Plant Engineer's Handbook

R. Keith Mobley

• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
• Year: 2001
• ISBN:
  9780080539041
• Topic: Tecnologia e ingegneria
• Subtopic: Ingegneria industriale

Plant engineers are responsible for a wide range of industrial activities, and may work in any industry. This means that breadth of knowledge required by such professionals is so wide that previous books addressing plant engineering have either been limited to only certain subjects or cursory in their treatment of topics. The Plant Engineering Handbook offers comprehensive coverage of an enormous range of subjects which are of vital interest to the plant engineer and anyone connected with industrial operations or maintenance.This handbook is packed with indispensable information, from defining just what a Plant Engineer actually does, through selection of a suitable site for a factory and provision of basic facilities (including boilers, electrical systems, water, HVAC systems, pumping systems and floors and finishes) to issues such as lubrication, corrosion, energy conservation, maintenance and materials handling as well as environmental considerations, insurance matters and financial concerns. One of the major features of this volume is its comprehensive treatment of the maintenance management function; in addition to chapters which outline the operation of the various plant equipment there is specialist advice on how to get the most out of that equipment and its operators. This will enable the reader to reap the rewards of more efficient operations, more effective employee contributions and in turn more profitable performance from the plant and the business to which it contributes.The Editor, Keith Mobley and the team of expert contributors, have practiced at the highest levels in leading corporations across the USA, Europe and the rest of the world. Produced in association with Plant Engineering magazine, this book will be a source of information for plant engineers in any industry worldwide.* A Flagship reference work for the Plant Engineering series* Provides comprehensive coverage on an enormous range of subjects vital to plant and industrial engineer* Includes an international perspective including dual units and regulations

1 Definition and Organization of the Plant Engineering Function

Richard Dunn

Editor, Plant Engineering Magazine

Contents

1.1. Introduction

1.2. Basic definition

1.3. Responsibilities

1.3.1. Activities

1.3.2. Knowledge areas

1.4. Organization

1.1 Introduction

The concept of the plant engineering function has changed little over the years. Yet, the ways in which that function is accomplished have changed significantly, primarily because of changing technologies and business models. More than ever before, for example, the plant engineer must learn to manage from the perspective of a business participant, relating his responsibilities and activities to the mission and goals of the enterprise. Moreover, the invasion of electronics and computerization into nearly every facet of engineering and business operation has fostered the integration of plant engineering into both the operations and the business plan of the enterprise.

Changes in enterprise organization models have also impacted plant engineering. In many industrial plants, for example, the title of ‘plant engineer’ has disappeared, being replaced with such titles as ‘facilities manager’ or ‘asset productivity manager’. Yet, the essential services provided by these people and their departments remains essentially unchanged, and every enterprise with physical facilities must have a plant engineering function, regardless of the name by which it is labeled and the organization through which it is accomplished.

1.2 Basic Definition

Plant engineering is that branch of engineering which embraces the installation, operation, maintenance, modification, modernization, and protection of physical facilities and equipment used to produce a product or provide a service.

It is easier to describe plant engineering than to define it. Yet, the descriptions will vary from facility to facility and over time. Every successful plant is continuously changing, improving, expanding, and evolving. And the activities of the plant engineer must reflect this environment. Each plant engineer is likely to have his own, unique job description, and that description is likely to be different from the one he had five years earlier.

By definition, the plant engineering function is multidisciplinary. It routinely incorporates the disciplines of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and civil engineering. Other disciplines, such as chemical engineering for example, may also be needed, depending on the type of industry or service involved.

In addition, skills in business/financial management, personnel supervision, project management, contracting, and training are necessary to the successful fulfillment of plant engineering responsibilities. The function is fundamentally a technical one, requiring a thorough technical/engineering background through education and/or experience. But beyond it’s most basic level, a broad range of skills is needed.

If the plant engineer is a specialist in anything, it is in his/her own plant or facility. Plant engineers must learn to know their own plants thoroughly, from the geology underlying its foundations and the topology of the rainwater runoff to the distribution of its electricity and the eccentricities of its production machinery. They must ensure the quality of the environment both inside and outside the facility as well as the safety and health of the employees and the reliability of its systems and equipment. And they are expected to do all of this in a cost-effective manner.

A few phrases from a 1999 classified ad for a plant engineer provide some real-world insight on the scope of responsibilities:

• Support ongoing operations, troubleshoot, resolve emergencies, implement shutdowns

• Organize and maintain information on plant systems/equipment and improvement programs

• Implement plant projects and maintain proper documentation

• Deal effectively with multiple activities, requests, and emergencies

• Manage scope, design, specification, procurement, installation, startup, debugging, validation, training, and maintenance.

To this list, most plant engineers would quickly add compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as well as accepted industry standards and practices.

More than 25 years ago, Edgar S. Weaver, then manager of Real Estate and Construction Operations for General Electric, provided a succinct description of the function:

‘The primary mission of the plant engineer is to provide optimum plant and equipment facilities to meet the established objective of the business. This can be broken down into these four fundamental activities: (1) ensure the reliability of plan...