Sawan Jasoliya

Today is 3rd August. Since 31st July, our plant has been under a planned shutdown. There are two kinds of shutdowns in any industry. Planned shutdowns and unplanned shutdowns. An unplanned shutdown is one of the costliest events for any plant because production stops unexpectedly and we lose both time and money. A planned shutdown, however, is not an expense.  It is an investment. We stop the plant today so that it can run more reliably, safely and efficiently for many months ahead. So, what should we do during a shutdown? This is the time to complete all preventive maintenance jobs and all observation-based jobs that we noticed during plant operation but could not attend because the plant was running. It is also the best opportunity to inspect, clean, repair, align, lubricate, replace worn parts and improve the condition of every machine. Think of your own vehicle. When you give it to a service center, what do you expect when it comes back? You expect it to be fully serviced, any ...

Unplanned stoppages are bad.  But shutdowns can be a big opportunity — A really big opportunity… IF ONLY WE ARE PREPARED, our job-lists are ready. There are two types of job-lists for any shutdown: 1. Standard Job-List This is the list of jobs that we perform as part of our standard inspection and maintenance routines (mostly preventive maintenance). Process Department: checks refractory conditions in cooler, kiln, and preheater; dip tube, feedpipe, flap valve condition, etc., and carries out the necessary maintenance. Mechanical Department: checks DPC, cooler, kiln supporting roller bearings, drive, HTD, bucket elevator, blowers, process fans, mill internals, screw conveyors, etc., and performs the required maintenance. Electrical Department: checks HT/LT panels, circuit breakers, cable terminations, MCCs, motors, lighting systems, earthing, and ensures functionality of interlocks and protection systems. Instrument Department: calibrates and maintains field instr...