If you’re an operations manager or plant supervisor relying on auxiliary machines to keep your production line running, you already know these workhorses—think air compressors, cooling towers, pump systems, and material handling units—don’t get the credit they deserve. Until one breaks down, that is. I’ve spent 12 years as an auxiliary machines supplier, walking the floor with plant teams when their auxiliary gear cuts output by 20% or more, and I’ve learned: optimizing performance isn’t a one-time fix—it’s a consistent, practical routine that saves you money and headaches. Auxiliary Machines
Let’s start with the biggest mistake I see new customers make: treating auxiliary machines as afterthoughts. Your main production line might get weekly maintenance, but that 10-horsepower air compressor humming in the corner? It’s often checked once a quarter, if that. The truth is, auxiliary machines account for 30-40% of a plant’s total energy use, according to the Department of Energy. Wasting that energy on avoidable inefficiencies is like throwing cash out the back door. The good news is, almost every auxiliary system can be tweaked to run better—no expensive new equipment required, at least not at first.
First, let’s talk about the foundation: routine maintenance, but not the kind you’re probably doing wrong. I see a lot of teams sticking to a “run until it breaks” approach for their auxiliary gear, but that’s a costly shortcut. Take our most common machine, the industrial air compressor. A dirty air filter can reduce its efficiency by 10% in just 30 days. That means it has to work harder to deliver the same amount of compressed air, jacking up your electricity bill. Last year, one of our customers in the Midwest had a compressor that was running at 70% efficiency instead of 92%—a gap that cost them $18,000 a year in extra power. We didn’t sell them a new compressor; we walked through a simple maintenance checklist: replacing filters every 200 operating hours, checking oil levels monthly, and tightening loose belts that were slipping. Within three months, their energy use dropped by 15%.
But maintenance isn’t just about parts. It’s also about monitoring. Too many plants still run their auxiliary machines blind—they check in on them once a day, if that. Modern auxiliary systems don’t have to be that way. Basic sensor systems (we offer entry-level kits for under $500) track temperature, pressure, and runtime in real time. Last quarter, a customer in the food and beverage industry used our sensor kits to notice their cooling tower was overheating at 2 p.m. every day, right when production was at its busiest. Turns out, the tower’s fan blade was cracked, a small issue that would have led to a 4-hour shutdown if they hadn’t caught it early. The sensor alert cost them nothing, but avoiding that shutdown saved them $12,000 in lost production. It’s not overkill—it’s peace of mind.
Next, load matching is a game-changer. A lot of auxiliary machines are sized for maximum demand, but if you’re only using 60% of that capacity 80% of the time, you’re wasting energy. Take pump systems, which are ubiquitous in manufacturing, water treatment, and even HVAC. Many plants run pumps at full speed 24/7, even when their needs are lower. Installing a variable frequency drive (VFD) is a cost-effective fix—these devices adjust the pump’s speed to match the actual demand, cutting energy use by 30-50% in many cases. I remember a customer in the chemical industry who had five large water pumps running around the clock. We helped them install VFDs on three of the pumps, which only ran during peak production hours. Their monthly energy bill dropped by $12,000, and they didn’t have to replace any of the pumps for another seven years.
For air compressors specifically, load matching means turning off unneeded machines when production slows down. I once worked with a metal stamping plant that ran two 100-hp compressors, even when they only needed 70% capacity on nights and weekends. We suggested adding a simple control system that triggers one compressor to shut off automatically when demand drops below a certain level. Within six months, their energy use from compressors was down 22%. It’s not complicated—you just need to adjust how your machines communicate with each other, not just with the production line.
Another often-overlooked area is air leaks in compressed air systems. A small 1/8-inch leak in an air line can waste 15,000 kWh a year, according to DOE data. That’s enough to power a small home for 16 months. I’ve seen plants with dozens of leaks that they didn’t even know about—they’re quiet, hard to spot, and add up fast. The fix? A simple leak survey. We help customers do these surveys once a year, using ultrasonic detectors that pick up the high-pitched whine of a leak. In a single day, you can find and fix leaks that cost you thousands. Last year, one of our automotive clients found 12 leaks during a survey, some as small as a cracked fitting. Fixing them saved them $21,000 in a year. It’s like plugging holes in a bucket—you don’t get the full value until you seal the leaks.
Cooling towers are another auxiliary machine where small issues lead to big inefficiencies. Scaling (mineral buildup) in the tower’s pipes reduces water flow, making the tower work harder to cool your process water. A 1/16-inch layer of scale can reduce cooling efficiency by 20%. That’s like having a fan that’s only spinning at 80% capacity. Regular water treatment to prevent scale and algae growth, plus occasional flushing, keeps the tower running at peak performance. I had a customer in the pharmaceutical industry who neglected their cooling tower for two years. The scale buildup was so bad that they had to replace the tower’s entire fill media—costing them $15,000—when a simple maintenance program would have kept it running smoothly. Don’t let small deposits turn into costly replacements.
Then there’s the human element. No matter how good your machines are, if your operators don’t know how to use them, you won’t get optimal performance. I’ve visited plants where operators would leave a pump running at full speed during a shift break, or adjust a compressor’s pressure higher than needed “just in case.” That’s a waste. Training your team on how to operate auxiliary machines correctly pays off. We offer free 2-hour training sessions for all our clients, covering basic operation, routine checks, and how to spot early signs of issues. One of our customers in the packaging industry used to have operators manually adjust their conveyor system’s speed every hour. After training, they programmed the conveyor to match the production line’s speed automatically, reducing wear and tear by 18% and their maintenance costs by $7,000 a year.
You also need to plan for the long term. As your production needs change, your auxiliary machines should adapt too. If you add a new production line that uses more compressed air, don’t just buy a bigger compressor—look at your existing system first. Maybe you can add a small booster instead, or upgrade your piping to reduce pressure loss. A lot of my sales starts with a customer saying, “I need a new machine,” and ends with them realizing they can optimize what they already have for half the cost. Last year, a customer in the textile industry was looking for a 150-hp air compressor to expand their production. We did an audit of their existing system and found they could add a VFD to their current 100-hp compressor and adjust their air lines to meet the new demand. They skipped buying the new machine, saving $25,000, and their energy use didn’t increase at all. That’s the kind of optimization that makes a real difference.
I know some of you might be thinking, “I don’t have time for all this maintenance or training.” But think about it: the cost of a shutdown from an auxiliary machine failure is almost always higher than the cost of preventive measures. A single hour of downtime for a mid-sized plant can cost $50,000 or more. Spending a few hundred dollars on sensors or a training session is nothing compared to avoiding that. And it’s not just about cost—optimized auxiliary machines are also more reliable, so your production runs smoother, your team is less stressed, and you can meet your delivery deadlines.
Let me be clear: I’m an auxiliary machines supplier, so I’m not here to tell you that you never need to buy new gear. But I am here to tell you that most of the time, you can get 80% of the performance improvement with 20% of the cost of a new machine. It’s about working with what you have, making small, consistent changes, and using data to make decisions instead of guesswork. That’s the approach we take with every client—no one-size-fits-all solutions, just practical, personalized steps that work for your operation.
If you’re tired of your auxiliary machines eating into your profits or causing unexpected headaches, let’s talk. We can do a free performance audit of your systems, point out where you’re losing efficiency, and outline a plan to optimize everything from your air compressors to your cooling towers. No pressure, no sales pitch—just straight talk about how to make your operation run better. Reach out to our team to schedule your audit and get started.
Plastic Extrusion Blow Molding Machine References
U.S. Department of Energy. (2022). Industrial Auxiliary Systems: Energy Efficiency Opportunities.
Global Industrial Machinery Association. (2023). Auxiliary Equipment Performance Best Practices.
International Organization for Standardization. (2021). ISO 50001: Energy Management Systems for Industrial Facilities.
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