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Executive Summary
A well-organized and focused effort to eliminate variation in a pulp and paper mill can produce significant gains in productivity, product
quality, environmental compliance and equipment reliability. In fact, given the business realities the industry faces, these gains must be
achieved if your operation is to survive and succeed. The good news is the technology is available to speed the implementation of
variation reduction efforts and to lock in the gains once performance improvements have been accomplished.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Driving Pulp & Paper Performance through Variation Reduction .......................................................................................... 3
Part Two of Two: Hunting Variation Where It Lives .............................................................................................................. 3
The Five Sources of Variation ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Measurement: Your Eyes and Ears .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Process: The Belly of the Beast ................................................................................................................................................ 4
People: Hunters and Hunted ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
Equipment: Its a Jungle in There ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Methods: Consistent Hunting ................................................................................................................................................... 7
Happy Hunting ............................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Measurement: variation resulting from product and process testing methods and normal testing error. These sources of
variation are identified with measurement accuracy studies and addressed with changes in testing methods.
Process: variation induced in the process or caused by the process. These sources of variation are addressed by process
design reviews, multivariate process analysis and good process control.
People: variation induced by operators or other people with a direct interaction with the process. Managing these sources of
variation is accomplished by effective operational training and good change-management practices.
Equipment: variation introduced by equipment incapable of meeting process requirements, as well as by degradation or
failures of equipment. These sources of variation are reduced by equipment reviews, root-cause analysis, and best-practice
maintenance approaches.
Methods variation resulting from operating methods such as start-ups, shutdowns, grade changes, recipe management and
machine scheduling. These sources of variation are addressed with new tools for recipe management and machine
scheduling; automated startups, shutdowns and grade changes; disciplined operating procedures and best
maintenance practices.
Once these sources of variation are understood, steps to minimize or eliminate the variation can be undertaken. There are many
proven technologies available to help reduce variation induced by each of these key sources. Operational Insight is specifically
designed for this effort. Control Performance Monitor is Powered by Matrikon, which represents vendor neutrality. This product works
with third-party control systems and applications.
Once specifications are well understood for each product or stage in the process:
Perform a gauge R&R study and a measurement accuracy study of all of the tests being done.
Change action steps to be consistent with statistical rules; dont over control.
Perform a testing rationalization study to determine the right tests and the right frequency to eliminate redundant or
unneeded tests.
For pacesetting results, it is essential make proper use of electronic data collection and charting tools to track variation, stability and
capability status. Control Performance Monitor and Contol Performance Monitor offer powerful statistical tools, and Operational Insight
provides the web-based visualization capability that turns data into information, then into knowledge and finally into action. Once these
tools are in place, there are several steps to take to flush variation out of your measurements:
Shift to on-line or in-line sensors where they exist in order to minimize testing variation and to provide additional data for
modeling and control. Assure sensor accuracy with the appropriate test procedures.
Where in-line sensors are not available, shift to inferential (soft) sensors, using data generated from process measures to
build the inferential models. Control Performance Optimizer is an excellent inferential modeling tool, which creates procedures
for model maintenance and verification.
Eliminate lab testing whenever possible and implement rigorous Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for those that are
necessary. The lab data system and recipe management/specification system must be linked to reflect the same information.
Shift to Ship by Gauge procedures for all tests which can be done by on-line gauging systems. Perform testing to verify
gauge accuracy only, and use gauging system grade reports. Transfer this data into your historian and track performance with
statistical process control (SPC) tools.
Use Control Performance Monitor to understand the multivariate relationships between process parameters and quality
parameters, and to predict potential product quality issues during the production process
These steps represent a lot of change, and its critical to manage this change properly. Examples of changes to address are things like
ownership of quality (lab vs. operators), training for new skills needed, shifts in method and changes in staffing needs and
responsibilities. Develop new roles and responsibilities, clearly articulate them and train people in them while institutionalizing the
changesand identifying variance from normal.
First of all: start small and focus your effort. Use Pareto analysis to identify your greatest opportunities for improvement and prioritize
your activities accordingly. Start with a small but key process area, identify its relevant Key Performance Iindicators (KPIs) and begin
tracking them.
Then, using your technology assets, you can begin to stabilize your processes, drive them to their constraints, link stabilized processes
and finally lock in your gains with predictive tools. This must follow a rigorous, step-by-step methodology:
Begin in the first critical process area, using Control Performance Monitor to identify underperforming control loops.
Rank loops by performance, eventually addressing them all. Be fanatical about fixing bad devices!
Most mills find it of value to start this effort with a process controls fundamentals training course for mill instrument
technicians and process control engineers.
Change work processes to prioritize work and issue work orders based on Control Performance Monitor reports. Shift
instrument management work processes to condition-based maintenance.
Track operator interventions and area alarms using Alarm Manager this is a good indicator of how well a process is
running. Use this measure to help prioritize work.
Begin an alarm rationalization process using Alarm Manager to reduce the number of nuisance alarms operators
must deal with.
Lock in gains by tracking ongoing loop performance with Control Performance Monitor.
2. Stabilize the process with best control practices and lock in gains.
Implement best-practice control configurations and record narratives for each control loop. Document how each loop
is intended to work, and make this knowledge available to operators and maintenance personnel.
3. Drive the process to its constraints with advanced process controls (APCs).
Use technologies such as Honeywells Control Performance Monitor to implement control tools such as Model
Predictive Controls (MPCs). Use TaiJi process modeling technology to build and maintain models. Use Control
Performance Monitor to understand relationships between process variables.
Following your prioritized list of processes, use process and process control experts to implement the advanced
solutions.
Lock in gains with predictive technology such as Control Performance Monitor PID and APC Monitoring modules to
constantly tracki KPIs and monitor your gains.
Using a toolset like Process Performance Monitor, build predictive models of each process, allowing operators to see
degradation in process performance and deviation from optimum operation.
Plan process improvements to allow the opportunity to link stabilized and optimized processes. Linked processes
dramatically minimize the work operators must do to manage each process area.
Again, good management of personnel roles and responsibilities is the key to making any of this work. Evaluate skills and resources for
each step, and integrate training and development into your action plans. Make sure you get the people who really know what theyre
doing involved in the effort from the beginning, and use communications technology to include your true process experts wherever they
are in the organization. Since skills, roles, work processes and responsibilities will be changing; solid change-management planning will
speed the implementation and provide a smoother transition.
Collect operating SOPs using knowledge-capture technology, and make them available to operators. Eventually,
SOPs will be pushed to operator control screens under the specific conditions requiring specific action.
Develop operator action plans for abnormal situations. Develop decision trees within the system to that assist
operators based on current conditions.
Train personnel on SPC fundamentals and the concepts of overcontrol, giving them tools to know when to take action
and when intervention is not required.
Train operators on the process, and on new maintenance practices and workflows. Consider training simulators for
at-station training and abnormal situation management.
Understand attrition will occur over the course of the variation reduction effort and plan staffing to support the losses
and changes
Use people for what they do best analysis of information. Use systems to do what they do best repetitive tasks.
Automate what can be done with systems: startup and shutdown of processes, recipe downloads and grade changes,
and prediction of product quality.
Develop a change-management process for implementing new operating approaches. Evaluate skills needs and organization changes
to ensure the focus on variation reduction is supported. And always remember that involvement leads to commitment.
Implement best maintenance practices to decrease maintenance-induced equipment failure. Start with a focused
effort on critical equipment, focusing on the most prevalent issues and those that have the most impact on
operations.
Implement condition-based maintenance tools and techniques to predict equipment degradation and failure.
Implementation of Control Performance Monitor in a staged, focused manner is a good first step into a predictive
maintenance program. Do not underestimate the need to change the work processes to get the value from this
technology!
Use Alarm Manger to identify high operator intervention points as potential equipment-related issues. Find and fix
root causes.
Use Equipment Performance Monitor to create predictive equipment monitoring solutions based on process area
priorities and equipment failure rates and impacts.
A very good initial step in this area is to conduct a Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) assessment to determine the
readiness of your systems and personnel for this next step into predictive maintenance.
Use a common approach to variation reduction across the company to take full advantage of wins and lessons
learned. Tools and approaches for root-cause analysis should be common to all areas.
Establish best operating practices with SOPs required and available to the operators.
Make use of your experts, and develop partnering approaches that use the knowledge, tools and resources of
your suppliers.
Maintain standard grade specifications across the company and implement a formal grade management tool.
Develop common recipes and implement a recipe management tool, eventually moving to automatic recipe loading.
Perform a grade rationalization study to reduce the number of products offered. Often changes are made to satisfy
certain customers and there are many products that are very close in properties.
Implement standard measurement processes with trending and tracking, and establish common definitions,
measurements and access to KPIs.
Standardize product quality verification, using inferential models. Establish clear lines of verification accountability
and authority. Shift to ship-by gauge approaches.
Automate start/stops in each process area, and establish automatic grade changes with set points based on
standardized recipes.
Implement an alarm management program. Decrease the number of nuisance alarms the operator must deal with,
and track operator actions to find areas of process instability or training opportunities.
Conduct operator training on process and procedures. Enable future simulator training at work stations.
Establish machine production schedule process to minimize magnitude and frequency of grade changes.
Standardize procedures for maintenance activities, and shift to conditionbased maintenance approaches. Focus
maintenance improvement efforts on high failure points. Above all, communicate well and often. Develop a common
understanding of methods, measurement, and technology development and deployment. Balance autonomy and
innovation against speed of deployment and shared learning.
Happy Hunting!
Variation lurks everywhere in the wilderness of your mill, viciously guarding piles of your money, but with effort and commitment any mill
can recapture this hidden capacity. By making use of available technology, teaming up with an experienced technology partner, and
making intelligent, methodical, well-communicated changes, you empower your operation to hunt down variation.
WP 656
June 2011
2011 Honeywell International Inc.