How does all of this affect designers and manufacturers of process equipment to the Chemical process industries?
By Heinz W. Haischt, President & General Manager of PATTERSON Industries • In their efforts to stay competitive, the large Chemical Companies have shopped the market aggressively for the latest equipment at the lowest prices. • As a result, many equipment manufacturers with Engineering staff who possessed “process knowledge and know-how” found themselves uncompetitive. Smaller companies with “a machine shop mentality”, who were just building machinery to supplier drawings beat their prices due to lower staff costs but little or no process know-how or engineering capabilities. • The end users were now forced to look to their own engineering departments for process and equipment knowledge and know-how. • Next they attempted to outsource engineering and procurement to engineering consulting companies in order to “save costs”. • Since most engineering consulting firms hire many of their engineering personnel only on a project by project basis, it is difficult for them to develop specific p
