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Single Source Capability Creates Partnership

Management at Dow Corning Corporation (DCC) directed its Facilities Engineering Group to seek out ways to incorporate outside specialty vendors that would relieve the group of detailed engineering and project management. The ideal vendor would be a specialist in their specific field of process engineering and capable of providing both engineering and fabrication of complete systems.

The goals of DCC’s program are:

     • Free Facilities Engineering for other projects.
     • Reduce overhead costs.
     • Fast track projects.
     • Bring a fresh perspective to solving problems.

One of the first projects to be considered under this new directive was a hazardous solvent waste reduction skid. DCC Facilities Engineering Group created a matrix of the desired qualities of an ideal partner and began interviewing several candidate firms. Capabilities and past experience in engineering, fabrication, quality control and project management in the field of separation technology were the essential attributes DDC sought.

Given minimal information about DCC’s project details, individual firms were asked how they might theoretically reach the general goals DCC had in mind. A rough order of magnitude was requested for hardware to achieve the desired performance.

At the outset of the project, 15 companies specializing in the area of solvent separation and recovery were contacted. When the search process was completed, Progressive Recovery, Inc. (PRI) was selected as the partner for the project. PRI offered:

     • Single source responsibility for engineering & fabrication.
     • The most complete range of in-house capabilities for this project.
     • Twenty years of experience in solving complex problems with innovative solutions.
     • A positive proactive approach to project management and client interface.
     • As the project started in earnest, the goals of the project were discussed with PRI.

DCC required:

     • Reduction of hazardous waste solvent volume by reclamation.
     • Reduction of particulate contamination in the processed distillate to a maximum 5 PPM.
     • Side stream capabilities to allow various solvents to be reclaimed from the same waste stream.
     • A compact and robust system design.

Chemical Engineers at PRI worked with DCC to produce a tentative Process Flow Diagram (PFD). After acceptance, PRI was contracted to provide a pilot scale unit for a process demonstration. A multiple stage re-flux tower was constructed and demonstrated in PRI’s laboratory. Products from the trial were shipped back to DCC for quality evaluation where the recovered solvent was found to surpass the minimal standard for purity. As a result, the project was given the release to proceed.

At this point, DCC and PRI needed to establish an understanding of the roles each would play as partners in the success of the project. Team members from both companies met to outline key objectives. The goals for the project were listed and broken down into general action items and individual responsibilities for these action items were assigned to the team members. Consequences of the actions were defined so that all parties understood cause and effect as it pertained to project budget and scheduling. The expectations and assumptions were agreed to and outlined in a Project Charter that was signed by both companies. All during the project, the Project Charter would serve as an anchor to the working relationship between the two companies, and was referenced as the scope of the job evolved. Later, this document would be the yardstick by which the project success would be evaluated.

As the next step, PRI submitted a revised, tentative budgetary proposal that outlined the price for a system that would meet the understood needs of the project based on the results from the pilot scale demonstration and the tentative PFD. DCC reviewed the proposal and determined it met with the basic engineering and financial perimeters set for the project.

Dow Corning now had enough information to create a request for a formal quotation. This document outlined the complete scope of the project and provided PRI with DCC’s corporate specifications for process equipment controls and automation. Armed with this information, PRI’s Chemical, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers were able to create a final Process & Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) for the skid. Information from the P&ID helped PRI define the overall price of raw materials, out sourced components, estimate fabrication hours and create a project schedule with estimated time of delivery. Civil and Structural Engineers were consulted for estimates on wind loads, seismic considerations and foundation design. All this information was combined to create a formal proposal which was submitted to DCC.

Dow Corning accepted the proposal, issued a purchase order and production began on the skid.

Throughout the course of the project, PRI provided regular scheduled reports to DCC’s Project Coordinator. Several trips were made to PRI by various DCC Engineers and Inspectors to witness the project progress and verify production specifications. Because of this level of communication, the job went smoothly with a minimum of adjustments or changes.

The complete skid was shipped on time to DCC’s Midland Michigan Plant on two special tractor trailers. Because PRI had provided a template of the skid foundation mounting points, the skid was erected at the site immediately without any problems. Local contractors brought utilities and process lines to the skid. When these connections were completed, a PRI Chemical Engineer and Electrical Engineer arrived on site for the initial start up and commissioning. The skid proved it’s capabilities in process function, separating the waste stream into multiple side streams. As noted earlier, DCC required the system to provide maximum particulate contamination in the processed distillate of 5 PPM. The PRI Skid exceeded this performance requirement by reducing contamination to 1 PPM.

After several months of continuous operation, the DCC/PRI Project Team met to close out the job and evaluate the results. The Project Charter was reviewed. All expectations for budget, schedule, delivery date and system performance were met or exceeded. All parties agreed that this was a successful first effort as partners. Both companies saw areas that could be improved on future projects and neither would hesitate to join together again.

Dow Corning Corporation now has reduced hazardous waste costs significantly. The savings the skid provided delivered a 100% return on investment in just a few months of operation. The detailed engineering supplied by PRI freed DCC personnel for other duties and reduced overhead cost for this project. PRI’s Engineering Staff provided DCC with suggestions and solutions that challenged and complimented their existing practices, adding a fresh point of view to the project. PRI was able to fast track the project, reducing the overall time from conception to implementation.