PLANT AND FACILITIES ENGINEERING WITH WASTE AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT:SCOPE OF PLANT AND FACILITIES ENGINEERING

1. OBJECTIVES AND CONTENT OF THE CHAPTER

This chapter is intended to identify linkages between industrial engineering and plant and facilities engineering, to create an understanding of the scope and breadth of plant and facilities engineering, and to explain selected activities and issues of which industrial engineers assigned to plant and / or facilities engineering duties need to be aware. Where possible, industrial engineering methodologies and techniques will be applied to the design, installation, and management of plant facilities, utilities, and service systems to improve cost effectiveness, productivity, quality, operations, and environment.

While many fundamental principles from the previous edition of this Handbook remain the same, technology, analytical tools, and managerial style that have changed the world in which plant and facilities engineers live and work have been added to make the chapter as current as possible.

2. SCOPE OF PLANT AND FACILITIES ENGINEERING

2.1. Definition of Plant Engineering

Plant engineering may be defined as the entity responsible for providing and maintaining a safe, productive work environment in a constant state of readiness in support of the organization’s mission in a cost-effective manner. Facilities engineering deals more specifically with the building, its equip- ment, utilities, grounds, and closely associated issues rather than those functions that directly support production or general operation (Rosaler and Rice 1983; Rosaler 1994, Higgins 1988).

2.2. Emerging Concept of Enterprise Asset Management

Although the definition of plant and facilities engineering remains the same from the previous edition, a key difference is that plant engineering in many organizations has moved from a discrete functional area within a corporation to providing an enterprise asset management function. The plant or facilities engineer is the steward of assets and resources used by a company and consequently must assume greater responsibilities than in the past. The facility is now viewed as a value-added key to business productivity and competitiveness. As a workplace, the facility is integrated with all other business functions. Specific techniques to facilitate these changes and improve the plant or facility engineer’s qualifications are presented throughout this chapter (Davis et al. 1999).

2.3. Relationships between Plant Engineering and Other Departments

2.3.1. Relationships between Plant Engineering and Maintenance

Maintenance is often the operational arm of the plant engineering function, and it may consume over 50% of a plant engineer’s total time. Plant engineering and facilities engineering have commonalities with maintenance in problem-solving methods, scheduling, assignment of tasks, and preventive main- tenance on the facility and equipment that are used plant-wide. Because many plant engineers are in direct charge of maintenance, procedures for managing both maintenance and plant engineering func- tions become intermingled. If maintenance is a separate function from plant and facilities engineering, the plant engineer must form strong relationships with maintenance managers to get quick response when critical maintenance problems arise. Chapter 59 of this Handbook describes maintenance in detail (Tatum 1997).

2.3.2. Relationship between Plant Engineering and Production or Operations

In the past, plant and facilities engineering was a separate entity that provided service to production and operations management. With the advent of team management, plant and facilities engineering personnel may be assigned to work directly with production and operations people. The linkage between plant engineering people and production or operations has become indistinct, especially in

manufacturing, where line mechanics may report directly to production managers or team leaders. With greater emphasis on just-in-time production, plant engineering must have greater flexibility to meet fast-track schedules and reduce process cycle time.

Allocation of effort between plant engineering and production depends on the type of operation. Generally speaking, operation and maintenance of plant equipment, such as air compressors, chillers, boilers, electric systems, and HVAC systems remain the sole responsibility of plant engineering, but where production equipment is involved, the trend is to have maintenance readily available to assist in repairing production equipment quickly. Production workers are often trained to do first-line or routine maintenance tasks including preventive maintenance. If specialists such as electricians, in- strument mechanics, and electronics technicians are needed, these are normally supplied by the central maintenance group, but on occasion these people are also integrated with production operations.

2.3.3. Relationship between Plant Engineering and Upper Management

Despite the blurring of assignments relative to plant and facilities engineering, the plant and facilities engineer will be held accountable for the proper maintenance and operation of facilities-related sys- tems. It is incumbent upon the plant and facilities engineers to communicate with the managers of all departments to obtain their input on situations that need attention and to report progress to upper management using a variety of measures, some of which are described under the section on produc- tivity improvement in this chapter. Ideally, the plant engineer should report directly to the plant manager or general manager, depending on the senior executive in charge of the facility. Because plant engineering is an extremely important and vital function, lines of communication with decision- makers must be as short as possible to minimize reaction time for decisions, optimize allocation of resources, solve problems, and maintain an effective operation.

2.3.4. Relationship between Plant Engineering and Product and Process Design and Introduction

The concept of concurrent engineering in product design and planning is intended to avoid the ‘‘throw it over the wall’’ approach by including everyone concerned with design, marketing, engineering, manufacturing, human resources, warehousing, packaging, and distribution of the product on the product-planning committee. The plant engineer should be involved from the inception of each new product as a member of a team or committee and can contribute to successful product development or introduction in the following ways:

Participate in value analysis studies and help to verify new product manufacturability. Assist in developing the manufacturing process, flow, and plant layout.

Direct a team to determine facilities needed to produce the new product. Identify maintenance, utilities, or service requirements for the new product. Specify, obtain quotes, procure, or fabricate new equipment.

Advise on tooling design and cost with manufacturing engineering. Determine level of maintenance staffing needed to support the new product. Manage equipment relocation or new equipment installation.

Concentrate on problem resolution during the startup phase and beyond. Contribute creative ideas throughout the process.

2.4. Roles of Plant and Facilities Engineers

In some organizations, the plant engineer manages all engineering, maintenance, shops, security, utilities, buildings, and grounds. In other organizations, the plant engineer directs design and con- struction of new facilities. Often, peripheral functions such as plant safety and security, fire protection, recycling, waste disposal, property records administration, risk management, and pressure vessel inspection and maintenance are included in the plant engineering function. Where no one else is available, the plant or facilities engineer may be called upon to perform other diverse functions that are not engineering but must be done by somebody. This is a compliment to the flexibility of the typical plant engineer. The facilities engineer’s scope deals more specifically with the building, its equipment, utilities, and grounds rather than those functions that directly support production. The proliferation of team management in the last few years has changed the character and style of plant and facilities engineering. These changes are addressed throughout this chapter.

Although called an engineer, the plant or facilities engineer in a large corporation may manage a multimillion-dollar operation, a greater responsibility than that of the president of many small companies. By contrast, a small plant may have one engineer whose responsibilities include plant and facilities engineering. Both large or small plants need to have the functions of plant engineering

performed. If these functions are not performed, deterioration in equipment, buildings, grounds, and other facilities can cause cost penalties when repair of damage due to neglect is required later. Every organization pays for plant engineering, whether or not it is actually performed. Plant engineering is a ‘‘pay me now or pay me later’’ profession.

The classical functions of management for plant engineers who have managerial responsibility include planning, organizing, motivating, analyzing, controlling, instructing, delegating, disciplining, and communicating, the same as for managing any other type of enterprise. Not all plant engineers have managerial responsibility, but most have technical responsibilities. Some typical responsibilities of plant engineering managers and technical plant engineers include:

Set departmental strategic and tactical objectives. Develop policies for the department.

Recruit employees to build an effective organization to perform essential functions. Devise motivational programs for plant engineering employees.

Participate in development and functioning of team management activities. Plan, schedule, and assign work directly or though supervisors or team leaders. Prepare and control capital and expense budgets.

Survey condition of the facility, issue work orders for correction of deficiencies. Acquire a cutting-edge knowledge of all facility equipment and practices. Conceptualize, prioritize, and manage improvement or major repair projects. Procure and install new equipment.

Keep an updated layout of the plant.

Develop and execute productivity and quality measurement systems.

Assess training needs and train employees to perform tasks correctly and quickly. Establish a program of preventive and predictive maintenance.

Manage maintenance work order, cost, and information systems. Conduct value analysis studies on equipment, parts, and supplies. See that material inventory is carefully controlled.

Build the status of plant engineering within the organization with peers. Communicate with top management to get support for the plant engineering function. Develop and follow procedures as required under ISO 9000 or ISO 14000.

Manage an integrated information technology / data-management system including CMMS. Assure that computer support systems are adequate for present and anticipated needs. Coordinate telecommunications systems installation and maintenance.

Oversee contracting and outsourcing of services. Assure dependable and cost-effective utility services. Maintain utility systems in optimum condition.

Direct the safety program and proactively find and correct hazards. Maintain fire-protection systems in a constant state of readiness. Perform environmental audits and correct deficiencies quickly.

Negotiate with insurance carriers for maximum protection at the best rate. Manage the security program for the facility.

Establish and maintain the buildings and ground program for the facility. Conduct an effective energy-management and conservation program.

This list of responsibilities is intended not to be all inclusive, but to describe the diversity of duties that plant and facilities engineers encounter. Additional duties not included above may be suggested throughout this chapter (Tomlingson 1988a,b).

2.5. Industry Characteristics That Affect Plant Engineering

Although plant and facilities engineering may have originated in manufacturing, there are many other industries and businesses that need plant and facilities engineers. Each of these organizations has a set of unique problems that may not be common to manufacturing. Some examples of nonmanufac- turing facilities that require plant or facilities engineers are:

• Public buildings have plant engineers to ensure that heating ventilation and air conditioning, utilities, building maintenance, telecommunications, security, and computerized building man- agement are available and properly maintained.

• Military installations have extensive and unique needs for technologies that are available through plant engineers.

• Research laboratories have, in addition to the usual plant engineering activities, reduction and disposal of hazardous biological ands chemical agents that require highly specialized handling.

• Hospitals and other health-care facilities have long had plant engineers to ensure the facility is in top condition, as the lives of patients depend on a perfectly functioning facility.

• Electric utility generating stations rely heavily on plant engineers to maintain equipment and facilities under adverse conditions.

• Coal mining, oil drilling, and other mineral extraction all require extensive maintenance and plant engineering assistance, also under adverse conditions.

Industrial engineers can bring a wealth of skills to plant and facilities engineering positions in any of the above-named facilities and others not previously mentioned. In preparing this chapter, efforts have been made to make materials as generic as possible so that they apply to any industry or business to which an industrial engineer functioning as a plant or facilities engineer may be assigned.