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Production Optimization


Production
Optimization


Optimizing manufacturing operations is key to helping you remain competitive and profitable, and our experts have the talent you need to achieve big results. We work in collaboration with your stakeholders to identify and understand your unique production challenges, which then enables us to specifically address your optimization needs with the latest tools and technologies. Leveraging our experience, we can improve performance while delivering safer and more cost-effective operations.

Download our Latest White Paper:
An Alarm Management Approach for Today’s Process Industries

WE OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES TO IMPROVE PROCESS PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY.
OUR EFFORTS TYPICALLY FOCUS ON THREE KEY AREAS:

1.
Planning, dynamically managing, and consistently measuring equipment utilization

2.
Architecting and implementing strategies that deliver optimal control, reducing variability and minimizing disruptions and abnormal situations

3.
Enriching the operator environment through digital simulation and assessment tools, while defining a work environment suitable to today’s technologies

Overall Equipment Effectiveness

Understanding Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is crucial to maximizing production and identifying process bottlenecks. While measuring OEE is the first step, customers need to know how to improve it. Our team of experts helps clients accurately measure OEE, identify improvement opportunities, and develop solutions to increase efficiency and margins.

Dynamic Scheduling

Real-time scheduling on the manufacturing floor requires defined rules and a proven software solution. We need to accommodate variability, maximize production, and consider information from multiple sources (ERP, QMS, MES, DCS, LIMS, and CMMS). Our integrated solution allows for efficient production scheduling with simulation planning for various scenarios, while ensuring smooth coordination between departments.

Batch Design

Proper batch design requires understanding each unit’s operation, visualizing the end goal, and incorporating flexibility, while avoiding recipe complexity. We can reduce cycle time by over 30% by listening to production, applying solid batch strategies, thorough testing, and then training end-users. Our architecture is based on industry standards and a class-based configuration for procedural models.

State-Based Controls

Our state-based control solution combines operator-initiated transitions and automated control logic to drive a process to its desired state. Communication among units keeps the process aware of ready states, temperatures, pressures, and other process variables, ensuring each step happens only when the system is ready. Features include automatic startup, shutdown, and abnormal situation management to reduce operator interventions.

Advanced Process Control

Advanced Process Control (APC) technologies leverage machine learning and AI to optimize and adapt control systems in dynamic processes. Collaboration between production and automation teams ensures successful deployment. We can develop and deploy APC solutions that lead to improvements in throughput, energy consumption, and product quality deviation.

Digital Twin

A Digital Twin is a virtual model of the control system and plant production environment used to simulate the process, test process changes, and provide operator training. We have the expertise to implement the appropriate Digital Twin to improve process performance, safeguard operations, and deliver a safer and more cost-effective operation.

Alarm Management

Operators need to focus on critical alarms to avoid costly distractions. Our tools allow you to assess alarm performance and guide your through a rationalization process to help manage alarms more effectively and create an environment where operators can work efficiently.

Control Room Optimization

Control room design plays a crucial role in plant operation and safety, but outdated designs may not suit modern technologies. Our approach involves task analysis, ergonomics, stakeholder engagement, security, break areas, storage needs, and collaboration. Once aligned on a design, we have the resources to fully engage in the detailed design, and ultimately manage and execute a retrofit project.

Meet the Practice Leaders

Ron Eastep

Senior Practice Leader

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Phil Russell

Practice Leader

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