Discover why focusing solely on CAPEX can cost millions in downtime. Learn how to calculate the real TCO and reduce operating costs in critical industries.

Why doesn't the initial price reveal the actual cost of your assets?

First, it is necessary to understand a common mistake that compromises millions in investments in electrical assets: decisions based exclusively on purchase price. In sectors such as steel, mining, and mission-critical industries, TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) is the metric that really matters for operational sustainability.

At first glance, equipment with lower CAPEX seems to be the smartest choice because of the cost. However, these initial savings often turn into exponential maintenance and energy costs and, above all, unscheduled downtime.

What is overlooked in the TCO analysis of electrical assets?

Similar to an iceberg, the purchase price represents only the visible tip of the costs. Most remain hidden, directly impacting operational profitability. In this sense, experienced managers have already incorporated TCO analysis into the evaluation of critical assets such as arc flash protection systems, thermographic monitoring, and integrated solutions.

1. TCO Operating Costs: Energy Efficiency Matters

Generic imported equipment consistently has lower energy efficiency, generating significant operating expenses over the years. For example, an asset with 5% less efficiency can represent hundreds of thousands of dollars in wasted energy annually.

In contrast, customized solutions such as those in the ZYGGOT family (based on relays, gateways, and smart sensors) are designed for maximum efficiency in their specific application, reducing consumption and the impact on industrial TCO.

2. Maintenance Costs and Service Life in TCO Calculation

Furthermore, the declared durability does not always reflect operational reality. Equipment that was not developed for internal conditions faces accelerated degradation. At the same time, the availability of spare parts and local technical expertise directly influence maintenance costs.

Similarly, systems that do not offer specialized support prolong downtime and increase the total cost of ownership, compromising operational availability.

3. Failure Costs: The Invisible Giant of TCO

Above all, the cost of downtime is the most devastating component in the analysis of TCO vs. CAPEX. After all, every hour of downtime at a steel mill or mining company can represent losses that far exceed the “savings” obtained in the acquisition.

On the other hand, MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) is vital to minimizing these losses. In other words, it is not enough to have reliable equipment; it is essential to have local engineering that deeply understands your application and can act quickly in emergencies.

How does Varixx reduce TCO in critical systems?

In short, our value proposition is focused on delivering the lowest TCO in electrical protection systems through two fundamental pillars:

• Technical Customization for Optimized TCO

Each industrial application has unique characteristics in terms of load, environment, and criticality. Therefore, our ZYGGOT family solutions are customized from semiconductor selection to integration with existing systems, ensuring maximum energy and operational efficiency.

Similarly, our electric arc mitigation and continuous thermographic monitoring systems are designed for actual operating conditions, not generic catalog specifications.

• Integrated Solutions: Risk Reduction in TCO

We offer complete integrated systems, not just isolated components. This approach definitely reduces incompatibility risks, simplifies maintenance, and ensures that all elements (relays, gateways, protection sensors, thermographic monitoring) work in harmony.

As such, our ZYGGOT family of electronic products represents the convergence of advanced technology and intelligence applied to your context.

TCO in practice: The decisive metric for critical assets

Eventually, every manager faces the choice between immediate savings and smart investment. Therefore, it is essential to be clear: the total cost of ownership report should guide your purchasing decisions.

It is not enough to simply know the cost of downtime; you also need to implement a strategy to eliminate it. Therefore, TCO analysis is not only accounting-related, but also strategic.

Currently, industries that have adopted the TCO vs. CAPEX methodology in evaluating protection systems report:

• Up to 40% reduction in total operating costs.

• Significant increase in the availability of critical assets.

• Drastic reduction in failure and emergency shutdown costs.

• Improved long-term budget predictability.

Transform your acquisition strategy with a focus on TCO

In conclusion, the most costly mistake in industrial asset procurement is to focus exclusively on CAPEX. Therefore, managers seeking operational excellence in critical sectors should adopt TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) analysis as a central metric.

Finally, our Consultative Engineering team at Varixx is ready to analyze your specific application and show you how our complete ZYGGOT family solutions reduce integration risk, minimize MTTR, and ensure maximum operational availability.

Want to find out how Varixx products help you calculate the real TCO of your protection and monitoring systems?

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For more information:

Contact our application engineering team and request a customized analysis for your operation.