Process simulation - Identification of bottle necks and options to improve productivity in coatings production

 
Processes in paint production tend to be fairly complex both with regard to the various process steps and the product portfolio and in addition are subject to variations driven by raw material batch properties, process reliability and operator behavior. Production volumes are often product dependent and require different times for loading, processing and filling. This can include differences in transport times (distance to warehouses for liquid vs. solid RMs, fork truck vs. fixed pipes), impacts from the logistics of packaging of both RMs and finished product (big bags vs. pails, can sizes, bulk shipments, etc.). The need for cleaning cycles might be determined by the sequence of products and affects the availability of resources (like operators, dissolvers, mills, drums, etc.). The ability to store/buffer semi-finished, finished products and intermediates is often limited by the available space or safety requirements. The use of certain machinery or equipment can even be restricted to specific time windows due to noise considerations. And every once in while operators go on vacation and there is maintenance needed for the machinery. All these limitations, variabilities and mutual dependencies create a very complex scenario. It is therefore a non-trivial task to assess the real process capacity and options for improvements through adjusted man power, asset investments or changes in the product portfolio - "linear" models like a spread sheet typically cannot reflect this complexity. The talk demonstrates the use of a computer-based process simulation tool based on real production situations to analyze processes and identify options for improvements.