Document 10wkwox07mjVNwoYb2qmLjRYq

Mr. Broadbnrst detail of the following problems. 1. Cost of production hss risen sharply during the last c few souths to shout 10 per tea above forecast. The labour fore* has lucreseed substantially at the sane tlae. c 2. quality of productloa delivered to Johns-MaoTllle since January 1957 has been well below etandard as regardsj- (a) * 1* sash fibre (5**S ef. 70% specified) (b) - 100 sesh floes (38* cf. *0% specified) c (e) presence of foreign setter, wire, wood etc. in fibre. 3. Kill assay results appeared to be unreliable generally c Indicating better quality than actual. W. production capacity of plant (having regard to liaitation on throughput to obtain acceptable quality) appeared to be lest then estlsated in 1956. 5. Planning of new Bill had reached a point where further M i discussion was necessary. t s l J l -2I spent one day In Perth and four days at Vlttaooca, July 2nd - 6th. Because of tha problems with *111 UI171, arrangements were Bade for Mr. R.V, Dlbdln, a B.M.D. Research Engineer who Is faalllar with blue asbestos fibre test methods, to 4s It Vltteooco durlnf the tloe I was there. He arriwed on July 4th and w**fr 1^. remain^at Wlttenooa until July 12th. The half yearly accounts were completed on July 3rd and this was of assistance in determining cost Increases. (pasts. It was known that the major coat Increase which bad occurred was in alllluf, and this was found to be due to two major causes. a. Additional operating labour 1.8 per ton of fibre. b. Additional maintenance stores 3*2 p.t. fibre Increase, the tons of ore treated and ton# fibre produced for 6 M.E. 30.6.57 were each Increased <0% orer the arerloga 6 sooths. Factors in the Increased *111 labour cost areta. Labour fore# increased from 65 at December 1956 to 95 at July 1957. Mill wages -Increased by 36S 6 M.S. 30.6.57 cf 6 m.S. 31.12.56. b. a.W.O. Award overtime provision covering will oparatera saeaded December 1956* The effect of this la to lncraaaa the wages coat of Sssdaf op*ratios by #qaiv*l#at to if lncraaaa on alll labour costa apraad orar a week (10/- par too fibre aa eoaparad to 6 M.S. 31.12.56). Factors la tha lncraaaad alll maintenance atoraa coat aret a. Inpact aill wearing parts dunged nora frequently to gat higher throughput and maintain recovery. b. a nuaber of ooe-recnrrlag charge* for raplaeaaant of bait conveyors, rod alll motors, cyclones and seraana vara Incurred. The above factors In detail araiMili Labour Pores. The increase In mashers is partly due to Increased throughput but the disproportionate Increase Is attributed tot1. Plant being operated above rated capaoltr and requiring extra supervision to svoid spillage* and blockages. II. Additional operators on hand shovelling, harrowing and eleanlng up spillages snd at points where conveyers are not provided (trooeel fleet and rod alll cleaning screen). 111. Operators engaged on tailings recovery and retreataeot of denp and dirty fibre. The Mareh-June period geoerally has unfavourable weather conditions. tr. Th dust enclosure around the uIb treatment 11s* makes access nor* difficult and an additional operator Is used. v. Higher production and bigger sill stocks of bagged fibre have required extra labour, We have given soae assistance In loading trades with fibre which vas not previously the case. 1. Oreater ear* la weighlag and eloslng bags, tallying and stapling has resulted In extra operator*. The scope for reduolog the extra sen engaged was exaalned In datall with the Kill Superintandent and It appeared possible to reduce the number by about 20, saving Ct per too of fibre, aa follow*t 1. 12 operators engaged on tailings recovery can be dispensed with Immediately as we have no market In view for the Ifo.b grade fibre being produced. This >ric may be resused later. Retreatment will be carried out within the plant. 11. Three operators wheeling trommel flnea to the tailings dump and three operators shovelling oversize from No.Is* screen can be dispensed with by Installing two small conveyors. Estimated Coat 2,000. Saving 6,000 per annum. 111. Three operator* controlling cyclone discharge aay be replaced by rotary outlet valve installation. Estimated Cost 1,000 Saving 3,000 per annum. I 4 C 1921 - 5- lw. Tm nao tr* en*a*ed oo pickId* and It stm worth while retelaln* then because each sea pick# about 10 teos per shift* Til* Blllia* eost per toe of ore trested for power end aeiateaeaoe la eboot 1 per too ee that the picker acre* about 10 per shift* whereas his waxes are c eboot * per shift. Voces for saaplln* were 3,500 for 6 M.l. 30.6.57. we can probably cet the data we require for control of c quality with less testing thao at present. This point is being investigated by Nr. Dlbdla. el. The oeertlae sill labour eost of operatic* four weekend shifts is about k.0 per tea fibre. Oeerbeads are about 10 per too fibre and these are spread oeer as extra *6% c of production, equivalent to Ci.5 per ton fibre. Taking extra power and saintenance costs Into account the <tra production still appears worth wfalla. c Walw^nanc* stores. The total cost for 6 M.e. 30.6.57 was 37,*700 cf. 16,03V for tha previous hsif year, equivalent to C6.5 per ton fibre and 3.3 P*f ton fibre respectively. There were Increases In stores costs for every lteo of mill plant aa follows -6- Jaw Crushars Gyratory Sj90tU Holla Trowala Soraaoa Cubit d BaHir Balt Conrayor Cyolocaa Rod Hills Slactrlcal 31l*aS6 580 290 1,430 1,750 970 1,000 3,350 2,320 590 5*8 1.050 13,858 10.6.57 1,530 1730 2,170 2,930 1,890 3,200 6,320 6,590 2,690 2,740 , 2,170. 33.960 Hamartta Orarhanl Haplacamaot formal aalstaoaaea normal maintanaaca Ho. 5 Claaoloc troaal Raplaosmsat Sm net* jf Seplaoamaot 600 ft. Kaplacamaota Haw motors Wiring for abova < Hills- ta*t yaar on lower threuchpot tod os lac soma sacond band baatars tba Ufa of Jeublt aHI baatara wma 15 shifts par sat. This yaar It has bean only 6 shifts par sat bacausa of hlcbar throughput aed with tha objactlva of gattlng battar flbra racovary. Cubit mill baatars cost 30 par sat and at tha rata of 3 sats par weak tha cost for tha half yaar would ba <,300. Hamar mill baatars cost 16 par sat and 5 sets par vaak ara uaad. Cost <,000 par half yaar, Tha eoat par too traatad la hlfhar baeausa tba hasmiar mill capacity la only about half that Tha ramalndar of tha 6,3*0 la Its linara for tha inpaot allla, Snbit till baatar coat la 4^00 x 20 !/ par too ora 76000 x a/3 traatad. Thara la a lot of waata aatal lo uaad Vroblt sill baatar*. Thara art poaalbllltlas of saving byt 1. Sa-oalng tha baatara in a 4d stag# X&blt alll. 11. Ba-aaltlBg and easting tha baatara at tflttanooa (coatly and doubtful). 111. invastlgatlag othar aatarlala. Also tha koblt Bill baatar changing tlaa could ba reduced frca the prvaaet 30 alautaa par day byt 1. SlapUfytag tha attachment of wear bara which ara razored for aeeaaa. 11. providing nail poaomatlo boiat for lifting baatara, waar bara ate. 111. Coanaetlng savaral waar bara together and hlogiog the* to swing opan. Mr. Olbdln has bean asksd to exaalne these poaalbllltlas. Minina Coat, la tha aaaa this half year u for last half yaar wtaaraaa It eould raaaonably hava baao expected to eoaa dowi say 1 par ton. However, aoaa axtra development Vargas bava baao Incurred this year and sera tralnlog of aloara has baao dooa. c 1924 -8 - Cattles oat aleln* at kltteooow aa proposed will reduee power, air ana euperrlsion tiurtii but this vlll bs offset br an 1aoreaae la or* transport coat par tea fibre because a greater percentage of ora will ba eartod froa Colonial Oorge. Labour, ftroenae par ton fibre baa Increased froa 4.6 to 5.3 because total wasaa par too flbra bara increased. Sosa of c this la due to tba award owartloa rata ebaesa (55) and tha rasalndar to trainaa alnara and axtra alii oparaton. c Labour expense baa reaalnad at 17?. or wagee. }\m. iss& JttBt 1957 No. of nan 216 262 315 ? Increase on prar. - 21 20 Too* flbra 3,290 4,870 5,8oo 5 Increase on pro*. - 48 20 t Fuel Coat baa lneraaaad froa 4,9 to 5.0 par ton flbra because of frslgbt lnoraaaa. c Bar Coat baa lneraaaad fro 2.65 to 3.0 par ton fibre baeauaa of ahortasa of waabad su**r sacks. Qua* flaiiaetioo. K1U power cost has lneraaaad bacaua< of dost eollsotlen and will total about 2 par ton flbra with th< full aobasa la operation. This is bains offsat slightly br cutt out tba rod wills and substitute* lapact a Ills with saallar sot- S9k, f -9Drying. Ccotlsuous operation of th* drl*r u estimated to cost 2 per tee flbr* for fuel. How***r, th* drier hav not bo r*9Ulr*d continuously at its fall capacity. Bach 1* lmpro**w*ct la yield by **rll*r extraction of flbr* Is worth 1 per toe of coo*#*. ("',"* P'x- c H<g**13*fl*ou* Cast Motors. 1. ftmin **. zt bow t;jui fairly clear that th* flbr* prodaetloo vs* of poor suality during o#t of th* half y*er c ad*d Dcab*r 1956* so that costs p*r tan flbr* w*r* probably higher th*a reported. Production sloe* March 1957 appears to haw* b*Q of better quality as regard* percentage of flbr* which would ha** th* ffct of Increasing th* cost p*r toe flbr*, 2. stock oafiolaae*. Early this y*ar a bagged flbr* c stock deficiency of 1200 bags was discovered. This has been mad* up from 1957 prodactloa although th* d*ficl*ocy was lo 1956. Th* t effect of this Is to add 1 per too flbr* to 1957 costs. I A.B.A. COST SCTOUBT 4 V.S. 4 V.S. 4 V.8. 6 K.S. 6 M.S. 24 tf.t. 12.6.*6 25.12.56 11.6.57 30.6.56 31.12.56 11.6.5 Teas fits* 601 601 983 3290 4870 5800 X Assay 3.4 3.1 3.3 3.2 Flbre/sq.yh. 0.225 0.208 0.167 0.198 Cost c 89.7 87.8 93.6 95 87.9 92.4 Toas silled 6941 10599 13278 40148 63073 76000 c i Witt, ors Mill recovery 28 92 25 92 <5 86.5 25 89.8 30 90.9 30 89.5 yibre/shlft 8.5 11.7 12.9 7.24 10.5 13.1 M/slner shift) Col.Oorgs ) Main* cost /ta Mllllag cost 6.9 29.3 24.6 9.7 31.4 22.1 8.16 30.1 27.3 7.4 26.9 25.4 7.9 30.8 21.7 7.30 31.1 27.7 c Overheads Freight 13.3 14.8 11.3 14.4 13.0 16.9 15.0 14.6 11.8 14.5 11.8 15.1 c Depreciation 5.7 5.8 4.5 6.8 6.2 4.9 Kan 233 257 322 Prev.4 weeks 200 268 309 at. 8 weeks 216 464 315 X 6 M.g. 30.6.57