We live in a time where things are constantly changing and upgrading for the better. It all goes so fast, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with technology. The world of engineering is not different. As time goes on, advances and growth in manufacturing equipment such as process chillers will keep coming. All of these fast-paced upgrades and changes are making us at Legacy wonder…what does the future of process chillers look like?
After doing some research and visiting a few sites, here are the top 3 areas we will most likely see changes in the near future to process chillers:
Energy Efficiency:
Nowadays, everyone is making significant efforts to improve energy efficiency. With this new trend it is no surprise that many companies will be focusing their efforts on creating process chillers that meet customer’s needs, but use as little energy as possible.
Since most process chillers are used for work applications, such as MRI’s, lasers, and breweries, they tend to be used for much longer periods during the day, compared to non-process applications such as air conditioning. As energy costs start to rise, manufacturing companies will look for more energy efficient and environmentally responsible mechanical equipment.
Legacy Chiller Systems anticipates growing demand for innovations in design that are cost effective, flexible in application to differing customer needs, and easy to maintain.
Preventative Maintenance:
For HVACR contractors, building facility managers that are in charge of maintaining mechanical equipment face an ongoing challenge of finding good workers to do this type of work. There has been a significant shortage of HVACR technicians over the past few years, and the shortage is expected to grow moving into the future.
As service providers are getting pressed with too much work and not enough qualified workers, one of the first areas to cut costs in is maintenance. Cutting down on maintenance techs and routine scheduled equipment maintenance can of course cause huge problems downs the road. Skipping out on maintenance can cause much more expensive emergency services needed down the road. The next generation of process chillers (especially those used in important life or death scenarios such as MRI or CT systems) will have the capability to tell us when there is trouble coming. This advanced notice will give service providers the time needed to plan ahead, and potentially fix the problem before it turns into something major and more costly. This new technology can also help reduce yearly maintenance costs by as much as 30%.
Remote Access and Communication:
Just like the amazing advances we have seen in computer networks, critical process equipment must also be able to access the outside world securely. HVACR manufacturers should offer these technologies as optional or even as standard features on all equipment.
To learn more about process chillers, visit our website at www.legacychillers.com.