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It’s not easy to design custom process equipment for a process plant. There are several regulations and requirements of this industry, and requirements for production, that can influence your process plant project and the design and manufacturing process of custom process equipment (CPE). Nonetheless, despite there being a couple of disadvantages to keep in mind, there are so many advantages of using custom process equipment to optimize your process. This article will let you know the key advantages and disadvantages of optimizing your process with custom process equipment and how you can use CPE to optimize your process plant.

CPE: What is it and why is it important?

CPE or custom process equipment refers to a custom designed unit that process engineers create to help carry out processing projects and processing tasks. Some of the processing tasks can be non-chemical in nature and others might be chemical. Custom process equipment is important for various process applications such as small scale distillation, solvent recovery, delayed differentiation in line blending skids and batch mixing systems. They are used during the process of skid fabrication. Custom process equipment is also important because, when compared with off-shelf applications, it’s possible to get an enhanced compatibility with your process plant. Engineers create custom process equipment for specific processes and are also used for pilot plant fabrication and even full scale process plants.

How to optimize your process with CPE in 5 steps

Optimizing your process starts with custom process equipment and selecting a CPE company. There are five critical steps you must take to ensure that you select the right modular process equipment and modular process skid manufacturer and custom process equipment fabricator.

Make sure that your modular process skid manufacturer carries out process skid planning

Also known as FEED, or front end engineering design, skid manufacturers and designers of CPE must use front end loading to account for the design costs. Custom built CPE involves understanding the scope of the CPE and knowing what you need to accomplish as all customers should. Front end loading helps with this.

Ensure your CPE manufacturer understands the actual design

The physical design of your CPE is important and must follow a piping and instrumentation diagram. The best CPE and process skid manufacturers will create models in D2 and 3D, which allows manufacturers to understand how the CPE and individual components will slot into your process engineering plant when the final product is designed. Not only is safety and functionality facilitation important for the design, but knowing how maintenance will factor in is important. For example, customers must consider how custom process equipment should integrate into their process plant and ensure that it fits in the space intended.

Designing automation systems should be a priority after the creation of models

Once the models have been created for your process equipment, the automation systems should be designed. This helps the startup process, making it easier to initiate. Your plant controls and programming styles should be adhered to during automation design.

Begin the fabrication stage

You can now begin to fabricate the custom process equipment with an expert manufacturer, who will fabricate the equipment in an environment that complies with your industry’s regulations.

Custom process equipment is set up in your engineering plant

The final phase of custom process equipment fabrication is getting it set up in your engineering plant. During this phase, all of the equipment specification and control specification will pay off, helping you to start up the equipment with minimal downtime if you have chosen a fabricator who has off-site factory acceptance testing options.

What should you watch out for when using custom process equipment?

There are just a couple of factors to watch out for when using custom equipment. Front end engineering costs and longer installation times.

Front end engineering costs can be high

When compared with standard custom process equipment, custom process equipment created in sites that are remote from your engineering plant’s headquarters can be more costly for plant engineers and companies.  A higher investment is needed for custom process equipment, and an engineer will collect data to ensure your CPE is appropriate for your site. However, there are other ways to make savings when choosing CPE. Read on to find out how you can save as a CPE customer.

Longer installation times

Plant engineering businesses and engineers will need to gather data and make decisions when they design and install custom process equipment. For this reason, the time taken to complete installations can be expected to increase with CPE.

What are the advantages of CPE?

Four advantages of using custom process equipment for your process plant project include that quality assurance is enhanced, making multiple replicas for skids from the first skid is easier, minimal troubleshooting of modular process equipment or industrial equipment is needed, and moving your unit operations is easy.

Create multiple replicas for your project and install CPE easily

Using the initial design for your modular skid can help you to create and deliver multiple replicas and install custom process equipment into your system more easily. Installation of your custom process equipment can be done when you’ve repeated the design and you can integrate this with less expenses and you won’t have to get your designer to create it from scratch.

Enhanced quality assurance

You can mitigate incompatibility risks with CPE since the equipment is built specifically for your process plant and the new process skids you require. Since the equipment is specifically chosen for your plant by you and an engineer team, and undergoes off-site factory acceptance testing, the quality assurance is greatly enhanced.

Transportation is simpler and more flexible

Custom equipment that uses a modular design can be transported without any effort and moved to different locations. This means that as the needs of your business alter or evolve, you can move your plant to a completely different location to accommodate these business requirements. For example, you could move it to another geographical location in the world.

Minimal troubleshooting requirements

Since it is designed specifically for your engineering plant environment, a custom piece doesn’t need to be intensely troubleshooted. Configuration is also much simpler for custom equipment and less field service is needed when you choose custom process equipment for your company.

How to optimize your process with custom process equipment: what to consider

It’s important to consider whether you have a standard equipment option to choose and whether your sites’ and plant engineering company’s needs will change and require different manufacturing processes in the coming five years. You can significantly benefit from CPE, as mentioned, and can reap the advantages of scaling up when compared with a standard product.

Optimize your process with custom process equipment and a top manufacturer

Process optimization is ideal for the optimal performance of your plant’s equipment and the running of your process plant. Although it can be a challenge knowing how to optimize your process, choosing the right manufacturer is a critical first step. Remember to consider the key advantages of custom process equipment and think about whether this solution is ideal for your plant. Don’t forget that CPE can be scaled up, and if you’re looking for the ideal custom process equipment manufacturer, choose Pro Support Solution and partner, DG-SKID to get the best quality CPE on the market for your project. Find out more on LinkedIn, go to the Pro Support Solutions website to get full access to our information, and contact Pro Support Solutions to access the best solutions for creating CPE.