Automation & Control
The introduction of a new control system has helped a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) company to improve product consistency and operator efficiency, while a proactive maintenance programme has helped with productivity and capital expenditure.
Die Einführung eines neuen Kontrollsystems hat einer Firma für Heißisostastisches Pressen (HIP) dabei geholfen, ihre Produktkonsistenz und die Effizienz in der Anlagenbedienung zu verbessern. Gleichzeitig hat ein proaktives Wartungsprogramm zu Verbesserungen bei Produktivität und Kapitalaufwand beigetragen.
L’introduction d’un nouveau système de contrôle a aidé une société HIP (pression isostatique chaude) à améliorer la régularité des produits et le rendement de l’opérateur, tandis qu’un programme de maintenance proactif a aidé la productivité et diminué les dépenses en capital.
Better process control and maintenance boosts profits
A
Fig. 1. Better maintenance scheduling is now possible for the furnace units and their supporting equipment.
lmost everyone in manufacturing today knows what it feels like to be under intense pressure. But how about 30 000 pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure?
For Bodycote in London, Ohio, USA, a plant that provides hot isostatic pressing (HIP), that’s business as usual. The plant processes parts for jet engines,
gas turbines, automotive assemblies, medical components such as replacement joints and other items which must be made as strong as possible. In the HIP process, the parts are subjected to extreme heat and pressure, which makes them less porous and more resistant to stress fractures. Multiple furnace units serve the plant. Customer
parts are placed in a furnace, which is filled with argon gas. Then the unit is pressurised and heated from room temperature to approximately 1100ºC, which takes about two hours. This high temperature is maintained throughout the process, then the furnace is cooled and the parts are removed and inspected.
HIP quality depends on consistency and
repeatability. Bodycote’s customers rely on the plant to provide a uniform process, so discrete batches of product show consistent strength and density characteristics, run after run. Keeping the plant’s units in top condition is very important. If a furnace were to malfunction,
Bodycote would be forced to re-run the batch of parts. In the worst case, the company might have to replace the parts completely, which would have a severe effect on profitability. Another factor is that Bodycote’s furnaces
are physically different in size. Each unit heats and cools on a unique schedule, which must be controlled carefully in the HIP process and supervised by plant operators. Additionally, the company has to monitor its
use of argon gas carefully. The pumps and valves on each unit control the pressurisation of the gas, which is very expensive. So maintaining the units in good working condition to prevent leaks is key to saving money. These challenges – providing consistent
processes, maintaining the varied equipment and conserving resources – mean that the company is always on the lookout for the right operations management software solutions that can help the company succeed. The plant also needs these systems to help maintain its ISO 2001 certification. Wonderware Cincinnati, the regional
Wonderware distributor for Invensys Operations Management (IOM), worked with American Isostatic Presses, a local systems integration company, to recommend additions to Bodycote’s data systems. Their goals were to help Bodycote implement a preventative maintenance system, get improved visibility to operations data and increase operator efficiency and accuracy. Shawn Crawford, Bodycote plant engineer,
appreciates the teamwork that went into the effort, “Everyone did a great job of using the Wonderware software to produce a user-friendly system that’s quite outstanding.” With the new Wonderware software, the
company made a significant change to the way it schedules maintenance for the furnace units and supporting pumps, valves and components (Fig. 1). Before, the plant managers used a calendar
to plan upcoming maintenance. For instance, vacuum pumps were estimated to need repair or replacement every six months. At that time, the pump would be taken off-line for inspection, regardless of whether it exhibited any signs of wear and tear or sub-standard performance. But with Wonderware System Platform and
InTouch software, accurate real-time data on the operation of all of Bodycote’s equipment is available. This has enabled operators to monitor valves, pumps
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