In the pharmaceutical industry, time is money. Even minimal downtime can have serious consequences for profits and production schedules.
A key to minimizing downtime and maximizing throughput is efficient cleaning between production runs. As part of this critical process, pharmaceutical manufacturers must ensure that their tank cleaning equipment operates optimally. Properly functioning equipment ensures thorough cleaning, consumer safety, and product integrity, all while meeting production demands and strict documentation requirements.
When one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers faced excessive downtime due to the inspection, repair, and rebuilding of their tank cleaning equipment using traditional methods, they turned to Rodem for help.
The Challenge: Excessive Downtime for Maintenance
This manufacturer produces a key ingredient for high-demand medications, leaving little room for downtime in their production schedule. Their facility also houses one of the largest installations of Alfa Laval tank cleaning equipment in the country. Historically, they removed equipment and shipped it to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for rebuilding and repairs.
However, with increasing production demands, they no longer had time to send the equipment offsite for servicing. They needed a local maintenance partner capable of expediting rebuilds and repairs to support their demanding production schedule.
A Holistic Approach to Service
The manufacturer not only required local service but also a partner with expertise in the complex and stringent requirements of high-purity processing environments.
Pharmaceutical processing requires in-depth knowledge of strict industry guidelines, and the service provider had to be an expert in high-purity operations. Moreover, documentation is critical for compliance and safety, so the repair program needed to account for this key aspect.
Additionally, the local provider needed to ensure the availability of parts and spares to support seamless repairs and replacements. Rodem stepped in with a comprehensive
solution to ensure their tank cleaning equipment and processes continued running efficiently with minimal disruption.
Rodem’s Custom Solution
Rodem’s expert team developed a two-fold solution to meet the pharmaceutical manufacturer’s needs for fast, local service. This included both a comprehensive maintenance program for inspection and rebuilding, as well as a custom-built test skid for validating the functionality of the tank cleaning units.
The Tank Cleaning Equipment Test Skid
Rodem’s engineering team designed a skidded system that allowed flexibility to test every tank cleaning unit in the plant. This system was engineered to match each unit’s exact specifications and included a tank, pump, controls, and instrumentation to continuously recirculate water through the skid. The design allowed for visual inspection and the documentation of performance metrics.
The Tank Cleaning Rebuilding Program
The program also featured a structured process for testing, documenting performance, and performing necessary repairs. Spare units were rotated into production while others were serviced. To further support the program, a stocking plan ensured the availability of necessary parts and spare units, preventing delays during the repair and replacement process.
Why Maintenance Matters
Tank cleaning equipment is essential for maintaining cleanliness and product integrity in pharmaceutical processing. In an industry where hygiene is paramount, ensuring that equipment functions correctly is critical. An expertly designed tank cleaning equipment rebuilding program offers several key benefits:
Compliance Documentation: The rebuilding process includes thorough documentation and performance testing to meet predefined regulatory requirements.
Minimal Downtime: Local service centers and offsite technicians offer prompt rebuild services, minimizing downtime and ensuring a quick turnaround.
Alfa Laval Spares On-hand: High-quality Alfa Laval parts and equipment are readily available to ensure maintenance can occur without delay.
Factory-Trained Technicians: Rodem’s factory-trained technicians specialize in testing, servicing, and rebuilding Alfa Laval Gamajet tank cleaning equipment.
Rodem’s tank cleaning capabilities give processors peace of mind, knowing that an expert team is dedicated to keeping their equipment operating efficiently and their systems running smoothly.
Conclusion: Reduce Downtime with Tank Cleaning Equipment Rebuild Services
Rodem’s customized tank cleaning equipment rebuild services provided this pharmaceutical manufacturer with an efficient, tailored solution to their downtime challenges. By implementing a localized maintenance program featuring on-site testing and expedited rebuild services, Rodem ensured that their client’s equipment remained operational without disrupting their demanding production schedule.
Our expertise, comprehensive documentation, and immediate access to Alfa Laval parts allow us to meet the stringent requirements of high-purity processing environments, safeguarding product integrity, compliance, and production efficiency.
Rodem
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We Support the Processors Who Feed, Nourish & Heal America
Rodem was born out of a love for meeting the challenging demands of dairy plants, with a focus on solving processing problems. Our industries served have evolved, but our number one goal remains the same; to provide our customers with smart sanitary solutions and innovative technology to help increase efficiencies, decrease downtime, maximize yield and throughput while helping meet sustainability goals, deliver a high-quality end product and meet consumer demand.
We Bring Clients Smart Sanitary Solutions
We are more than distribution. We pride ourselves on industry experience and offer a breadth of knowledge to solve your most difficult processing issues. Our people work to find smart solutions for your sanitary process. Our customers are our driving force. We are committed to providing value-added, customer service to each customer. We listen to your wants and needs and adjust our offerings accordingly.
We execute this commitment to supporting the processors who feed, nourish and heal America through not only leading manufacturers and technology, but also great people. Our people are some of the most experienced and knowledgeable in the industry. We pride ourselves on developing long-standing relationships with customers. We form a partnership with our customers and take on their problems, like they are our own.(Courtesy rodem.com)
Expert troubleshooters have a good understanding of the operation of electrical components that are used in circuits they are familiar with, and even ones they are not. They use a system or approach that allows them to logically and systematically analyze a circuit and determine exactly what is wrong. They also understand and effectively use tools such as prints, diagrams and test instruments to identify defective components. Finally, they have had the opportunity to develop and refine their troubleshooting skills.
Expert troubleshooters have a good understanding of the operation of electrical components that are used in circuits they are familiar with, and even ones they are not. They use a system or approach that allows them to logically and systematically analyze a circuit and determine exactly what is wrong. They also understand and effectively use tools such as prints, diagrams and test instruments to identify defective components. Finally, they have had the opportunity to develop and refine their troubleshooting skills.
Semiconductor devices are almost always part of a larger, more complex piece of electronic equipment. These devices operate in concert with other circuit elements and are subject to system, subsystem and environmental influences. When equipment fails in the field or on the shop floor, technicians usually begin their evaluations with the unit's smallest, most easily replaceable module or subsystem. The subsystem is then sent to a lab, where technicians troubleshoot the problem to an individual component, which is then removed--often with less-than-controlled thermal, mechanical and electrical stresses--and submitted to a laboratory for analysis. Although this isn't the optimal failure analysis path, it is generally what actually happens.
Semiconductor devices are almost always part of a larger, more complex piece of electronic equipment. These devices operate in concert with other circuit elements and are subject to system, subsystem and environmental influences. When equipment fails in the field or on the shop floor, technicians usually begin their evaluations with the unit's smallest, most easily replaceable module or subsystem. The subsystem is then sent to a lab, where technicians troubleshoot the problem to an individual component, which is then removed--often with less-than-controlled thermal, mechanical and electrical stresses--and submitted to a laboratory for analysis. Although this isn't the optimal failure analysis path, it is generally what actually happens.
In an ideal world, multiple components could be produced in a single piece, or coupled and installed in perfect alignment. However, in the real world, separate components must be brought together and connected onsite. Couplings are required to transmit rotational forces (torque) between two lengths of shaft, and despite the most rigorous attempts, alignment is never perfect. To maximize the life of components such as bearings and shafts, flexibility must be built in to absorb the residual misalignment that remains after all possible adjustments are made. Proper lubrication of couplings is critical to their performance.
In an ideal world, multiple components could be produced in a single piece, or coupled and installed in perfect alignment. However, in the real world, separate components must be brought together and connected onsite. Couplings are required to transmit rotational forces (torque) between two lengths of shaft, and despite the most rigorous attempts, alignment is never perfect. To maximize the life of components such as bearings and shafts, flexibility must be built in to absorb the residual misalignment that remains after all possible adjustments are made. Proper lubrication of couplings is critical to their performance.
The key to realizing greater savings from more informed management decisions is to predetermine the "True" cost of downtime for each profit center category. True downtime cost is a methodology of analyzing all cost factors associated with downtime, and using this information for cost justification and day to day management decisions. Most likely, this data is already being collected in your facility, and need only be consolidated and organized according to the true downtime cost guidelines.
The key to realizing greater savings from more informed management decisions is to predetermine the "True" cost of downtime for each profit center category. True downtime cost is a methodology of analyzing all cost factors associated with downtime, and using this information for cost justification and day to day management decisions. Most likely, this data is already being collected in your facility, and need only be consolidated and organized according to the true downtime cost guidelines.
I use the term RCPE because it is a waste of good initiatives and time to only find the root cause of a problem, but not fixing it. I like to use the word problem; a more common terminology is Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA), instead of failure because the word failure often leads to a focus on equipment and maintenance. The word problem includes all operational, quality, speed, high costs and other losses. To eliminate problems is a joint responsibility between operations, maintenance and engineering.
I use the term RCPE because it is a waste of good initiatives and time to only find the root cause of a problem, but not fixing it. I like to use the word problem; a more common terminology is Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA), instead of failure because the word failure often leads to a focus on equipment and maintenance. The word problem includes all operational, quality, speed, high costs and other losses. To eliminate problems is a joint responsibility between operations, maintenance and engineering.
The potential-to-functional failure interval (P-F interval) is one of the most important concepts when it comes to performing Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM). Remarkably, the P-F interval is also one of the most misunderstood RCM concepts. The failure mode analysis becomes even more complicated when you are dealing with several P-F intervals for one failure mode. This paper will help clarify the P-F interval and the decision-making process when dealing with multiple P-F intervals.
The potential-to-functional failure interval (P-F interval) is one of the most important concepts when it comes to performing Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM). Remarkably, the P-F interval is also one of the most misunderstood RCM concepts. The failure mode analysis becomes even more complicated when you are dealing with several P-F intervals for one failure mode. This paper will help clarify the P-F interval and the decision-making process when dealing with multiple P-F intervals.
As many of us strive to improve the reliability of our plants, several comments bemoan how challenging that is to do in an era of continuous deep cost cutting. They say that in their operation, maintenance is seen as a cost, and is one of the first things to arbitrarily cut. Some think their operations have cut too far! What they seek is a way to justify a strong maintenance capability. I submit that one approach is to speak of maintenance as an “investment in capacity.” Use the language that plant managers, controllers and senior management understands: capital investment and return on investment (ROI).
As many of us strive to improve the reliability of our plants, several comments bemoan how challenging that is to do in an era of continuous deep cost cutting. They say that in their operation, maintenance is seen as a cost, and is one of the first things to arbitrarily cut. Some think their operations have cut too far! What they seek is a way to justify a strong maintenance capability. I submit that one approach is to speak of maintenance as an “investment in capacity.” Use the language that plant managers, controllers and senior management understands: capital investment and return on investment (ROI).