PURPOSE / OBJECTIVES
Controlling the cement manufacturing process is inherent to making a consistent, low cost
product. Lafarge has adopted the use of statistical process tools, specifically Control
Charting, as a method to control the variability of key quality parameters for milling
systems.
Control systems sometimes fail to achieve their objective of improving system stability and
product uniformity because the nature of the variations inherent in the systems (feedstock
characteristics, process equipment and system design, operating practices, sampling
technique, sample preparation, laboratory methods) make the system uncontrollable. In
such a case, the control attempt, in itself, will be a further source of destabilization of the
system and a further degradation of product uniformity will result. In order to forestall this
possibility, a QUALIFICATION TEST for determining Controllability is applied as a prerequisite to the SPC implementation decision.
WHAT TO DO TO COMPLETE THIS PROCEDURE / TASK
The milling system under consideration will be subjected to the Qualification Test. The
trainer/champion should, with the involvement of the plant Quality Assurance and Production
departments, apply the Qualification Test Protocol including the Variographic Analysis of the
results using the Excel Variography Tool. He should then validate his interpretation of the
Variographic Analysis with one of the designated Variography Experts by e-mailing the
Variography Excel file and following-up by telephone. The flowchart below defines the actions to
be taken on the basis of validated results.
It should be noted that the presence of any detectable amount of cyclical variation represents an
opportunity of the Low-Hanging Fruit variety. Once the cycle characteristics have been quantified
(amplitude and period) through Variographic Analysis, its source can generally be easily identified
and eliminated. This will yield immediate results in terms of product uniformity and will increase
the potential for effective process control.
START
Perform Qualification
Test per Protocol
Resolve Cycling and/or
Materials / Process /
Sampling / Lab Issues
Validate Variographic
Analysis Result with Expert
Degree of Cyclical
Variation C >
10% ?
NO
O
Std Dev. <
IQO ?
YES
Degree of
Randomness
R > 50% ?
NO
O
YES
Recommendation: apply
Incident Response & Drift
Correction
END
Recommendation: use
adapted Control
Algorithm & Gain Tuning
* Note: For those installations which are using an advanced Quality Control software such as QMC
or Mill LUCIEs Quality Control Module, the tuning of the SPC parameters should be reviewed and
adjusted as necessary, at this point, to assure conformity with the applicable Best Practice SPC
parameters
Create and consult a task
Links
Links
HUMAN RESOURCES
Recommanded framework
METHODS & TOOLS
VARIOEX
Calculates Variograph
Links
Photos
Contacts
FORM REFERENCE
Authors :
Norman Schaak
Date :
23 Jul 2003