Industrial Workforce Mobility for Improved Safety & Operations

Huntsman Corporation, a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals, undertook an aggressive program to eliminate injuries, product defects, and environmental releases at their Port Neches facility. Termed “Project Zero”, this program required a completely mobile solution to empower operations and maintenance personnel to capture defects, track work progress and make process and safety related decisions in real-time.

Apprion installed the Apprion ION System throughout the 4 square mile plant and provides the wireless infrastructure and seamless wireless application deployment (applications include video, voice communications, energy efficiency and condition monitoring). The new wireless mobility solution installed at Huntsman replaced a completely manual process. Instead of using pen, papers and clipboards to record critical field data and then either carrying the paper- work to the central data area or calling in the data via the phone for input – now Huntsman field personnel can automatically execute inspections of non-instrumented equipment (rounds) and confirm equipment conditions with mobile handheld devices and operator round software.

• [Process Optimization - Real Time Monitoring]
  Defect elimination work requests are initiated in the field in real time.
• [Process Optimization - Real Time Monitoring]
  Real-time monitoring of SOCs have led to significant process improvements and cost savings due to increased uptime and longer equipment lifetime.

• With real-time wireless tracking of the rounds activity, the number of pumps requiring daily inspection has been reduced by 50% – allowing more time for other crucial inspection areas.