Introduction
The Navigator Company
Power Generation Software, Pulp and Paper Manufacturing
Asset Health & Condition Monitoring, Reliability Analysis Software, Asset Strategy Management
Asset Performance Management (APM) Software
Background
The Navigator Company is Europe’s largest supplier of paper and pulp products. Four industrial sites, located in Portugal, produce products sold in 130 countries.
The company takes its responsibility to protect the planet very seriously. In fact, Navigator’s organic waste product, or biomass, produces enough electricity to run its entire operation and powers 5% of Portugal’s electric needs and Navigator is the country’s largest producer of renewable energy through biomass. You could say efficiency runs through the company’s veins, and it doesn’t stop at power generation.
With 12,000 pumps, 50,000 electric motors, 8 boilers, 19 turbines and 8 paper machines, creating a culture of reliability excellence is deemed a must at Navigator.
It’s imperative that we build a reliability policy that takes into account risk, cost and performance, and we couldn’t do that without GE Digital Asset Performance Management.
Pedro Conceição - Asset Management and Maintenance Corporate Coordinator, The Navigator Company
Challenges
The Navigator Company has a rich history of subject matter expertise and commitment to its customers. It also brings a big challenge. Its plants include equipment that is more than 40 years old, right alongside equipment that is very new, including GE machines used to produce the steam needed for its industrial processes. While the team was very proficient in looking back to conduct root cause analysis, it was unable to predict the future using the spreadsheets and analytics on hand.
One day we were operating with spreadsheets and working side by side. The next day COVID-19 disrupted how we worked. We needed a partner who could help us transform remotely. GE Digital stepped up to the challenge without any hesitation.
Paula Branco - APM Project Manager and Reliability Team Leader, The Navigator Company
Solution
Committing to predictive analytics was a logical decision. The Navigator Company had to next find the right system to run the pilot against. The team sought a system that would have the most visibility across the organization to drive adoption during the full rollout.
The pilot project used information from Honeywell, SKF and SAP systems to provide the most comprehensive view of asset health. The goal was always to build accurate predictions, but also to display that information in a way that was easy to interpret. The onset of the pandemic made visualization even more critical. Instead of written reports that required studying, easy health indicators spurred fast action.
Results
In just 90 days the team achieved high impact results. Asset Criticality Analysis (ACA) led to an effective cost-reduction strategy and allowed the team to prioritize sensor investments that would drive the most return on investment.
- Updated policies for standardized equipment included in the pilot program
- Spare analysis optimization identified key areas of risk and cost savings
- 7.2% maintenance budget cost reduction, projected to save 12.8% annually
We are fortunate to have an incredible team of dedicated plant operators and engineers who are excited to use predictive analytics to inform our reliability strategy. Luckily, we didn’t have to do it alone. The technology and expertise GE Digital brought to us was invaluable. Even a global pandemic didn’t slow down our progress.
Pedro Conceição - Asset Management and Maintenance Corporate Coordinator, The Navigator Company
