Events for Business, Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain & IT Executives | ARC Advisory Group

ARC Webcast

June 3, 2010 - 2 PM EDT

This educational webcast, hosted by ARC, Automation.com, and ExperTune, introduces the viewer to a brand new technique for more easily identifying the root cause of upsets in process plants which affect production, quality, and cost.  When upsets occur, plant personnel focus too often on the symptom because the underlying cause is hidden.  Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a methodology for finding and correcting the most important reasons for process performance problems, and this in turn minimizes the likelihood of problem recurrence.  In addition to minimizing further process upsets, plant safety is improved by identifying unrecognized hazards and enabling better business processes.  There are many different tools, methods, and philosophies for RCA.  This webcast examines a new technology which simplifies and streamlines the RCA process.

Agenda

The Webcast lasts approximately one hour. Content is as follows:

• Introduction
  Rick Zabel, Vice President and Publisher, Automation.com
• "The Business Case for Avoiding Process Upsets"
  Tom Fiske, Senior Analyst, ARC
  Process upsets are the bane of manufacturing operations.  Process upsets are costly because they reduce quality, yield, throughput, and cause unscheduled downtime.  Identifying, correcting, and preventing process upsets are challenging for most companies because operations personnel don’t have the time or tools necessary to determine the root cause of problems.  Instead, most companies treat only the symptoms of problems and the incidents reoccur.  Now, new tools are available that simplify root cause analysis and provide significant benefits to users.  Tom has more than 10 years experience as an analyst. Prior to ARC, Tom spent 15 years in various engineering and management positions in the chemical industry. Tom provides an overview of RCA and its benefits.
• "Finding What Affects Chemical and Energy Costs in a Pulp & Paper Mill"
  Chris Shelley, Process Control Supervisor, Rock-Tenn Company
  Controlling quality and costs are always a challenge, but especially so in the highly competitive paper industry at a mill making linerboard (the thin cardboard use for cartons).  Chris and his team have implemented an innovative Root Cause Analysis methodology focused on identifying what affects quality and costs.  They use a new software solution which helps them find what affects chemical and energy costs, and tracks in real-time what makes them go up. Chris is a pulp & paper industry veteran of nearly 20 years and has held a variety of roles of increasing responsibility.  He shares his experiences and observations on a unique, simpler way to implement RCA which has produced significant benefits for his company.
• "Solving for Root Cause – A Distillation Column Case Study"
  Lothar Lang, Consulting Engineer, LyondellBasell
  Distillation is a complex process to manage and control.  With variable feeds and environmental conditions, there are many upsets to be managed.  Often, advanced controls are used to drive the process toward its optimum performance.  In this case study, we will look closely at a distillation column, and an apparent problem with advanced control.  A new approach to Root Cause Analysis was used to quickly uncover the true root cause.  Lothar is a highly experienced engineer, with an extensive background of process design and process control in chemical facilities.  He describes how plant personnel were able to rapidly identify the root cause and resolve the problem, leading to immediate and substantial reductions in energy usage.
• Audience Questions and Answers

Webcast Archive

The archive of the webcast is hosted on Expertune's Website (it requires registration).