Aggreko Resolves Dual Cooling Issues at a Busy Gypsum
Plant
The Challenge for the Customer
Turning chunks of cement into usable drywall
at a gypsum plant involves multiple processes, all of which are
affected by equipment repairs and extreme temperatures.
The plant’s production line begins with a
kettle which crushes cement rocks into powder and bakes out any
excess water. Because of the force required to crush the cement and
the temperatures needed to remove the water, the kettle frequently
needs maintenance. The kettle needs to be cooled completely,
however, before repairs can be done. Natural ambient cooling can
take 3-4 days – days when the production line ordinarily would have
to shutdown.
Further down the production line, slurry is
transformed into drywall using cool process water. Cool water
allows it to set quicker and more evenly. But when the temperature
outside heats up, so does the process water. If the water is too
warm, more time and money is spent drying the drywall board,
leading to a slower and more costly drywall production.
Aggreko helped this customer resolve both
issues and kept production running by providing two temporary
cooling systems.
Aggreko's Solution
Aggreko deployed an
industrial rental
air conditioner which enabled the kettle to cool in
less than 24 hours, significantly reducing downtime for the
plant.
Aggreko also installed temporary
chiller rentals to cool process water during
the hot summer months, continuously chilling the tank water to the
68oF necessary for the drywall board to set
properly.
The Benefit to the Customer
With the addition of temporary
temperature control equipment from Aggreko, as well as Aggreko’s
vast experience in manufacturing facilities, this gypsum
plant was able to reduce downtime and increase
production.