Commissioning
Bring Your System Online
Commissioning and start-up is the final step before production runs in a processing plant. As part of our larger product lifecycle solutions, AMG, Inc. is uniquely poised to perform commissioning and start-up and the accompanying troubleshooting and problem solving activities as part of a design/build project.
Our Process
Rather than existing as a standalone service, start-up and commissioning is the crucial part of the design/build lifecycle where AMG begins transitioning your project from the construction phase to the operations phase. Start-up and commissioning is the point where a lot of people start to get excited about seeing equipment and processes operate. It is imperative to take a step back and fully evaluate the system for a safe start-up. This is where a lot of unexpected things can go wrong. AMG personnel have years of direct operating experience and know the hazards with starting up equipment for the first time. Essential tasks include:
Commissioning & Start-up Preparation
Understanding that each project/process is unique, the AMG, Inc., staff takes the following approach:
Meet with client to determine specific needs & concern
Create a customized checklist based on the client’s needs
Assemble all information collected during the project’s planning, design, & construction
Sort project data from the Intelligent P&ID design database into the appropriate areas:
- Equipment
- Piping
- Valves
- Instrumentation
Piping Check-Out
An AMG, Inc., team will perform a walk-down in addition to functionally testing the entire piping system. Activities include:
Confirm complete installation of all required parts
Perform hydro test
Perform pressure test
Problem-solve all issues with gaskets, welds, & valves
Perform system cleanout
- Caustic wash/surfactant to remove oil, grease, & other contaminants
- Detergent flush
- Acid wash to complete the cleaning process & remove elemental iron from stainless steel surfaces
Visually inspect tanks & piping to verify that clean-in-place (CIP) systems are adequate
Perform system passivation
Chemical wash to protect cleaned stainless steel from chloride attack
System Sterility
Initially, a system is sterilized by direct injection of low-pressure steam. Equipment, piping, and sterile barrier surface temperatures are checked and documented.
When necessary, a sterility challenge is performed. The system is inoculated with sterile media, and bacteria growth is monitored for several days. If contamination occurs, the system is completely disassembled and inspected to identify the root cause.
Sometimes, the system later shows evidence of contamination after a successful sterility challenge. AMG, Inc., can be called in to identify the source of contaminants and suggest actions that will prevent future contamination.
What can cause repeated contamination of a previously sterilized production system? Examples include:
Equipment design or maintenance
Staff procedures or practices
Stainless steel integrity
Sterilizing equipment failure
Clean-in-place equipment failure
Building contaminants, such as airborne particulates & organisms
Mechanical Completion Audits
The audit includes such activities as:
Confirm correct equipment installed
Confirm correct installation procedure for each piece of equipment
Check type & amount of lubrication
Check rotation
Electrical & Instrumentation Calibration & Check-out
Since many new processing plants install state-of-the-art control systems such as DeltaV™, commissioning and start-up include such activities as:
Check hardware, including wiring, to ensure that each motor starts from the correct motor control center (MCC)
Check software addressing to ensure each motor & instrument responds from the correct icon on the display
Start all pieces of equipment
Check power supply & functionality
Check safety & software interlock sequences using
- AMG, Inc., written documentation and/or
- Client-written documentation reviewed by AMG, Inc.
Perform system trial runs with water or sacrificial product
Tune process control loops, such as temperature, pressure, flow
Train operators
Perform turn-over
Equipment Troubleshooting
AMG, Inc., has a broad base of know-how related to equipment design, installation, and operation. Understanding how a piece of equipment should function in a specific process environment allows outstanding problem-solving to occur for such equipment as:
Bulk conveying
Pneumatic conveying
Aspiration
Cookers
Centrifuges
Screening
Pressing
Fermenters
Evaporators
Dryers
Pumps
Heat exchangers
Solvent extraction systems
Wet processing systems
Dry processing systems
