Keeping Medical Product Production Up When the Power Is Down

It is well documented that low morale can lead to lower productivity across a manufacturing workforce, creating significant financial losses. It’s also no surprise that power outages can exact a heavy cost on medical product manufacturers. When things go dark, there’s a myriad of issues. Staff downtime, damage to sensitive equipment, spoiled refrigerated products, inventory security, and disrupted delivery and distribution schedules will have an impact across the entire supply chain.

During the summer months, we have a grid that is frequently overburdened by record-breaking temperatures. And year-round, there are severe weather events, including hurricanes, tornadoes, and wind and ice storms that can trigger power outages—not just in the “eye” of these storms but in the outlying areas as well. Additionally, if the power goes out during the winter, manufacturers are vulnerable to a second crisis. When the heat goes off, pipes could freeze and burst. If that happens, everything in your facility is susceptible to damage. Excessive water can destroy walls and floors, computers, equipment, files, and inventory.

Everything is at stake for these companies if they are not prepared with backup energy during a power outage. From new device innovation and prototype testing to production and distribution to customer service and sales, without electricity, business stops for medical device designers and manufacturers, shrinking the bottom line and eroding trust in the brand.

Yet, by being proactive, it is possible to stay open and operating, even when power is down across the area. Standby generators and battery storage systems are two power solutions to consider.

Battery backup systems can work with or without solar panels. As a standalone system, they can collect energy from the grid, which is then stored for later use. These systems include an inverter with an integrated automatic transfer switch (ATS) to sense a grid outage and switch between the primary power source and the backup battery system. They are compact, stackable, and can easily attach to the wall of a storage room or outside on the side of a building. With battery backup, the power interruption may be hard to detect since the switchover is almost instantaneous, silent, and emission-free. In addition, battery systems can be used for utility rate arbitrage to lower electricity costs by running operations on battery power during peak utility rate times.

Permanent standby generators are always installed outdoors so they don’t take up office space, and the noise will be muted. They need to be placed on a concrete slab at least five feet away from windows, doors, and fresh air intakes. Connecting to the natural gas line is usually the most convenient fuel source, but a standby generator can also use liquid propane. In either case, a standby generator is connected to the electrical panel by an ATS, which monitors the utility line and immediately recognizes when power is lost. When that happens, it will trigger the unit to automatically start within seconds so business can continue without interruption and switch off when it is no longer needed. In addition, the unit conducts an automatic weekly self-test so it’s always ready to kick in fast and seamlessly when the next outage occurs.

Knowing what size generator your medical device manufacturing facility will require depends on what you want powered during an outage. Some businesses will want to keep essential lights, communications, internet, and computer systems up and running, while others will want all operations running as usual. You can essentially choose what you want to power by pre-programming your system, so when the grid goes down, your specific areas of the building will stay lit and working.

Medical product companies can avoid losses caused by power outages by being proactive. Keep your workforce motivated, your supply chain moving, and your customers satisfied by ensuring the lights never go out!

Donna McGinnis is director of marketing at Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions, delivering energy resilience and energy efficiency to businesses and homeowners. With over a decade working in the residential and commercial backup power industry, she is at the forefront of power outage solutions, including backup battery trends as more businesses and homeowners embrace this emission-free technology that can be used as a supplement to utility power or to go completely off the grid.