Barnsley-based Monckton Coke and Chemical Company (MCCC), the independent coke production plant, is successfully using Maintenance4000 software from Real Asset Management (RAM) to manage and maintain its heavy duty processing equipment along with the day-to-day operation and analysis of equipment status and potential downtime
The plant specialises in producing metallurgical coke, generating in excess of 200,000 tonnes per annum. MCCC works around the clock 365 days a year, heating coal to 1,280°C to provide such a high-quality product. This process generates up to 11 megawatts of electricity per hour, enough to run a self sufficient operation and provide more than 1,000 homes with power annually.
Formerly a subsidiary of UK Coal, MCCC was acquired by Hargreaves Services – an energy support services provider. At that time, the IT services and support facilities were provided entirely by UK Coal, so MCCC had to work to become self sufficient in as short a period of time as possible.
The new management highlighted the need to invest in a software product that could make a significant improvement in day-to-day plant maintenance and reporting. MCCC engineering manager Mick Collins says: “At UK Coal, engineers all had access to a centralised maintenance support product. Utilised daily, the software meant the workforce could update, check and amend necessary maintenance within the plant. Therefore, to continue to improve performance levels, it was imperative to invest in a software product that could deliver such a service. We required a solution that could not only provide us with a comprehensive asset register, but could also track planned maintenance requirements and log faults as they occurred.
“Several systems were evaluated at the time and it led to the decision to invest in RAM. Maintenance4000 has the reporting features to meet our demands and RAM ensures its software is continually updated, enabling us to readily comply with ongoing legislative demands.”
Maintenance4000 is a comprehensive CMMS (Computerised Maintenance Management System) said to provide users with a streamlined approach to business activities in relation to the raising of work order schedules, reducing maintenance costs and improving the businesses management.
As well as being able to track assets, Maintenance4000’s fixed asset register is referenced when logging and reporting re-occurring problems. Collins explains: “A major benefit of the RAM system is its ability to optimise the scheduling of planned and unforeseen maintenance issues. We are in the process of breaking our 700 strong asset register down into smaller components which could potentially increase the register fivefold. With an asset base of this scale, it is also crucial we are in a position to identify potential individual mechanical faults, allowing us to pinpoint which piece of equipment needs replacing prior to possible failure, thus avoiding the cost of replacing entire assets. The software allows us to flag up such issues for inclusion in monthly and annual reports.”
Collins adds: “RAM has the ability to interface with our Sage Line 500 ERP system. At present, the 30 supervisors on site have access to the software. Under planned development, we will extend the system to the next level of personnel to spread its benefits throughout the organisation.
“RAM has played a pivotal role in our ongoing expansion and continues to provide support wherever necessary. This relationship will enable our organisation to grow and develop safely and efficiently into the future,” concludes Collins.
Real Asset Management
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