Production plants, smooth running

Efficient and regular maintenance ensures a smoothly-running plant and the minimum of interference with production. Maintenance is also an important way of reducing hazards, but can itself be hazardous if not carried out properly. A survey 2 by the UK Health and Safety Executive showed that 30% of all reported incidents in the chemical industry were maintenance-related. In the period 1982-6 there were 502 maintenance accidents, including six fatalities. 

It is essential to keep all important inputs available for safe, pollution free, and smooth running of the plant and to enable dispatch of products as per specifications. Certain items can be made in-house or bought from outside. 

A 203.2 mm diameter smooth-bore extruder running a PS resin experienced low rates when extruding to a complicated downstream sheet line. The extrudate flowed from the extruder to a screen pack system and then to a sheet die. The line was able to produce acceptable product but at reduced rates. The reduced rates increased the cost of manufacturing the product and caused the plant to miss shipment dates to its customers. At a screw speed of 110 rpm, the rate was measured at 1750 kg/h for a specific rate of 15.9 kg/(h-rpm). Under all processing condi-... 

The complete manufacture of trinitrotoluene involves the several processes of nitration, separation, washing, crystallization and possibly purification. The experimental stage has been passed in every one of these various divisions in the manufacture of this product, until the modern plant runs as smoothly as a well-oiled machine. The apparatus necessary to carry on any one or all of the steps in the manufacture of TNT is now well standardized, and many excellent machines are on the market for accomplishing the end toward which every manufacturer works—a pure product. A detailed description of the necessary apparatus will not be gone into, but a brief outline of the requirements to be fulfilled by the various machines will be given in their respective places. 

This can ensure smooth production runs, convenience during cleaning and carrying out maintenance safe working while operating the plants and future expansion of plant capacity. 

The quantity of raw materials shall be thus sufiicient to run the plant as per need (to fulfil commitments made for supply of products, to maintain smooth operations for a continuous plant, and to ensure safe and pollution firee operations). 

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