Industry 4.0 in metallurgical engineering

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1 Foundry Machinery Metallurgical Plants and Rolling Mills Thermo Process Technology Industry 4.0 in metallurgical engineering Prospects and potential areas of application

2 INDUSTRY 4.0 IN METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING 02 Positioning for Industry 4.0 Industry 4.0 represents a vision of intelligent production with seamless networking characterized by adaptability, resource efficiency and ergonomics as well as the integration of customers and business partners in added value processes. Cyber-physical systems and the Internet of things provide the technological foundation. Industry 4.0 therefore allows additional efficiency potential to be tapped in the industrial value chain. The German plant and machinery industry is in an outstanding position. It successfully supplies key technologies to customers in Germany and other countries and is the innovative backbone of German industry, guaranteeing growth and prosperity. By virtue of its position, the industry is under an obligation to work intensively on new developments and new types of industrial production. This includes Industry 4.0. Hartmut Rauen Deputy Executive Director of VDMA The steel plant enters the office. Prof. Katharina Morik, TU Dortmund University

3 INDUSTRY 4.0 IN METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING 03 Exploiting potentials Empirical process knowledge in the metallurgical plant industry is still considerably more extensive than its digital counterpart. In addition, qualification processes, especially for materials, are more complex than in other sectors as these are processed at very high speed in very different physical states from the raw material through the liquid phase to the semi-finished product. This calls for customized solutions for the variable integration of customer requirements, production processes and quality management. On the other hand, metallurgical production plants have extremely long service lives, which means that Industry 4.0 must be implemented gradually within the existing machinery fleet in order to maintain functional infrastructure where possible and to optimize it, where necessary. In close cooperation with the customer industries, this approach can bring about a major step forward in productivity, process integration and energy and material efficiency. Data mining links crucial empirical knowledge on the melting behaviour with consistent physical data to form digitally modelled characteristics for an optimized BOF converter process. A real-time control of converter operation on the basis of these powerful algorithms allows an accurate prediction of the ideal point in time for ending the melting process. As a result, cost savings are possible and energy and resource efficiency is optimized. These savings can be validated and are reproducible irrespective of individual process data. Towards adaptive manufacturing The data-driven combination of different quality characteristics of the material and of the workpiece with process parameters is a key issue for Industry 4.0, also in the die casting industry. Towards optimized energy costs The data-driven combination of different quality characteristics of the material and of the workpiece with process parameters is a key issue for Industry 4.0, also in the die casting industry. The key to success with Industry 4.0 data collection is the intelligent combination of measurable and nonmeasurable process data. Dr. Norbert Erhard, Oskar Frech GmbH The steel industry is a world champion in handling material cycles. The digital modelling of these cycles allows the prediction of material conditions which lead to dramatic savings in energy and material expenses. Jochen Schlüter, SMS Group If the process can be optimised accordingly, it is possible to implement a key approach of Industry 4.0: gaining information from the smart linkage of expected performance data with adaptive characteristics that do not show until the die casting process starts running. This qualified real-time information allows adaptive maintenance options to be indicated via the control system. This is a prerequisite for the dynamic control of die casting processes in response to the individual requirements of customers, for example in the automotive industry.

4 INDUSTRY 4.0 IN METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING 04 Intelligent and cross-locational capture and management of data opens up prospects for the prediction of the ideal availability of a plant. Martin Greif, Bachmann electronic GmbH Towards predictive maintenance Irreversible changes in the physical states of metals in the course of a process mean that machinery and equipment used throughout must always deliver optimum performance as and when required. System suppliers are currently developing solutions that integrate control information collected from data streams that various different production units on site constantly produce at different places and at different times. This represents a milestone in Industry 4.0 the predictive control of the robustness and availability of metallurgical plants, also with respect to their remaining useful lives. Opening chances for growth In addition to the intelligent and integrated use of data, the main focus of Industry 4.0 is on the development of new products and business models evolving from the smart factory. Increasingly flexible blends of products and services allow metallurgical suppliers to offer plant solutions precisely tailored to meet customers requirements that do not arise until manufacturing units, mills and equipments installed are commissioned. Predictive services for various Life Cycle stages of technology and equipment are made possible for the first time by the worldwide digital networking of production sites and delivery chains over the entire life cycle of metal products. This creates added value for suppliers, manufacturers and users of metallurgical plants and equipment at the same time, including energy savings, higher availability and flexibility of plants and production processes.

5 Networking Metallurgical engineering and equipment suppliers in the VDMA The metallurgical supplying industries are represented in the three trade associations VDMA Foundry Machinery, Metallurgical equipment and Rolling Mills and Thermo Process Technology. Our member companies furnish the entire industrial value chain from metal production to the semi-finished products or cast blanks with plants, mechanical and electrical equipment and components. Foundry machinery Melting and holding furnaces Pouring equipment Diecasting Mold construction Sand preparation and sand reclamation Molding machines equipment, Core making machine equipment, Knock-out, fettling and finishing Metallurgical plants and rolling mills Production and processing of raw materials Pig iron production, reduction methods Steelmaking, non-ferrous metal production Shaping of steel and nonferrous metals Strip Processing Lines Finishing lines Ancillary equipment in rolling mills Thermo Process Technology Iron and steel industry Non-ferrous metal industry Automotive industry and its suppliers Mechanical engineering Heat generation Glass industry Ceramic and cement industries Chemical and Petrochemical industries Industry 4.0 working party for metallurgical technology suppliers The three VDMA specialist associations Foundry Machinery, Metallurgical Plants and Rolling Mills, and Thermo Process Technology, have established a working party that offers their members a sector-specific platform for exploring the opportunities and challenges of Industry 4.0 for technology suppliers in the metallurgical sectors. The working party discusses the many potentials offered by Industry 4.0 for process environments as well as the key opportunities and risks for their industry. Members also exchange information on success stories and qualification requirements.

6 VDMA Foundry Machinery Metallurgical Plants and Rolling Mills Thermo Process Technology Lyoner Straße Frankfurt am Main Contact Kathrin Delcuve Phone Fax DesignStudio