Case Study, Upgrade of the mixing plant (PART 6)

Training

Training was conducted to all operators and their managers, to make sure the operators are familiar with

• all aspects of the construction e.g., positions of emergency buttons

• Normal operating conditions of the equipment.
• Be able to Immediately recognise an abnormal situation or operating condition before any serious damage occurs
• General safety training about conveyors was conducted to all workers in that plant covering manly dangers of the system

General Safety Operation Procedure (SOP) was handed to all personnel concerned (see appendix for copy)

Problems encountered and solutions

• Wrong couplers supplied: This was a drawback on time because most of the work was done on weekend and the problem was only discovered during installation. Unfortunately, the suppliers could not be contacted because it was weekend, and the work was scheduled for the following weekend.

Solution: The suppliers were contacted and acknowledged the mistake. The correct gear box-motor couplers were delivered during the week and work resumed.

• Single phasing: While running the motors with load and monitoring their performance Motor 2 was found to be overheating. After carrying out the necessary test it was found out that the voltage at the motor terminals was missing one phase. It was discovered after tests that the motor isolator was faulty, and it was manufacturer’s default. 

Solution: The Isolator was changed with a new one which had all poles working.

• Loss of flow: During testing for pump functionality, pump 1 was not pumping the fluid after the valves were opened and motor running.

Solution: It was observed the shaft was running the opposite direction.  The direction of the shaft was corrected by changing the direction of rotation of the motor.

Recommendations

• The system to be operated by trained and competent personnel.
• Regular cleaning schedules since it is a food mixing plant to remove the sticking milk power from the mixing tank and transporting pipes.
• Safety audits/checks be carried out timely to keep good standards and make the system very safe.
• Operators should be computer literate
• All maintenance team members to be trained on how to fully operate the system as it is easy to repair or maintain a system you know how it functions.

Conclusion

With the stages covered so far, the author can gladly conclude that the project has been a success because all the user requirements were archived within the specified time. The benefits of the upgraded and automated plant surpass those of using the manual plant. A great saving on power consumption has also been observed because the system automatically switches from filling one tank to another and switches off when tanks are full.

The contaminated rubble and dismantled mixing tanks were transported to licensed hazardous land fill zone

The basic assessment (BA) and Environmental Management for the project (EMP) satisfy the NEMA requirements.

Use of internal manpower gave a vital experience to the maintenance team.

Project Highlights

Current Status of project

            The project is currently on going and completion is expected end of October 2017

Cost

            The project had realised a huge saving mainly due to reduce raw material wastage, improved efficiency, and reliability. The project costs are still within budget because the company used its own manpower and reused some of the components which were still in good condition.

Commissioning

            While testing had been an on -going process throughout the project, commissioning and handing over can only be done at the end of the project.

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