When the grid goes out, entire businesses could be in jeopardy. Global power leader Cummins offers tailored service solutions to help facility managers stay on top of their routine maintenance and avoid any worst case scenarios.
Blackouts can be ‘mission critical’ for facilities like hospitals, airports, data centres, banks and call centres. Grid outages affect infrastructure that is crucial to the operations of these businesses, with consequences as dire as a total loss of information or monetary transactions, or – in the case of two multinational airports – the shut down of whole terminals.
Keeping the power on, even when the grid goes out, is imperative to sustaining the essential operations of any business.
Generator maintenance plans help FMs do their jobs
Facilities managers are masters of maintaining ‘business as usual’. Tenants usually only call upon their facility manager when something goes wrong, so if people don’t really know what it is that their FM does, that’s usually a sign of a job well done.
In the event of a grid outage, your power generators should similarly be primed to take over and keep everything operational without any costly downtime. A power generation maintenance agreement offers that extra layer of assurance that a business is always powered.
A tailored power generation solution
Cummins works with facilities managers to come up with customised power generation service solutions for the scope of works they want. The team takes the time to really understand unique servicing requirements, or even goals like decarbonisation, and provides innovative plans that cater to these specifications.
Cummins is there for the whole asset lifecycle, supporting FMs to choose the right generator and then maintain it to maximise its value.
Expert service from start to finish
As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Cummins has technicians that know Cummins’ engines better than anyone, while also training them to service other models.
Expert technicians are fully qualified to inspect, test and ensure all generators are in tip-top shape when the grid fails, particularly during high-risk storm seasons. A service agreement then gives FMs access to those technicians whenever, wherever they need them to pinpoint problems and perform repairs.
This is all backed by a 24/7 support centre that isn’t manned by contractors, but by in-house personnel.
“The customer rings up and they can provide the generator or engine serial number and our call centre will support them based on what their needs are,” explains Stuart Quinn, the aftermarket business development manager of power generation APAC.
Cummins technicians service all brands and models – and they know Cummins’ engines better than anyone.
The dangers of neglecting your generator maintenance
Quinn has been in the electrical business for over 30 years now, working in the trade, service operations and facilities management. In his experience, a lack of focus on generator maintenance can reflect poorly on the reliability of your facility management.
“Maintenance is key to reliable operation,” he says.
“Engagement with a service provider, who has a custom-designed generator service plan, is essential for dependable operations.”
Service providers like Cummins can help you perform essential tests like black starts. This is where power is turned off 100 percent to assess whether your generator can actually perform its imperative function.
“Failure to test total operation of generator and associated switchgear can often lead to unwelcome issues when you least expect or need them,” he explains
“Difficulties around arranging and scheduling black start tests can mean the most important function of testing your system is often overlooked or limited in operation. This results in issues going undiagnosed, compromising reliability. Planned scheduled testing is key for full functionality testing of emergency generator performance.”
What should FMs do to prepare for power outages?
Generator maintenance can be complicated to keep up with, but partnering with Cummins takes away the need to be across granular detail.
As an experienced manufacturer of diesel engines and generators, Cummins can offer both mechanical and electrical generator servicing and testing for Cummins and all other brands of generation. Cummins offers 24-7 technical support with fast response and diagnosis, ongoing communication as well as a 12-month parts warranty.
For further information about Cummins’ power generation service solutions, visit the website.
