34 Machinery Component Maintenance and Repair

Plant Engineering

Plant engineering referred to here includes those process and mechani-

cal services required for monitoring plant operations, the prompt resolu-
tion of special plant problems, normal debottlenecking, and special engi-
neering assistance as required in performing maintenance work. A
centralized organization of specialists within the operations department is
charged with this responsibility for the network of facilities. Major engi-
neering design and construction work related to new plants and plant ex-
pansions is handled by a separate corporate engineering department and
will not be discussed in this section. The corporate engineering depart-
ment is also available for special help to the operations department.
As indicated previously, the interjection of technical specialists for the
quick and efficient resolution of problems was one of the key points to a
centralized system of engineering services, and the engineering staff at
individual plants has, therefore, been kept minimal. In some plants, a
certain need for minimum on-site staffing of chemical and mechanical
engineers is required for day-to-day problems, but here special emphasis
is placed on coordinating problem issues with the centralized staff.
The normal day-to-day minor plant and equipment problems are han-
dled by the plant manager with his staff sized on this minimum basis. The
centralized engineering services then encompass these major responsibil-
ities:

1. Aid in resolving specific equipment and process problems as they

arise based on information gathered through monitoring techniques
or through plant manager request. Suitable engineering or techni-
cian help is provided, including site visits when necessary.
2. Getting special services from the corporate engineering department
to obtain maximum benefits from understanding the design con-
cepts and to provide a valuable source of field problem feedback for
future design considerations. This would also include obtaining rec-
ommendations from equipment manufacturers and outside consul-
tants.
3. Monitoring process performance of all facilities including overall
production, utility efficiency, and gathering sufficient data to gen-
erally identify problem areas. Each facility requires a detailed anal-
ysis to determine the minimum key data required. Some monitoring
is performed on a daily basis and is transmitted to the home office
by telex or a wide-area, inexpensive telephone system. Other moni-
toring is performed on a weekly or monthly basis. The computer is
used to perform routine calculations required for certain evalua-
tions. Many of the facilities are sufficiently complex and have vary-