Abstract
The Value Stream Mapping (VSM) method was applied to a case study in the iron and steel industry in Southern Africa as a supporting management tool to identify, demonstrate, and evaluate industrial waste and comprised of three steps. The first step included collecting and verifying waste generation and flow data as the VSM data input step. The second step comprises three phases: mapping waste generation and fractions and horizontal and vertical performance analysis. The third step is comprised of actual and future state maps compilation. Following the first year of implementation, waste was reduced by 28%, and waste removal cost by 45%. Implementing the VSM method demonstrated cost savings and reduced waste flow within the study’s first year. The initial waste generation reduction target of 5% per annum was exceeded. The VSM method application proved to be a practical method for the iron and steel industry to visualize and analyze waste flows, identify opportunities and challenges in waste management operations, reduce waste, promote lean manufacturing, and achieve an environmentally responsible zero-waste environment.
Highlights
Iron and steel manufacturing is one of the most fundamental industrial processes globally [1] and accounts for a vital sector to national economies [2]
Data collection on industrial waste took six years at a selected iron and steel case study facility combined with site-specific waste management system audits
Industrial waste generation data as waste volumes and information generated from analyzed waste samples were used as Value Stream Mapping (VSM) input data
Summary
Iron and steel manufacturing is one of the most fundamental industrial processes globally [1] and accounts for a vital sector to national economies [2]. Reducing landfill waste and hazardous waste remains a complex issue that iron and steel companies globally must address daily [4]. Waste generation in the iron and steel industry translates to inefficacy and ineffectiveness in manufacturing performance [2]. Generating waste is associated with negative consequences such as environmental degradation, social impacts, and economic expenses to mitigate environmental impacts that further challenge the sustainability of the iron and steel industry. There has been an increased focus on reducing material waste [5] in manufacturing, and especially in the iron and steel industry, to promote the movement towards sustainability [6] and to implement lean methods and tools as part of operational activities [7]
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