Improvement in One Day Strength in PPC to Increase the Customer Satisfaction and Sustain/Improve Brand Value

Transcription

1 Improvement in One Day Strength in PPC to Increase the Customer Satisfaction and Sustain/Improve Brand Vaue Key words: Portand Gypsum Pozzoana Cement, Baine, Compressive Strength, Abstract In the present case study the improvement in one day strength in Portand Pozzoana Cement (PPC) was done with different methods. PPC were coected from an operating cement pant of UtraTech Cement Ltd. with annua cement capacity of 2.75 miion tonnes approximatey in eastern India. Cement sampes were coected from the pant and aso from the other major competitor cement payers avaiabe in market. The physica properties such as Baine Surface Area, Setting Time, Norma Consistency and Compressive Strength of 1, 3, 7 & 28 days of a coected cement sampes were determined. It was observed that one day strength was having scope for further improvement. Keeping in view the one day strength and its impact on customer satisfaction, the project was taken up and the team was formed to start the project. Brainstorming on the issue was done and number of ideas generated. Each idea was criticay studied thoroughy with positive and negative impact on process. Use of minera gypsum in pace of chemica gypsum was found suitabe from quaity, cost and process point of view. Introduction In the present case the improvement in one day strength in Portand Pozzoana Cement (PPC) was considered with different methods. PPC were coected from an operating cement pant of UtraTech Cement Ltd. with annua cement capacity of 2.75 miion tonnes approximatey in eastern India. In the eastern part of India, cement market is mainy dominated by one day strength. As one day strength is directy responsibe for faster setting, hardening and eading in faster remova of shuttering during construction activity, a arge segment of buiders prefer this attribute for construction practices. Mainy there are three major cement payers in eastern part of India. These three payers are considered for the key competitors for the product quaity assessment. During benchmarking it was observed that though the ater strength was better but one day strength was having a ot of scope for improvement. As the market is driven by the one day strength attribute, it was taken as a project for improvement of one day strength to sustain the market share and improve the customer satisfaction eve. The overa objective of the project was set as to increase the one day strength in the range of MPa with minimum cost impact. Improvement in One Day Strength in PPC to Sustain Brand Vaue 67

2 Process Adopted Initiay a team was formed consisting of quaity contro, process and marketing under the guidance of top management to work on the issue and project charter was issued formay with objectives, timeframe and deiverabes. The project started with brainstorming on the issue generating number of ideas which preceded the foowing stages: Team formation & Idea generation through brainstorming approach Formation of action pan & aocation of project to sub-teams for tria Coection, compiation & anaysis of the tria findings & Economic viabiity evauation Seection of best approach & methodoogy for detaied pant scae tria Review of the ong run performance & market feedback & Approva of the approach for reguar production As tria and ateration in the product is a very sensitive issue with respect to the market perception, hence a care was taken as per FMEA approach and corrective actions were taken to avoid any impact on the safety, environment and quaity. Cause & Effect Diagram Root Cause Anaysis Poor Capabiity of C Poor construction practices PSD of PPC Low C3S in C Residue of PPC Low baine of PPC % Fy ash addition Baine of fy ash Reactivity of fy ash Chemistry of C Poor mix & materias Low Low One one day day strength Strength of of PPC PPC SO3 in PPC Properties of Gypsum SO3 in C 7 Execution During brainstorming the team came out with the idea that one day strength of PPC can be atered by changing the foowing factors 68 Use of high Grade Limestone (Sweetener) to increase C3S content in cinker Reduction of kin feed residue to improve Cinker quaity and reactivity UtraTech Cement Limited

3 Reduction of Fy Ash absorption in PPC Use of Chemica Activators/grinding aid Use of minera Gypsum in pace of existing Chemica Gypsum It was therefore decided to take ab tria first before taking to subsequent to pant tria, if resuts are encouraging. Hence team started changing the factors one by one as foows: 1. Use of high Grade Limestone (Sweetener) to increase C3S content in cinker High grade imestone was used from captive mines for pant tria purpose by adopting the foowing stages Mines quaity assessment Raw mix design & Coa mix seection Review of the mix as per FMEA mode Preparation of Limestone and Coa pie as per interna norms Process & Quaity anaysis Tria in PPC Grinding system keeping other parameters constant Review of the resuts and cost economics The resuting impacts were observed as under: Increase in C3S was found about 4%. One day strength of cinker (ab ba mi) increased from 17MPa to 21MPa. As captive mines had imited reserve of high grade imestone, reduction of Mines Life was cacuated as 12 years, if the practice was reguarized. The economics was aso worked out; if Sweetener was to be purchased from the nearest Mines at Katni, the cost Impact woud be Rs. 42/MT 2. Reduction of kin feed residue to improve Cinker quaity Kin feed residue was reduced from 18% to 14% for improving cinker reactivity and increasing C3S content in cinker resuting in enhance eary strength of Cement. Improvement in kin output. Steady kin operation. Reduction in free ime and improvement in C3S (1.2%) Improvement in eary strength. Improvement in One Day Strength in PPC to Sustain Brand Vaue 69

4 Frequent jamming of feed pipe of Kin string bottom cycone observed in ower residue. Reduction of Raw Mi output of about 10 TPH. 3. Reduction of Fy Ash absorption in PPC Fy ash absorption was reduced from 29% to 27% to enhance eary strength of Cement Improvement in eary strength. Cost of PPC increased by Rs.26/MT. 4. Use of Chemica Activators Chemica activator was used to enhance the eary strength of Cement. A short term pant tria was carried out which resuted in 2.5 MPa increase in PPC in one day strength with 0.20% dosage. 2.5 MPa increase in PPC in one day strength Mi output increased by 10 TPH. Additiona cost of Rs.48/MT due to cost of grinding aid. 5. Use of minera Gypsum in pace of existing Chemica Gypsum Short term pant tria was carried out with 100% usages of Minera Gypsum in pace of Chemica Gypsum. The Chemica Gypsum contains P2O5 and is of acidic nature which enhanced the setting time of PPC and adversey affected the one day strength. 3 MPa increase in PPC One day strength 70 Additiona cost of Rs.19/MT. UtraTech Cement Limited

5 PPC-1 day strength Apri March Feb 12 Jan 12 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Juy June May 23rd 1st Mar 11 Feb 11 Jan 11 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug May 10 Apri 10 June Juy 1.0 Comparison of A Options A the trias resuts were further anayzed for their impact & cost economics. A joint meeting between Pant & Marketing team was hed to review the impact and seect the best option to achieve the increment in the one day strength. The summarized impact anaysis is given in the foowing tabe: Options Actions Improvement in one day Strength Cost Impact Rs./MT of Cement 1 C3S from LSF MPa Sweetener outsourced: costs.42/mt Reduction of KF residue from 3 Reduction in 2% fy ash in PPC But mines ife wi decrease by 4 years by increasing of 1unit of LSF. 1.5 MPa Increase in RM Grinding Power and decrease in Mi capacity 3 MPa Rs.26/MT 18% to 14%. (From 29% to 27%) 4 Use of Grinding Aid-M/s 0.15% with 29% fy ash 5 Use of 100% Minera Gypsum (from 8 to 11MPa) 2.5 MPa Rs /MT (from 8 to 10MPa) 3MPa Rs.19/MT due to gypsum (from 8 to 11 MPa) After impementation and reviewing a the trias it was found that the best resut was achieved by substituting Chemica Gypsum with Minera Gypsum. Improved consistency was ensured through use of contro chart and KFUI approach on daiy management of process and quaity. Improvement in One Day Strength in PPC to Sustain Brand Vaue 71

6 Kin productivity increased due to process stabiisation and resuted into an annuaized saving of Rs.729Lacs. Feed back anaysis of Market Benchmarking for Eastern India Custer. The appreciation etter issued by distinguished customers and marketing function was itsef a big recognition of efforts put in by the team in the direction of meeting interna & externa customer needs. It has given the opportunity to serve customer better and meet their expectations. It has aso given in edge over other payers and getting premium for PPC product now due to better product features & branding. 72 UtraTech Cement Limited