AK Steel's Middletown Works Wins Prestigious Maintenance Honor
3 March 1999
AK Steel's Middletown Works Wins Prestigious Maintenance Honor
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio, March 2 -- AK Steel's Middletown Works has
won a 1998 North American Maintenance Excellence (NAME) Award. The award is
considered by many in industry to represent the most prestigious honor
bestowed in North America's industrial maintenance field.
"Maintenance excellence such as yours is seldom seen in industry today,"
wrote Hugh Blackwood, a member of the award's board of examiners, in
announcing the award to AK Steel. "During our on-site visit, we witnessed a
cooperative spirit and shared ownership that are evidenced not only by the
NAME Award, but also by the many other quality and delivery awards your plant
has justly earned over the past five years," Mr. Blackwood wrote.
"This is a tremendous accomplishment for the unsung heroes of AK Steel,"
said Richard M. Wardrop, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of AK
Steel. "AK Steel's rise to world-leading productivity can be linked directly
to the tireless and innovative efforts of our entire maintenance
organization," he said. "Without the best maintenance practices and people in
the industry, AK Steel wouldn't own the numerous world records for operating
productivity that we do."
Many of AK Steel's production operations are considered to be the most
productive in the world. For example, the company's Middletown cold rolling
mill became the first cold mill of any type in the world to roll more than
three million tons a year in 1997. The mill subsequently broke its own record
by rolling 3.25 million tons in 1998.
The company's Middletown blast furnace is also considered the most
productive in the world, producing iron at nearly twice the rate for its size
as the industry average. The Middletown Works' hot strip mill is producing at
a rate more than 85% higher than in 1992. The company's coating lines have
collectively increased output by 120% since 1992. Virtually every operating
unit at the Middletown Works set new annual production records in 1998.
Machine availability, or uptime, is a critical factor in the cost
efficiency and productivity of steel mill operations. Because of the high
capital and fixed costs of steel mill operations, reducing and eliminating
unplanned maintenance outages results in significant cost and yield
improvements. In addition, steady, uninterrupted operations tend to help
improve product quality by reducing process variability.
"I relish the job of refereeing the debate between AK Steel's operations
and maintenance personnel as to which group deserves the credit for creating
world class operations," said Mr. Wardrop in a lighthearted concession that
without expertise from both disciplines, such debates would be unnecessary.
"Clearly, however, maintenance rarely receives the public acknowledgment they
deserve. I am extremely proud of our maintenance management, schedulers and
every craftsperson for earning this prestigious award," he said.
The NAME Award was created in 1990 as an outgrowth of a study commissioned
to identify "best of the best" in maintenance practices. The companies
identified by the study and other sponsors then formed a board of directors to
establish an annual award program. The program is currently supported by
Plant Engineering Magazine, ESD/Maintenance Systems Integration, National
Manufacturing Week, Institute of Industrial Engineers and Association for
Facilities Engineering.
The mission of the award program is to recognize North American companies
that excel in performing the maintenance process to enable operational
excellence.
AK Steel produces low-carbon and stainless flat-rolled steel for
automotive, appliance, construction and other markets. The company employs
about 5,800 people in plants and offices in Middletown, Ashland, Kentucky and
Rockport, Indiana.