Process Manufacturing | Chemical Industry
Implementing Fast ‘What-If’ Predictive Simulations at Paint Producers’ Plants
In the highly specialized chemical industry, a producer of paints for indoor and outdoor buildings operates with 460 employees across 5 locations and maintains 31 production lines of varying batch sizes. This case study outlines how this paint producer overcame significant scheduling challenges by implementing QLECTOR LEAP, resulting in a marked increase in efficiency and reduction in downtimes.
Challenges
The producer turned to QLECTOR for a comprehensive solution that included:
Ineffective Rinsing and Cleaning Schedules
Existing schedules were not optimized, leading to frequent collapses.
Manual Scheduling Processes
Coordinating schedules between planners and shift leaders manually was time-consuming and error-prone.
Complex Product Levels
Managing up to three levels of semi-finished goods and buffer tanks made scheduling highly intricate.
Knowledge Bottlenecks
A concentration of process knowledge within a few planners posed a high risk to operational continuity.
Seasonal Fluctuations
Managing human resources and stock levels during seasonal peaks added to the complexity.
Solution
The producer turned to QLECTOR for a comprehensive solution that included:
Predictive Simulations
Implementing fast ‘what-if’ simulations to quickly adapt to unpredicted events.
Automated Rescheduling
Enabling automatic rescheduling of processes and planned orders to minimize disruption.
Sequencing Optimization
Reducing cleaning and rinsing times through better sequencing of production tasks.
Long-Term Planning
Developing long-term scenarios for human resources, stock, and capacities to prepare for future demands.
Benefits
The producer turned to QLECTOR for a comprehensive solution that included:
Significant Time Savings
A reduction of planning time by 50%.
Reduced Downtimes
A 20% decrease in organizational downtimes.
Extended Scheduling Horizon
Moving from daily to weekly scheduling, providing a broader operational perspective.
Conclusion
The producer’s strategic use of QLECTOR LEAP demonstrates a significant leap forward in managing the complexities of chemical production. With substantial time savings for planners and reduced downtimes, the company has set a new standard for efficiency in the chemical industry.