When production is below target, the first solution is often to replace or upgrade equipment. A larger pump, additional equipment or higher installed capacity may appear to be the obvious answer.
But the equipment itself is not always the issue.
Engineers model the production system as a whole, combining equipment characteristics, process variables and operating conditions to determine what is actually limiting output. Different operating conditions and equipment configurations can then be tested before capital is committed.
What the Analysis Can Show
- Production bottlenecks and limiting constraints
- Effect of equipment behavior on production
- Impact of process variables and operating conditions
- Redundant or underutilized equipment
- Equipment configuration and capacity requirements
- Potential production increase from operational changes
- Additional capital and operating cost implications of alternative solutions
Find the Real Opportunity Before Investing
A production shortfall may be caused by a pump, but it may also be caused by pressure, flow, temperature, control settings, downstream capacity, equipment interaction or another process constraint.
By analyzing the variables together, it is possible to determine which changes actually affect production and which do not.
The result can be a different operating strategy, a change in equipment behavior, removal of redundant equipment, or a targeted investment rather than a blanket equipment upgrade.
Typical Applications
- Production capacity improvement
- Process and plant optimization
- Bottleneck investigation
- Equipment sizing and configuration
- Additional capital reduction
- Operating cost reduction