Management of online analytical instruments

Generally, instruments and analysis are used in combination to solve the problem

In our unit, instrumentation and inspection tasks are carried out in coordination for maintenance purposes, but one party must take the lead so as to proactively monitor the operation of the equipment.

It is mainly maintained and managed by on-site instrument technicians. When problems arise, they can be resolved through the combined use of instruments and inspections.

Reply to 1# Egu Ting: Just introduce the analysts to the online analysis management system. To be honest, the dedication and responsibility of analysts are something that instrument operators could never match even over dozens of lifetimes, and as for instrument signals, analysts can master them with just a little guidance. Analysts place great importance on passing on knowledge, providing support, and mentoring; there is a strong element of continuity in terms of technology. In contrast, instrumentation represents pure individual heroism – as long as the hero is there, the technology works; without him, everything comes to a halt. Every outstanding flight attendant has a respectable history of hard work, but there is always a lack of cohesion. Instrumentation personnel exhibit a strong conservative tendency, whereas analysts have a certain degree of standardization in this regard. After talking with many chemical industry managers from various places, there is one common observation: why are instrument technicians everywhere the same – conservative! The foreign flight attendants are the same! Chemical plants usually follow such a distribution principle: instruments, analytical instruments, and analysts. Analytical instruments fall under instrument management; if they are integrated into analysis management, online analytical instruments will surely shine with remarkable brilliance! Its energy will surely be far higher than that of the analytical laboratory itself; it’s terrifying to think about combining the two! I have been involved in integrating several analytical instruments into the analysis processes and operations, which has resulted in a significant improvement in data accuracy, timeliness, as well as the efficiency of the operators. For example: In one of the plants of a large petrochemical company, there were originally 12 analysts and 5 analysts who worked in real-time mode. After integration and the addition of another set of equipment, only 5 analysts in total were needed to carry out the analysis tasks! In terms of effectiveness, in the past, process engineers would only use online data for trend analysis, with the main parameters being determined through analytical methods. With the introduction of enhanced analysis and management practices, the accuracy and timeliness of the analytical data have improved significantly. In particular, the maintenance of analytical instruments has seen substantial improvements; previously, the external maintenance of such instruments was a well-known issue, while the analysis laboratories had a tradition of maintaining their own instruments. This improvement has ensured that instruments are put into use in a timely and effective manner, and it has also helped to develop the skills of the analysis staff, raising their professional competence. I’ll stop talking; if I keep going, someone’s going to start cursing!

Hehehe, the online analyzers in our facility are serviced by technical personnel from the manufacturer; you can turn to them at any time if there are any problems or faults, day or night.

On the 5th floor, Chengjingbao – in my opinion, this represents a serious management flaw that is common in chemical plants, where analysis and instrumentation functions operate separately from each other. As Chengjingbao said, the relevant departments fail to establish a proper perspective; they rely on individual heroism and narrow-minded approaches, and when discussing issues they tend to digress, talking about things that have little to do with chemical production. Currently, the management of measuring instruments in production is relatively standardized, but the management of analytical instruments in most factories is not proper; analysis experiments are usually carried out only when problems arise. How to manage online analytical instruments properly? I hope everyone can have further discussions! Thank you!

Reply to 7# Egret Shoal: Twenty years ago, our company’s management had similar ideas. To be honest, no one wanted to work more for less pay, so the matter was dropped! 8 years ago, taking an opportunity, we carried out the pilot project mentioned earlier; we didn’t have any grand plans, just trying to turn a dead horse into a live one. At that time, the data from the 3 on-site analysis booths were verified entirely through offline analysis, with some parallel analyses conducted as well; the analysis instruments used were online instruments, but they did not have signal output connections. After integration, it had little impact on the workload of initial offline analysis, and some offline analysis tasks could be eliminated; on this basis, offline and online processes were combined. In terms of work attitude and precision, after several years of adaptation, the online analysts were not able to meet the requirements, and they were gradually all eliminated. And the offline analysts survived through the process of survival of the fittest. Some employees also left later on; that was entirely due to the mismatch between work pressure and income, which led to staff turnover – a result of poor management by the company. So the subsequent mergers of several companies turned into nothing more than offline entities swallowing up online ones. I strongly condemn the practice of keeping crew members’ information confidential; corporate assets are completely turned into personal property. After decades in this field, there has been little change in the quality of those working with instruments; a typical example is that no matter whether the work done with these instruments is good or bad, there are always valid excuses for it! In petrochemical enterprises, offline analysis has seen balanced development in terms of both instruments and capabilities. Among the instrument operators, one matures and then switches jobs. His behavior itself is nothing special, but his dedication is truly remarkable!

We also have some online analytical instruments now; since the quantities are small, the issues are not yet prominent. However, based on the management of existing online analyzers, there are indeed some issues; the first one is the reliability of the data, which the operators on site are unable to understand. At the moment, we haven’t focused on offline testing yet. Perhaps it will be categorized under inspection aspects after some time.

The management of on-site online analysis instruments can be addressed from the following aspects: 1. Improve the methods of internal communication within the company to ensure timely data feedback, thereby minimizing delays as much as possible. This helps to optimize the coordination between the analysis processes and the instruments, allowing each to utilize its strengths and work together effectively. 2. Basic training in instrumentation can be provided to the analysis staff, and a small number of them can be assigned to the production lines. 3. There should be no difference in treatment between the instrumentation department and the analysis department; both departments should have equal status and responsibilities. Systems for coordinating responsibilities, holding people accountable, and offering rewards need to be improved. It is crucial not to give one department more emphasis than another, as otherwise coordination will be compromised.