When tower performance drops, the real cost is not the repair. It is the downtime

How a lifecycle approach to tower maintenance keeps operations running and protects long-term returns.

The hidden cost of reactive maintenance

Separation towers are central to refinery and chemical plant operations. When a tray fails, a distributor fouls, or packing degrades, the consequences go well beyond the component itself: lost throughput, off-spec product, energy waste, and unplanned shutdowns that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per day.

Most operators know this. Yet many still manage tower maintenance reactively, calling in different vendors for different problems, sourcing parts from one supplier, engineering from another, and field service from a third. The result is longer turnaround windows, coordination gaps, and decisions made under pressure without full visibility into the column's condition or history.

There is a simpler way to manage this.

Total Tower Care: one partner for the full tower lifecycle

Sulzer Chemtech developed Total Tower Care to give plant operators a single point of responsibility for everything their towers need, from emergency repairs to planned revamps, from hardware supply to on-site field service.

Instead of coordinating between multiple suppliers with different lead times and standards, operators work with one team that already understands their column internals, their process conditions, and their operational priorities. The goal is straightforward: reduce coordination overhead, shorten maintenance windows, and keep towers performing as designed.

Total Tower Care covers four core service areas:

Turnaround service

When a shutdown is scheduled (or unscheduled), speed and coordination determine how much revenue is lost. Sulzer provides a complete portfolio of tower hardware from a single source, with pre-shutdown engineering to identify risks before the clock starts. Emergency replacements are available around the clock, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Revamp solutions

Towers that were designed decades ago may no longer match current throughput or efficiency requirements. Sulzer's retrofit and revamp solutions restore design performance or increase capacity using proven, cost-effective approaches delivered with local engineering and fabrication resources. The focus is on reliability and energy efficiency: reducing reboiler duty, lowering pressure drop, and maximizing operational return on investment.

Automated weld overlay

Tower shells and critical components face corrosion and erosion over time. Sulzer's automated weld overlay method delivers fast, cost-effective repairs through a global network of certified specialists. This approach restores structural integrity with high quality and rapid turnaround, backed by industry-leading welding certifications that ensure long-term reliability.

Tower field service

From installation to maintenance, Sulzer's specialized mechanical services team handles on-site tower work with a focus on safety and execution discipline. Streamlined processes ensure minimal downtime with consistent, on-time delivery.

Why a lifecycle approach changes the equation

The value of Total Tower Care is not in any single service. It is in the integration. When the same team that designed your column internals also manages your turnarounds, performs your field service, and engineers your revamps, every decision is informed by a complete picture of the tower's history and condition.

That means faster diagnosis when problems arise, better planning when upgrades are needed, and fewer surprises during shutdowns. It also means operators can shift from reactive maintenance toward a predictable, scheduled approach that protects both uptime and capital budgets.

Start the conversation

If your team is managing tower maintenance across multiple vendors, or if an upcoming turnaround has you thinking about a more coordinated approach, Sulzer Chemtech can help evaluate where Total Tower Care fits into your operations.

Reach out to the team at totaltowercare@sulzer.com to discuss your specific requirements, or learn more here.