Minimising Downtime and Enhancing Compliance in the Chemical Manufacturing Sector

The customer had concerns around the reliability of their existing water level controls, which were now obsolete. With only one boiler in operation on site, any failure would result in immediate downtime and disruption to production. They required a robust approach that would minimise risk, reduce potential downtime, and ensure ongoing system compliance.

The project was delivered by our Deeside service engineers, supported by JBC’s in-house Mechanical Department. After a full review of the system, we proposed and implemented the following:

• Installation of new Spirax Sarco water level controls
• HMI upgrade for improved interface and usability
• Auto-timed bottom blowdown in line with BG01 compliance requirements

In addition, we advised the customer to invest in a full backup set of the new controls. This would allow them to carry out rapid replacements if necessary, without waiting for parts to be sourced.

To keep costs down and speed up the project, the new controls were retrofitted into the existing control panel, avoiding the need for a full panel replacement.

The project delivered significant operational improvements for the customer. By holding a full spare set of controls on site, they now have the confidence to respond quickly to any unexpected failures, drastically reducing potential downtime. The retrofit approach kept project costs down while modernising the system with improved diagnostics and reliability. The upgraded HMI interface and automated blowdown functionality have enhanced both compliance with BG01 guidelines and overall boiler performance, contributing to more efficient and consistent production.