Proposals for Development of Technology and Capability at CaMac Corporation
December 16th, 1993
Prosyma Research Ltd report to CaMac Corporation
S F Bush
Summary
In connection with two visits to CaMac, in July 4-9 and September 6-9, the writer has prepared two reports: “Preliminary Assessment of Fiber-making at CaMac Corporation” and “Polymerisation Kinetics of Nylon 6.6”. The first report (July 13) highlighted a number of key issues, many of which had been picked up by September. In particular the idea of using solid state polymerisation (SSP) as a front end process for Nylon 6.6 was abandoned. The second report (Sept 5) provides the main chemical mechanisms and data for setting up and controlling the N6.6 process so that the RV level required at the spinneret can in principle be obtained.
This report is designed to focus on three key areas where there was discussion during the writer’s visit to CaMac in September. These are:
- Prediction of mixing, especially for the on-line coloring project.
- Predictions of RV build in the extruders.
- Systems for Measurement, Control and Optimisation of the fiber spinning processes (PAMS).
Separate conclusions are given at the end of each section. This report is not a comprehensive view, but essentially a practically-oriented follow-up to my last visit which will enable immediate steps to be taken to build up the technological base. One of the other issues highlighted in the July report – namely the design of spinneret heads, is covered as a separate issue in the fourth report.
The Prosyma paper “The Application of Systems Technology to Process Development” was also supplied to CaMac as a heavily simplified version of the key principle to be followed. This principle lays down that adjustment and observations on the plant can and should be structured so as to yield a double dividend: as well as ameliorating an immediate pressing problem they should also contribute an understanding of the basic scientific and engineering mechanisms. Building up models of the process based on these mechanisms will in time provide the most secure basis for both incremental improvement and seizing the opportunity for structural change. The most expensive experiments are those done on a trial and error basis without a theoretical framework to guide them.