A Global Producer of Gases
The Linde Group is a global gas producer that specializes in the production of gases like nitrogen and oxygen. These gases are produced through the cryogenic separation technique, developed over a hundred years ago by Carl van der Linde, which involves the separation of air. The process includes collecting, cleansing, compressing, cooling, and distilling the air to obtain various components in liquid form. Linde operates air separation plants in over 100 countries and supplies gases to diverse sectors such as chemicals, metals, food, education, science, healthcare, and the environment. In the Benelux region, the air gases are produced in Rotterdam and IJmuiden.
Head of the Technical Department at Linde Gas Benelux
Peter Wagenaar leads the technical department at Linde Gas Benelux and oversees the air separation plants in IJmuiden and Rotterdam. The IJmuiden plant is situated on the site of Tata Steel and mainly produces oxygen and nitrogen, which are utilized in the steel furnaces and gas mixing processes. Linde Gas also separates noble gases like argon, krypton, and radon for various applications. Linde Gas experienced significant growth in recent years. When faced with migrating one of their factories from the Hartmann & Braunn operating system to Siemens’ PCS7, they sought assistance from CoNet, Siemens’ preferred supplier. CoNet collaborated with Linde Gas to manage the migration, focusing on standardization across software, hardware, and procedures. Training employees was a crucial aspect, and CoNet provided support in that area as well.
Maintenance Program and Collaboration
CoNet’s involvement went beyond software implementation. They developed a customized maintenance program to ensure the continuity of Linde Gas’s production process. With a maintenance contract in place, CoNet offers 24/7 support for resolving malfunctions and identifies areas for improvement on-site. The collaboration has resulted in the migration of three out of four air factories to PCS7, along with continuous enhancements and cost savings. CoNet engineers regularly visit IJmuiden to identify further improvements and provide training on the automation system.
Ensuring Continuity and Optimization
The partnership with CoNet is essential for Linde Gas, as they operate around the clock to meet the demands of customers like Tata Steel and Gasunie. Although Linde Gas aims for self-reliance, CoNet’s process knowledge and commitment to optimization ensure a productive collaboration. The communication between the two companies is excellent, with CoNet readily available, responsive to questions, open to criticism, and focused on continuous improvement.
CoNet’s training efforts have been fruitful, empowering Linde Gas employees to make informed decisions when resolving disturbances. This aligns with Linde Gas’s goal of reducing reliance on external help. The result has been a well-established maintenance concept and a standardized maintenance database, which has proven valuable not only for Linde Gas but also for other companies. With work processes streamlined, Linde Gas successfully opened a fourth factory, benefiting from the efficiency of their maintenance concept.
The result
In conclusion, the cooperation between Linde Gas and CoNet has evolved over time, leading to standardization, effective communication, and mutual commitment to improvement. Linde Gas values CoNet’s support, training, and shared goal of self-reliance, as they continue to optimize processes together. For more information on how Linde Group and CoNet optimize maintenance processes and ensure production continuity, contact us at sales@conet.nl. Let us help you enhance efficiency in gas supply.