Speakers
Description
In today’s steel production operations, seamless integration of the individual production
steps, besides the optimization of the individual production units, is key to achieving
operational excellence. While Production Management (MES) drives production efficiency
by orchestrating plant-floor operations from customer order entry to shipment of the final
product, Through-Process Quality Control (TPQC) ensures that the final product meets
stringent industry and customer requirements. Integrating real-time quality information and
even quality-based decision of TPQC into the Production Management is the logical next
step to automatically organize steel production in a coordinated manner.
This paper proposes a holistic blueprint to integrate Production Management and TPQC.
By tying together real-time process data from Production Management with data-based
decision-making at quality checkpoints in TPQC, steel manufacturers can proactively
respond to deviations, prevent costly rework, and improve first time right rates. When an
out-of-specification process occurs, this integration allows immediate feedback loops,
supporting efficient quality management. Additionally, smart intra-logistics integration
within Production Management reduces unnecessary transport of products thereby
increasing efficiency, streamlining logistics, and shortening overall production time.
By implementing these strategies, steel manufacturers can transition towards a truly
integrated production management, logistics and quality control ecosystem, ensuring right
quality products, optimized operations, and increased operational excellence.
This paper will elaborate on this integrated approach of production management and give
examples of implemented use-cases.