| Article ID: | iaor1995897 |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Volume: | 7 |
| Issue: | 3 |
| Start Page Number: | 12 |
| End Page Number: | 21 |
| Publication Date: | Jul 1994 |
| Journal: | OR Insight |
| Authors: | Bhadury J., Warren G., Hemenway J. |
| Keywords: | programming: linear, mineral industries |
This article describes a study of the production process at Brunswick Smelting, a lead smelter in Belledune, New Brunswick, Canada. A description of the plant is given first, including a flow diagram representing the entire smelting process. Then a Linear Programming model is proposed to represent the operation of the plant. This model is solved to yield the optimal mix of feeds to the plant and products produced, to maximise net profit. Post-Optimality Analysis on the optimal solution provides additional insight into the operations of the plant and possible methods of improving profitability. Finally, possibilities for refinements and enhancements to the present model are discussed.