Anyone who’s ever been burned after grabbing a piece of metal that was warming up for only a moment knows that metal heats up and cools off extremely quickly. Metal has a very low specific heat capacity which means it easily transfers thermal energy. This is a very useful property in some respects — it makes soldering possible. But for pipes transporting hot fluids, this property is dangerous and expensive.
Time lost due to injury is not only expensive for a company, but it’s also the worst thing that can happen to a team. Nobody want to feel as if they were responsible for one of their employees becoming injured on the jobsite, and most supervisors and managers take their role very seriously. Insulation works because, unlike metal, the materials used to make insulation do not easily transfer thermal energy from the pipe to the surface of the insulation. Usually this is accomplished by trapping air which has a high specific heat capacity. This keeps the heat trapped within the pipe and the fluid far away from any employees who may trip or otherwise grab onto the wrong pipe and severely burn themselves.
Save Money.
This means insulation is saving your company money thrice. First, it’s saving your company time lost and the many expenses that can follow injury. Secondly, the added insulations doesn’t just prevent burns it also passively keeps the fluid hotter for longer. That means your machinery won’t need to burn as much energy to actively keep fluids hot. Finally, if your machinery doesn’t need to work as hard, it won’t wear out as quickly. You’ll have fewer breakdowns and less unplanned downtime. We don’t need to tell you how expensive unscheduled shutdowns can get.
One of the Best Investments.
Between protecting your personnel and all the money proper insulation saves, studies have found that insulation is one of the best investments a company can make. Mechanical insulation pays for itself within a year, so there are only positive effects to your bottom line. If you’re ready to learn more about how insulation can save your company’s team and bank account, contact the experts at Westcal today at (403) 242-1357.
