Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 18

14 (a whiteboard or flatscreen) for furnace cleaning just the way you might for tracking machine rates. In my experience you can’t underestimate how much this can positively impact performance. Training, Cleaning & Tools The best way to do this is to first provide the training that is required whenever you want something done to a standard. The second key is to provide the necessary tools so that what can be a difficult task is made as easy as is possible. If you don’t make these two investments up front, you won’t get the full benefit from the practice. Having the skimming and cleaning rods that are sized and shaped for your wells, pumps and archways will make these tasks much easier for operators. Here are some actual cleaning instructions from those we see adhere to best practices. Start with the charge well, then move to the main chamber and archways and finish with the pump well. Plan to do your cleaning when the furnace is 75% - 100% full, and the circulation pump is off. For cleaning the pump well with the circulation and Launder Transfer Pump, turn off the circulation pump, using a 7” & 10” slotted ladle spoon, clean the pump posts with an upward motion, clean the shaft the same way, clean the wall sides and skim the top. On the Launder Transfer Pump do the same with the pump and use a smaller slotted spoon to clean up the metal line around the insert. After every Launder Transfer Pump transfer, clean out the launder trough. Turn back on the Circulation Pump. When the pump is out of the well, check and clean the pump well floor before the pump goes back in. Do normal cleaning on the main well by dragging the bottom sludge away from the pump well arches with the Circulation pump off. Take a long spoon and make sure the openings are clean. Clean the main bath side walls at the metal line as best you can and skim the top of the bath. Then turn on the Circulation pump. At the core, these practices reflect the type of manufacturing discipline that leads to better performance. We want to make things repeatable and be sure they can be done by all the team members. The specifics of exactly what you do, when and how, will be developed by your team as they find ways to build upon these best practices. If you partner this with measuring your key process drivers, in this case gas usage, dross creation, and furnace throughput, it will yield improved outcomes.