Brad Allsopp - WSP - Driving operational efficiency in materials handling plants

Driving materials handling plant

operational performance in lean times

Sweating the

assets

12th Annual Bulk Materials Handling ConferencePerth, 24th-25th June 2015

Agenda

1. Introduction

2. Challenges faced by materials handling plant operators

3. Strategies for driving operational efficiency

4. Methodology

a) Basic

b) Advanced

5. Optimisation project examples

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RESANZ MKT-MHG-PPT-002 RevA

AGENDA

WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff have combined

and are now one of the world’s leading

professional services consulting firms

Brad Allsopp is WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff’s

Resources ANZ Materials Handling Executive

Based in Sydney, 26 years of consulting and

construction experience

Specialises in coal, iron ore, bauxite, base

metals, quarry & wood products

Responsible for technical development and

delivery of materials handling opportunities

Guest lecturer, Advanced Coal Preparation

Course, Australian Coal Preparation Society

NSW & Qld

ABOUT WSP | PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF

AND ABOUT BRAD ALLSOPP

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E: [email protected]

M: 0402 302 574


Operational efficiency, operational excellence, capital productivity!

WHAT ARE OWNERS/OPERATORS PURSUING? 4


CHALLENGES FACED BY PLANT OPERATORS 5

Power plant CHP


STRATEGIES FOR DRIVING OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY 6

• Reduce fuel & energy use

• Reduce consumables

• Reduce labourReduce operating costs

• Reduce breakdowns and outages

• Reduce time to repair

• Eliminate critical elements

Improve availability & reliability

• Extend asset life

• Reduce wear rates

• Defer overhauls based on condition

Reduce sustaining capital

• Reduce variability

• Increase throughput

• Increase production hours and utilisation

Increase production for marginal cost

• Plant performance review

• Safety, compliance, operational flexibility

• Financial metricsBenchmarking

Development of assessment methodology

to identify and implement operational

efficiency strategies


The basic methodology is initially used for all optimisation assessments, ranging between:

high level, overall broad brush, main issues, focus areas, goal kicking

detailed, comprehensive, thorough

BASIC ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY 7

Field Inspection

• Site visit

• Audit

• Collect data & drawings

Review of documentation

• Drawings

• Manuals

• O&M data

Consultation• Discuss plant data

• Confirm observations

Calculations/ assessments

• Plant availability / throughput

• Stockpile operation

• Conveyor performance

• Benchmarking

Reporting• Findings

• Recommendations

• Presentation


Complex interactions

between operating modes

Simulation modelling

What-if scenario testing

Operational procedures review

METHODOLOGY – ADVANCED APPROACHES 8

Chute blockage, accelerated chute or belt

wear

Discrete Element

Modelling (DEM)

Adjustments, Modifications,

trimming

Long/large conveyor dynamic

issues

Dynamic analysis

Tuning, adjustment or

upgrade of drives, take ups, brakes, control systems

Low reliability of complex plant

Failure Modes Effects and

Criticality Analysis (FMECA)

Reliability Centred

Maintenance (RCM) approach

Poor performance of vendor equipment

Vendor liaison & investigations

Tuning, recommissioning,

upgrading, replacement


Once an assessment

is complete:

Prioritise solutions

Undertake

operational trials

and monitor results

Prepare business

case for solutions

Obtain approval

Implement solution

Test performance

Justify benefits

Drive continuous

improvement

ROADMAP TO IMPROVING OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY 9

Improved operational efficiency

Implementation and testing

Feasibility study &

business case

Operational trials


EXAMPLE –POWER STATION COAL HANDLING PLANT 10

Summary of findings

A power station Coal Handling Plant (CHP) was investigated, assessed and reported on to:

Belt mistracking observations correlated with design issues


Evaluate existing

practices

Compare with

best practices

Identify areas for

improvement

The problem:

Train loading was too slow, increasing cost and limiting production

Causes were not obvious

Improvement methodology

Reviewed performance data, identified issues

Analysed effect of addressing issues in sequence

Graphically represented on “waterfall chart”

Cost effective solutions developed and implemented

EXAMPLE – COAL MINE TRAIN LOAD OUT 11

Predicted Coking Coal Load-Out Rate

(based on 279 coking coal trains over 6 months


A coal export terminal in North Queensland was audited in quite some detail to:

Assess the condition and remaining life of assets

Determine regulatory and statutory compliance

Review plant performance and requirements for maintenance, upgrade and replacement

Report prepared and results presented to stakeholders for actioning

EXAMPLE – QUEENSLAND COAL TERMINAL 12


EXAMPLE – PRIMARY COPPER ORE CRUSHER13

A primary crushing and parallel screening plant was reviewed to

determine its ongoing suitability as part of a mine expansion study

System, equipment availability, utilisation & delays analysed over time

Throughput performance determined per operating hour over time

Based on site inspection and historical data analysis, concluded

The existing plant (in entirety) would not be suitable for future use

Reliable, high performing components could not be redeployed as part

of a new plant as continuity of ore flow could not be assured from the

balance of plant in the interim


To stay in business, materials handling plant operators are under

extreme pressure to:

- reduce cost

- increase performance

- get the most from capital employed (sweat the assets)

whilst still complying with tightening rules and regulations and

operating in harmony with the community.

Achieving operational efficiency and excellence requires:

- Assessment of performance and benchmark comparison

- Identify deficiencies and determine strategies to eliminate/reduce

- Make a business case, implement and measure results

- Continuous improvement

CONCLUSION 14


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QUESTIONS, COMMENTS?


Business

Brad Allsopp - WSP - Driving operational efficiency in materials handling plants