Petrochemical Plant

"Our valve and fittings expenses are soaring"

RoboCrib cuts monthly spend by 40%

Problem:

A major petrochemical plant on the Houston Ship Channel was buying far more small valves and fittings than they thought were necessary for the work that was being performed. They attempted to curtail usage by placing new locks on the cabinets, and issuing keys to only the craftsman who should be utilizing the material. But after 12 months, the usage was still significantly above what was thought to be appropriate.

With the tight economy, reducing expenses became critical. But access to the items needed to maintain the operating unit was also important. It would be hard to justify not being able to keep a process unit operating because of hardware not being accessible. The goal was to assure availability -- but also create accountability. The company wanted to reduce inventories and, most importantly, reduce the monthly spends on these types of items.

Solution:

The AutoCrib RoboCrib carousel system was selected to provide security for the materials, as well as give employees access through their existing proximity badges. With the range of bin sizes, a large variety of items can be stocked in the machine, making it a more useful tool. The tool room can be managed with the same AutoCrib software that runs the RoboCrib, saving the plant from purchasing a separate tool room software package.

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