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Content archived on 2024-04-30

Maintenance Evaluation by Linked and Integrated Simulation in SAwmills

Objective



In the EU, sawing and processing of wood in 1992 amounted to 5.8 billion ECU. Since Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the EU in January this year this production would have increased to 12 billion ECU. This makes the sawmilling industry one of the most important in the EU Until a few years ago, machines used by sawmills were of relatively simple design, reliable and easy to repair. Consequently, the maintenance systems used in many sawmills were designed only to put machines back into working order after a breakdown. However, as sawmills became more mechanised and the machines grew more complex, new potential problems appeared. The need to handle better, and if possible avoid, equipment breakdowns led to the wide use of preventive maintenance systems, programmed to perform check-ups at regular intervals. This is the type of maintenance which is currently being practised in the majority of sawmills. However, the growing number of machines to be monitored means that maintenance systems must be computerised. These are widely used and are aimed at the clerical and administrative parts of the maintenance function. However, these systems do not take into consideration the task of achieving the correct balance between production systems interactions and various maintenance systems strategy options: - predictive, preventive and corrective. There are no information technology systems specifically designed for sawmill needs. This project will develop and optimise sawmill maintenance strategy for maximum cost-effectiveness. This will be achieved by: - defining maintenance strategy, identifying the key strategic elements and creating the link between the appropriate strategy and production cost effectiveness. - using dynamic production and maintenance modelling (computer simulation) and the successful maintenance analysis technique, Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) to develop the right balance between the various strategy options. - carrying out economic evaluations of maintenance tasks by computerised cost/benefit analysis. - developing indicators for managing and controlling maintenance performance. The focus of this R&D is to improve quality, safety, availability and reliability by ensuring a safe, reliable and efficient operation of sawmill production installations. The targets for this project are: - reduction of breakdowns by 40% - extension of the service life of machinery by 20% - reduction of emergency repairs be 40%

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CRS - Cooperative research contracts

Coordinator

Balcas Timber Ltd.
EU contribution
No data
Address
Laragh
BT94 2FQ Enniskillen
United Kingdom

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Total cost

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Participants (11)

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