Implementation of lean manufacturing methods to improve rolling mill productivity

Currently, steel producers face challenges in enhancing the efficiency of their rolling mills to boost goods productivity. The productivity of any company significantly influences its profitability. Enhancing equipment availability can lead to increased productivity. By minimizing breakdowns, the availability of equipment can be maximized, thus elevating productivity. Consequently, this study aims to reduce downtime in the rolling mill and improve equipment availability. The primary objective is to enhance the productivity of the rolling mill by implementing lean manufacturing methods, specifically single minute exchange of die (SMED) and total productive maintenance (TPM). Following the implementation of SMED and TPM, the availability and productivity of the rolling mill improved by approximately 11.37% and 5%, respectively. Moreover, the average overall equipment efficiency (OEE) witnessed a significant improvement of about 30.30%, rising from 56.42% to 73.52%. This enhanced OEE can be attributed to the reduction in section changeover time and a decrease in breakdowns.