A large multi-million euros production expansion project involves a lot of considerations. There is a strong temptation to deploy all available resources for the construction of the project to get it up and running as quickly as possible, so that the investment pays off in the shortest time. However, after the project is commissioned, a new challenge arises. How do we ensure that the installation continues to perform as desired throughout its decades-long lifespan? Which equipment is most important for this? How is that determined? How should this equipment be maintained in an economical way? With the multi-million euros production extension project, Teijin Aramid Delfzijl acknowledged the importance of sound maintenance and discussed these questions already during the engineering & construction phase. In order to develop the optimal maintenance and spare part regime for thousands of maintainable units, an experienced partner was found in Bilfinger.
Risk based approach
Teijin Aramid and Bilfinger collaborated in a multidisciplinary team consisting of experts in maintenance, operations and process technology. Facilitated by Bilfinger’s standardized approach and tools, the team quantified the criticality level of each individual asset, according to its role in the whole process. Based on Teijin Aramid’s risk matrix, assets received a criticality score and were marked with one of three colors: Red for high criticality and high risk ; yellow for medium criticality and risk; green for low criticality and risk.
Now that the risks of failure, and the potential impact on people, planet, production and reputation were clear, the team came together to mitigate these risks in the most economical manner. This was done by means of FMECA (Failure Mode, Effect and Criticality Analysis), with input of failure data and best practice maintenance concepts from Bilfinger, and the history and decades long experience with similar existing equipment from Teijin Aramid. The outcome: A set of appropriate maintenance concepts that transferred risks from the high risk red zone towards the acceptable green zone. Where preventive maintenance on itself would not suffice, the acquisition of necessary spare parts for breakdown maintenance was defined.
Preparation for maintenance execution
The next phase consisted of three work streams:
The preparation of the maintenance concepts data set for integration into Teijn Aramid’s CMMS system.
The development of ‘ready to execute’ work packages from the maintenance concepts, prioritized based on the criticality level of the asset.
The budgeting and acquiring of necessary spare parts, based on the criticality level of the asset.
After careful consideration, the team agreed that Bilfinger would prepare the maintenance concepts data set for integration into the CMMS system and develop the work packages for the high priority assets; while Teijin Aramid would take care of the acquisition of spare parts.
Bilfinger then teamed up with the Teijin Aramid CMMS resource planner to define the requirements for uploading the maintenance concepts into the CMMS. The new maintenance concepts were then converted into data sets according to the requirements, ready to be uploaded. The uploading was done batch-wise, including thorough quality control on the new maintenance plans in the CMMS. As a result the Teijin Aramid CMMS is now ready to generate the preventive maintenance work orders for the plant extension.
Simultaneously, from the maintenance concepts, the work packages were developed. With ATEX certified cameras, pictures of the assets were taken in the factory; the execution activities were described; necessary technical documentation was attached; and the required materials and resources were defined and documented. The resulting work packages contain all information to enable the mechanics to execute the preventive maintenance work in a safe, high quality, and efficient manner.
The project allowed Teijin Aramid Delfzijl for the acquisition of the necessary knowledge to optimize maintenance —and thus the performance of the installation— and prepare for the maintenance activities on the new assets for decades to come, before production commenced.
Scope of work:
Organization of multi-disciplinary FMECA sessions for 1250 assets
Development of over 700 maintenance concepts in close collaboration
Preparations for the upload of over 700 maintenance concepts in CMMS
Development of over 300 work packages for the most critical assets
