Leading the Operationalization of Bench and Pilot Systems

The cultures of the lab and commercial plant collide at the pilot scale. Where a researcher at the bench may have had the strictest control on operational parameters and was well aware of the safety considerations at that scale, and seasoned plant engineer or plant operator has to translate the reality of the accuracy and variability that occurs in large scale chemical operations so that the system remains safe and the product hits specifications. Whereas the lab scale team might be used to having parameters for a new run direction set up and running by lunch, the same change may take weeks as safety reviews, operational training and the larger scale reconfiguration of pilot scale equipment more resemble a small project versus a lab scale study.