Result
After EFI Group involvement, a major sugar refinery increased packaging output by approximately 10%, exceeding their original goal and allowing them to add a new customer.
The increase was achieved in a short time frame and did not require capital investments.
Equipment reliability has remained high and the client continues to implement items from EFI Group’s recommendation list.
Challenge
The client had an opportunity to add a new customer, but did not have sufficient granulated sugar conveying capacity to support the required increase output from their retail packaging machines.
The client believed their existing bulk material handling systems were already running at maximum capacity and they did not see a way to increase packaging output without significant capital investment in conveying equipment.
EFI Group analyzed the extensive network of conveying systems, identified the rate limiting equipment, and developed solutions to alleviate the primary constraints which the client could implement quickly.
Solution
Using our client’s process flow diagrams as the basis, the EFI Group team performed field surveys to develop a thorough understanding of the vast network of bins and conveyors used to bring sugar from the refinery to the packaging lines. EFI Group also engaged the operations and maintenance staffs to further understand the equipment’s day-to-day requirements and operating constraints.
Using OEM equipment design details, field observations (rpm and amp readings as well as visual observations), and the EFI Group team’s experience with bulk material conveying equipment, we developed analytical models and capacity graphs depicting the current capacity of the systems conveyors and chutes. This provided a simple and straightforward visual indication of system bottlenecks as well as pinpointed equipment running faster than necessary.
Deliverables
- Detailed capacity calculations and graphs depicting the capacity of the current system along with a summary of the primary bottlenecks preventing the necessary increase in production.
- A detailed list of recommended non-capital solutions in order to achieve the increased production rates. Primarily, these included speed changes (both up and down) of existing equipment and re-design of interconnecting chutes in order to balance the capacity of each individual component.
- Detailed design and installation support of six different interconnecting chutes.
- Flow diagrams and a preliminary design for two new conveying systems to further reduce bottlenecks.
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