Digitalization in the Chemical Industry – An overview

Ever since the third industrial revolution in the 1970s, computer-based processes have formed the core of industrial procedures. In the age of Industry 4.0, the Internet is now becoming the central technology. Economic advantages of digitization in the chemical industry arise from the fact that you record plant integrity in a decentralized manner and make it available centrally. Particularly important is the transformation of inspection processes with the help of digital management systems.

The corona pandemic has shown that digitized structures are essential for NDT inspections. Companies that had already relied on digital transmission of all inspection orders before the pandemic were able to survive the crisis without any disruptions.

Since testing equipment and inspection management systems as well as NDT evaluation workstations can be networked digitally without much effort, companies no longer have to rely on plant inspections performed in analog form. Internal processes can thus be effectively streamlined. Last but not least, this results in significant cost savings on a day-to-day basis.

Thus, digitization of the chemical industry helps to make operations future-proof and sustainable in the long term thanks to end-to-end digital inspection processes.

Digitization affects the entire value chain in the chemical industry. In many companies, the value chain is now globalized, with parts of production taking place abroad, for example. This poses particular challenges in terms of quality assurance and NDT testing.

Companies have the opportunity to use digital solutions to evaluate e.g. radiographic testing (RT) or ultrasonic testing (UT) even at a central location for several plants in parallel. This also allows you to better monitor cooperations with third-party companies and align them with your own standards.

The switch to end-to-end digital inspection processes for plant inspection is possible without high investment costs and leads, among other things, to the following advantages:

• Digital tools not only replace analog processes, but also make inspection methods decisively more efficient. Structured inspection data improves the empirical basis for asset monitoring.
• Artificial intelligence helps predict developments in asset conditions. Downtimes due to unforeseen defects can be avoided thanks to timely warnings. Companies in the chemical industry also optimize asset availability and sustainable production through NDT digitization.
• Via the inspection software, measured values can be transferred to operational systems (RBI, APM, AIM, ...) and compared with target values almost during operation. Those responsible are thus able to make faster and better decisions on a database with the highest integrity.  

At DIMATE, we are convinced that end-to-end digital inspection processes will continue to gain importance in the future. For companies in the chemical industry, the digitalization of plant inspections is already a factor for stability and innovation.

As experts for digital inspection processes, we optimize inspection and asset management in your company. With DIMATE PACS, you can easily manage all inspection jobs digitally. On-stream inspections run completely networked. We also support projects based on artificial intelligence to detect defects precisely and at an early stage.

Our systems are based on internationally recognized IT standards, such as the DICONDE standard ASTM E2339. DIMATE thus grants you maximum standardization and investment safety. DICONDE data from compliant test devices can be processed, viewed and archived completely vendor independent. For integration into the ERP or RBI systems, we offer standardized interfaces with the highest IT security.

Keep track of costs at all times and easily increase the sustainability of your assets and products.

We enable you to intelligently shorten release processes. All stakeholders are digitally integrated into the latest inspection results at all times. Instead of sending mails with evaluations, which costs a lot of time, every authorized user has location-independent access to the inspection images and reports via the DIMATE PACS.

All data of a component or a plant part are stored in a bundle, arranged according to a firmly defined structure and managed in an uncomplicated way.  

Our individualized digitization concepts for end-to-end digital inspection processes provide quality-assured data for subsequent processes and enable an optimal end-2-end workflow. Plant inspection in your company is continuously improved thanks to machine learning and AI. With BP, a leading company in the energy industry is already benefiting from DIMATE's intelligent inspection systems.

Experience and expertise are essential to successfully realize the digitalization of inspection processes in chemical companies.

Lean processes, secure inspections and structured test data - rely on our digital NDT tools to meet the high requirements in the chemical industry.

Our open data standards make you ready to act at any time. Increased asset availability and extend maintenance intervals. You can also reduce CO₂ emissions. In this way, you create a future-proof infrastructure.

Feel free to take a look at other sections of our website to learn more about us. DIMATE makes your company ready for Chemistry 4.0.

Would you like to learn more about the DIMATE PACS and its many advantages?
Request a demo and we will show you how you can digitize your inspection processes and thus save time and money.