PROJECTS AND TASKSA Work Experience Paper

by

Alexis Stacy Chemical Engineering Department

Classification- SeniorSecond Co-op Work Term

ValsparFall, 2012

presented to

Benjamin WilhiteTexas A&M University

January 16, 2013

Approved by: Barry Parker

Engineering Manager Valspar

701 S. Shiloh Rd. Garland, TX 75042

972-487-7266

ABSTRACT

Throughout the second term my main focus was to complete as many projects that I scoped

and started during my first term before coming back to school. I will discuss and describe the

completion of my first project, Installation of Eyewash Filters, a larger project which I worked in

a team to scope, and lastly several plant support tasks that I completed throughout the second

term.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Figures…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4

Background………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

Objectives………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6

Activities and Results……………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

Installation of Eyewash Filters……………………………………………………………………………………..7

Fire System Improvements………………………………………………………………………………………….9

Plant Support Tasks……………………………………………………………………………………………………11

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….14

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TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Valspar Logo and Slogan……………………………………………………………………………………5

Figure 2: Example of Industrial Eyewash Filter…………………………………………………………………7

Figure 3: Overhead View of Press Building……………………………………………………………………….9

Figure 4: Example LOTO Procedure…………………………………………………………………………………11

Figure 5: Containment Calculation………………………………………………………………………………….13

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Figure 1: Valspar Logo and Slogan

BACKGROUND

Valspar is currently the fifth largest manufacturer for paint and coatings in North America and is

a global company with several different products. I accepted my first Cooperative Education job

at Valspar over a year ago, and since then I have learned an abundance of valuable information.

For the first and second term I moved to Garland, TX, one of the larger plants located in the

United States which is made up of three smaller plants: Consumer, Industrial, and Packaging.

First, the Consumer plant, also known as

the Latex plant, mainly works with water

based products. The Consumer plant

packages the products into the gallons of

paint you would see at Lowe’s. Several automated assembly lines glue the labels onto the cans,

fill them with paint, put the lids on, and shrink wrap them to be shipped off. Second, the

Industrial branch is a majority of solvent based products which produces coil and extrusion

coating. The Industrial plants coatings are provided to large industrial companies to range from

the coil you would find on a refrigerator to the metal coatings on the outside of sky scrapers or

the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. Lastly, Packaging, or more commonly referred to as Resin, is

in reference to the packaging coatings used on several name brand cans and bottles such as

Gerber baby food, Bud Light, and Campbell’s Chunky Soup. Packaging is also referred to as the

Resin plant because they manufacture the intermediates and resins that are shipped off to

costumers and other Valspar plants. I had the opportunity to spend my first and second term

with the Packaging plant which is actually made up of several smaller departments: Process

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Floor, Reactor 6 Building, Monomer Bunker, RT-Tank Farm, E-coat Room, GEN VI, Quality

Control, Shipping and Receiving, and several others. To give a little background information on

some of the departments, the RT-Tanks located in a tank farm hold the bulk raw materials that

are needed for production, the E-coat room makes electrical coatings for metal applications, R-

6 Building is where all body sprays and canned/bottle coatings are made, and the GEN VI room,

the most recent department, makes the canned and bottle coatings like R-6, but they are

Bisphenol A (BPA) free. Quality Control, also known as QC Lab, is where all products are tested

in different stages of production to ensure that they are made properly and turn out with the

correct specifications which it comes to viscosity, solids, etc.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this paper is to describe in detail my personal experience here in the Packaging

plant, to discuss the projects and tasks carrying over from the first term that I completed

throughout my second term, and the outcome and attributes I gained.

ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS

While the first term was about scoping, writing Appropriation Requests, and the approval

process, my second term at Valspar focused on completing projects.

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Figure 2: Example of Industrial Eyewash Filters

INSTALLATION OF EYEWASH FILTERS

A recent HSE audit finding stated that several of the Packaging plants eyewash stations/safety

showers are using carbon steel piping to supply water which is deemed unsafe. Carbon steel

piping in a water system introduces rust and sediment which means the water is not clean

when the stations are being used. My first term

consisted of completing and auditing on all

thirty-one eyewash stations, scoping the project

to install filter housings or to replace carbon

steel pipe with galvanized in nine of the stations,

bringing out contractors to bid the project, and

writing up the Appropriation Request to receive

capital funding. Once the AR was complete, the

approval process began. When all signatures

were received the contractors could begin. EPCO

quoted the cost to install all filter housings,

replace carbon steel piping with galvanized on and outside station, and reroute the piping in

the boiler/utility room with galvanized pipe. One of the eyewash stations is located outside

with insulation currently around the carbon steel piping, so C.W. quoted to replace the

insulation and heat trace once the galvanized piping is installed to prevent freezing during the

winter. EPCO began their work first starting on the reroute of the piping in the utility building.

One major conflict was EPCO needed to install a galvanized tee in the main city water supply to

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the plant which took continuous planning with production. The best time to shut off the water

supply was discussed and a Lockout/Tagout Permit was required for all valves and pump power

supply as well as a Line Breaking Permit where the galvanized tee would be installed. Once the

galvanized tee was installed and all other piping was complete a Pressure Test took place which

meant the new installed pipe had to hold 80 psi for at least thirty minutes. The Pressure Test is

to ensure no leaks due to cracks or loose fittings are in the new piping. EPCO then moved on to

the other eyewash stations and installation of eyewash filter housings. Same steps took place

for each station: Lockout/Tagout, Line Break, installation, and pressure test. After all piping and

filters were installed, CW Insulation completed the reroute of the heat trace and insulation.

Now that the project is completed, all eyewash stations/safety showers in the Packaging Plant

will be up to HSE standards; therefore, when the next audit rolls around they can see Valspar

took initiative to fix the finding. This project taught me a lot about effective communication

with contractors to ensure they fully understood what I was trying to get completed with the

project. I needed to be very detailed when discussing the scope so that nothing is left out of the

quote which would cause the project to go over budget. Also I learned to work with production,

which is of utmost importance, to ensure the project is not hindering their schedule or pushing

them back to where they miss a shipment rather it be trailers or totes.

FIRE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS

One of the larger projects, currently still in scoping and bidding phase, was the Packaging Plant

part of the Fire System Improvements project. The Garland site, including Packaging, Industrial

and Consumer, are all part of the Fire System upgrade for the whole site but each plant had

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additional projects to complete alongside the upgrade. Packaging’s main add on was to move

all loading and unloading to one central, covered location. Currently, tank wagons, totes, and

drums are loaded throughout the plant: in the alley, next to buildings, etc. This poses a hazard

to the plant. If a fire were to ever occur while loading out in the open it would take quite a

while for the heat and smoke to build up and set off the fire alarm. By moving the location of

loading and unloading under a covered area allows the heat to be trapped which will signal the

fire alarms quicker. The idea is to turn the current Press Building, which is made up of several

solvent and finished good manifolds for loading totes and drums, into the loading and

unloading station. The first step of scoping this project was to discuss what is currently located

in the Press Building and what will be moved into the Press Building. The discussion took place

and the decision was made on what would stay in the Press Building and what could be

removed. The discussion included operators from all three shifts to finalize what is in use and

what is not before any demo took place. Then the next decision took place to move all

loading/unloading of Raw Material tanks, Thin Down Tank 3, reactor 7, reactor 5, and Weigh

Tank 5B into the Press Building. Next, we had to update all P&ID’s for each tank and come up

with a design of how everything will fit on the inside of the Press Building. Operators were

approached regarding new equipment, what would be easiest, and how they would use the

equipment to ensure they were on board as well. Once drawings were updated and there was a

concrete idea of how manifolds, pumps, etc. would be moved around in the Press Building an

equipment list began to take shape. The equipment list included check valves, ball valves,

actuated valve packages, plug valves, safety relief valves, pressure gauges, dual bag filters,

pumps, mass meters, and etc. As soon as the equipment list was made, the P&ID bids from

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various suppliers were obtained. For example, valves were quoted by EADS, Genesis Systems,

and Hatfield & Co. Next, the focus turned to mechanical, electrical, and programming scopes. I

had the opportunity to analyze and write up a mechanical scope for contractors such as EPCO,

DanCar, and Dynaten. The scope was a basic outline of the work that was necessary for each

tank whether it be an addition or demo, also step by step what needed to be completed in the

current Press Building from laying/demoing concrete to installing pumps, pipes, etc. Each

mechanical contractor took over an hour long walk through the project to see current state and

talk through what the final product should look like. This project was by far the largest and

most difficult project to grasp in reference to the electrical and programming concept. I learned

quite a bit about starters, amps, and MCC’s. Unfortunately, this is a long term project that will

not be completed for a few years and will take several other engineers inputs but I thoroughly

enjoyed the experience of learning about mechanical, electrical, and programming and how

they intertwine in a project to come together in the end.

PLANT SUPPORT TASKS

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Throughout the second term a handful of smaller tasks, also known as plant support, were

assigned to me. Three of the most

memorable tasks: Visual

Lockout/Tagout Procedures,

AutoCAD practice, and Containment

Areas. The Visual Lockout/Tagout

Procedures were the most time

consuming and required several

steps before they could be

complete. Lockout/Tagout

Procedures are used by

maintenance when tanks, mixers,

equipment, etc. are necessary to be

shut down and power supply shut off

before maintenance work can take place. I completed nine Equipment Specific LOTO

Procedures starting with seven categories for each step: the source of power, the location, the

method of LOTO, how to try, what equipment is necessary to LOTO, and lastly the “locked

by” /“unlocked” for initials. The source states how the equipment is powered (hydraulic,

electrical, and pneumatic), location states where in reference to the equipment a certain part is

located, the method describes how to lock out each part of the machinery, and the try section

describes how to test the part once it is locked out for a double check. Once the list of parts and

all sections were filled out, I worked with a maintenance guy to walk through step by step and

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Figure 4: Example LOTO Procedure

double check that the instructions were accurate. When all of the instructions were correct, I

filled out Hotwork Permits to take pictures of the equipment. The pictures were uploaded and

labeled everything was ready to insert into a document. Each LOTO Procedure begins with a list

of equipment needed to lockout the piece of equipment, shows each part of the equipment,

and lastly the instructions tell maintenance exactly what to do step by step. Visual is more

specific and clear for others to comprehend and follow. The last time I used AutoCAD was back

in ENGR 111/112 so brushing up on my skills took some time in its self. My two major

assignments in AutoCAD besides the drawings for the Fire System Improvements was to create

a drawing for the Packaging Plant Control System and to create a Hot Work map for the

Packaging Plant to specify which tools are allowed in the different classified areas. The Control

system was already laid out for a majority of the plant but part of the assignment was to add

the new GEN VI Delta V system. The Hot Work map was not nearly as challenging because there

was already an Electrical Classification map that divides up the Class I Div I areas from Class I Div

II areas and Unclassified areas. I was able to take the original map and modify by adding a

couple notes and shaded areas. They were both terrific assignment to brush up on the AutoCAD

skills. My last project was to calculate the containment volumes for all of the berms on the

packaging side. This project came about due to a safety huddle topic regarding containment

volumes. One of the safety huddles for the operators and staff questioned their knowledge

regarding the volumes of certain berms throughout the plant and a majority of them were

unaware of the answer. There were a total of twenty-one berms and the calculations took a lot

of prep work. I started off with a sketch of each berm with the different tanks located inside

and the volume of each tank. After the sketches were complete I went out to the plant and took

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measurements: length, width, and height of each berm. The main steps were to calculate

Figure 5: Containment Calculation

the total volume of the berm and then subtract tank pad volumes from the total volume. Once

all sketches and calculations were complete I printed yellow hazard labels to put on each berm.

This was beneficial for maintenance and operators because they will now pass these labels

throughout the workday. I enjoyed plant support task the most because of the timeline being

shorter. A project being assigned, the chance to work on the project, complete the project, and

see the final results is extremely satisfying.

CONCLUSIONS

After the second term, approximately eight months total, I have retained vital information

regarding the importance of safety in the plant environment, proper communication skills

between contractors and coworkers, engineering knowledge, and the most suitable way to

manage several projects at once. I have enjoyed the time here as well as the experience on the

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Packaging side of the plant. I am most definitely looking forward to the third term to absorb

and learn more from the Industrial or Consumer plant.

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