Remember Your Processing Kettles During Your Upcoming Plant Shutdown

Summary:

For manufacturers that depend on processing kettles and tanks, carefully preparing for your scheduled maintenance shutdowns ensures success during these crucial weeks. Here are 2 key areas to focus on as you prepare for your scheduled maintenance shutdown:

Your scheduled shutdowns are the ideal time to prevent bigger problems later

When planned shutdowns are approaching, maintenance teams across the food, beverage, bio/pharma, and chemical industries gear up for inspections, repairs, and upgrades. But amidst all the planning, it’s easy to overlook a critical component: your processing kettles.

These vessels are at the heart of your operation. Giving them the right attention now can help you avoid downtime, boost efficiency, and stay ahead of expensive repairs.

Preventative Inspections Reduce Downtime

Unplanned breakdowns rarely happen without warning, they're usually the result of issues that were missed or ignored. That’s why your shutdown is the perfect opportunity for a proactive inspection checklist.

Start by focusing on these high-priority areas:

Jacket Integrity

• Look for signs of leakage. These can be subtle depending on vessel design.
• Any leaks must be repaired by a certified ASME Code Technician and Inspector.

Agitator Shaft & Drive System

• Listen for abnormal vibrations or grinding.
• Check shaft alignment, gearbox, and motor bearings.
• Worn bearings or misaligned components can escalate quickly into major failures, including bent shafts or stripped gears.

Safety Features

• Test all safety switches, lid hinges, and interlocks.
• Verify proper function and replace any non-performing components immediately.

Proactively Replace Common Wear Parts

Your shutdown is the best time to replace worn parts before they cause unexpected production stoppages. Even basic wear and tear can compound into bigger problems when ignored.

Make sure you’ve set a preventative replacement schedule. Base it on hours of use or months in service, whichever comes first. This helps you avoid surprise failures.

Parts worth replacing proactively include:

• Agitator drive bearings: Known for sudden failure with age.
• Ball valve seals and O-rings: Prevents leaks and improves flow control.
• Scraper blades: Chipped or broken blades can compromise product quality and damage vessel surfaces.

Make This Shutdown Count

With careful planning and preventative maintenance, your scheduled shutdowns can be more than a routine pause -- they can be a productivity accelerator.

• Catch issues early before they become emergencies
• Swap parts while the system is down, not during production
• Extend the life of your equipment and avoid costly surprises

Need support inspecting or maintaining your kettles?

Our team can help you build a maintenance plan, inspect vessel components, or prep spare parts, so your plant runs even smoother post-shutdown.

• For more information, download the Scheduled Service Checklist, with recommendations for what to inspect and replace during your scheduled shutdown.
• Or contact Lee Industries -- our Vessel Service Program offers skilled, factory-trained service technicians who can assist and guide your shutdown and scheduled maintenance. This service program fills up quickly, so let us know as soon as possible to secure a spot prior to your shutdown period.

Last Updated: 10/16/2024