Stora Enso increases paper productivity
1 Sep 2011
Stora Enso is employing wireless monitoring as part of an operator-driven reliability (ODR) programme, which aims to empower machinery operators to play a more proactive role in the maintenance process.
Working with SKF, the company first introduced ODR at its Varkaus pulp and paper mill in Finland, where the amount of unplanned downtime on its paper machine line three (PM3) was affecting overall productivity.
After an ODR training and familiarisation exercise, machinery operators were provided with an SKF Microlog Inspector handheld computer with a wireless machine condition detector (WMCD) to record day-to-day readings such as data plots, notes and images from the PM3 machine.
The wireless equipment also alerted operators to changes in machine condition, giving advanced warning of any component deterioration.
The maintenance team was equipped with an SKF Microlog Analyzer GX instrument for more comprehensive on-the-spot data recording and analysis for specific areas of the PM3 machine. This information was then uploaded using a special software package where the data could be further analysed, reported and shared across the plant.
The operators’ systematic use of wireless monitoring, and associated reporting and analysis equipment, has helped maintenance planners to better prioritise and plan actions needed. It also enabled time for issues to be discussed with machine shift operators and allowed potential problems with the PM3 machinery to be identified.
In the first six months of implementation around 20 critical failures were found, contributing to a reduction of unplanned stops by 0.5% during the first year. Each of the 10 ODR inspection routes for the PM3 takes about 15 minutes, allowing the operators to fit this maintenance process into their schedule without any need for overtime.
Since the introduction of ODR, the Varkaus plant has significantly improved the efficiency of maintenance procedures, increased machine availability and reduced operating costs, said SKF. Maintenance, it added, can now focus more on the critical assets and on finding the root cause of a problem.
Based on the early results, Stora Enso is now implementing the ODR programme in the remaining Varkaus units, as well as the company’s other Finnish production sites.
“Looking forward, operator maintenance is one of our strategies and the ODR programme has provided a framework for improved inspection, recording of data, communication and response times,” said Juha Helkala, maintenance director for Stora Enso in Finland.
