Plant engineering referred to here includes those process and mechani-
cal services required for monitoring plant operations, the prompt resolu- tion of special plant problems, normal debottlenecking, and special engi- neering assistance as required in performing maintenance work. A centralized organization of specialists within the operations department is charged with this responsibility for the network of facilities. Major engi- neering design and construction work related to new plants and plant ex- pansions is handled by a separate corporate engineering department and will not be discussed in this section. The corporate engineering depart- ment is also available for special help to the operations department. As indicated previously, the interjection of technical specialists for the quick and efficient resolution of problems was one of the key points to a centralized system of engineering services, and the engineering staff at individual plants has, therefore, been kept minimal. In some plants, a certain need for minimum on-site staffing of chemical and mechanical engineers is required for day-to-day problems, but here special emphasis is placed on coordinating problem issues with the centralized staff. The normal day-to-day minor plant and equipment problems are han- dled by the plant manager with his staff sized on this minimum basis. The centralized engineering services then encompass these major responsibil- ities:
1. Aid in resolving specific equipment and process problems as they
arise based on information gathered through monitoring techniques or through plant manager request. Suitable engineering or techni- cian help is provided, including site visits when necessary. 2. Getting special services from the corporate engineering department to obtain maximum benefits from understanding the design con- cepts and to provide a valuable source of field problem feedback for future design considerations. This would also include obtaining rec- ommendations from equipment manufacturers and outside consul- tants. 3. Monitoring process performance of all facilities including overall production, utility efficiency, and gathering sufficient data to gen- erally identify problem areas. Each facility requires a detailed anal- ysis to determine the minimum key data required. Some monitoring is performed on a daily basis and is transmitted to the home office by telex or a wide-area, inexpensive telephone system. Other moni- toring is performed on a weekly or monthly basis. The computer is used to perform routine calculations required for certain evalua- tions. Many of the facilities are sufficiently complex and have vary-