Benefits of advanced analysis in the chemical industry (Part 2)

The approach to advanced analysis can completely change managers’ decision-making and troubleshooting. This method combines data obtained from hundreds of sensors and the expertise of engineers and process variables to provide operating, maintenance and management instructions.

The problem of chemical enterprises usually only occurs with some surfactants of the production process, so the calculation and formulation of analytical formulas can be easier than those of other industries. In each specific condition, the research team of each enterprise needs to supplement and adjust the parameters to suit their business so that the analysis will give the most accurate results. Examples of flexible parameters: Scale, number of employees, number of machines in the line, relationships in the line, the time the machine runs, etc.

Under the new approach, whenever the parameters signal a possible occurrence, the production operation may be suspended immediately or wait until the end of the shift to perform predictive maintenance. With only 15 minutes of cleaning the parts of the machine, the efficiency when using this method is extremely significant. Instead of taking ten hours of production plus costly replacement parts, the company is now handling just one 15-minute production disruption and it has cut production by 58% and maintenance costs by 79%.

On the other hand, to capture the benefits of improved performance from advanced analytics, chemical companies must also consider the human side. Many studies show that employee thinking is the most important factor to support successful analysis. Chemical companies must invest in training their employees so they can understand how these tools can support them and the benefits they gain from using them.

The authors believe that digital will have a positive impact on various sectors of the chemical industry and an increase in overall production efficiency. Chemical manufacturers who have invested in information technology infrastructure and digitized their businesses will have more potential when applying advanced analysis. With the power of computation and advanced analytical tools available, chemical companies can put that data to work, gather information from multiple sources, and use self-learning and online machine platforms. It is important to explore ways to optimize plant performance.

Productivity and Quality Office