Equipment Upgrades Lead to Reliable Increase in NiSat Production Capacity
Nexus Team conducts a structural analysis to ensure capacity increase is safe and reliable.
Overview
In many cases, companies increase production capacity by increasing the physical capacity of equipment in a process. For this project, the client came to the Nexus team inquiring if a different approach could be considered. It was decided that the best way to increase production capacity would be to upgrade existing equipment, and reorganize it, to make the process more efficient.
In order to determine the best location for the new equipment, ensuring maximum process efficiency, laser scanning and 3D modeling were performed at the facility. Along with this, the Nexus team also designed a new reverse osmosis (RO) water unit, two chemical storage tanks with associated piping, instrumentation, power, and other required utilities.
Challenge
The Nexus team was presented with the challenge of dealing with the structural integrity of the dated facility, specifically in the places where the new equipment would be placed and the areas the equipment would be transported through to get there. The building is a very congested structure with limits on where equipment can be mobilized and placed. The existing tankage was mainly constructed from plastic while the new tankage is made from stainless steel, this presented a significant weight difference in these specified areas.
Solution
To overcome this challenge, the Nexus team decided that the best course of action would be to run a structural analysis of the facility and tank foundations located outside the facility. This ensured the integrity of the facility so that the new equipment could safely be moved into place, and once in place it would be secure.
“A detailed structural analysis allows us to see how the loads from the new equipment effect the existing structure. We can then use the results to determine if the structure is adequate for the new loads or if any reinforcement is required” – says Andrew Bollinger, a structural engineer at Nexus. Along with other critical steps in the Nexus Proven Process, the Nexus team was able to complete this project within a very tight schedule and at the agreeable budget.
Client Name
Confidential
Location
Midwest USA
Industry
Chemicals
Services
- Project Controls
- Project Management
- Process
- Mechanical
- Piping
- Structural Analysis
- Schedule Management
