Nexus EPCM Expertise Ensures Chemical Manufacturing Reliability

Expedited Engineering, Procurement & Construction Management Reduce Plant Downtime

Overview:

A major chemical manufacturer in the Midwest had been experiencing recurring issues with equipment that had reached the end of its lifecycle. Our client is the leader in TMP and Penta production in the United States. At this site, they manufacture sodium formate, trimethylolpropane, di-pentaerythritol, and pentaerythritol. These products are used for paints, lacquers, and synthetic lubricants. The equipment, which is a vital part of the manufacturer’s process, would frequently malfunction, causing unexpected and costly downtime for the company.

The Nexus team was tasked with conducting a root cause analysis to understand the issues with the existing equipment in order to determine the best replacement option. The team would also have procurement responsibilities for the new equipment, including expediting delivery and construction administration oversight. The goal of the effort was to install a replacement for the equipment before the existing piece reached the end of its life.

Challenge:

The cause of the issues with the existing equipment were unknown at the start of the project. The team began by performing a damage mechanism review and review of metallurgy options relating to the replacement of the equipment. The team also conducted a process simulation to determine the root cause of the issue, and to ensure that the new equipment would last longer in the client’s process conditions.

The project was being conducted on an expedited schedule, presenting challenges to the procurement team. Once the team received the proper equipment specifications, the equipment needed to be expedited to ensure it would arrive on schedule for the client. Working closely with the equipment vendor, Nexus worked to secure an on-time delivery.

Because of the accelerated schedule, many challenges were presented to the construction management team in order to reduce the total amount of outage time for the client.

Solution:

The Nexus Team was able to execute the engineering phase of the project at a fast pace to maintain the schedule and allow the procurement team and construction management team enough time to complete the project before the deadline. To reduce the total downtime during construction, our team had to work with contractors around the clock with pre-turnaround planning and scheduling to ensure a smooth installation.

The accuracy and quality of our engineering, procurement, and construction management allowed the contractors to install the equipment with minimal downtime. All these efforts combined allowed the project delivery to be completed on time with quality results, ensuring that our client’s process was more reliable and would last longer.