Cyprus Miami - Rod Plant
| COMPANY AT A GLANCE The Cyprus Miami - Rod Plant, a
division of the Denver based Cyprus Amax Mineral Company, is a manufacturer of continuous
cast copper rod for the wiredrawing industry. Operating around the clock, the plant
produces an average of 1 million pounds of saleable rod a day. Located in Miami, Arizona,
it employs 63 people, more than half of whom work in production.
The Cyprus Miami Rod Plant became ISO-9002 certified in 1996.
A new program, Quest 21, has begun throughout Cyprus Amax which will standardize and
improve consistency throughout the company. Many initiatives are now being utilized within
the Rod Plant to better improve documentation, communication, productivity, and quality -
all adding value to Cyprus Amax.
The Cyprus Miami Rod Plant has been operating since 1969. Its' production process
consists of melting extremely pure copper cathode, then continuously casting and rolling
the molten copper into 5/16-in. Rod. This rod is bought by wire manufacturers who use
high-speed equipment to simultaneously draw a number of wires, usually 8 to 14, from the
copper rod. If the copper rod is not within specifications, the wire breaks as it is being
drawn and the entire operation shuts down. In this industry, product consistency and
product quality are synonymous. |
In the copper rod industry, where a mere seven companies grapple fiercely for
customers, product quality becomes the determining factor for survival. Consistency is the
essence of quality; without it, product is rendered unusable. In this small, tough
industry, the Cyprus MiamižRod Plant not only intends to survive but to expandžand with
forward minded management creating a proactive team environment, the company is well on
its way, propelled by record high production and quality rates.
SELF DIRECTED WORK TEAMS LEAD THE WAY
Cyprus Miami's total quality management (TQM) program emphasizes a self directed work team
philosophy. Not only are employees empowered to stop production if inferior rod is
detected, they have a responsibility to do so.
COMMUNICATION FOSTERS QUALITY
Communication in this small plant is consistent and frequent, making quality a daily
focus. Plant performance is tracked every day on a quality and productivity progress
sheets, which informs all personnel of saleable rod and scrap rates in relation to plant
goals. At least once a day, customer feedback is channeled from the Tempe marketing office
to the Rod Plant superintendent. When action is needed, production crews receive the
customer feedback immediately; otherwise, they are kept current through regular crew and
communications meetings.
Communication is an integral part of the production process as well as the business
process. For example, quality control staff grade the rod within minutes of completion,
enabling operators to quickly correct process problems if a downward trend in quality is
discovered.
COMPUTER SUPPORTS PROCESS CONSISTENCY
With process consistency a determiner of product consistency - and hence quality - a
comprehensive computer system helps staff both monitor and control the process. Using the
computers, operators collect data about process performance and are alerted when
corrective action needs to be taken. Data is also programmed into the computer to automate
and control rod production parameters.
SEEING IS UNDERSTANDING
To foster a better understanding of customer needs, production employees toured the
facility of Cyprus Miami's biggest customer. Similarly, the plant hosted a tour for its
suppliers, copper cathode manufacturers, using education to ensure quality earlier in the
process. Additionally, the plant has begun holding copper cathode quality seminars at
mines throughout Arizona to help standardize cathode quality, a critical factor in the
quality of the final rod product.
TQM GETS RESULTS
For Cyprus Miami, an investment in quality has brought phenomenal results. No rod has been
returned for reprocessing in three years and the plant is operational 95 percent of the
time, compared to an industry average of 81 percent. Accordingly, production rates have
risen dramatically, and for the last three years have exceeded goals, eve while the plant
has run under budgeted costs.
| FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact Alan H. Binegar Rod Plant Superintendent, Cyprus
MiamižRod Plant, P. O. Box 4444, Claypool, AZ 85532, (480) 473-7451. |
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