Case Study: OneSteel achieves $275,000+ annual savings with Minitab Statistical Software

Balancing the Scale OneSteel’s Laverton Rod Mill

OneSteel, a global Australian steel manufacturer and distributor, faced a quality and yield challenge at its Laverton Rod Mill: too much mill scale was forming on steel rods before they were sent to the Geelong Wire Mill. The excess scale caused equipment wear, lower yield, and added processing costs, so the team turned to Minitab Statistical Software to analyse the problem and reduce variation.

Using Minitab, OneSteel’s team applied DMAIC, control charts, regression, t-tests, Pareto analysis, and other statistical tools to identify the drivers of scale and improve cooling, calibration, and descaling processes. The changes reduced rod scale, improved product quality, lowered die wear, and helped the company save more than $275,000 annually, including about $235,000 in yield gains and $40,000 in labour and consumables.

OneSteel

Brett Perrin

Six Sigma Black Belt