A case study to reduce and consolidate low voltage fuses in the mill storeroom

The typical mill storeroom fuse inventory consists of many different types of low voltage fuses. This assortment of fuses is the direct result of many different types of machinery and overcurrent protective devices in service in the mill. The conglomeration of these fuses in spares inventories costs cost thousands dollars annually. The wide variety of fuse classifications can sometimes overwhelm the maintenance technician when a fuse needs to be replaced. Confusion can be potentially harmful and result in the misapplication of the fuse for the specific application. The temptation to replace a fuse with a fuse of the same size and ampere rating can be confusing when the storeroom stock is depleted of the proper replacement fuse. This case study represents the successful consolidation and reduction in the total number of fuse inventory parts at the Weyerhaeuser Pulp Division, Flint River Operations, in Oglethorpe, USA. In addition, the project simplified the number of choices a technician has to make when selecting and replacing a low voltage fuse. The project was conducted in the mill from October 1993 to August 1994.<>