Efficiency of Plant Operation Middleburg FL
Efficiency of Plant Operation
Source: CONCRETE PRODUCER MAGAZINE
Publication date: March 1, 2008
By Jay Robinson
Plants can be old or new, transit mix or central mix, large or small. But they all have one thing in common: How well they are managed has a significant effect on their overall efficiency.
A simple definition of batch plant efficiency is the ratio of (a) the cost of inputs (employee hours, materials, energy, equipment, etc.) to (b) the revenue generated by sales of concrete. If you divide B by A and the result is less than one, you probably should begin planning your career change.
The most efficient batch plants produce more concrete with less wasted material, lower repair costs, less downtime, and fewer disruptions in employee productivity. Initiatives such as more thorough quality control, understanding customer needs, and installing and operating concrete recycling systems will reduce waste.
Every operation is unique, yet the managers of highly efficient plants focus consistently on five key areas: preventive maintenance, cleanliness, batch control, driver staging, and safety.
1. Practice Preventive Maintenance (PM)Plants where some kind of formalized inspection and maintenance schedule is in place tend to have fewer breakdowns. If the plant manager recognizes the importance of regular PM and communicates that to employees, chances are good that noisy bearings, worn belts, leaky air systems, and clogged filter bags will be detected and repaired before breakdowns interrupt batch...
