Jimmy L. Humphrey, J. L. Humphrey & Associates, 3605 Needles Dr., Austin, TX 78746, J. Christopher Lewis, Technology R&D, ConocoPhillips, 166 PDC Bartlesville Technology Center, Highway 60 & 183, Bartlesville, OK 74004, and A. Frank Seibert, Separations Research Program, University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Road, Bldg 133/CEER, Austin, TX 78758.
Smart Manufacturing Plants prevent problems before they occur. Smart people are the most important ingredient in Smart Plants. Examples of problems Smart Plants prevent include excessive energy use, off-spec products, unplanned shutdowns, and unwanted safety and environmental events. Accurate real time plant data, obtained from key sensors and measurements, are the foundation of the Smart Plant. These data establish current performance and are used with models to PREDICT future plant events so PROACTIVE actions can be taken to PREVENT problems before they occur. A three-step process will be presented to prevent plant problems before they occur.