Furnace roll bearing save prevents $500k loss and averts 48 hours of downtime.

The Challenge

Unplanned downtime destroys profitability in continuous process manufacturing. In their quest for operational excellence, Worthington Industries searched for a remote condition monitoring solution to reduce machine failures and increase uptime at their Toledo hot-dipped galvanizing facility. The steel processor implemented Vero^® across the plant and realized an 18% decrease of machine-related downtime and a 17% reduction in reworks.

Creating Value, Resolving Issues

The Worthington Steel Delta Galvanizing Plant, located near Toledo, is a clear example of how machine health insights can drive proactive maintenance and deliver stellar returns.

Within weeks of installing Vero^®, the early detection of a furnace roll bearing failure by the AssetWatch^® Condition Monitoring Engineer (CME) allowed for the planning of its replacement on a down-day. The bearing vibration was undetectable by naked ear and touch.

If this bearing had failed during a line run, it would have caused approximately 48 hours of unplanned downtime and potentially $500k in lost gross margin.

Below are the results from the first six months of Vero^® service at the facility.

“With our AssetWatch^® Condition Monitoring Engineer, I feel like I have a highly qualified tech on my team.”

Jeremy Lieb

Maintenance Agile Team Lead

Facility Savings

$650k+

Potential lost gross margin saved in just the first six months of Vero service

Maintenance Recommendations

40

Prescriptive maintenance recommendations issued by expert Condition Monitoring Engineers

Downtime Risks Resolved

13

Condition Monitoring Engineers work with customers until issues are resolved

Decrease in Machine-Related Downtime

-18%

Early machine health insights allow for proactive maintenance and reduced downtime

Reduction in Reworks

-17%

Reducing unnecessary and costly reworks immediately increases profitability

Increase in Overall Plant Efficiency

+.23%

Vero helps optimize production, increasing OEE

Condition based monitoring in action

Within weeks of installation, the Delta Plant we had a HUGE win with early failure detection and proactive, planned replacement of a furnace roll bearing, preventing approximately 48 hours of unplanned downtime and potentially $500k in lost gross margin.

4079

*ROI across more than 165+ manufacturing customers

ROI

$650k potential lost gross margin

$15,935 Subscription Cost =

One Sensor Saved a Potential $500k in Lost Gross Margin!

Get Started Today

The Journey

In 2017, Worthington Industries embarked on an exciting maintenance journey. Their goal was to improve overall plant reliability and transform their maintenance and reliability division from a reactive culture to a proactive one. It was a visionary look toward the future for the global metals manufacturing company founded in 1955.

This transformation is now a pillar of Worthington Industries’ focus on driving profitable growth. The company identified automation, analytics and advanced technologies as keys to enabling better decision-making, improving reliability and further differentiating the company from its competitors.

“Worthington Industries is a global leader in its field, but we needed a solution that was outside our purview. We sought out a partner that had specialized expertise.”