6 Sigma

Reduce Feed Chute Clog Delays

Everson Possamai

MMRM Midlothian 2012

Final Storyboard

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Project Summary

Project: Reduce Feed Chute Clog Delays

Leader: Everson Possamai

Sponsor: James Hudson

Departments Affected: MMRM

Main KPI: % Feed Chute Clog Delays

Baseline: 4.7%

Goal: 3.7%

Team: Mike Kalpin, Jeremy King, Keneth Blair, Aaron Hancock

Estimated Savings: $ 442,186

Presentation Title Copyright 2011 Gerdau. All Rights Reserved.

Problem Definition

2012 Goal = 3% Total Efficiency Improvement

Project Goal = 1% Efficiency Improvement

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Phenomenon Analysis Project Schedule

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Phenomenon Analysis KPI and Goals

Operation and Maintenance combined

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Phenomenon Analysis KPI and Goals

Feed Chute only

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Phenomenon Analysis KPI and Goals

KPI Goal achieved 3 times in 2011

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Phenomenon Analysis - Savings

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Phenomenon Analysis - Brainstorming
3 Infeed Workshops:
All crane operators, scrap inspectors and team leaders attended.
7hs duration each.
Best practices share, brainstorming, cause-and-effect analysis,
infeed standard writing, scrap quality standard revision.

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Root Cause Analysis

Phenomenon Analysis - Brainstorming

56 ideas listed

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 Phenomenon Analysis - Benchmarking
Heith, Everson, Jeremy and Keith visited JAC (2 trips).
Several emails and phone calls with Bobby Dabs (JAC Shredder Routine
Facilitator).
Access to their QIS material and scrap quality standard.

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Phenomenon Analysis Field Observations

Feed Chute
Mouth

Feed Drums

Rotor

Side View with the Hood Opened

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Phenomenon Analysis Field Observations

View of the Feed Chute Bottleneck

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Phenomenon Analysis Field Observations

Clog Bundle

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Phenomenon Analysis Design Considerations
Shredders are designed more
to process cars or loose scrap
than logs.
Feed Drums have to get out
of the way when bundles
reach them, causing the mill
to stay empty while they move
upwards
Result:
More downstream
delays due to long bars
passing through the mill
without being cut.

Presentation Title Copyright 2011 Gerdau. All Rights Reserved.

 Process Analysis
Bundle Size
Largest Section Side
Higher than 40 in
Do not fit in the
Shredder mouth

Process Capability
of this variable

Variation by vendor

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 Process Analysis
Bundle Size
Length
99 in to 104 in is the
bottleneck size Do
not fit in the
Shredder mouth

Process Capability
of this variable

Variation by vendor

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 Process Analysis
Bundle Size
Density

Higher than 60 lb / ft3

Over the design
specification

Process Capability of
this variable

Variation by vendor

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Process Analysis Bundle Size

Root Cause Analysis

Prioritization

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What would happen if we shear all bundles before feeding them into the feed
chute?

Tons to shear

Time to shear

Net gain
(if our shred is $50/ton cheaper than the
purchased)

Gain in efficiency

The shearing operation pays itself if our shred is $18/ton cheaper than the purchased
Action Plan Development - Trials
Bundle Size - Proposed DOE
Car Bundle Press Shredder Log Press

Three variables (largest section side,

length and density) and two levels (low
and high);

Shear can cut off spec scrap before

feeding the mill (rework) after definition
of critical scrap parameters;

Vendors not capable to prepare bundles

for DOE

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Action Plan Execution
Bundle Size
3 W and Highlights (5W2H in GMR)

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Trials Results

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Conclusions after the trials

When materials are ran by themselves (not mixed) the feed drums
stay at the same height most of the time and thus do not get in the
material way reducing the chances of clogs.
Feeding at 60 to 70% of the max infeed speed give a constant feed
pace, without gaps which in turn reduces clogs.
Car logs are tough for the shredder to handle: they have the highest
density. The feeding standard was revised to include shearing 100%
of car logs.
Logs and bundles size only matter if they are very dense and in the
length range that can get wedged in the mouth botleneck (8 to 10
long or >3 section side).
The increase in the feed drums stall pressure had a huge impact on
the feed chute clogs reduction.

Presentation Title Copyright 2011 Gerdau. All Rights Reserved.

Process Analysis
Operation

new infeed crane operators and inspectors +

teams rearrangement + increase in
production

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Process Analysis
Operation

2011 Feed Chute Clogs w/ Crane Pick per Shift

Delays

Day shift seems to be better

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Process Analysis
Operation

Root Cause Analysis

Prioritization

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Action Plan Development
Operation

Two-Sample T-Test and CI: Clog Delays, Shift

Two-sample T for Clog Delays

Shift N Mean StDev SE Mean

1 10 0.01851 0.00760 0.0024
2 10 0.0283 0.0107 0.0034

Difference = mu (1) - mu (2)

Estimate for difference: -0.00976
95% CI for difference: (-0.01857, -0.00095)
T-Test of difference = 0 (vs not =): T-Value = -
2.35 P-Value = 0.032 DF = 16

P-Value below 0.05

Null hypothesis can be rejected
we cannot say there is no difference or, easier to understand: there is
statistical evidence that the day shift performs better than the night shift

Presentation Title Copyright 2011 Gerdau. All Rights Reserved.

Action Plan Execution
Operation

3 W (5W2H in GMR)

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 Process Analysis
Scrap Mix
Correlations

Conclusions:

There is some correlation

between the scrap mix
and the amount of feed
chute clog delays but it is
not significant.

There is more than just

the amount of logs in the
mix impacting the feed
chute clogs.

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 Process Analysis
Downstream Delays
Correlations

Conclusions:

Confirms the theory of better

shredding and less bars/pokers
if we keep the mill full.

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 Process Analysis
Inspection Before role changes

The scrap inspectors are

actually really inspecting during
only a third of their working
time. The rest of the time, scrap
received is not being inspected.

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Process Analysis
Inspection
Root Cause Analysis

Prioritization

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Action Plan Execution
Inspection

3 W (5W2H in GMR)

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Process Analysis
Cutter Bar

Root Cause Analysis

Prioritization

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Action Plan Execution
Cutter Bar

3 W (5W2H in GMR)

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Process Analysis
Feed Drum Hydraulics

Root Cause Analysis Prioritization

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Action Plan Execution
Feed Drum Hydraulics

3 W (5W2H in GMR)

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Process Analysis
Maintenance / Adjustments

Root Cause Analysis

Prioritization

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Action Plan Execution
Maintenance / Adjustments

3 W (5W2H in GMR)

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Action Plan Execution
New Codes in SMS
Better data collection for Future Projects
3 W (5W2H in GMR)

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Check
Check Period = Sep / Oct / Nov 2012

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 Remarks about October and November
On October 23rd the primary feed drum shaft broke. There was a 40%
reduction in the cross section area due to wear (scrap rubbing the
shaft). The fix was temporary because there was the yearly outage in
the end of November and thus the motor pressure was kept low to
protect the weakened shaft. This was reflected in more clogs until the
outage when the feed drum was replaced.

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Standardization
Routine Procedure Created

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Actions to Support Future Projects
3 W (5W2H on GMR)

All actions are

completed

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Questions?

Everson Possamai
Midlothian - MMRM
(972) 779 2062
everson.possamai@gerdau.com

Presentation Title Copyright 2011 Gerdau. All Rights Reserved.