ISA 2012 Automation Week Track: Wireless Wednesday, 26 September, 1:30-3:00 pm, Room 205A A new generation of automated intelligence tools for project management, procedure execution and other key tasks running on real-time wireless can drastically change the way you do turnarounds at your facility—for the better. One investment—perpetual return. Industrial processing plants are most efficient, cleaner, and safest when run continuously. Injuries and accidents are more likely to occur during startup and maintenance periods. Pollutant emissions can be much greater during system startups and shutdowns, especially at older facilities.
Any downtime—scheduled or not—represents lost revenue. For these reasons, plant operators try to keep plants running for as long as possible. However, shutdowns or turnarounds are not only required for compliance purposes, but are now accepted as standard practice to run a safe, clean, more effective facility. In most cases, the cost of a major turnaround is the highest capital expense at any facility. Therefore, any competitive advantage that can be gained through technology or process improvement in turnaround planning or execution is significant.
The primary reason failures occur is lack of actionable information. While nearly all industrial systems are periodically inspected as part of normal procedures and regulatory compliance, not all equipment or areas could be monitored accurately, cost-effectively, or safely on a continuous basis. Turnaround costs and project planning are among the highest cost and most labor-intensive activities at any industrial facility. Realtime wireless technology, correctly applied, is lowering costs and increasing efficiencies for turnaround planning, execution and completion. Learn about the benefits of utilizing wireless for your turnarounds, which include:
- Dramatic cost savings opportunities: One day saved in a major turnaround can equal as much as $1 million.
- Improved project execution in real-time: Real-time data allows for more accurate, up-to-date scheduling of contractor and tradesmen hours, equipment delivery from vendors, and prioritization of tasks.
- Preventive maintenance: Real-time access to equipment checklists and mechanical integrity procedures allows for more efficient execution of planned maintenance and also access to data regarding unplanned equipment-maintenance requirements.
- Increased equipment uptime (post turnaround): Any equipment identified as a potential challenge (so-called bad actors) can be monitored post turnaround utilizing the wireless infrastructure paid for by the turnaround.
- Management of change (MOC): During the turnaround, plant personnel always identify procedures or P&IDs that are outdated or require some change.
- Process improvement opportunities throughout the facility: Because the turnaround typically involves a cross functional team (operations, process control, maintenance, safety, instrumentation, and so on), each team member will be able to give input on how to further utilize the wireless infrastructure for efficiencies after the turnaround has been completed.
- One time investment, perpetual return: The investment made in the wireless infrastructure for a major turnaround can be utilized for any number of critical safety, security, field instrumentation monitoring, or other application.
This accuracy leads to reduced downtime for contractors and on-time delivery of equipment, which drives cost savings into the project plan.
Less time spent finding information in paper format equals more time spent executing in completing the turnaround.
Completion equals cost savings.
Increases in equipment uptime have proven to be more cost-effective and safer for the workplace.
Real-time access to procedural data and management of change software allows the MOC process to be streamlined.
For example, post turnaround, your company can utilize the same infrastructure for wireless cameras for site surveillance, field mobility devices for rounds, readings, and real-time work-order execution, or even to enable a new emergency notification system.