A look at what to do while designing your next industrial project | The ever increasing competition in the manufacturing industry has led to advancements in technology. Moreover, with the market demands increasing, manufacturers were required to supply products with increased speed and flexibility. These two aspects together have transformed the way products are developed thus, driving greater collaboration across the value chain and within organisations. This fundamental shift is driving new paradigms in product design and manufacturing.
This shift has also seen a rise in the growing belief that investing in industrial design is beneficial to company performance. Shedding more light on this, SK Bohra, head, manufacturing operations, Case New Holland Construction Equipment (India), avers, “With competition gaining prominence than ever before, it is quite essential for manufacturers to provide price competitive products, while retaining the quality. An integrated industrial design plan, well calibrated to meet the quality standards can extensively contribute towards attainment of the same.”
A complete integrated design plan has been incorporated by Case for production optimisation. It has put up a paint shop completely aligned with the assembly shop for producing backhoe loaders with an annual capacity to roll out 5500 backhoe loaders and 16 units per month on 15,400 sq-mt set up that also houses an office block.
Further, efficiencies are being incorporated in a sustainable manner in the production systems by minimising wastage of raw materials and most essentially by curtailing unnecessary movement of heavy, medium and light materials like hydraulics and cabs and other smaller feed parts like hoses that go in the machine.
“Our production shops too have an elaborate range of material handling units, integrated with each other for consistent load transfer between the various production and assembly points,” asserts Bohra.
Since, most of the modern manufacturing plants are undertaken on engineering, procurement and commissioning (EPC) mode, it is pertinent for the contractor to carefully take into account the production and shop floor plan of the entity and put appropriate design in place for the material handling units. This is most essential for proper functioning of the process, chiefly involving the industrial cranes, extensively used by on and off highway vehicle manufacturing entities.
“An appropriate industrial design plan, featuring integration of one production system with others like cabs, engines, chassis and axles can contribute extensively towards optimisation of conveying solutions,” states Abhijeet Tiwari, manager business development, ATS Conveyors India.
These conveying solutions involve friction wheel, power and free chain, skid, inverted power, roller and chain conveyor slat and towing conveyors being used by vehicle manufacturers. “This can curtail power consumption in a big way enabling manufacturers to compress production costs,” explains Tiwari.
Another emerging trend seen in modern industrial design is to utilise the maximum space on the shopfloor. Concurring, Hemant Abhade, senior executive manager, Technical Services, Hercules Hoists, avows, “The modern industrial cranes are equipped with advanced features like variable frequency drives, intelligent brake logic and torque proving. To gain the actual benefits of the modern cranes, especially for consistent load transfer and desired lifting, it is essential for the industrial design to be highly customised to facilitate setting up of the rails.”
Rising production costs have led to making the process of industrial production leaner. Preventive maintenance is getting increasing attention by plant managers as it enhances availability of the machines, thus making the total production chain more efficient. The foremost approach that can positively contribute towards effective industrial maintenance is paying attention to designing right from the beginning. Using poor construction material, which might help curb costs in the beginning, will ultimately result in shelling out much more than planned to rectify the damage.
The more complex an assembly or technique, the greater the number of operations involved. Hence, it is important to create designs that are flexible, simple to construct and easy to maintain. Pre engineered designed building (PEB) systems is an additional fast emerging trend for industrial projects and is ideal for automobile, or any other manufacturing industry with stipulated production and delivery schedules. PEB is advanced as compared to traditional RCC designs that take longer setting up time, with minimal room for quality.
PEB for industrial projects have multiple advantages like minimal start up and construction costs. Further, these buildings have lesser maintenance and lower life cycle costs. Explaining the benefits of PEB, HL Saxena, director, Saxena Marine-Tech asserts, “As compared to conventional buildings the setting time required by PEB is less as they are pre-welded, pre- drilled, pre-punched and prefabricated. These systems since they are easy to erect and dismantle enable owners of industrial units and contractors the flexibility to modify the floor plan as desired, to the extent of changing it if they would be expanding further.”
Rajinder Singh Sachdeva, senior vice president and head, technology at Volvo Eicher, Commercial Vehicles also seconds the benefits of PEB. He says, “We have extensively used pre engineered designed buildings in some of our critical facilities at our plant. The plant has new chassis and assembly line. Our manufacturing set up includes a cab weld shop with robotic welding, CED paint shop, integrated testing facilities and 100% hot test facility for engines.”
He further adds, “This facility also houses a warehouse for spare parts availability. All this has been housed under pre engineered buildings so as to facilitate preventive maintenance and future brown field expansions.” Thus, it is necessary for one to understand that the layout and design of a plant is crucial for effective production.
So, whether you are modifying your current plant facilities, upgrading existing equipment or processes, or beginning a new industrial enterprise, it is necessary for the concerned personnel at the plant to work closely with the designers to ensure efficient and effective designs.