Downtime Reduction via Improved Instrument Reliability

June 25, 2014

Virtual Presentation: How Dow Chemicals' Deer Park facility implemented and maintains an instrument reliability program capable of delivering a 70 percent reduction in downtime.

David Greenfield, editor in chief

The Connection Between Instrument Reliability and Reduced Downtime — The dramatic reduction in reactor trips as a result of Dow Chemicals' instrument reliability team resulted in millions of dollars in EBIT savings.

Shadrach Stephens and Christopher Garcia served on the Instrument Reliability team at the Dow Chemical Deer Park facility that established a program delivering a 70 percent reduction in downtime. This program continues to be successful because it provides instrumentation professionals a formal structure to improve instrument reliability across the site. The framework for the program’s strategy focuses on two main categories: 1) short-term and long-term strategies; and 2) four maintenance improvement areas—reactive, proactive, reliability-centered, and instrument projects. In their presentation at The Automation Conference 2014, Stephens and Garcia explained the Instrument Reliability team's downtime-reducing program and how the strategy supporting it was developed and implemented. See their presentation from the conference below.

About the Author

David Greenfield, editor in chief | Editor in Chief

David Greenfield joined Automation World in June 2011. Bringing a wealth of industry knowledge and media experience to his position, David’s contributions can be found in AW’s print and online editions and custom projects. Earlier in his career, David was Editorial Director of Design News at UBM Electronics, and prior to joining UBM, he was Editorial Director of Control Engineering at Reed Business Information, where he also worked on Manufacturing Business Technology as Publisher.