{"id":5511,"date":"2021-10-08T07:35:02","date_gmt":"2021-10-08T13:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/limblecmms.com\/?p=5511"},"modified":"2025-05-30T13:06:06","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T19:06:06","slug":"continuous-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/limblecmms.com\/blog\/continuous-production\/","title":{"rendered":"Requirements for Continuous Manufacturing & 3 Phases of Implementation"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row kd_background_image_position=”vc_row-bg-position-top”][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The maintenance requirements of continuous production plants<\/span><\/h2>\n

Plant and process design, maintenance philosophies, strategies, tactics, and operational interventions require serious consideration given the complexity, criticality, and 24\/7 nature of continuous manufacturing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"continuous<\/span><\/p>\n

Facility design considerations<\/span><\/h3>\n

The above-mentioned considerations often occur only after the plant has been built and operations staff employed. To increase <\/span>the maintainability<\/span><\/a> of a continuous production plant, engineering and maintenance assessments should happen during the design phase of the manufacturing asset\/plant.<\/span><\/p>\n

With maintenance interventions planned annually at best, the in-service reliability of the individual equipment should be factored into the total cost of ownership (TCO) decisions that drive purchasing recommendations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, one should perform <\/span>FMECA studies<\/span><\/a> into process flows to drive decisions on factory layout, equipment redundancy assessments, and spares inventory.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maintenance philosophy considerations<\/span><\/h3>\n

It is highly recommended to <\/span>perform reliability-centered maintenance<\/span><\/a> before committing to <\/span>one or a mix of maintenance strategies<\/span><\/a> and technology.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some manufacturers might also want to look into <\/span>total productive maintenance<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>business-centered maintenance<\/span><\/a>. They both feature many interesting practices, some of which might be a good match for your operational needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

In general, strategic decisions on reactive, preventive, condition-based, and predictive maintenance will evolve from the RCM, FMECA studies, and a maintenance philosophy selection.<\/span><\/p>\n

In continuous production facilities, <\/span>preventative maintenance<\/span><\/a> will usually occur in paralleled processes providing system redundancy. <\/span>Condition-based maintenance<\/span><\/a> practices will form the bulk of the strategy given the infrequency of maintenance shutdowns. <\/span>Predictive and prescriptive maintenance<\/span><\/a> will target the assets incurring high costs from downtime or maintenance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Technology considerations<\/span><\/h3>\n

RCM, as well as predictive and prescriptive maintenance, demand extensive and comprehensive data collection, storage, and analysis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Aside from specialized software, companies can use <\/span>modern CMMS software<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to manage condition and performance data coming from continuous production assets. Before that, assets have to be retrofitted, or come with, proper sensor equipment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Giving insight into the maintenance function, a CMMS<\/a> reduces the need for reactive maintenance interventions, which can have prohibitive cost implications in a continuous production system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When coupled with predictive maintenance analytics, CMMS users can look at deterioration trends to predict when the asset will fail. This way, maintenance planners and managers have <\/span>plenty of time to allocate the necessary resources and schedule maintenance<\/b> – which is extremely beneficial in the context of continuous manufacturing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Operational considerations<\/span><\/h3>\n

Planned downtimes<\/span><\/a> are very far apart, and there is a high time pressure on the length of such maintenance windows<\/a>. This can seriously complicate the decisions on maintenance staffing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Should you keep maintenance in-house or outsource everything? It will largely depend on the cost and availability of suitably qualified contractors. This is a very important decision as it directly impacts the size of your spare parts inventory, securing access to specialized tooling, and the arrangement of other internal resources.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lastly, technology obsolescence and equipment upgrades also require careful consideration to ensure they are appropriately planned, resourced, and scheduled.<\/span><\/p>\n

Safety considerations<\/span><\/h3>\n

While safety is a critical component of all maintenance interventions, maintenance shutdowns at continuous production facilities require extra planning. With strict time constraints, the economic pressures of exceeding planned shut deadlines create commercial pressures.<\/span><\/p>\n

What do safety incidents and equipment failures have in common? They are both often caused by human errors. And those errors are more likely to happen when you\u2019re in a rush.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s not all. A planned maintenance shutdown of a continuous production system will require multiple trades to work in close proximity or over and under each other.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Testing by one maintenance team must be carefully choreographed with others in the area to avoid exposure to moving equipment, electricity, or stored energy. It is paramount that workers follow <\/span>LOTO guidelines<\/span><\/a> and other safety procedures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Continuous production facilities such as chemical plants will have additional safety concerns to address during maintenance shutdowns. Some chemicals require continuous circulation, agitation, or heating – even while shut down for maintenance. Tie-ins or cut-ins for upgrades or replacement will expose maintenance crews to danger. Planning for such maintenance periods typically begins months, or even years, ahead of time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How to set up a continuous production system<\/span><\/h2>\n

With the capital intensity and complexity of sizable continuous production facilities, planning and preparation are key. However, even a small to medium-sized manufacturer seeking to move to continuous production from jobbing or batch manufacturing will need to do some serious thinking.<\/span><\/p>\n

Initiating a project mindset for such a setup is useful.<\/span><\/p>\n