Summary
The production of top-quality steel (like for example stainless steel sheet for sinks, cooking pots, appliance faceplates etc.) has high energy demands and is associated with environmental pollution from emissions and waste. Besides the actual advantages derived from process optimisation, the method with its enhanced utilisation of the material produced allows environmental protection to be integrated into the production process.
The aim of the project was to develop a system prototype that would allow continuous production of stainless steel sheet products to be optimally allocated across customer orders. In concrete terms, this means adhering to the various quality requirements from customers and minimising the cut-off waste that occurs during the surface allocation of the metal sheets.
Results:
- Unlike traditional methods of cut-off waste reduction, close attention was paid to the fact that surface quality is not constant across the surfaces to be cut, but can vary according to the exact position and size of the subareas. Online cutting outlines were generated to allow this information to be integrated into the allocation process of customer orders. It was possible, in individual cases, to demonstrate an increase in output. This derived from the qualitative improvements made in material allocation supported by IT.
- Results to date represent an excellent basis for further developments on this topic, particularly with regard to the specification characteristics that were identified, the use of kernel algorithms and the use of analytical tools for facilitating an optimal allocation based on quality criteria
