Unlike recent years, when many sugar-energy units had to extend their crushing beyond the month of December, which consequently resulted in shorter off-seasons, this year many plants are closing their activities earlier due to lack of raw material. A long and severe drought, numerous fires and even frosts in some regions that affected crops in the Center-South of Brazil, significantly impacted not only productivity, but also the crushing of sugar cane.
Traditionally, the sugar-energy industries have always prioritized carrying out major maintenance during the off-harvest period, which normally lasts around four months – between December and April. This year, with a longer off-season than last year, companies will have more time to carry out and schedule inspections and replacements of equipment in both the industry and the automotive fleet.
The expectation for the sugarcane harvest in the Center-South of Brazil in 2021/22 is 538,7 million tons, a drop of 10,6% compared to the 2020/21 season, according to (Conab). Therefore, maintenance becomes even more important so that there are no more financial losses due to operational problems.
According to Artur Kiryu, engineer and maintenance consultant at GAtec, a company specializing in the development of tools for agro-industrial management, off-season maintenance planning should begin as soon as the harvest operation becomes stable. “Planning must occur during this period, information about the condition of the equipment must be collected/monitored (predictive). At the beginning of the off-season, the teams' schedules, Curva S must be ready and agreed upon, as well as the materials and external services requested. Additionally, create a control ritual with weekly meetings,” he highlights.
To begin this maintenance, first of all it is necessary to have a well-designed equipment inspection plan. This plan must include the following points: what to do, recommended frequency, resources and manpower planned. It is also important to know what materials are needed, what external services are needed and pay special attention to tasks that do not add reliability and that consume unnecessary resources.
Among the fundamental maintenance items, equipment lubrication stands out. According to Kiryu, a well-designed and well-executed lubrication plan is necessary, as this is a critical activity. Don't lubricate it, it breaks! That simple. “A complete Checklist of equipment is essential, as proactive maintenance is based on it. Therefore, it is essential to inspect, discover problems, and act before equipment/systems enter a state of failure, resulting in unexpected breakdowns”, reinforces the specialist.
Just as serious as not carrying out maintenance is carrying it out incorrectly, wasting important resources. This often occurs due to non-compliance with what was planned and programmed, generating the “rush” at the end of the off-season, with a consequent drop in the quality of services. A successful operation is one that is completed 15 days before the start of the harvest. This period prior to the start of the operation must be dedicated to commissioning activities (testing and adjusting equipment).
Another very common mistake is not identifying when to replace a machine that has frequent problems. “Recognizing when machinery needs to be replaced is simple, just pay attention to its performance. Once you invest and carry out maintenance and it no longer responds with the reliability required for the process and production, then it is time to replace it to avoid headaches in the future”, highlights the engineer.
To help agro-industries as well as sugar-energy units, GAtec, in addition to providing system solutions, offers consultancy for maintenance management and guidance on the results to be achieved. As Kiryu explains, among the recommendations made in this company consultancy, the need to define the indicators to be “pursued” is always reinforced.
These directions are defined according to the organization's results/strategic directions regarding the maintenance of its assets. “Indicators harmonize the company’s existing energies, causing synergy in the community”, says the consultant. “Another subject that should be discussed in the community is the concept of reliability-centered maintenance – RCM”, concludes the professional.
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