Lanxess Digitizes its Global Asset Base

German specialty chemicals producer Lanxess is pressing ahead with the digitalization of production. In its latest move, the company said it has implemented a self-service analytics system for time-series data in many areas of its global plant fleet.

To date, the Cologne-based company has equipped nearly two thirds of its roughly 120 plants worldwide with the self-service analysis platform TrendMiner, including all major production sites in Germany, Belgium, the US and India. Only smaller plants with less complex processes have not yet been updated.

With the program, employees can autonomously analyze manufacturing processes and measurement data, while detecting patterns and trends that would indicate production irregularities.

The digital toolbox is also credited with improving capacity utilization as well as product quality while the same time performing predictive maintenance and making more efficient use of raw materials and energy use. Digitalization is also said to be a key driver in reducing operating costs.

In some cases, digital officer Jörg Hellwig said, cost saving has been in the six-digit euro range. He added that the company’s “digital transformation” helps its chemists and chemical engineers competence in the field of digital data analytics that will make them “fit for the future.”