US-based Louis Dreyfus Agricultural Industries produces 1 million tons of soybean meal for animal feed and 80 million gallons of biodiesel annually. The Indiana facility, one of the largest biodiesel processing plants in the world, includes a soybean processing line with an integrated biodiesel plant.
The plant manager wanted insight into maintenance activities in order to increase efficiency and reduce the requirement for third-party maintenance. In particular, the following points were problematic:
• Resources were not available nor time to set up an effective controls maintenance programme.
• Process efficiency suffered from reactive instrument maintenance.
The solution
Endress+Hauser performed an Installed Base Audit which surveyed the plant, analysed the situation and made recommendations. Based on these, Endress+Hauser then developed a maintenance plan, set up a web-based asset information system, trained the customer’s personnel and provided all the resources needed to carry out the plan.
The essential steps of the project
Collecting data in the plant
Endress+Hauser performed an on-site inventory assessment with visual inspection of all installed instrumentation (all manufacturers). Using AssetXpert, an industrial handheld tool, Endress+Hauser audited 507 unique instruments and collected additional relevant maintenance information.
Compiling information and defining critical instruments
All of the collected device information, along with the relevant maintenance information was added into an online asset information system. Endress+Hauser worked with the site manager to assign a level of importance for each instrument in the process.
Creating the maintenance plan
Endress+Hauser created an effective maintenance plan, explained the results of the audit and maintenance plan, and handed over the online asset information system, pre-populated with the installed base asset information.
Providing training
Endress+Hauser trained the customer on use of the online asset information system to ensure the upkeep and effective usage of the installed base information.
Continuous improvement and financial benefits
Annual maintenance expenses have been reduced significantly since the programme’s implementation. The plant manager wanted to have insight into maintenance needs for budgeting reasons, but the plant did not have the resources or the time to set up an effective maintenance plan. Endress+Hauser had the expertise to do so. The plant’s maintenance did not have a complete view of all instrumentation information, but the audit identified 507 instruments with important related information.
Previously, when an instrument had to be taken out of service for reactive maintenance, uptime was reduced. The resulting maintenance plan helped the customer to anticipate on maintenance and better monitor instruments of critical importance. The plan resulted in scheduled maintenance with improved budget costs. Since criticality levels were established, the customer knew which parts needed to be inventoried to decrease plant downtime.
The results
Instrumentation and maintenance analysis leads to reduced maintenance costs and a fast return on investment:
• Annual maintenance expenses significantly reduced.
• Improved plant efficiency by changing reactive maintenance activities to proactive.
• Developed predictive/preventive maintenance plan.
• Established inventory of spare parts for critical instruments.
“Due to increased efficiencies, we have been able to reduce and better plan our third-party maintenance. Just in this one area, the cost reductions have enabled us to capture a return on our investment in just six months,” Doug Lopshire, industrial competency centre manager, Louis Dreyfus Agricultural Industries.
For more information contact Hennie Blignaut, Endress+Hauser, +27 (0)11 262 8000, [email protected], www.za.endress.com
| Tel: | +27 11 262 8000 |
| Fax: | +27 11 262 8062 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.endress.com |
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