![bunker bunker](https://businessactionlearningtas.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Bunker-570x480.png)
Bath plant material flow
Project Objectives
- Review the fines material flow of the inputs and outputs to the bath plant
- Establish and implement a system to ensure efficient movement of material to and from the bath plant, considering input material fluctuations
Project Team
![jessica](https://businessactionlearningtas.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jessica.jpg)
Jessica Rouse
Bell Bay Aluminium
![john](https://businessactionlearningtas.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/John.png)
John Collins
Bell Bay Aluminium
![jose](https://businessactionlearningtas.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jose.jpg)
Manuel Matteo
Tamar Valley Dairy
![paulg](https://businessactionlearningtas.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/PaulG.png)
Paul Grant
ACL Bearing Co.
Facilitator
![bob-cother-colour](https://businessactionlearningtas.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/bob-cother-colour.jpg)
Bob Cother
The Action Learning Institute
Key measurables
- Fines/Coarse target ratio 1:1 to 1.4:1
- C5 conveyor ‘bog downs’ less than 10 per month
Companies involved
- Bell Bay Aluminium (host)
- Tamar Valley Dairy
- ACL Bearing Co.
Approach taken
- DMAIC approach applied
- Site tour and observation of process
- Storyboarding to reflect on current process
- Reviewed available data to further define the problem
- Collected relevant data to identify inconsistencies in Fines/Coarse ratio across shift teams
- Interviewed key stakeholders
- Root cause analysis
- 5 Whys
- Cause and Effect Diagram
- Identification of root cause as ‘divergance in silo levels’
- Brainstorming to develop ideas to address the root cause
- Refined improvement ideas and developed implementation plan
- Established controls to sustain the improvement, eg. employee training and ‘full’ limit markings on bunkers
Summary of outcomes
- Comparisons of before/after I-MR Charts of Fines to Coarse Ratio by each crew show that the process is now within the target ratio
- Reduced alumina content has enabled a higher proportion of fines in the bath cover, significantly reducing the stockpile of legacy fines material and freeing up storage space for other uses