Turnaround management in the process industry is a crucial yet complex procedure, involving planned shutdowns for maintenance, upgrades, and inspections. These activities are essential for ensuring long-term operational efficiency and safety. However, the intricate planning, coordination, and execution required to minimize downtime and costs present significant challenges. NavVis IVION, a spatial data platform that transforms facilities and assets into powerful digital twins, can effectively address these challenges.
The scoping phase involves initial planning, defining time frames, budgets, and details about impacted assets. Accurate scoping is foundational for a successful turnaround. Typically, challenges arise from incomplete data and assumptions rather than concrete facts, leading to overlooked assets and misunderstood machinery conditions.
NavVis IVION provides a detailed, up-to-date digital twin of the facility, accurately displaying every pipe, valve, and machine. This digital representation can be kept updated with seamless rescans as often as needed. Thanks to comprehensive spatial data, no asset is overlooked, and the most recent condition of each piece of equipment is well understood. Planners can leverage this precise information to create robust, data-driven scoping plans, minimizing the risk of errors and omissions.
Additionally, if all global plants are digitized in NavVis IVION, data from other sites about machinery, solutions, and concepts can be used during the scoping phase, consolidating best practices.
Preparation is the longest phase, often taking 6 to 18 months. It involves detailed planning, creating work orders, and hiring subcontractors. Challenges in this phase include outdated planning documentation and engineering data, poor communication, and disjointed information spread across different departments.
With NavVis IVION, all stakeholders have access to a unified digital twin via web browsers or mobile devices. This centralization and the ease of rescanning ensure that all planning and engineering data are current and readily accessible, enhancing communication and collaboration.
Detailed digital models allow for precise planning and coordination, reducing the chances of delays and rework caused by outdated or fragmented information. Craftspeople can use NavVis IVION as a single source of truth, streamlining the preparation process.
"Planning machinery relocation can become remarkably efficient with the 3D walkthrough feature. This ensures that equipment fits through doorways and navigates obstacles without the costly need to modify the facility's structure."
– PhD. Florian Kiefer, Senior Vice President Production at Asam Cosmetics
Execution begins once the plant is temporarily shut down during a minimum time window, requiring the efficient mobilization of contractors to implement work orders. Although professionals are involved, this phase is often hectic, with potential challenges such as occasional lack of experience, poor coordination and communication, and impromptu decision-making.
Digital twins in NavVis IVION enable virtual walkthroughs and remote inspections, providing detailed insights into site conditions. This visualization aids in training new contractors and ensures they understand the site and the context in which the equipment is installed or needs to be displaced.
The digital twin also helps coordinate tasks by documenting work sequences and visualizing safety zones, reducing the need for on-site decision-making and minimizing waiting times and disruptions. Additionally, NavVis IVION supports the coordination of subcontractors on-site, ensuring that everyone is aligned, and tasks are efficiently managed.
Start-up involves executing the plan to bring the plant back into operation. Although brief, this phase is prone to accidents due to new procedures and unverified data.
Digital twins based on NavVis technology support the start-up phase by providing a detailed, virtual representation of the facility. Alongside change management and contractor management tools, NavVis IVION facilitates the documentation and sharing of procedures in a digital environment, ensuring that all steps are correctly executed.
Further inspections and verifications can be carried out if the facility is rescanned, a process now simpler than ever before. This reduces the risk of accidents and ensures a smooth, safe start-up. Additionally, NavVis IVION assists in distributing new data and procedures, ensuring that all stakeholders are informed and prepared.
The review phase involves analyzing system performance and learning from the turnaround process. Challenges in this phase include incomplete data and undefined KPIs, which hinder accurate analysis and learning.
Thanks to custom Points of Interest (POIs) and an easily implementable rescanning workflow, digital twins based on NavVis technology offer the ability to document comprehensive records and provide a precise view of the site's state throughout the turnaround process.
Visualizing records with contextual spatial information facilitates performance analysis of the turnaround work, aiding in the evaluation of key performance indicators (KPIs). The insights gained from this data can drive continuous improvement and optimize future turnarounds. Additionally, data from the review phase can be shared with other plants to develop best practices and lessons learned, supporting their own turnaround projects.
"The detailed 3D visualizations can make maintenance planning more effective. This allows for necessary clearances to be accounted for and ensures that all components, like stirrers, can be easily accessed and serviced."
– PhD. Florian Kiefer, Senior Vice President Production at Asam Cosmetics
Turnaround management in the process industry is fraught with challenges that can lead to increased downtime and costs. NavVis technology, with its advanced digital twin capabilities, offers a robust solution that enhances precision, coordination, and efficiency across all phases of the turnaround process. By leveraging NavVis IVION, facilities can achieve more accurate planning, seamless execution, and continuous improvement, ultimately leading to reduced downtime and optimized operational efficiency.
Learn more about NavVis's digital twin solutions for the process industry here →