Challenge
CP Kelco’s operations depend on the smooth performance of highly specialized equipment—particularly in fermentation, where failures can bring production to a standstill.
Despite monthly PMs, the team was struggling with:
- Unexpected breakdowns on critical equipment
- High costs from reactive maintenance
- Missed early warnings that could have prevented failures
- Manual inspections that consumed time but lacked precision
One asset class in particular—the fermenter agitators—posed a significant risk. A failure here could shut down production for 3–4 days, requiring cranes and manual gearbox replacements. These incidents weren’t just expensive—they were disruptive and dangerous.
If a critical asset fails: 72+ hours of Downtime
Solution
To move beyond reactive maintenance, CP Kelco implemented Tractian’s Condition Monitoring solution—using vibration sensors combined with AI-powered diagnostics to gain real-time visibility into asset health.
With Tractian, they now:
- Detect failures early, thanks to real-time vibration and temperature monitoring
- Act faster with clear recommendations on what needs fixing and when
- Monitor 280+ critical assets, generating 400+ insights from over 3.7 million data samples
- Eliminate unnecessary PMs and shift to proactive, condition-based maintenance
Impact
Within months of implementation at their San Diego facility, the team at CP Kelco saw:
- $446.9K total cost savings, including $380K in production uptime
- 84 hours of downtime avoided, including a major unbalance incident on a dryer bearing
- Reduced reliance on manual PMs and guesswork
- More predictable, proactive maintenance planning
What's Next
CP Kelco is using Tractian to build a more reliable maintenance strategy—not just for one site, but across its operations. The team now spends less time reacting and more time preventing.
With Tractian Condition Monitoring, they're not just saving time—they’re protecting uptime, avoiding expensive emergency repairs, and setting a new standard for maintenance.
