Unplanned downtime: Factors affecting spray dryer performance within the dairy industry
Author: Jonathan Turnbull
Supervisors: Helen Mataiti Glenys Forsyth
20 March 2024
Turnbull, J. (2024). Unplanned downtime: Factors affecting spray dryer performance within the dairy industry (Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Professional Practice). Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga, New Zealand.
Executive Summary
This study delves into the application of asset management principles in reducing unplanned downtime during plant startup and enhancing milk production. To achieve this objective, the study addresses four fundamental questions that are crucial to the dairy industry, namely, the dairy lactation peak milk curve, vertical startup of the plant, asset, and production reliability.
1. What are the key relationships between the dairy lactation peak milk curve, vertical start-up of plant, asset, and production reliability?
2. What risk do the relationships pose to the business during the production season with a key focus on start-up and peak milk periods?
3. How could following Asset Management Principles, namely Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) and Early Equipment Management (EEM), decrease the risks to the business during those periods?
4. How do delays to project implementation during the winter shutdown increase the risk to the business?
This study was conducted by analysing data obtained from a dairy company based in New Zealand that specialises in the processing of milk and plant-based products into nutritional products for infants and adults. The study also incorporated literature on Asset Management, Reliability Engineering, internal company policies and standards, and other engineering-related content. The research methodology employed for the study was Action based, which enabled the business to implement crucial changes that appeared at the end of each action cycle.
The dairy company under study has a comprehensive production process, which involves the use of innovative technology to produce high-quality nutritional products for both infants and adults. The study aimed to identify areas of improvement in the company's asset management processes that would enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the company's operations. By analysing the data obtained and incorporating relevant literature, the study was able to identify critical issues that needed addressing and suggest possible solutions to the problems.
The research methodology used in the study, Action-Based, allowed the company to implement crucial changes at the end of each action cycle. This approach ensured that the company continually improved its processes and procedures, resulting in enhanced efficiency and effectiveness of the production process. The study's findings provide valuable insights that can be used by the dairy company to enhance its operations and improve the overall quality of its products.
The peak milk production for a business falls precisely three processing months into the season, and the three months leading up to peak milk production are considered a high risk area for the business. During this period, the manufacturing excellence methodology of the business requires that any projects undertaken within the plant ensure and validate that the project has delivered an outcome that provides the agreed-upon process reliability for the plant. Surprisingly, the data collected from the downtime logger revealed that there is little evidence that newly installed or freshly maintained (underwent preventive maintenance tasks) assets suffered infant mortality, contributing to unplanned downtime (UPDT) during this period.
The study revealed that asset failure is not the leading cause of unplanned downtime during plant startups. Still, non-asset-related issues contribute significantly more significantly to the plant's UPDT. Poor execution of one or more project-related tasks, such as inadequate training of operators and maintainers on how to operate and maintain the asset correctly, not ensuring non-asset process systems have been set up and functional, and poor engagement into the change from key stakeholders at all levels, can lead to significant unplanned downtime. Projects continue to significantly contribute to unplanned downtime, not from an asset perspective but from an operability and maintainability perspective.
Based on the findings, the study recommends that projects continue to focus on the reliability and safety of assets and the human factors that can affect their operability and maintainability. It is necessary to ensure that projects do not neglect people and non-asset processes but prioritise them as much as they do the physical assets. The study emphasises the need for projects to focus not only on the delivery of the physical asset but also on ensuring that operators and maintainers receive adequate training and that non-asset process systems have been set up and functional.
In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the potential benefits of asset management principles in the dairy industry and practical guidance for those involved in asset management within the dairy industry seeking to optimise their operations.
Licence
This thesis is not publicly available.
