Reduce Steam Trap Failures at Chambers Works

GB/BB Name: Cyndi KoubaMentor/MBB: Andrew Degraff

Team Members

Michael Crowley(Site Energy Lead), (Charlie) Flanigan (Aramids-maintenance), Ben Snyder (Aramids-ATO),

Michael Scruggs (Central Maintenance Mechanic), Rick Ragsdale (Fluor), Joyce Finkle (PC), Denis P

Humphreys (Fluoroproducts), Jack Hemmert, Charlie Brown

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Steam trap failures are nothing new

Steam trap programs are nothing new

WHAT makes this program

have such a huge impact and

How is it sustainable

HOW we went about finding a solution

What do you have learn from this

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Six Sigma Methodology was KEY to success

Savings: $1MM annualized in only 6 months!

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4Define: Project CTQ’s

Customer: Chambers Works site

Voice Of Customer (VOC) data:

• Wasting energy

• High variable cost due to steam losses.

• Use full service maintenance contractor for this work

• Need sustainable process

• Take into account other work streams

• Safety

Create a sustainable steam trap program

that reduces steam loss and lowers failure rate.

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5Define: Project Charter

Problem Statement:

• 2007 Survey showed 14% Failure Rate.

Project Goal:

• Reduce steam trap failures from 14% to 4.2%

• Steam loss (lbs/hr) from 15203lb/hr to less than 3000 lb/hr

Expected Benefit:

• Net variable cost savings of $450,000 (based on achieving goal)

Process Owner: Chambers Works Maintenance Unit Manager

Process Sponsor: Chambers Works Site Manager

Actual savings ~$1MM annualized in only 6 months!

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Analyze • Mapped existing process

• Generated process X’s

• What is needed for a successful program

• Gained alignment

• Issues

• Potential Solutions

Energy Team Decides to do

Survey

Does Management

fund?

Contact Sarco to Schedule

Contact Sarco for quote

Sarco Surveys entire site

Report sent to Site Energy Lead from

Sarco

Energy Team Reviews Results

Individual areas take list back

Fix Traps?Work Order writtenWork Order placed in Que with other

WO’s

WO order Completed

Trap Fixed

Analyze

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Low Medium High

Controllable

Installed incorrectly

Wrong trap for the application

Steam Leaks are identified and reported

Steam Leaks associated with trap line identified and fixed

Ultrasonic equipment used

Insulation removed and reinstalled

Setting routes for survey

*Traps being labelled

Operational definitions well defined

Survey Database used

*Good Trap Location Detail

Metrics Reporting System

System for Tracking traps fixed

Partially ControllableTurnover in repair team

Access to the Trap for repair

Resources to Fix traps

Training of surveyor/Turnover

High Failure rate Identification

System for Fixing traps

Lockout procedures

Uncontrollable Paying for the system

Analyze: Impact Control Matrix

Focus efforts on key items for success

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10Improve: Proposed Solution Summary

• Have a steam trap team

• Surveyor

• Repair mechanics

• Work Order to do survey created automatically within SAP

• Survey performed and work orders created

• Surveyor/Team Leader coordinates repair work

• Use backlog of work to justify number of mechanics

• Prioritize work for mechanics

• Repair Mechanics work across the site

• SAP Work Order history updated for individual traps

• Surveyor updates excel spreadsheet with repair history

• Monthly reports sent to area and site management

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11Piloted Solution Key Learnings

• SAP Cumbersome and slows repair process

• Use SAP to generate survey timing

• Fundamental issues with SAP that cannot be addressed with this project

• Use excel to track repairs and do repairs

• Crew charges to same functional locations WO that surveyor uses

• Some areas need dedicated trap work

• One crew member dedicated to a critical area

• All members can work across site for trap repairs and other significant work

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12Sustained Solution

Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation

ReportsSurvey Log Sheet

Microsoft Excel Worksheet

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Sustained Solution: Control Plan• Control Plan is KEY to sustainability of work

• Control Plan identifies who, what and when for critical steps

Department/ Individual

What must be controll

ed?

Y,X,or other?

Require-ments (specs)

Ongoing Control

Mechanisms

Measurement Plan Response Plan

Technique

Frequency

Who Measur

es?Action

Timing

Owner

Steam Trap Team Leader/Surveyor

Steam Traps Failure

Y 3-5%

Survey and repair failed traps, flag repeat failures

Ultrasonic Inspection

At least 2 times per year

Steam Trap Surveyor

Submit reports to area management, energy team, and reliability engineers for each area

every month

Steam Trap Team Leader

Control Plan

• Process Owner agrees to control plan

• Control Plan is evergreen

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14Key Learnings to Share

• Multi-functional team to brainstrom X’s

• No one person understands all the issues and problems

• Communications raise awareness and highlight savings

• Management needs justification to continue funding efforts

• Dedicated crew needed to survey and make repairs happen

• Doing repairs is more effective when it is a full time job versus 25% of a job

• Support from key leadership is critical

• When industry standard is met, work is not over

• Will have continued failures that must be found and repaired routinely

• If site team is not fully utilized, leverage them with smaller sites nearby

• Leveraging is not straight forward

• Each site needs to examine why steam trap repairs are a problem

• Other site had different X’s – eliminate welding to reduce manpower required to repair

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