operational excellence at rio tinto alcan alma plant 2009-bertrandallano.pdfm o b i l e _ _ e m = 1...

Operational excellence at

Rio Tinto Alcan Alma plant

TMS – San Fransisco

February 17th 2009

Presented by

Bertrand ALLANO

Content

Alma plant presentation

Context : improve operations

Performance indicators

Tools for follow up

Results

Conclusion

Next steps

Content


Context : Improve operation


Tools for follow up

Results

Conclusion

Next steps

Context : Alma plant

Saguenay - Lac Saint Jean,Quebec, Canada

• Start-up in 2000

• 432 pots

• 425 ktpy production

• Foundry ingots, cable, molten metal

• 180 ktpy anode plant

Context : Alma plant

• AP30 technology

• 840 employees

• Hydro power

• 100 % RTA ownership

Content




Tools for follow up

Results

Conclusion

Next steps

Context : Alma objectives

High cell

productivity (t/cell/day)

Current increase

Low energy

consumption (MWh/t)

ACD decrease

$$$

$$$

Low

LME

High

LME

Context : Alma constraints

Amperage increase and/or ACD decrease

BUT

Good current efficiency and no environmental

health and safety impact

anode effect frequency / duration

fluoride and dust emissions

net carbon consumption

Need to improve performance

Context : improve performance

Two ways to improve performance :

Work on technology

Improve cell design, improve cell process control, optimize

process parameters,…

Work on operation

Anode change and metal tapping are the two main operations

that affect cell performance

Alma approach :

Since 2006 Alma plant has put some emphasis on

operation by the definition of individual

performance indicators that are closely

followed up by the plant management

1) Define individual performance indicators

2) Develop tools for management follow up

3) Compile results and give feedback

Content




Tools for follow up

Results

Conclusion

Next steps

Performance indicators : anode change

• Number of times

the crust breaker

is used


• Number of

crust grabs

per anode.


• Anode

gauging

performance


• Covers

delays

• Covers

quality

Performance indicators : metal tapping

• Tapping

holes

quality

Performance indicators : metal tapping

• Tapped

bath in

metal

Performance indicators : open hoods

• Number of

open hoods

per cell

• Number of

cells with

open hoods

• Hoods sealing

quality

Content




Tools for follow up

Results

Conclusion

Next steps

Tools for follow up : objectives

Know the “real” operative mode

Target individuals (good or bad)

React quickly

Give a chance to the operators to see themselves,

compare themselves, discussions between

themselves

Demonstrate the tight follow-up by the direction

Tools for follow up :

• Regular night/day inspections by management

(supervisor, technical staff, superintendant)

• Pot tending machine (PTM) data collection

PTA 1

PTA 2

PTA X

PLC

Central

10 MB/s

Real Time

Wireless

240 Events Logon

semi-continuous

(Buffer)

PI Process

Book

Disorder ID and

Work Order

Frame

PTA InspectionPotroom Operations

Compliance – Web

Tools for follow up : PTM data collection

Real time info

Anode setting

performance

Dashboard

indicator

Red/

Yellow/Green

Pattern

Tapping

performance

Anode covering

delay

performance


Report are used for one-

on-one meeting with the

employees


Content




Tools for follow up

Results

Conclusion

Next steps

Compile results and give feedback

Second cover delay

• Results are used to evaluate teams / supervisors

performance

• Tight follow up increases global performance

juillet-08av ril-08jan-08oct-07juil-07av ril-07jav -07oct-06juil-06av ril-06jan-06

100,00%

80,00%

60,00%

40,00%

C 1

Va

leu

r i

nd

ivid

ue

lle

_X=94,87%

LC S=98,23%1 inspection/mois 3 inspections/sem 3/sem + Superv iseurs gestion

LC I =91,50%

juillet-08av ril-08jan-08oct-07juil-07av ril-07jav -07oct-06juil-06av ril-06jan-06

20,00%

15,00%

10,00%

5,00%

0,00%

C 1

Ete

nd

ue

mo

bil

e

__EM =1,27%

LC S=4,13%

LC I =0,00%

1 inspection/mois 3 inspections/sem 3/sem + Superv iseurs gestion

11

1

1

1

Conformité des capots

Performance improvements

• Number of open hoods per cell

• Number of cells with open hoods

• Next step

BeforeSuivi DPAA - Usine

Nbre de DPAA à changer actuellement

15

7

11

2

35

10 10 9

38

11

5

12

5

33

7 8

13

5

33

9

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Quart A Quart B Quart C Quart D Usine

Nb

re d

e D

PA

A à

ch

an

ger

DPAA 1 DPAA 2 DPAA 3 DPAA 4

Suivi DPAA - Usine

Nbre de DPAA à changer actuellement

0 0 0 1 11 0 13

1 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 11

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Quart A Quart B Quart C Quart D Usine

Nb

re d

e D

PA

A à

ch

an

ge

r

DPAA 1 DPAA 2 DPAA 3 DPAA 4

Performance improvements

Number of crust breaker to

be changed

After

Content




Tools for follow up

Results

Conclusion

Next steps

Conclusion

• In its unionized environment Alma plant has put in

place individual performance indicators. These

indicators are closely followed up by plant

management. This has positive impact on many

aspect :

– Stabilize the operation

– Make people more responsible

Content




Tools for follow up

Results

Conclusion

Next steps

Next steps

• Next steps will be to expand these individual

performance indicators from the quality of operation to

the quality of intervention

– multiple AE

– cell stability

• At the end of the day process decisions will be

transferred from the technical staff to the operators

Required to face Alma high intensity low

energy challenges

Thank you for attention

Questions ?

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