Spend Smarter: Extending Useful Life with No Budget

Without high-quality data guiding decisions, operational failure is inevitable. This is a problem with implications across organizations from the boardroom to the facility floor.

But today, some manufacturers are opening their doors for a new path with AI and robotics at scale.

Real Data Makes a Real, Big Difference

Consider: Fleet health

Historically, facilities would turn to traditional inspection companies who use handheld tools that gather single points of data to uncover damage – one asset at a time. And just like a bull, when the scans show enough red, industry warriors run full bore towards a replacement because their instincts tell them they have no choice – they have to charge. While that may have been the case a decade ago, these survival instincts aren’t needed anymore.

With first-order data and AI-powered analysis, you can truly understand the health of your entire tank fleet and determine how much it will cost to keep it operational. Proactively planning for the future, instead of relying on incomplete, unreliable data that triggers an unnecessary response.

Do More with Less

Consider: Operational optimizations

With a complete understanding of your fleet’s health, you can identify operational optimizations, build repair plans, and forecast a budget. But what if your budget is locked up, and your next outage is in 18 months?

Fortunately, there are “no-budget” options available to extend asset life. For instance, among many operating parameters, fill height and the contents of a storage tank are two of the most impactful on asset health. Typically, these factors show within one or two shell courses. Bingo! Time to replace the course, right??

In reality, by applying advanced analysis to the robotically-collected data, operators are able to simulate modifications to fill height and/or product to determine the impact on health. For example, simulating fill height reduction in one tank from 27 ft. to 22 ft., a maintenance manager saw that he could avoid imminent failure at no cost by slowing the corrosion rate. This simple process change extended the tank’s useful life, getting them to the next outage with no unplanned downtime. No budget, no problem (with complete data sets).

Repair vs. Replace

Consider: Informed decision-making

Now that you’ve got all of the cards on the table - full health visibility, repair costs, operating simulations - you can make a transparent, data-informed decision on whether to repair or replace the asset. The result is budget justification at the facility level and confident investment at the corporate level. How’s that for a win-win?

Extending Useful Life

Consider: Working with Gecko Robotics

The right tools provide full visibility to make confident decisions about your entire asset fleet. By leveraging AI and robotics, mills can confidently stretch their budgets – safely and reliably. Unlock insights to make operational improvements that reduce risks, maximize productivity, and reduce CapEx for years to come.?

If any of the above reflects your industry experience and you’re working on innovative ways to solve production problems, I would love to hear about what you’re doing and share what I’ve learned.?

Written by Jean Butel , Manufacturing Lead at Gecko –> Contact me at [email protected] or Book Time Here .