Productivity improvement and cost savings made possible through the ingenuity of ZAC’s idea generating team
Kuphuculwe indlela yokukhiqiza kwancishiswa nezindleko ngenxa yobuhlakani bethimba lokucobelelana le-ZAC
ZAC plant efficiency enhancement initiative
It was determined that the best possible solution to reduce magnetite consumption at ZAC’s processing plant was to install an additional drain and rinse vibrating screen in sequence with the recovery equipment.
In an effort to reduce the high magnetite consumption, and ultimately lower operational costs in the processing plant, ZAC formed an idea generating team to address this challenge. The team consisted of employees from each part of the entire process workforce. By doing this it allowed for a full understanding as to what the concerns and challenges were with regards to magnetite consumption, and ultimately it also allowed for total buy in of the solution by the entire plant workforce.
Through several ‘Idea Generating Sessions’ it was determined that the best possible solution to reduce the magnetite consumption would be to install an additional drain and rinse vibrating screen in sequence with the current recovery equipment.
Most of equipment and services were readily available and/or recoverable from the salvage yard in order to get the improvement project off the ground. This aided in the rapid start of the project as well as significant cost savings, furthermore all fabrication and installation were done by process department employees.
The project started on 1 March 2019 and was commissioned by 15 March 2019. Magnetite consumption improvements were immediately visible.
“A big thank you to all the employees that worked on this efficiency improvement project, and made it a success,” says Menar COO and ZAC COO Bradley Hammond.
Uhlelo lokuphucula ukusebenza efemini yase-ZAC
Kutholakele ukuthi indlela engcono yokwehlisa ukusetshenziswa kwe-magnetite e-ZAC wukwandisa imisele kanjalo nokuhlanza umshini wokugaya okumbiwe phansi kanyekanye nalona wokubutha okuhlungiwe.
Njengemizamo yokunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kakhulu kwe-magnetite kanjalo nokunciphisa izindleko enkampanini, i-ZAC ihlanganise ithimba elizoqhamuka namasu okubhekana nale nselelo. Leli thimba libunjwe ngabasebenzi abaqhamuka kuzona zonke izinhlaka ezithintekayo, loku kusize ngokuthi kuqondwe kahle ukuthi yini abakhala ngayo nanenzinselelo ezikhona mayelana nokusetshenziswa kwe-magnetite. Loku kusize ngokuthi wonke umuntu uvumelene ngo-elethu ngesisombululo okuqhanyukwe naso.
Emva kwemihlangano eminingi yokubonisana kuvunyelwene ngokuthi isixazululo esizosiza ukunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kwe-magnetite ukuthi kwengezwe i-drain futhi kuhlanzwe umshini wokugaya okumbiwa phansi kanyekanye nowokubutha okugayiwe.
Imishini eminingi nokunye obekudingeka bekuvele kukhona futhi kutholakala kalula lapho kusetshenzelwa khona ukuze kuqalwe lolu hlelo lokuphucula umsebenzi. Loku kusizile ukuthi umsebenzi uqalwe masinyane futhi konge nemali kanti ngaphezu kwakho konke okunye, ukufakwa kwezinto ebezidingeka kwenziwe yibo abasebenzi balolu phiko.
Lolu hlelo luqale ngoMashi 1 kuwo lo nyaka ophezulu kanti imishini iqale ukusebenza ngoMashi 15. Ukwehla kokusetshenziswa kwe-magnetite kusheshe kwacaca.
“Siyabonga kakhulu kubona bonke abasebenzi ababeyingxenye yalolu hlelo lokuphuculwa ukusebenza kwethu futhi abalwenze lwaba yimpumelelo,” kusho uMnu Bradley Hammond oyisikhulu esiphezulu e-ZAC ne-Menar.