For TraPac, automating its flagship operations at the Port of Los Angeles terminal enabled the company to cut costs, slash emissions, and move human operators out of harm's way. In order to fully realize the benefits of automation, however, TraPac also needed to harness their data. In 2017, the company implemented OSIsoft's PI System to organize and analyze the information generated by their operations. The result was a 10+% decrease in cycle time, improved maintenance, and faster issue resolution.
Year: 2018

In 1895, Garant started manufacturing wagon wheels with a focus on craftsmanship. Today, they produce axes, shovels, snow removal equipment, gardening tools, and more. Their production line must be flexible enough to accommodate multiple work orders that vary in complexity and quantity, while maintaining quality craftsmanship and efficiency. However, in 2013, with employees regularly changing departments and disconnected systems slowing down production, Garant needed to optimize. They embarked on an Industry 4.0 initiative to establish a centralized data system to monitor the production process and optimize the performance of both machines and operators.
Year: 2018

When pitch bearings fail, the repair costs are high. The crane roll alone is often in excess of $100,000. By the time the rotor has been lowered, blade removed, bearing replaced, and the rotor raised back in place, repair costs can pass the $150,000 mark and that figure doesn’t include the lost energy value. But with the right data, preventative maintenance of pitch rings costs less than $5,000. Together Nokia, SenseOps, Qualcomm, and OSIsoft have developed an end-to-end solution, integrated with other industrial IT systems, to capture, analyze, and detect pitch bearing problems (and other wind turbine operational issues) before catastrophic failure.

Two years ago, SBM Offshore, a worldwide operator of 14 large floating production vessels (FPSOs), began thinking about new ways of deploying digital technology to improve how it works with its partners and service providers. There was a lot at stake for the Monaco-based group whose fleet of vessels process over a million barrels of oil per day. One area for immediate improvement was the water treatment and injection facilities critical for deepwater production, a process in which, as the industry saying goes, “water in equals oil out.” Working with its partner Veolia to improve water treatment and injection, SBM concluded that both parties needed more accurate, real-time oversight of the highly complex and expensive process where problems can result in costly downtime with hefty contractual penalties. Veolia and SBM, who are both well-established users of the PI System, used the PI System as a solution to create a rich flow of data, and move from reactive to predictive analytics for managing water treatment.

At its plant in Bassens, France, Michelin manufactures the high-tech synthetic elastomers for its tires. In the past, Michelin’s engineers struggled to track equipment in real time, which is critical for reducing off-spec production and resource waste. With the PI System, Michelin was able to develop easy-to-use tools for plant operators to track complex processes and keep them within optimal parameters. Efficiency improvements driven by the PI System saved the company €4 million in less than a year, and enabled the plant to recover from a 2,000-ton disruption in material production within six months.