The Challenge

Our client, a chemical company in Louisiana, had a failing heat exchanger that desperately needed to be replaced. This process originally could take 2 weeks of downtime of the entire plant. Downtime could be caused by incorrect measurements of the replacement heat exchanger or improper analysis of the equipment’s environment. Without an exact size assessment, the slightest error could result in additional engineering or construction requirements. These additional requirements would drastically affect maintenance turnaround and return to operations. The client would face losing millions if these additional requirements became necessary during the exchanger replacement.

The chemical company needed a cost-effective solution that allowed them rapid reaction time in their decision for effective maintenance turnaround.

Done in Under a Week

SmartGeoMetrics was contacted about the failing exchanger. We were asked to double check that the spare exchanger, currently sitting in a warehouse, matched the current exchanger specifications. SGM mobilized a crew that performed the 360-degree scan with a Z+F Speed Laser Imager. The Z+F imager provides a holistic scanning report of the equipment and its environment. This allows the client to save and strategize for any additional construction or engineering costs.

The process began on a Tuesday with the initial phone call. Three days later our client was provided the detailed report and scan results. This allowed our client to make real time decisions of how to move forward with their maintenance strategy and budget.

The Results

The scan of the current heat exchanger was overlaid with the scan of the potential new exchanger to assess and discrepancies between the two pieces of equipment. The 360-degree scans provided the answers needed quickly which minimized the risk of weeks in production loss and potentially saved millions of dollars for the client. With the 360 scan and detailed report, our client was able to confidently replace the heat exchanger and quickly return to operations because they maximize their maintenance turnaround time.