Metal tapping with vehicles as a part of lean production approach

1. Metal tapping with vehicles as a part of lean production approach Presented at Aluminium Middle East 2013

2. The Market Situation • Primary production over-capacity • Provision of Recycled metal • Estimated 10Mt of aluminium in warehouses • Stringent environmental standards Need for restructuring/optimisation www.hmr.no

3. Stringent challenges for primary producers • Cost of energy • Cost of primary materials and manpower • Impact on the environment • Fair employment and safety in the workplace • Shareholders’ satisfaction www.hmr.no

4. Returningmoney back to shareholders • The keypointishow to returnmoney back to shareholders. The only way is a rationalapproach to production of aluminium www.hmr.no

5. Improving overall plant efficiency Tendencies of technology • Higher amperages • Higher current density • Sophisticated controls to manage the pot (magnetic field, heat balance, cathode effect and so on) www.hmr.no

6. Tendencies of technology www.hmr.no

7. Material flow and processes • The generalised side-by-side lay-out of reduction cells imposes the use of cranes for most pot-tending operations (anode changing, anode covering and crust breaking) www.hmr.no

8. Material flow and processes • Many tasks are still performed only with vehicles: it is important to establish a correct definition for plant logistics and vehicles traffic in order to stabilise processes, reduce the cost of potroom equipment, secure a high level of safety and control of emissions. www.hmr.no

9. Analysis of the processes optimisation • While computerised simulations of material flows in the potroom can be a good way of assessing the number of resources necessary to accomplish a task a strict and perfect control or an optimization of processes made by machines and software is rigid and difficult, at least with today’s technology. www.hmr.no

10. Anode changing and metal transporting • In newer side-by-side smelter layouts – where there is no room for the vehicles – the job of anode changing went back to the cranes • The crane has become an integrated pot-tending machine (PTM) capable of handling anode changing, crust breaking and anode covering. www.hmr.no

11. Anode changing and metal transporting • But there are still some tasks where vehicles are required, such as the removal of spent anodes from the potroom and the installation of new ones www.hmr.no

12. Metal tapping and transporting with vehicles • Metal tapping operations can be performed with overhead cranes in conjunction with transportation vehicles or with special metal tapping vehicles (MTVs). www.hmr.no

13. The Lean production philosophy • This approach aims to reduce waste (muda), excess (muri) and irregularities (mura) on production processes • Combined with a systematic implementation of Just in Time effort, a lean production approach exposes quality problems that are otherwise hidden by buffer stocks. www.hmr.no

14. The Lean production philosophy • Forcing smooth flow of only value-adding steps uncovers problems, which must be dealt with explicitly. www.hmr.no

15. The Lean production philosophy • Lean production is indeed, for a large amount, an approach devised for the “human beings hands, attention and skills” www.hmr.no

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17. A complete closed Tapping System Hot Crucible Cleaner Tube cleaner, Inside Siphon Tube Preheater HMR Hydeq

18. Metal Tapping with Vehicles www.hmr.no

19. Metal Tapping with Vehicles www.hmr.no

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23. Comparingdifferentapproaches • METAL TAPPING WITH VEHICLES (MTV) • METAL TAPPING WITH CRANE +VEHICLES www.hmr.no

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30. Considerations • Metal tapping with vehicles requires disciplined and skilled drivers. A continuous training programme should be established and monitored in order to check and improve the ability of drivers. www.hmr.no

31. Considerations • As for all vehicles and equipment a robust program of training on daily routine checks made by drivers should be established, run and monitored. Reports coming from drivers should integrate preventive maintenance programmes. www.hmr.no

32. Considerations • Focus should be put on all processes involved in the use of vehicles: spare parts purchasing, maintenance, operator training with continuous reporting, review and improvement in order to reduce problems and costs and increase efficiency. www.hmr.no

33. Considerations • The equipment supplier should be treated as a resource. Two-way communication and feedback on the product may improve and reduce operation costs. www.hmr.no

34. Summary • The only mandatory way of securing long-term smelter profitability is to improve overall plant efficiency. HMR believes that the lean production approach is the best way to improve a process. www.hmr.no

35. Summary • Where lean production is concerned, it appears evident that metal tapping with vehicles is preferable as it results in a smoother process with fewer risk zones. It also exposes problems and calls for systematic solutions instead of buffer stocks. www.hmr.no