Case Study: How a Batangas Refinery Cut Downtime by 62%

A major petroleum refinery in Batangas faced recurring challenges with heat exchanger cleaning during scheduled turnarounds. Traditional cleaning methods required extensive confined space entry, manual labor, and extended downtime—directly impacting production capacity and revenue.

The Challenge

The refinery's 24 shell-and-tube heat exchangers required cleaning every 18-24 months, with each cleaning operation taking 3-5 days per unit. This translated to:

72-120 days of cumulative cleaning time
Significant confined space entry risks
Inconsistent cleaning results affecting thermal efficiency
Production losses estimated at ₱2.8M per day

The Solution

Dezu implemented a comprehensive solution centered around automated tube cleaning technology:

Custom-designed robotic tube cleaning system with flexible lance
Programmed motion control systems for cleaning patterns based on fouling analysis
Remote operation capabilities eliminating confined space entry
Real-time cleaning verification through flow testing

The Results

After implementing the automated solution, the refinery experienced transformative results:

62% reduction in overall cleaning time (from 3-5 days to 1-2 days per exchanger)
100% elimination of confined space entry requirements
15% improvement in post-cleaning thermal efficiency
Standardized cleaning quality regardless of operator experience
ROI achieved within the first turnaround cycle

The success of this implementation has led to the refinery adopting similar automated approaches for other maintenance operations, creating a roadmap for digital transformation of their maintenance practices.