MELHORIA NA AUTOMAÇÃO DO PROCESSO DE MISTURA: um estudo de caso para economia de energia elétrica em uma unidade petroquímica

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MIXING PROCESS’s AUTOMATION: a case study to save electrical energy in a petrochemical unit

Abstract

In order to obtain good results in relation to the competition, companies have stimulated competitiveness in the various industrial segments, developing ways to make their operations and production processes more and more efficient. Thus, this work aimed to reduce process times and electrical energy consumption of additive and polymer mixers. Flowcharts were used for the mapping of the additive process and the 5W2H tool, to develop an efficient action plan in the implementation of proposals for improvements in the mixer automation system, reducing equipment operating times and generating savings, both in terms of electrical energy and financial costs. In this sense, this work presents a quantitative and qualitative case study, with the nature of applied research involving a real case, with local interests and with specific objectives. After the implementation of the improvements, there was a decrease in the total process time of one hundred minutes (1h40min), a reduction in the use of iced water of one hundred and seventy minutes (2h50min) and a decrease in the operation time of the agitators of eighty minutes (1h20min) generating savings of R$ 6,011.60 per day with electricity, which maximized represents R$ 2,194,234.00 per year. In this way, the work contributed to the generation of positive results in the process, allowing for gains in productivity and cost reduction, with the opportunity to achieve the same results in other automated systems as well as in other industrial units.