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Plant
Monitoring: Take Control
It's
ten a.m. on a production day; do you know where your potential problems
are? Chances are you are in
the same boat as most Plant Managers and rely on reactive measures to
maintain your process. From
the beginning to end of a processing plant, there are many failures that
can occur -- pressures, PH, vacuum, current loads, vibration, line speeds,
flow, product and ambient temperatures. These are just many of the
variables that need monitoring.
The need for improved production reliability and
reduced expenses is also key to improving the bottom line. As a result,
plant personnel are applying various optimization strategies to improve
their process efficiency and reduce maintenance, thus enhancing their
return on assets.
Because
maintenance costs can represent as much as 40% of revenue, these savings
contribute significantly to the bottom line.
Today's maintenance
strategies have shifted away from "run-to-failure" to
"condition-based." Preventive, predictive, and proactive
maintenance are the approaches that forward-thinking corporations are
using.
Most SCADA systems in
use today are only reactive monitoring systems providing a central point
of data collection.
A single source
application module like CAT2 's
Plant Monitoring makes the job easier. It collects and
analyzes multiple types of equipment/component/system condition
information. It also creates a common repository for the reviewed
information.
This
comprehensive data collection and Statistical Process Control (SPC)
environment is designed to provide real-time plant/process information,
and alarming ability. The system is versatile, and is used successfully in
Primary Slaughter Plants, Further Processed Plants and Ready-To-Eat
processes. The
system is focused on providing a means of proactive control, as opposed to
reactive evaluation of incidents.
Using
Palm based RF units and sensor integration, the software monitors every
control point in the process in real-time, with graphs showing SPC trends,
and alarms sent to text pagers with warning and process failure messages.
Reports also allow data trend analyses to pinpoint problem areas.
It
is necessary to have information available and to have immediate access to
it. Information handling and dissemination can make or break critical
decisions. Critical decisions can make or break a corporate
enterprise.
Take
control of your plant operations today. Contact us
for a system evaluation.
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February
2003 •
Volume
4 •
Issue 1
