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Comatec Group subsidiary Insinööritoimisto Metso Oy, which is part of Comatec Group’s Processing Machinery and Plant Engineering business unit, offers production maintenance planning for the process industry locally around the Imatra and Lappeenranta area. Using a partner who specialises in production maintenance planning can yield significant benefits to the customer. Insinööritoimisto Metso represents long-term knowledge and expertise in production maintenance planning.
”In practice all machines, equipment, systems and processes have a life cycle, which will unavoidably reach its end at some point. Put simply, it could be said that production maintenance planning supports and extends this life cycle, and makes preparations to replace equipment as it nears the end of its life cycle,” explains team leader Antti Lautamies.
”Our method of working is to deal with each commission as a whole, which incorporates everything that is important for production maintenance planning. We plan the changes, invite tenders from subcontractors and select the most suitable ones, and carry out installation supervision. Our areas of expertise include automation, electrical and mechanical design. Everything that happens inside the gates of a factory is covered by our services,” says electrical and automation design manager Jari Leinonen.
”Here in the Processing Machinery and Plant Engineering unit we have many years’ wide-ranging experience of working in our selected client industries. Our know-how is very advanced. We have the ability and the know-how to increase production performance and capacity,” says Business Unit Manager Pasi Rantanen.
”Using a partner who specialises in production maintenance planning can yield significant benefits to the customer,” he continues. ”The expertise accumulates and our knowledge and understanding of client systems, products and business environments deepens. When we understand our clients’ needs we are able to offer them just the right kind of expert services.”
”Sourcing maintenance planning as a service from us is effective and predictable. The customer knows the costs in advance, and the work does not put a burden on the customer’s own resources,” Jari Leinonen explains.
”Thinking of our current clients, proximity and local knowledge are factors our customers appreciate. We can be with the client in moments. We know our local clients and their staff, and we know our way around their facilities. We don’t need to be directed,” says Jari. ”In today’s world delivery time is an important criterion for a customer when choosing a partner. It is crucial that we can respond quickly to our customers’ needs.”
In industry, production and financial goals are tight. Maintenance works are usually planned ahead and scheduled to be carried out during planned maintenance downtime.
”There are actually two sides to production maintenance planning. Planning prevents breakdowns, and on the other hand breakdowns can be prepared for through planning. If there is a breakdown in a large, complicated process line it can be very expensive. Stopping the process is expensive in itself, and the time the line is out of action costs too,” says Jari.
”Through maintenance planning we know the equipment and the components that are nearing the end of their service life. We can replace them during planned downtime with new ones, preventing or at least lessening unfortunate, unforeseen and expensive breakdowns. If unforeseen breakdowns occur, it is important to be able to react to the situation quickly.”
”We also plan for refurbishment or modernisation. These are also usually scheduled for planned downtime.”
”Various technical solutions allow us to improve overall operating efficiency, which is the sum of effective operations, time, usability and quality. These give us measurable data which can be presented to show the client the clear business benefits achieved through the planned works,” says Antti.
Jari Leinonen is responsible for electrical and automation design. He gives an example of planning a scheduled change of frequency converters.
”It is normal to arrange for frequency converters to be changed before they break down, with their change scheduled for a normal period of downtime. We create a plan for changing the frequency converters and instructions for the maintenance fitter, so they are ready before the planned downtime. We determine how many frequency converters are to be changed and their exact specifications. We find electrical diagrams from the time they were fitted. We check the functioning and condition of the entire motor circuit. We select new frequency converters according to the specifications required. Then we add the planned changes to the electrical diagrams,” Jari explains.
”We create a comprehensive package for the maintenance engineer, based on which he can remove the old frequency converters and replace them with new ones, without needing to ask questions. As a result of our work the client’s maintenance work is carried out quickly and efficiently. Good planning can save much installation time,” Jari continues. ”Of course we also make sure that performance and quality are up to standard after the change.”
”Installation supervision is required when a project as a whole is complicated or multi-faceted. We could be speaking of a project where there are tens of frequency converters to be changed, and dozens of electrical fitters at work. In cases like this we have someone present, literally supervising the installation,” Jari explains.
”The installation supervisor makes sure that installation work is carried out according to standards. And of course he answers any questions the installation engineers may have and assists in solving any issues that arise during the work,” says Jari.
”For example, we supplied installation supervision services for Efora Oy in 2014 and 2015 during their autumn downtimes. The project involved renewing the electrical drives on board machine number one (KA 1). We made the plans for the work outside the delivery of the main equipment, meaning we made sure parts and equipment from different suppliers worked together. We also provided installation supervision for the project, working in two shifts for a week.”
”Production maintenance planning also includes sourcing the most suitable suppliers and inviting tenders. For this we prepare questionnaire material regarding the contract, invite tenders and then compare the tenders received. We present the customer with pre-screened summaries of the choices available, from which it is easy for the client to choose. The client can then rank the tenders received according to criteria such as price, quality and supply time, then make the order themselves directly with the supplier they select. This means the customer doesn’t have to use their own resources for competitive tendering,” explains Jari.
”We prepared a large-scale plan for change for Corenso relating to their automation design when their factory moved in 2012. The factory’s automation system was designed and commissioned by us. A programmer from our Lahti office carried out the logic and panel programming for it,” states Jari.
”Here at Insinööritoimisto Metso our service product offering is vast. We offer every kind of engineering design for process industry. If the project requires some kind of design for which we don’t have a local expert we will find one from somewhere else within the Comatec Group. So we are able to offer all the expertise and services across the whole of Comatec to our local clients.”
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