In chemical manufacturing facilities, shutdowns caused by unexpected equipment failures don't just harm a production line. They can degrade customers’ trust. They can invoke a whirlwind of regulatory fines. And these are just the baseline consequences of failing to prevent breakdowns.
At the same time, many plants struggle to maintain an adequate workforce. As demands on chemical manufacturers rise, more facilities are seeking proactive solutions that can be implemented with limited resources to empower lean facility teams with the capabilities and confidence to resolve equipment issues before they escalate.
Condition monitoring is proving a game changer for the chemicals industry. It provides the means to track asset health in real time, streamline maintenance processes, and make data-driven decisions so you can ensure safety and compliance while driving major cost savings.
If you've ever wanted to reduce the risk of costly unplanned shutdowns, this post explores proactive strategies you can use to safeguard your line.
The High Stakes of Unplanned Downtime in the Chemical Industry
Imagine your plant experiences a shutdown due to a machine failure. You would need to halt production for as long as it would take to repair or replace the asset—including wait time for inventory—with five-, six-, or even seven-figure losses due to maintenance costs, regulatory fines, and lost revenue as your team scrambles to restore production.
In addition, without a holistic real-time view of asset health, these repairs could be a Band-Aid fix where there’s a complex underlying issue. If a major fault goes undetected and unaddressed, your team may face another failure down the road.
In chemical manufacturing, every moment of downtime is costly. The longer you delay addressing issues, the higher the price tag. That's why proactive asset management isn't just important, but essential.
How Condition Monitoring Can Help Keep Your Plant Running Smoothly
Just as you may seek guidance from your doctor for health concerns, having an expert on hand who can help you monitor your plant's assets is crucial for maintaining operational health. While you are the foremost expert on your plant's operations, a third-party expert with extensive technical and industry knowledge can help identify issues that might be overlooked.
Case Study: Motor Shows Early Signs of Trouble
A motor in a chemical plant exhibited increasing vibrations at the 1X turning speed. An automated monitoring system detected this miscalibration. The time waveform clearly showed noticeable impacts, suggesting a potential coupling or bearing clearance issue.
After analyzing the vibration data, a dedicated Condition Monitoring Engineer (CME) recommended inspecting the coupling with a lift test on the motor shaft to check for excess bearing play. Upon inspection, the coupling was found to be stripped, with the teeth completely worn down. After the coupling was replaced, the motor's vibration levels dropped significantly, preventing an imminent failure.
One Simple Fix Prevents a Costly Failure
Thanks to the early warning, the plant prevented six hours of downtime and saved $439,200. By identifying and addressing the issue early, the plant avoided what could have been an expensive and prolonged shutdown.
Condition Monitoring in Action: 8 Key Features That Transform Asset Management
Automated systems that combine condition monitoring data, predictive analytics, and human expertise and support can help you do more with less, make smarter decisions, and safeguard your production line. You can schedule maintenance only when it's needed—before problems arise—for enhanced efficiency, less downtime, and a smooth-running operation.
Here’s how a full-service condition monitoring system can simplify asset management at your plant.
- Real-Time Data Monitoring: With wireless remote sensors, you can continuously track the performance of critical assets like mixers, air compressors, and reactors. Real-time data allows you to spot deviations from normal operation before they lead to equipment failures.
- Predictive Analytics: Using past data can help you predict when equipment will likely fail. This enables a proactive maintenance response that reduces unplanned downtime, avoids costly disruptions, and improves efficiency and productivity by ensuring equipment is serviced only when needed.
- Automated Maintenance Scheduling: With an easy CMMS integration, you can automate maintenance work orders and scheduling based on real-time asset data and CME-validated alerts. This automated workflow optimizes maintenance windows, improves visibility and collaboration, and helps keep your operations on track.
- Centralized Dashboard: A user-friendly dashboard can provide data from all systems, giving you a comprehensive look at equipment health, maintenance priorities, and ROI across the entire facility and enterprise.
- Alerts and Notifications: You’ll receive immediate alerts for critical issues such as performance degradation or signs of failure. These alerts will be accompanied by prescriptive recommendations from your CME, so your team can intervene quickly to minimize production and safety risks.
- Seamless System Integration: You can easily integrate your condition monitoring system with your existing platforms like SCADA and ERP to enhance asset management and align with enterprise goals.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Condition monitoring data, AI-powered analytics, and integrated systems can help guide your maintenance and operational decisions, enabling you to maximize asset lifespan, boost overall plant performance, and drive progress on critical KPIs.
- Lifecycle Management: With shared data and views as well as streamlined workflows, you can track the entire lifecycle of your assets—from installation to decommissioning—to ensure they’re maintained optimally for maximum performance throughout their use.
Prevent Failures and Simplify Asset Management Starting on Day 1
More and more chemical manufacturers are embracing condition monitoring and data-driven predictive maintenance to manage risks, lower costs, and gain a competitive edge. From day one, a condition monitoring system helps safeguard your production line. Over time, as it helps to build a proactive culture, you can accelerate progress and achieve operational excellence.
If you've ever wanted to try condition monitoring risk free and hassle free, schedule a no-cost consultation with one of our experts. They’ll work with you to understand your facility needs so you can maximize the value of your assets and optimize and protect your operations.
