CRB is a global firm providing engineering, architecture, construction and consulting services for the life sciences and food and beverage industries.
Jerry Steenhoek is senior director, Control Systems Technology for CRB. The global design, construction and consulting firm is a member of Rockwell Automation’s new EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) Partner Program.
Collectively, these select companies are dedicated to delivering cutting-edge solutions and pioneering digital technologies that revolutionize the way industrial projects are designed, built and maintained. For CRB, which specializes in the food and beverage and life sciences industries, that includes using simulation and digital twin technologies to solve client needs.
Challenge
Production Underperforms
“Our clients approach us with a similar set of challenges,” Steenhoek said. “They are looking for ways to increase utilization of equipment and increase OEE. They often don’t know where they have an opportunity to improve a process, and they’re looking for guidance and help creating a plan.”
Helping clients achieve these goals while minimizing trial and error and costly downtime is tricky.
“Whenever you shut down a line and make changes, you're having downtime that costs time and money,” Steenhoek explained. “And if those changes don’t turn out as expected, now that's just sunk cost and you have to rinse and repeat and try over again.”
Solution
Simulate and Digital Twin Modeling to Test Solutions
That’s why CRB used Rockwell Automation’s Arena® simulation and Emulate3D™ digital twin technologies to model various processes and solutions before implementation.
“Tools such as Emulate3D or Arena allow you to test things before you spend money trying this and that,” Steenhoek explained. “By having someone come in to take a look at your process parameters and set up a simulation environment, you can look at the cost of implementing what if scenarios and determine which is the best return on investment for the dollars you spend.”
Once it completes its operations study and simulation, CRB makes recommendations to adjust system design, tweak system engineering and modify production schedules.
Result
Increases in OEE and Utilization
With CRB’s recommendations in hand, customers can implement targeted changes to increase OEE and equipment utilization.
“For many customers, the return on investment for the dollars spent on the study, test and actual construction is very quick,” Steenhoek explained.
Simulation Expertise Differentiates Firm
Steenhoek believes CRB’s consulting services, including its expertise in process simulation technologies, differentiates the firm from other EPC companies.
“It’s important to us that we get in ahead of the design phase and ask, ‘what are the options?’” he said. “That brings a lot of value to our clients because once you've built the simulation model, the digital twin becomes part of your assets. You've got it with you always.”
Which allows clients to use the digital twin for more than simulation testing.
“You can also use it as a performance template to measure against how my line was really producing? Am I up to where I'm expected to be?” Steenhoek said. “This has made a big difference for our clients.”
Published March 18, 2024
