The Cast House Department has been actively participating in the System Improvement and Innovation (SII) initiative, receiving a total of 69 ideas from employees. Out of the 40 ideas considered, 26 are currently being implemented, while the remaining 14 are under review and evaluation.
Estimated Savings from Implemented Ideas
Several implemented ideas have generated substantial savings, including:
- One-time savings: Purchase of 16 sow molds, valued at $34,400.00
- Monthly savings: Sow puller tong replacement, valued at $5,222.23
- Monthly mailing costs: Courier service for shipping documents, valued at $198.74
- Yearly savings: Pouring chain replacement, valued at $258.00
Production Services Cost-Reduction Initiatives
In Production Services, sixteen severely cracked sow molds were retrieved, welded, and returned to active use. Imported sow puller tongs, which frequently broke, were replaced with tongs machined in-house, eliminating the need for imports. Previously, one sow puller was purchased each month from the warehouse, but the switch to in-plant machined tongs has eliminated this recurring cost.
Additionally, shackle chains were fabricated in-house to replace pouring chains for pulling solidified sows from molds, further reducing expenses.
Enhanced Customer Relations with ALCOA
Beyond cost savings, these initiatives have positively impacted customer relations. ALCOA expressed high satisfaction with VALCO's new packing list and analysis file format and plans to recommend it to other suppliers, highlighting VALCO's commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in service.