Revamping Industrial Plants: A Strategic Investment for Sustainability and Efficiency

The refurbishment of industrial plants, also known as revamping, is a common operation in production facilities. These interventions are typically planned by facility managers to enhance the operational efficiency of the plant and to replace outdated or end-of-life equipment.

Revamping is a crucial process for improving:

• Efficiency
• Productivity
• Sustainability of existing components

The term refers to the set of operations aimed at updating and modernizing industrial systems, including both general utilities (such as lighting, domestic water, heating, and air conditioning) and specific process systems (such as chilled water, compressed air, power supply, and other process installations). These updates are designed to extend the useful life of the systems, reduce operational costs, and boost performance.

This process is particularly relevant in industrial settings where technology evolves rapidly, and environmental regulations are increasingly stringent.

Industry 4.0 and 5.0

Industrial revamping can vary significantly depending on the sector and the specific needs of the production cycle. It aligns with the principles of Industry 4.0 and 5.0, which promote the adoption of advanced technologies to create smart and interconnected facilities, primarily managed by software and intelligent PLCs equipped with sophisticated algorithms.

This approach enables the transformation of facilities into advanced production ecosystems capable of rapidly responding to market demands.

What is the purpose of industrial revamping?

In an era of rapid technological advancements, industrial revamping represents a key strategy for maintaining and optimizing production infrastructure.

Practically speaking, it involves replacing or upgrading outdated components with more modern technologies, thereby enhancing the overall performance of the facility.

The goal is to extend the useful life of existing equipment without incurring substantial costs associated with purchasing and installing new systems.

“A practical example of industrial revamping can be seen in a manufacturing company upgrading its production lines with new automated machinery or replacing diesel-powered equipment with more efficient alternatives such as heat pumps. This not only increases production capacity and reduces downtime but also improves the quality of the final product through the adoption of advanced technologies. Additionally, implementing advanced control systems ensures optimal management of energy resources, contributing to environmental sustainability and cost reduction. For instance, new PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) enable real-time energy consumption mapping, providing operational staff with accurate insights into the instantaneous energy usage of a production line or process.”

Industrial revamping is thus an essential tool for companies aiming to stay competitive in the market, quickly adapting to technological advancements and new regulations.

The Phases of Industrial Revamping

The revamping of industrial plants is a structured process comprising several phases, each of which is critical to ensuring the project’s success.
The procedures to be followed can vary significantly depending on the type of plant and the objectives to be achieved.

The approach we at INVECO recommend and offer our clients is to begin with a preliminary assessment and subsequently proceed, as needed, to detailed and executive evaluations.

Initial Assessment / Evaluation

This phase involves a thorough analysis of the existing plant infrastructure at the facility, encompassing both general and specific process systems.

During this evaluation, three main areas of interest will be identified:

1. Critical Areas: These include mappings of all systems requiring complete replacement, starting with obsolete components, operational inefficiencies, and future needs of the plant while ensuring compliance with current safety regulations.
2. Improvement Areas: These include mappings of systems that, while not obsolete, require significant upgrades in both components and distribution networks within the facility. For example, replacing steel piping with more efficient and/or durable materials, such as aluminum or polypropylene.
3. High-Performing Areas: These include mappings of systems that are performing well within the facility and can therefore be replicated for systems with similar characteristics.

Design

Once the critical points and areas for improvement have been identified, the design of the necessary interventions is undertaken.

Planning

Once the project step is defined, a timeline for the interventions will be planned according to the production needs of the facility.

The planning phase also includes budgeting activities for the entire plant improvement process.

INVECO is capable of supporting the client throughout the project, from the conceptual phase to implementation and plant revamping.

Component replacement

During this phase, the installation of new components or the improvement of existing infrastructure takes place, effectively bringing the industrial revamping project to life.

The implementation may include not only the replacement of machinery but also the integration of new control systems and the modification of infrastructure.

Subsequently, the addition of control interfaces and the updating of PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) used for monitoring machinery and industrial processes may also be planned.

During this execution phase, INVECO focuses on two key aspects:

1. Installation timelines, which must align with what was established during the previous phase and meet production requirements.
2. Costs, which must strictly adhere to the CAPEX allocated by the client.

Testing

After installation, it is essential to conduct rigorous testing to ensure that the new systems operate correctly and that the facility’s performance has been enhanced.

This phase includes both commissioning and verification of operational efficiency.

Monitoring.

Subsequently, it is crucial to implement a continuous monitoring system to assess the performance of the replaced components and identify potential issues.

Ongoing maintenance is essential to ensure that the production cycle continues to operate efficiently and sustainably.

Only through diligent monitoring can industrial revamping enable companies to modernize their facilities, improving both performance and productivity, while also ensuring compliance with existing regulations.

In principle, monitoring is also fundamentally aimed at demonstrating energy efficiency improvements in terms of consumption. This, in turn, allows companies to effectively recoup their investments in the short term and maintain competitiveness in the market.

The Role of Routine Maintenance

The overall health of a production facility, and consequently of the company, is often reflected in the condition of its equipment maintenance.

It is a common observation that the more resources an industry allocates to routine maintenance, the greater the returns in terms of production efficiency.

Beyond this, the role of maintenance becomes critical in determining the lifespan of the equipment. The more meticulous the maintenance efforts, the longer and more efficiently the equipment will perform over time.

The synergy between maintenance and monitoring

As we have seen, modernizing existing systems involves the additional installation of PLCs to manage the new system components.

Monitoring system performance via PLCs serves a dual purpose:

• On one hand, the evaluation of individual system data.
• On the other, maintenance configuration.

During operations, there is constant communication between the facility manager and the system maintenance technician. This dialogue should also include bilateral reports aimed at gathering as much information as possible and striving for optimal performance.

Energy Savings in Industrial Revamping

When a company undertakes an industrial revamping project, it essentially makes a significant investment.

How can the quality of this investment be measured? This is where the topic of energy savings becomes critical.

By definition, any new system, besides being more efficient and high-performing than an older one, must ensure significantly lower energy consumption levels for the company.

The more the company is focused on configuring the new systems with a savings-oriented approach, the faster the return on investment will be.

At INVECO, we generally propose conducting both a pre-revamping (“ex ante”) and a post-revamping (“ex post”) energy consumption analysis.

• The “ex ante” analysis measures the actual energy consumption before the revamping project is implemented. The collected data is shared with the client’s facility manager.
• The “ex post” analysis, on the other hand, is conducted at specific intervals after the revamping project, depending on the type of system, such as 6 months or 1 year later.

The verification process involves comparing the “ex ante” data with the actual consumption data gathered “ex post.”

The difference between these two sets of data highlights the actual energy savings achieved by the plant as a result of the revamping.

Conclusions

The Revamping of Industrial Plants: A Key Strategy for Efficiency and Sustainability

Revamping industrial plants is a fundamental strategy for enhancing a company’s efficiency, productivity, and sustainability.
Through a structured process encompassing initial evaluation, planning, installation, testing, and monitoring, companies can optimize their infrastructure without the need to invest in entirely new facilities.
This approach not only reduces operational costs but also contributes to a more sustainable future.

Insight by CEO Dr. Filippo Barbetti