Efficiency increases can be achieved and costly machine breakdowns avoided with the use of cloud based asset management software from Ultimo, as demonstrated by one Finnish manufacturer.
BEWI RAW is a leading European manufacturer of polystyrene beads, the raw material for expanded polystyrene commonly known as Styrofoam. Its manufacturing facility at Porvoo, Finland, produces a range of expanded polystyrene products for use as raw material in applications including insulation and packaging.
With a turnover of €140M, the facility runs a 24/7 operation; production schedules are strict, so uptime is of paramount importance at the facility.
However, the company had limited visibility over the maintenance status of the production lines, which resulted in a number of challenges. As maintenance processes were largely managed on paper, there was limited visibility over asset health and maintenance status.
Moreover, the lack of clear maintenance schedules made planning and carrying out preventive maintenance difficult.
Upgrading to Enterprise Asset Management
To overcome these challenges and optimise visibility over the maintenance status of its assets, the company decided to upgrade to a modern, cloud-based Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solution that could support its digital transformation journey. In 2020, after evaluating several providers, it agreed on IFS Ultimo.
“Maintenance contributes significantly to the overall running costs of the facility,” explains BEWI RAW Plant Manager Petri Rekonen. “We wanted to cut that down by reducing reliance on corrective maintenance and moving actively towards preventive models.
“However to be able to do that, we needed a clear maintenance schedule to tell us what needs to be done and when. Without it, improvement would be impossible.”
Mission critical tasks
Enabling strategic maintenance planning was a priority for BEWI RAW. The first step was to identify mission critical tasks and plan their maintenance in Ultimo. Previously, a comprehensive overview of past maintenance actions, repairs and replacements was hard to obtain due to tasks being logged on paper.
In the hectic production environment, small incidents could also quickly escalate. On one occasion, a simple worn-out bearing brought production to a standstill. There was no schedule for inspecting or replacing bearings, which meant the component wore out and damaged the machinery.
The issue was not noticed until the entire machine broke down, at which point the replacement parts were no longer available as the equipment originated from the 1970s.
“In the end the only solution was to replace the entire machine and modify the production line, which was designed to house the older model,” says Petri Rekonen. “The costly shutdown could have been prevented if we had replaced the bearing in time. Incidents like this highlight how crucial it is to have a clear maintenance schedule.”
Raising maintenance tickets remotely
Introduction of the new EAM solution also helps BEWI RAW increase efficiency as operators can raise tickets for maintenance tasks remotely. The maintenance team can then instantly see that a new job has been created and prioritise it accordingly. Having access to first hand information is essential for minimising disruption.
Overall, the implementation process has gone smoothly. BEWI RAW now has a clear plan of critical maintenance tasks in Ultimo, and all documentation relating to the production assets is available in the system. The interface is also user friendly and does not require high levels of computer literacy, which makes it accessible to all employees.
Simplifying reporting processes
In addition to managing maintenance processes, BEWI RAW is also using EAM to simplify reporting, managing everything except financial transactions in the software. All documentation relating to the production machinery used to be stored in folders consisting of hundreds of sheets of paper.
Now, all asset information from invoices and work orders to user manuals will be available in digital form in Ultimo. This will reduce the administrative burden and ensure all vital information is readily available when needed.
Ultimately, BEWI RAW wants the EAM software to enable passive information sharing so that key information, such as job schedules or active work permits, can be displayed in real time on screens in employee break rooms. The goal is to empower employees by giving them direct access to the information they need to do their jobs.
“With Ultimo, we can make essential information easily available to everyone so they can be even more proactive and take greater ownership over their job,“ adds Petri Rekonen.
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