Chemical Pilot Plant Increases Production 60%.
A custom pilot plant produces end-client petroleum additives for a leading automotive chemicals company.
KEY ENGINEERING FEATURES OF BATCH REACTOR SYSTEM:
- Automated chemical pilot plant with custom formulation capabilities
- Centralized automation integration
- DeltaV distributed controls
- Recipe management software
CORE CHALLENGES:
- Broader temperature and higher throughput requirements required equipment upgrades to existing pilot plant
- Fast build and delivery schedule
- Strict new formulation testing and sampling required during new product development
AUTOMATED CHEMICAL PILOT PLANT SOLUTION:
The client upgraded their batch reactor system to an automated operation, featuring custom formulation capabilities for internal testing and end-customer formulation flexibility. Production was increased almost 60% through a customized automation integration plan, new batch management software, and an engineered approach to process scale-up.
The move from manual to automated system improved consistency of batches between runs, with better tracking of process parameters. By using the distributed control system DeltaV, EPIC implemented an automation software on the batch reactor system that enabled users to quickly gain access to recipe management and data collection running throughout the plant. New equipment with higher temperature ratings (than the previous system) allowed for a broader range of potential future products.
Modular design of the chemical pilot plant meant a faster build and delivery schedule, with basic operation testing taking place before shipment. The client performed FAT testing before the pilot plant left EPIC’s fabrication shop. From initial design through fabrication and FAT testing, the pilot plant took only eleven months to design and build and was delivered to the client with minimal downtime.
IMPACT OF NEW BATCH REACTOR SYSTEM:
- Increased production by almost 60% for new product formulations with key equipment upgrades and broader temperature ranges
- Allowed broader range of products to be developed on a single system
- End-client formulation quality was improved with in-process testing and sampling through upgraded instrumentation on the pilot plant
EPIC SYSTEMS