Efficient Technologies Of Resource In System Of Metallurgical Equipment Maintenance And Repair

Abstract

The research results of the development of optimization and systematization activities to carry out maintenance and repair (M&R) of metallurgical units are presented in the article. One of the most important features of the metallurgical enterprises is the necessity for continuous M&R. Companies are forced to suffer great losses for this purpose. That is why even a little cutting down the expenses is a pressing task. The main problem in repairs planning is a mismatch between the requirements for conducting of the works and the limited allocated funds. There is a need in the rankings of all the repair works using a criterion that can solve this problem. The development strategy of any steel plant should provide for a system of optimal planning of repairs at metallurgical enterprises and its integration into the corporate information system. The repair strategies, considered as different approaches to the organization and evaluation of repair and maintenance works efficiency, allow the company to choose the best option.

Keywords: Efficient technologiesmetallurgystrategymaintenance and repair (M&R)repair organizationoptimization of costs

Introduction

Nowadays, the development of efficient technologies of resources takes place mainly at the expense of energy saving works (reducing energy consumption) and energy efficiency (rational use of energy resources), though the efficiency of resource is the capacity for achieving maximum results by the least made efforts, so as to save resources.

Steady, reliable and safe operation of the main technological equipment of industrial enterprises is closely connected with the repair work. At the same time, the cost of equipment performance, its maintenance and repair (M&R) is one of the most significant items of any industrial enterprise expenses.

Metallurgical equipment has very low indices of operational reliability and durability, so the problem of improving the reliability is of particular importance. The repair service employs about 30% of the total number of production personnel and the mechanical equipment cost is up to 40% of the total value of fixed assets. According to various information sources, expenditure for the M&R of the equipment during its use is 5-10 times greater than that used for the manufacture of the new outfit (Glukhov, 2014; Zhirkin, 2002). Therefore, the development of efficient technologies of resources in the field of maintenance management is a timely problem.

Methods

Results

The use of any process equipment gives a positive result, which is due to the release of products, improvement of their quality, etc. As a rule M&R costs increase with time due to aging of the equipment elements and deterioration of their technical characteristics, resulting in an increase of funds for the M&R. The growth intensity of the income tends to a decrease during some period of time, as the duration and frequency of repairs and maintenance of equipment increase in the operation process. Then the time comes when the income from the use of the equipment is fully spent to cover operating costs. That is why, to operate the equipment is not economically feasible as the costs of M&R exceeds the economic benefits from its use.

Repairs management methodology oriented towards resource efficiency problems solution can be based on a wide range of strategies. At the same time, a repair strategy means the approaches to the organization and assessment of the effectiveness of M&R activities. It is necessary to consider the features of the basic strategies for managing the equipment repair.

Total Productive Maintenance Strategy (TPM) is management of preventive maintenance. It is focused on the processes of the repair work organization and it was established in Japan in the 60-70s. Improvement of the efficiency of the equipment is achieved by involving operators in doing repairs on their own, which reduces the labour-consuming character of M&R. The drawback of the strategy is manifested in the fact that the repair planning is not used in practice (Shuhgalter, 2009).

Strategy «Lean production (LP) is Thrifty production ". This is an approach to the management of the organization aimed at improving the quality of work by reducing losses. However, if measures to reduce costs, including M&R, do not solve the problems then there is practically no costs reduction.

Strategy «World Class Manufacturing (WCM) is a world-class production". WCM means the production of world-class superiority or equality with competitors in innovation, quality, price, flexibility, supply and service discipline (Lubuzh, 2011; Sedush, & Sidorov, 2009). There are two main principles in the basis of WCM: continuous improvement and elimination of waste. And there is the same drawback: if measures to reduce costs are not related to the problems of M&R then there is almost no minimum cost.

The enterprises process management strategy on the basis of «The Theory of Constraints” (TOC). “Theory of Constraints" in its turn is aimed at maximizing the income generation rate, which ultimately is the goal of resource efficiency. In this case, income is defined as the added value created by the production company at a time due to sales. This definition of the income generation rate includes the time spent in the production, in the raw materials warehouse and in the finished goods warehouse. In order to most effectively organize the maintenance management process and to increase the economic impact of the proposed measures, it is necessary to use the concept of WCM, taking into account “ the theory of constraints” developed by E. Goldratt (Goldratt, & Fox, 1986; Goldratt, 1990; Goldratt, & Cox, 1992; Noreen et. al., 1995; Dettmer, 1997). Within the framework of “the theory of constraints”, the main task of WCM will be to find and eliminate the problem of the production process as a whole.

One of the most effective strategies that enable the company to optimize its program for the M&R of assets, is the strategy of «Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) - Maintenance focused on reliability" (Lubuzh, 2011). This strategy takes into account the positive aspects of the WCM concept based on the theory of constraints. The RCM strategy is founded on the situation, the purpose of which is to ensure the reliability of the enterprise crucial industrial and technological processes. At the same time, maintaining a unit of equipment in perfect condition is not an end in itself.

To identify the problem of M&R the main technological equipment must be ranked according to the following criteria:

• units the stoppage of which will not allow producing similar products;

• units the stoppage of which will disrupt the rhythm of the work of the subsequent process stages and aggregates;

• units the rejection of the repair of which will inevitably lead to the maximum growth of "lost profits" and the deterioration of the financial condition of the company;

• units the stoppage of which will not lead to negative consequences.

The problem for the workshop will be a failure of the equipment, which will result in downtime of the shop on the whole, or of the process chain, or of the main technological equipment (Baskakova et al., 2016).

In the current system, the MRO cost management is organized in the framework of plans. The schedules repair and maintenance of metallurgical equipment are organized in the framework of plans in order to anticipate and prevent its downtime.

Budget planning is considered as a management tool, which can and must be used. Budgetary planning is not a new topic for the Russian companies, but, nevertheless, budgeting is either absent or working not at its full capacity at many enterprises. Budgeting is functioning in the system of metallurgical enterprise repairs, although, in reality, it does not play a great role while the effective formulation of budget planning in the organization helps businesses to make decisions more effectively, carry out these decisions and monitor their implementation. The budgeting system allows evaluating in advance the future results of decisions that should be taken today.

The budgeting system effectiveness of repairs at the metallurgical enterprises is manifested in the fact that it allows making rational (reasonable) administrative decisions favorable to the company.

The cost reduction strategy requires optimization of M&R costs, taking into account the ranking of the works according to the type of repairs and "limit of budgetary resources for repair."

The chosen strategy of M&R will enable to distribute the limited resources optimally to provide the necessary performance of equipment and implementation of the "portfolio of orders" (Baskakova et al., 2016).

The analysis of M&R costs and the comparison of the economic efficiency of the chosen methodology for one of the metallurgical enterprises are presented in Table. 1 . It allows making the conclusion that all of the selected strategies do not only reduce the amount of actual repair costs, but also improve the factors that characterize the effectiveness of the control of the main process equipment repairs. Consequently, they improve efficiency rating with respect to initial values, but the most effective is the method of RCM and the maximum cost reduction also occurs when using the RCM methodology.

It should be noted that the RCM methodology based on TOC reduces the amount of actual repair costs at the most, and it also makes the efficiency greater compared to that of other proposed techniques. To determine the criteria selection of the planned activities in the preparation of repair schedules, specialists, at first, calculate the duration of downtime the problematic equipment may cause due to the lack of this or that event.

The possible loss of profits due to the failure to solve the “problem” may be determined if there is information about the average size of the profit received during the equipment operation (the stream of the profit in the problematic section of the equipment). Depending on the size of the profits loss, the activities are ranked and the priority tables are drawn up. The following algorithm of the events planning for repairing is proposed (Fig. 1 ) (Baskakova et al., 2016).

For scheduling repairs and maintenance of the enterprise as a whole, it is necessary to determine the problematic equipment the downtime of which will lead to the reduction of the profit.

Resource constraints make the company choose the types of M&R of the basic technological equipment which is problematic, and the refusal to repair it will lead to maximum growth of the "lost profits."

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Conclusions

Integrated application of the above-mentioned methods, the priority of which is the TOC leads to the redistribution of the budgetary financing of M&R, an increase in the effective operating time of the problematic equipment and a significant increase in profits, which is required by the efficient technologies of resource.

Conceptual directions of increasing the efficiency in the planning of the M&R subsystem may include the following:

- Establishing priorities in the system of equipment repairs.

- The ability to determine the real data about the activities and costs, establishing the lower limit on the M&R costs of equipment, compliance of funding sources with types of repairs and the volume of work related to this M&R kind.

- Identifying the sources and volumes of funding and reproduction of BPA for the effective operation of the equipment based on the minimum cost of maintenance and repair, and reimbursement of costs for hardware upgrades according to management methods using the budgets.

- Optimization of inventory levels, costs and the regulatory framework in order to increase the stability of the system and its linkages with funding sources.

- The calculation and adjustment of the limit of the costs of M&R, depending on the economic situation.

- The ability to rapidly develop options of plans on the basis of calculations automation for a year, a quarter of a year, a month, and the definition of the minimum necessary level of costs on the basis of the allocated limits.

- A decrease in the repair of the main equipment costs by determining the optimal service life, the boundaries of the cost of each type of repair of the main equipment and prevention of emergency repairs.

- Improving the control and planning by choosing the best option based on the borders of the cost of each type of equipment M&R, corresponding to the "bottleneck" and due to the increase of the economic validity of the decisions.

References

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