UC RUSAL’s Severouralsk bauxite mine (SUBR) is currently employing some components of the Japanese lean production system: Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), standardization, daily management, and the 5S principles.

‘We first started using the system in November 2007 when we identified the experimental areas and began training the personnel. It appears that the production shop workers, who had a chance to learn from UC RUSAL’s smelters’ experience, were able to master the system faster,’ says UC RUSAL’s spokesperson for the Urals Roman Lukichev.

‘Novo-Kalyinskaya mine, one of SUBR’s experimental areas, has been quite a success. At the moment, we are working on Step 3 – keeping things in order and keeping them clean – and are gradually moving on to Step 4 – standardization of maintenance procedures,’ says SUBR’s Labor Protection, Environment, and Quality Director Ilnur Sharapov.

The daily management and TPM have just been introduced at Kalyinskaya mine’s winder facility.

‘The benefits of using the system are obvious: greater labor efficiency and enhanced production safety. Most importantly, people have come to appreciate the results and are eager to move on,’ says SUBR’s Production System Director Alexander Kalashnikov.