.
Sustain Your Equipment
There are a three major ways that mechanical insulation also works to preserve your equipment.
- Fireproofing. Smoke and gases released during a fire can be lethal. They will attempt to take up any open space, including the small spaces around cables and pipes that pass through walls and floors. Insulation seals these gaps so that the fire, and the resulting damage, can’t travel far.
- Freeze Protection. Industries in Alberta are no stranger to the damage caused by our extreme winters. Through a combination of condensation and temperature control, mechanical insulation protects systems from succumbing to the elements.
- General Wear and Tear. Because systems that have proper mechanical insulation are putting out less energy, they will naturally generate less wear and tear on equipment.
Equipment repair can cost thousands of dollars every year. Not to mention the downtime experienced when something needs to be replaced or adjusted. On the other hand, ignoring faulty equipment could result in a highly inefficient system which has to work much harder than it would otherwise need to.
In sum, it is in every industry leader’s best interest to work towards a more sustainable future. Mechanical insulation is key to achieving this goal. It’s installation and maintenance automatically creates sustainable practices, and in turn, sustainability is dependent upon the use of mechanical insulation in industrial applications. Contact us today to find out why industry leaders choose us for their mechanical insulation.
