Birla Carbon Hungary Ltd.
More Than Two Decades of Successful Cooperation
TLW Ltd. and the Carbon Black Plant – formerly known as Columbian Tiszai Koromgyártó Ltd., today operating as Birla Carbon Hungary Ltd. – have maintained a close and successful business relationship for more than 21 years.
Under a long-term framework agreement, TLW is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the plant’s rotating machinery. This includes the organisation and execution of advanced condition monitoring activities such as vibration diagnostics and thermographic inspections. The effectiveness of these services is clearly reflected in the plant’s operational performance and reliability indicators. In addition to traditional maintenance and condition assessment activities, TLW has participated in – and continues to support – numerous reconstruction, investment and development projects at the facility.
Among these projects, special mention should be made of the 10 MW Waste Gas Recovery Power Plant, which delivers significant electrical energy savings. Acting as EPC contractor, TLW successfully completed the mechanical completion of the project within 12 months, between July 2007 and August 2008, followed by commissioning within an additional two months. Since then, the power plant has continuously utilised waste gases generated during carbon black production and has supplied electricity to the facility.
Another major area of responsibility involves the regular inspection and maintenance of the plant’s large-scale rotary dryers. These critical assets require continuous condition assessment, repair of identified defects, and determination of end-of-life status when applicable. When replacement becomes necessary, TLW coordinates the manufacturing process in cooperation with both international and Hungarian partners and independently carries out the installation and replacement works.
The deep professional trust established between TLW and Birla Carbon Hungary is further demonstrated by a three-year Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) project initiated after extensive preparation. Birla Carbon Hungary provided the industrial operating environment, while TLW contributed the expertise of its accredited Diagnostic and Materials Testing Laboratory. This collaborative effort resulted in the development of the SMART-UP® online diagnostic monitoring system, an advanced solution supporting preventive and predictive maintenance strategies.
SMART-UP® is a subscription-based service operated by TLW, specifically designed for rotating machinery. The user-friendly platform provides comprehensive data visualisation of equipment condition and operational history, enabling maintenance teams to make informed decisions based on real-time information.
SMART-UP® Case Study
Working closely with Birla Carbon Hungary and following a detailed on-site assessment, TLW designed, installed and commissioned a SMART-UP® online diagnostic monitoring system for the rotating machinery of the Trade2A production line at the Tiszaújváros facility.
TLW’s engineering team developed three optional monitoring solutions with different levels of technical sophistication. Each configuration is capable of simultaneously monitoring, supervising and analysing vibration data from all 48 bearings installed on the monitored rotating equipment.
The system architecture consists of autonomous monitoring units connected through a GSM router, ensuring secure and continuous access to vibration data for both Birla Carbon Hungary and TLW. The SMART-UP® online monitoring system enables the early detection of developing faults, thereby supporting proactive maintenance planning and reducing the risk of unexpected failures. Measured vibration data is transmitted via a mobile GSM network to a cloud-based platform, where it is accessible to both parties in real time.
TLW specialists prepare detailed monthly condition reports documenting equipment status and providing recommendations for corrective actions where necessary. As part of the implementation process, comprehensive training is delivered to Birla Carbon Hungary personnel, ensuring effective system utilisation and accurate interpretation of diagnostic data.
The SMART-UP® remote condition monitoring service provided by TLW significantly contributes to the safe and efficient operation of Birla Carbon Hungary’s facilities. By enhancing equipment reliability and optimising maintenance activities, the system supports continuous production while extending the operational lifetime of critical assets and reducing lifecycle costs.
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SMART-UP® - Maintenance made even easier!
SMART-UP® offers a key solution for implementing preventive and predictive maintenance strategies. This online diagnostic monitoring system has been designed specifically for rotating machinery and is offered as a user-friendly, subscription-based service for visualising data on the current condition and service history of the equipment.
With SMART-UP®, a condition-based, predictive maintenance strategy can be implemented, providing support for technical professionals and decision-makers. The system provides a clear interface for the structured display of technical data and offers a comprehensive knowledge base relating to the machines.
Efficiently designed and implemented predictive maintenance programmes offer significant benefits to companies, as integrated predictive technologies are able to predict potential failures, thus enabling proactive intervention even before problems arise. As a result, by using SMART-UP®, companies can increase the efficiency of their operations, reduce unplanned shutdowns and optimise the life span of their machines.