PROCEDURE FOR EQUIPMENT LAYOUT IN A CHEMICAL PLANT WITH INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRAINTS

Abstract

Introduction:
The layout of equipment in existing chemical plants directly influences operating costs, as material transport has a direct impact on operating expenses. Optimizing these material flows in facilities with pre-existing infrastructure constraints requires specific methodological approaches.
Objective:
To propose a structured heuristic procedure for the reconfiguration and placement of equipment in existing chemical plants.
Materials and Methods:
A six-step procedure was designed based on analyses of technical documents and systematic site visits.
Results and Discussion:
The procedure allows for the identification of bottlenecks and redundant routes in operating plants, facilitates decision-making, and overcomes the limitations of ideal theoretical models that are not applicable to rigid infrastructures.
Conclusions:
The procedure provides a structured framework for equipment layout in existing plants, enabling improvements without large-scale investments in chemical industry facilities.