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Managing incoming raw materials Managing and monitoring incoming raw materials into an aluminium smelter ca n be streamlined if the

plant uses a Manufacturing Execution System (MES).

By Michel Atalla, PMP, and Melanie Simard, Keops Technologies Inc.*

Alumina is the principal raw material used in the production of aluminium; however, coke and pitch are equally as important in a large aluminium smelter that produces its own carbon anodes.

These raw materials are provided by suppliers located worldwide and are transported to the smelter by a va riety of means, including trains and trucks.

After delivery, raw materials are stored in individual, designated large si los (generally called main silos) near the unloading area (for example, a port). They are then transferred to the smelter by conveyers, tru cks or other means and placed in smaller si los - genera lly called daily silos - located in t he area that requires these raw materials.

In the raw material handling and storage area of the smelter, a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is not only useful for managing all raw materials pl~ nning, reception and distribut ion activities, but is also beneficial for t racking raw material movement from every source to every destination, off- or on-shore.

The MES is used to manage and monitor the following activities:

• Planning, forecasting, and reception • Raw material transfer and inventory • Globa l production statistics • Reporting • Berths, vessels, ship unloaders and

conveyer activities.

- With its MES solution, Keops

Enter rise Resource Plannin (ERP)

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implements functionali ties and reporting util ities to obtain information aboutraw material movement (time, product, quantity). Raw materials are tracked from their reception point - usual ly the port -to the ma in si los and, f inally, to the daily silos.

Using coll ected data, the M ES can instantaneously report raw material­related archived and live data being charged into each on-shore main silo (whether by vessel or by truck). It can also report the quantity being ifelive[ed from each farm silo to the daily bins.

Every raw material consignment is tracked throughout its life cycle-from reception to consumption-thereby identifying the raw material source supplier of t he finished product, be they anodes at the carbon plant or alumina finished goods at the casthouse.

The Keops MES provides tracking and monitoring functionalities related to off-

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shore port activi ties (berth reservations and scheduling) and ship unloaders and conveyor activities.

Using Level 1 process control data, an integrated KEOPS framework renders the MES extremely f lexible. With this framewo rk, users can generate reports and consult historica l or live data and SharePoint portal views dynamically using the production response layer - or PI Asset Framework - by mapping any given instrument, or programmed TAGs, through the historian server.

The Keops MES solution uses historical archived data to plan supply and forecast consu mption of raw materials according to projected demands.

With MES, Keops IS offering functionalities to assist with consumption overview and reception forecasting.

Forecast overview To anticipate the raw materia l inventory at any given date, the consumption and reception forecast must be tracked using the MES.

By' comparing reception and consumption, the process engineer can validate the quantity of a particular product type and ensure the production of anode and aluminium at a given date -assuming there is enough space in the main silo or tank to receive the expected raw material.

An arrival delay window period can be added to help evaluate the impact on the inventory. This period is considered a delay, which allows for the reception of a

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carrier to the hand li ng area, and is included in the raw material supplier contract.

The system's Forecast Overview function is used to provide an overview of the forecasted reception and consumption of raw material (product type) to the smelter, and to an ticipate and visua lise the inventory fo r a given period (future, cu rrent or past inventory).

Consumpt ion forecast To plan the purchase of raw material, the process engineer must know the amount of material that will be consumed.

The Consumption Forecast function is used to evaluate future raw material consumption, according to production targets, and uses a specif ic formula or a previous consumption value to achieve this.

This calculation can be performed at the beginning of the year to help when planning the raw material contract with the supplier and is re-evaluated on a period-c basis, for example on a weekly basis.

Forecast and reception To ensure constant anode and aluminium production, the logistics manager and process eng ineer plan the raw material requirements based on the consumption forecast and the current material inventory. '\

Depending on the smelter plant installation, products ca n be delivered by severa l types of carrier (ship, train or truck).

The forecast and reception function is used to plan and co-ordinate all activities concerning the reception of raw material to the smelter. A handling area must be allocated to the carrier to allow the unloading of raw material from the handling area into the main storage silos.

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Fig 3: Raw material data flow

Upon reception, an operator in charge of unloading raw material enters actual reception information, which re-adjusts the current inventory in the M ES.

Efficiency and effectiveness The high level Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) and Overall Plant Efficiency (OPE) features are designed to measure performance, availabili ty, and stoppages of either individual equipment or production lines against defined standards and targets.

Real-time or archived performance data can be measured and reported in various formats, such as reports, MES screens, or SharePoint views.

With the integration of the Asset Framework (PI AF) with the Keops MES framework, the MES can prgvide high­level OEE functionalities, and automatica lly detect and calculate the lines' availabil ity and stoppages.

The OEE calculation is based on t hree factors - Performance, Availability, and

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Qua li ty - and are calculated as follows:

• Availability: Operating/Planned Production Time

• Performance: Ideal Cycle Time/(Operating TimeITotal Pieces)

• Quality: Good/Total Pieces

Therefore, OEE Availabili ty x Performance x Quality (Fig 2)

The OEE minimises the complexity of the production problem and converts it into a simple and informative presentation. Technicians and managers can then take immediate action, if requi red, or plan the process control and operations.

The Laboratory Sample function is used by both the process engineer and the laborato ry techn ician to record all the quality data (chemica l and physical) about raw materials at different locations.

Raw materials that are stored in different locations have specific chemical and physica l properties, which might influence the quality of the final product.

At the raw material reception area, the supplier must provide a product sample that can be ana lysed by the smelter laboratory.

Workarounds have always been needed because of the lack of integration of quality data and L1 MS to MES. To achieve this integration, critica l processes must be standardised with L1MS and MES, and is absolutely required for ERP, when applicable. The MES ensures that quality audits can be performed in different locations at any given time (Fig 3) .

,In conclusion, a rigorous MES frame­work integration with automation, OEE and L1MS leads to greater efficiency where plant control is concerned and assists management with planning and forecastin g, resulting in significant cost savings and more productivity. [J

Keops Technologies Inc, 1155, University Street, Suite 1100, Montreal. Quebec. Canada H38 3A7

Tel+ 1 514876.2855 Email info@kcops.com Web www.keops.com/

Unify local production with the Global enterprise Keops is the wortd leader in IT Solutions for Production Management:

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) •

• Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and

• Network Implementation in Large Industrial Sites

Serving the Intemalional Aluminium Smelting and Rolling Mills Industry.

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