How Skid Systems Can Assist in Cost-Cutting and Productivity Enhancement

Skids are like frameworks that are used to transport and secure machinery and equipment. It combines all of the components needed to complete a task, including instrumentation and controls, into a single, connected area. Clean-in-place operations, mixing, heat transfer, and other processes are common skid-mounted systems.

Skid systems are normally constructed off-site at the supplier's facility in a skid design company. These are the industry standards designed to be "plug and play" modules, requiring little welding or other building to finish the job. They are simply connected to sources of power and water and put to operate.

Modular skid systems are becoming more popular among manufacturers as a speedier and less expensive alternative to traditional stick-built systems. A modular process skid offers a unique mix of resilience and flexibility that standard stick-built systems cannot match. In addition, they are less expensive than concrete installations.

This article will discuss the benefits and applications of skid systems and who will benefit from them.

Benefits of Skid Systems

Skidded Systems can assist you in making the following changes in your next process design:

1. Productivity, Speed, and Efficiency
2. Processes of Production (chemical)
3. Product Consistency & Quality
4. Equipment Costs Safety Maintenance Industry Compliance Costs
5. Materials New Waste Management Process Time and Cost of Construction

Skidded systems are becoming increasingly popular as a result of:

1. Rising quality standards that are getting increasingly difficult to achieve.
2. The importance of getting to market quickly.
3. The ability to design, build, and extensively test a skidded system concurrently with site preparation saves a significant amount of time.
4. It improves operation and maintenance documentation.
5. Because it is prepared in a controlled setting, the TOP turnover package for a skidding system is often significantly more extensive.
6. Engineers working on skid systems continually improve their designs to make access easier (maintenance and CIP) and use components that need a little downtime.

A whole manufacturing process is divided into numerous pieces in a skid assembly. The following are some of the advantages of a skid assembly:

Client friendly: A skid assembly's key benefit is that it may be constructed at the service provider's site and then easily moved to the client's factory to be used as-is.

Lightweight: They are lightweight and easily transportable if a change of venue is required.

Suitability: Skid designs are well-suited to and functional in congested regions.

Compact: Because this process does not include unloading or disassembly, it is ideal for small and medium-sized machines. It would be difficult to transport large infrastructure to the client's location otherwise.

Well-tested: You can check the functionality at the service provider's facilities using factory accepted testing (FAT). This testing can be done before the unit is transported to the client's plant because there are no compatibility difficulties.

Easily accessible: Unlike a traditional configuration, all process connections are concentrated in one area in a skid design.

Less Disturbance: At the reallocation, there is less outage and disturbance.

Less Labour: Skid systems need less labor and installation time than on-site construction since they are built in a controlled environment in a skid design company.

Reduced onsite fabrication allows for a speedy installation of your skid-mounted module, ensuring that your equipment is up and running with little line downtime.

Efficiency: You can get improved processing efficiency while working within the space limits of your current processing environment with a bespoke skid system.

Modular: They are mounted on a skid can be an excellent complement to your current operation.

Cost-effective: They can be cost-effective plant expansion solutions that work well when you're on a tight deadline.

No modifications needed: Due to increased globalization and specialization, today’s successful sanitary processing facilities will be sensitive to changing product demand, market conditions, and government requirements. Skid systems may readily be altered to meet unique mixing, batching, heating, cleaning, and other modifications without rebuilding production lines.

Less Space taking: The layering of components is possible using process skids. This decreases the size of the system on the factory floor.

Areas of Application

Skid assemblies are ideal for sectors that require a large infrastructure packed into small to medium-sized units.

Here are a few application areas to consider:

Generating electricity

Food and Drink

Construction

Management of biogas facilities in residential and commercial areas

Polymer

Natural gas and oil

Healthcare

Mining

Treatment of sewage

Transportation systems for pulp and paper

Skid Systems in the Real World

The concept of a skid-mounted system has a lot of high-level benefits on the surface. In practice, custom-build process skids frequently highlight several additional advantages that are unique to the project at hand. Here are some examples of how a few process manufacturers have put process skids to good use.

At a Low Cost, an In-Line Blending Skid Adds 20 Flavors

EPIC Systems, a Midwest-based skid builder, was contacted by this Fortune 500 business to design and build an in-line blending process skid package. The company injected 20 new tastes into the pre-mixed base product by combining a pre-mix blending skid with the delayed differentiation skid shown here.

The US Department of Energy is using skid to test large-scale CO2 removal

The U.S. Department of Energy erected a skid-mounted pilot plant to test a new procedure for extracting flue gas from coal-fired power stations. In a dedicated skid fabrication shop, this skid was developed, built, and factory acceptance tested (FAT).

Who Stands to Gain?

Many members of the client team benefit from custom process skid packages. These members are:

Project Engineer: Process skid packages constraint in-house design efforts. Engineers just need to identify a few fundamental design functions.

Plant Manager: Process skids are made to improve system reliability. Skids are used to replace parts of old systems. For tie-in, skids just require a little window. These work windows and system downtime are planned around the facility’s needs.

Plant Mechanics: Replacing old equipment reduces the need for maintenance. Maintenance is a priority while designing custom process skids. Skids are equipped with the most up-to-date diagnostic instruments. Filters and service panels are conveniently accessible.

Plant Operator: Custom process skids eliminate workarounds in the system. They take advantage of the most recent improvements in control systems. Operator fatigue is reduced, and performance is improved with improved controls.

Conclusion

For the food, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, beverage, cosmetics, and many other production verticals, the crucial infrastructure offered by skidded systems is becoming increasingly important. Today's skid systems are becoming increasingly complicated and high-quality. Welding methods, qualifications, weld mapping, video boroscope, elastomer and glass certifications, and material documentation are all being raised to new heights. Sanitary flow components are being specified at a higher degree of technology and quality than ever before. PLC automation and touch-screen HMI controls, including remote process control and troubleshooting, are the industry standard regarding skid design companies.

Judith Morrison is an expert in the field of industrial engineering and writes articles related to piping, civil, equipment engineering related articles.