ArcelorMittars continuous improvements impressive

摘要

A recent article in the Wall Street Journalcalled attention to the surprising progressat ArcelorMittal USA Inc.'s Burns Harbor,Ind., plant. What's surprising is that theBurns Harbor plant was built in the early1960s, seen then by most in the industryas one of the better integrated operationsin North America. However, the improvements cited wereindeed impressive, with a meaningfulspurt having occurred since ArcelorMittal acquired the operation. Burns Harboris certainly the most productive three-vessel shop in North America. The WSJarticle attributed the plant's most recentimprovements to ArcelorMittal's practiceof "twinning"—that is, pairing one steelplant with another, thereby encouragingthe free interchange of technology andbest practices in the hope that both willbenefit. In this case, the "twin" chosenfor Burns Harbor was an ArcelorMittalSA plant in Ghent, Belgium, also built inthe 1960s and roughly equivalent in capacity and product mix. More than 100engineers and operators made the trek toGhent from 2007 to 2012.