Orion Engineered Carbons SA produces carbon black, a solid form of carbon used for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and other high-performance applications in the automotive and technology industries. The company has 15 global production sites and four technical centers.
In 2020, the Luxembourgish carbon black manufacturer decided to launch a major digital transformation program across business functions. On its digital journey for global operations, Orion chose their Ivanhoe, La., plant to pioneer a solution for enhanced communication that would ultimately roll out globally and be customized according to each plant’s geography, regulatory mandates and cultural standards. Among its requirements, Orion had two specific prerequisites. The solution needed to connect to SAP software and leverage a simplified maintenance system that would be transparent and connect to the OSI PI data historian. It also needed to be accessible on the shop floor as well as to OT/IT and corporate.
Investigation into different concepts to reach a solution began with a steady, global review of plant production processes to determine an outcome that would render multiple versions of plant shift log data obsolete in favor of digital and transparent reporting in near-real time. Orion chose eschbach GmbH’s Shiftconnector software, which could be applied globally with minimum disruption and maximum acceptance by plant operations and management personnel at all levels.
Orion’s Ivanhoe plant has been running continuously since 1952, and the facility contains an array of chemical and mechanical manufacturing technologies.
The challenge facing the Ivanhoe team was keeping this vital cog in the industrial supply chain running at full production, 24/7. The company chose Shiftconnector to provide communication between shift teams to ensure safety and improve plant effectiveness. In the plant, shift handover is simplified by tracking and managing important information in a single digital repository. This knowledge capture means each shift can see what happened during the prior shift as well as access to a longitudinal history for continuous improvement.
Vigilance and accountability are critical for inspection regimens and Shiftconnector reminds staff of safety rounds. Having a real-time overview of production also enables the company to react before an anomaly becomes a safety problem.
The central production area contains the main reactors, which combine air, oil and natural gas at temperatures greater than 2,000 degrees Celsius. This process of controlled combustion is used to form particles of carbon black in many different grades for customer requirements. The reactors are a critical aspect of production and keeping them producing at or near their capacity requires seamless communication between operations, engineering and maintenance.
In the past, communicating—especially between different shift teams—was sometimes difficult or inconsistent. Now with digital technology, Orion’s Ivanhoe operation is transparent—everyone knows what is important, what work is ongoing and on deck, and who’s responsible. Shiftconnector was a key enabler of this cultural change, giving transparency and accountability to everyone on the team.
Hurricanes have necessitated plant shutdowns during both direct and near hits. As there is no quick off switch for a shutdown, staff must follow a strict protocol. The shutdown procedure can take days, which means having a transparent digital handover of information between teams is necessary. Reactors must be slowly cooled to avoid damaging their advanced ceramic linings as losing just one reactor would drastically impact production. Many other activities need to be documented and tracked. Having one digital record for the different shifts to follow is critical for a safe and environmentally secure shutdown.
Orion had previously built an innovative system where operators could have input from OT and IT systems. Over time, applications multiplied, which created time constraints on sign in and required steep learning curves. Shiftconnector now brings a single system of record that has the most up-to-date condition of the operation. Maintenance requests can be entered directly into the company’s SAP system from Shiftconnector. Previously people had to be trained in how to access SAP just to inform maintenance. Now operators can do this, and more, from their own Shiftconnector cockpit, saving time and alleviating stress.
Environmental conditions are a top concern for Orion. Scrubbers have been installed for the tail gas exhaust and teams make daily checks of equipment, via Shiftconnector, to minimize environmental impact with focus on delivering sustainable solutions. Environmental reports were previously recorded on paper but are now online, which eases monitoring of compliance procedures.
From a corporate perspective, operational efficiencies and information sharing at the plant level are the foundations of enhancing customer service, managing quality initiatives and mitigating potential production interruptions or safety issues. Orion has seen a significant increase in operator-initiated maintenance requests in the SAP system, which has increased the reliability of the plant.
The platform also supports concise and well-documented responses to environmental and other government regulations. Overall, this democratization of actionable data at all levels will continue to add transparency and significant benefits to all constituencies involved in Orion’s production activities.
An added benefit of Shiftconnector is a comprehensive knowledge bank of processes and protocols that reinforce operational best practices. As new employees are onboarded and legacy workers retire, this knowledge bank serves as a transparent and collaborative platform to drive operational excellence.
The success of the Shiftconnector platform at the Ivanhoe plant has now been customized for 13 Orion plants in the United States, Brazil, Europe and Asia.
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