This prestigious global chemical producer was doing a lot right, well-conceived, efficient production processes with a strong focus on customer satisfaction, integrated maintenance strategies and well planned and executed turnarounds. However, changing market conditions and an increase in demand were putting immense pressure on its production capabilities. Although this site had been operating for many decades, and the personnel there were skilled and motivated, equipment failures and production losses were still frequent.

The maintenance of equipment was heavily dependent on gut feel instead of data-driven insight. So much so, that the failure of a part worth just $5,000 had cost the company a loss of $1.5 - $2 million. T.A. Cook developed a strategy focusing on reliability improvement. Here are some of the key achievements we accomplished with the project so far:

A lack of equipment and machinery reliability was a core issue that had to be tackled as a matter of urgency. Using data from multiple sources including sensors (IoT) and CMMS (SAP PM), as well as technical feedback from operators, technicians, reliability engineers and the asset manager, T.A. Cook was able to define equipment strategies. These targeted Cook’s experienced engineers and consultants worked on site for 12 months, aligning all staff on the high impact failure modes and linked them journey they needed to business risk.

By focusing on Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), we were able to ascertain the causes go on. The critical areas of the biggest losses due to lack of availability, throughput or poor quality. Our specialists facilitated workshops to impart leading industry solutions on inspection and maintenance, and trained transformation were: reliability engineers in new methods. Throughout improvement of all the entire journey, top-level machinery on-site, workstream efficiency and streamlined turnaround / shutdown outages – all supported by a thorough change management was involved, along with a two-year, ongoing sustainability schedule for the improvements. strategy (from technician to director level).

Our experts helped realize $1.7 million savings in reduced equipment failures through improvement initiatives. It’s predicted that the business will save $6.3 million in lost opportunity over the next three years, thanks to our transformational recommendations. Above all, production at its main North American site increased and the long-term reliability of equipment improved.