Kuraray: Plant digitalisation with CADISON

How Kuraray uses CADISON to consolidate plant information, establish data-driven workflows and lay the foundation for a future digital twin.

Industrial plants that have evolved over many years often have equally complex data structures. Technical information is stored in different systems, documentation exists in multiple versions and data sometimes has to be maintained more than once.

Kuraray faced this challenge at its Frankfurt site. With CADISON, the specialty chemicals manufacturer is creating a central engineering data foundation that connects information from engineering, maintenance and operations while gradually transforming existing processes into data-driven workflows.

At Kuraray’s Frankfurt site, plants producing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) have been in operation and continuously modernised since the 1970s. Over the decades, large volumes of technical data and documentation accumulated across different systems.

As a result, information had to be located, consolidated or maintained in multiple places. Inconsistent data could lead to additional work, errors and delays.

Kuraray is therefore using CADISON to establish a central data foundation that serves as a single source of truth. The CAE platform combines database, graphics and document management capabilities while integrating with existing systems such as the ProDOK I&C engineering system.

With CADISON, Kuraray is transforming its existing engineering processes into more data-driven workflows. Technical information is no longer stored solely in individual drawings or documents but linked to intelligent engineering objects.

This allows P&IDs, piping documentation and maintenance information to be accessed from a shared data foundation and exchanged across the departments involved.

Different user groups can choose the appropriate tools for working with P&IDs. Process engineers can use the Microsoft Visio-based CADISON PID Designer, while an AutoCAD-based P&ID Designer is available for more extensive tasks. The underlying engineering data remains intact.

Kuraray’s experience also demonstrates that plant digitalisation cannot be achieved through the introduction of new software alone.

Existing databases, redundant information and long-established processes first had to be cleaned up and restructured. At the same time, employees need training, suitable user interfaces and sufficient time to integrate new data-driven processes into their daily work.

A stable IT environment and close collaboration between specialist departments, internal IT and ITandFactory are also essential. Digitalisation is therefore not simply a technology project but a process of organisational change.

The implementation of CADISON has delivered clear benefits for Kuraray. The central data foundation has reduced search times, minimised potential sources of error and accelerated processes.

Up-to-date P&IDs and technical information also improve collaboration between engineering, maintenance and operations. Data can be reused consistently across departments instead of being maintained separately in multiple systems.

Kuraray is thus creating the foundation for spending less time searching for and maintaining technical information and more time on productive engineering tasks.

The Kuraray case highlights four key prerequisites for successful plant digitalisation:

• Centralise engineering data to reduce inconsistencies and duplicate data maintenance.
• Integrate existing systems instead of creating new, isolated data silos.
• Clean up and standardise data and workflows as a foundation for digitalisation.
• Involve users at an early stage, as system performance, training and change management have a significant impact on user acceptance.

The key is not simply to digitalise individual documents, but to establish a reliable data foundation for integrated, end-to-end engineering processes.

Kuraray plans to further optimise its IT landscape, integrate the approach into daily operations and extend it to additional sites.

The long-term goal is to create a digital twin that represents the entire lifecycle of the plants. A centralised and consistent engineering data foundation is a key building block for achieving this.