If the current decade has taught us anything, it is that the future belongs to those who can respond quickly to the ever-changing present. It’s all about having suitable options, and, for steam boiler users, that means adding flexibility to their operations whenever possible.

For starters, whether one is facing a crisis or the need to be able to quickly adjust steam requirements, consider a modular boiler system that maximizes flexibility and options that fit your needs.

Modular steam systems are made up of multiple connected steam boilers configured to meet a project’s demand at different stages to provide just the right amount of steam only when steam is required.

Typically, modular boilers feature a fast startup that can achieve full steam from a cold start in less than five minutes and shut down just as fast. This gives organizations critical advantages, including features that aid in achieving environmentally friendly initiatives, maximize in-service efficiency, conserve resources, reduce emissions, and control fuel costs.

In 2020, the U.S. economy shifted radically, making it essential for companies that needed to increase steam production quickly as well as those that needed to closely and quickly monitor their output while adjusting to a climate of continued uncertainty.

Now, a little more than a year later, as we continue to make our way back, lessons learned should never be forgotten, and being able to react and respond quickly should be the basis for investing in a steam boiler system.

Steam that Meets a Project’s Needs

Achieving full steam in minutes and quickly placing boilers in standby mode based on current steam demands rather than continuing to have them in an idle state to stay warm can no longer be thought of as an interesting concept but rather as an absolute necessity.

This also applies to having the capability to add a boiler fast, whether it is required to expand steam output quickly, replace a failing unit that seems to require daily maintenance, or get back up to speed in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

In the past, this often meant relying on rental boilers to temporarily increase steam capacity for a while, but rental prices can be high, and the process requires installing and uninstalling the boiler. These additional steps can be expensive, especially if a boiler has been ordered and a user is waiting several weeks or months to receive it.

Miura offers a cost-effective and efficient solution with Quick Ship Xpress (QSX) – a program that can have a new boiler delivered in about 48 hours, ready for a quick, one-time installation. This option adds a new boiler within days to avoid the sunk cost of rentals.

For example, a popular soft drink manufacturer in southern Florida had major scaling issues with a boiler, and downtime meant shutting down the production line. Luckily, A modular boiler unit from Miura’s QSX program was delivered in days and tied into the current system, allowing the manufacturer to avoid costly rental unit fees and associated downtime.

Miura’s low water content LX Boilers’ “floating header” design produces steam in less than five minutes, allowing users to turn boilers on or off as needed. 

Big Advantages to Compact Design

Bigger is not always better, especially when you are trying to add additional boiler units to an already existing boiler room. Modular boilers feature upright pressure vessels, which take up less floor space and can usually be added even if space in the boiler room is limited.

That’s a substantial advantage throughout the country, where real estate and construction prices continue to go up or more space is simply unavailable.

Choosing a compact, low water content modular boiler makes installation, operation, and maintenance much easier while providing greater output in less space. More and more, traditional boiler systems are replaced with modular systems to increase steam capacity without having to construct a new boiler room.

Taking these and other features and advantages into account, it is also important to consider a boiler that provides only the necessary steam, when it is needed.

For example, Miura’s modular steam boilers in multiple installations (MI) automatically adjust to fit a user’s steam demands. So, when a facility only requires 30% of the full system output, the system is only using 30% of the boiler system capacity. The other 70% of the system remains in stand-by mode, only using electricity to keep the communication system online.

For more than 20 years, Greenwich Hospital continues to rely on Miura EX Dual Fuel Steam Boilers to meet its physical space needs and green standards.

Known as load-following technology, this provides a tremendous cost and resource-saving advantage, especially considering how traditional systems will continue to use 100% of the system just throttled down to produce less steam.

Investing in modular boiler systems that provide greater flexibility and green features means being able to optimize a system for its unique steam load rather than oversizing the boiler system just in case. Modular boiler systems are custom-sized to meet a facility’s current requirements and grow as the situation demands.

Miura Boilers’ unique “load-following technology” in multiple installations automatically adjusts steam output to provide just the right amount when required. 

Leave it to the Experts

Before the pandemic, Miura introduced another flexible option for large steam generation facilities wishing to focus on other aspects of the business with the peace of mind of guaranteed steam output.

Steam-as-a-Service (SaaS) is an innovation that requires no upfront costs and delivers state-of-the-art, fully controlled steam for a simple monthly fee.

Miura and its alliance partners, Hartford Steam Boiler and Armstrong Services, provide SaaS as an all-in-one, no-risk solution that puts critical steam in the hands of experts.

Miura’s Quick Ship Xpress program ships a new boiler in about 48 hours, one of many flexible solutions used to address users’ concerns in today’s environment. 

Benefit from Flexible Steam 

Flexible options are essential to better preparation, which is why steam users need to take a closer look at proven technologies that address a range of possible concerns. These include load-following technology, scalable compact systems, and the option to outsource a complete steam solution.

Businesses, health care facilities, and schools that choose a flexible steam solution will benefit from critical advantages that make it easier to operate within an environment of change and better meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.