The process plant's control rooms and panels are being kept pollution free using a pressurisation technique from Circulaire, Canada. This implementation has brought in a high degree of reliability to the sophisticated controls. To enhance our plant's reliability and capability, we have shifted, over time, our maintenance management philosophy; from entirely preventive towards pro-active maintenance.

We have developed a proprietary computerised maintenance system that has given us a competitive edge in performing the tasks of maintenance scheduling, part inventory, archiving historical data, etc. We have made a rapid advance in the field of condition monitoring and test engineering in recent years. This in turn allows us to anticipate potential breakdowns and foster corrective measures, not just react to them.

Failure analysis has been put into practice and has been proven to be one of the most effective maintenance tools. Each failure is analysed and a clear action plan is made accordingly. Work is coordinated, starting from supervising to departmental management level, to ensure clear and effective communication among Process and Maintenance personnel. A Work order system is in place. Various work procedures have been formulated to carry out jobs in an effective way.

We consider vocational training an obligation towards society and an investment into the future of our company. At PT South Pacific Viscose, training has been woven in to our work life. Regular training programs designed for chemists and mechanics are offered at workplaces, in workshops and in the Training Centre. Special training is conducted by reputable agencies such as Siemens, ABB, Mitsubishi, etc within the frame work of an occupational development objective.

In consultation with Price Water House Cooper, we have implemented a continuous Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) program. This well structured RCM program with the participation of key operating personnel from all disciplines is a new yet practical approach towards improving machine reliability. It is proven to be considerably beneficial not only in terms of operating economics but also in terms of human resources development.