MRO Today - All Pro Team

Larry Mouton, Maintenance team leader
Central Life Sciences, Dallas, Texas
MRO Pro of the Year

Larry Mouton is maintenance team leader at pet supply manufacturer Central Life Sciences in Dallas, Texas.

“Larry began his career with the company as a machine operator and has never forgotten what it feels like to be a frustrated operator saddled with a bad process,” explains Russell Smith, group manager of production and equipment maintenance. “As a result, he evaluates equipment and processes against these operator-centric criteria:
1. Is it easy to operate, and
2. Is it easy to maintain?”

As a champion for 5-S and TPM, Larry works side by side with machine operators to drive waste from their processes. One example is a recent project to modify the barrel cooling system on two extruders. Larry drove this project in conjunction with with maintenance mechanic Tom Fleming, planner John Knott and the extruder operator, Faye Gipson.

Their project corrected some decades-old problems and transformed a chronic “bad actor” machine into a top performer. But it took some detective work.

The cooling system had a large set of stairs and a catwalk in front of it that allows the operator to reach a hopper for purging. This stair portion blocked the heat transfer system for the barrel cooling system, which consists of a water tank, a pump, a heat exchanger, solenoid valves and plumbing.

Because the stairs blocked any access, the equipment behind was severely rusted and corroded. Plus, because the area had been ignored for so many years, Larry’s team discovered plumbing switches, bypasses and data collection devices that not even 20-year veterans could recognize.

When Larry’s team pulled the catwalk away from the extruder they discovered that at some point in the past someone had rotated the extruder 180 degrees. This was an “Aha!” moment: The stairs were originally designed to trail off the back end of the extruder without blocking any plumbing.

The team repositioned the extruder and stairway to allow operator and maintenance crew access to the cooling system and controls.

The ladder also blocked the electrical cabinet. If a fire ever started inside that cabinet, the stairs and catwalk would have to be moved out of the way before anyone could even open the panel.

Next, the team analyzed the mass of plumbing and discovered that years ago someone had installed data collection equipment that had not been used for perhaps 20 years, if ever.

The electrical panel likewise contained all sorts of extraneous wiring. The team gutted it and completely redesigned the plumbing. They elevated it off the extruder’s base so if there ever is another water leak, they can spot it immediately. They simplified the system, eliminated numerous unnecessary parts and insulated the piping. Next, they powder coated the extruder white, again, to enhance leak detection.

“Next, Larry’s team replaced the solenoid valves because the old ones kept sticking and, of course, our solution was to hit ’em with a wrench,” Smith says and laughs. “This extruder went from being one that you had to nursemaid through the shift to one that you can basically run and forget about.”

Smith notes that this project is just one of more than three dozen improvement projects Larry has done around the plant.

“He’s our TPM champion because he just really gets it,” Smith says. “He has great common sense and can pick new things right up. He is making it happen right now. He’s just awesome.”

Extruder cooling system — before
This extruder generated numerous maintenance calls due to poor reliability. A ladder placed in front of the barrel cooling system made maintenance access impossible unless the heavy steel platform was first moved out of the way. The ladder also made it difficult for the machine operator to reach the extruder control panel.

Step 1: Rotate platform
Doing this provided clear maintenance access to equipment and gave the operator better access to the control panel. However, several problems remained, including severe corrosion from coolant leaks, poor temperature control, incorrectly installed gages and defective floats. In addition, old and unused components complicated troubleshooting and made it more time consuming.

Extruder cooling system — after
Applying TPM tools made this equipment much easier to operate and maintain. The solutions included:
1. Elevating the equipment off the platform allowed operators to clean under it and spot leaks.
2. Spreading out the equipment enhanced access for maintenance.
3. A new heat exchanger was installed and the system flushed out.
4. All unused components and plumbing were removed.
5. A new, highly visible temperature gage was installed.
6. The electrical “low coolant level” float was replaced with a mechanical one which is much more reliable and easy to use.
7. The coolant tank was moved to improve access to fill port.

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