What is my plants installed capacity.

My first question is do you know this figure?

Often after many years and different staff this figure is either unknown or perhaps a mythical number.

If a figure is given to you, what was the figure based on?

• With a newer plant you should have information to hand, the plant specification, the offers and and the eventual company that built the plant based on the specification but you should know what the number was based on.

Has the plant ever achieved this figure?

• Again poor history may give mixed answers.

Experience tells us:

• Often we see that this figure has never been achieved, in the early days change of product type and raw materials was probably blamed for the under performance. However with an older plant often we see wear and tear and lack of operating knowledge over time adds to the poor performance.

Plant based experience:

• Let’s look at a large Powder blending plant (not industry specific) 15 - 20 years old, a number of changes of managers and operators. So a lack of historical knowledge about the plant but plenty of rumours and potential myths. No plant drawings or specifications to be found. You are the new manager in charge, what are you going to do to see if this plant has additional capacity abilities.

Now it is time to slowly learn about the plant and the products that go through it.

Follow my Article on ‘How I Improved My Powder Plant Output”