ThyssenKrupp Nirosta Steel Mill Upgrades Scheduling System

PSI BT GmbH (Berlin, Germany) replaced its previous version of the PSImetals software system that controls the heat and caster sequence planning in the ThyssenKrupp Nirosta (Krefeld, Germany) plant that had been operating for more than ten years. The modernization is part of the broader unification of planning systems in the stainless steel plants in Germany, the U.S. and China.

In particular, the IT investments for the ThyssenKrupp stainless production plant being built in Alabama in the U.S. must be assured by the systems being proven at the German sites of Bochum and Krefeld, which have been operating since May.

The scheduling of the daily smelting process at the steel plants is supported by the PSImetals functions for advanced line sequencing. A continuous supply of smelting orders for the steel mill is achieved based on the needs of the cold rolling plants.

The functions reschedule a heat in case of analysis deviations, refeed following the interruption of a caster sequence, or resort the heats in a sequence or entire sequences for quick reactions to short-term directives or disruptions in the steel mill operations. If needed, a simulation mode secures the current planning status with online changes.

With the modernization of the existing planning system, ThyssenKrupp Nirosta will take advantage of functions such as multilingualism and the configurability of planning rules. In the future, flexible plant-specific adjustments will be performed by the key users, whose know-how and experience gained at the German plants will also simplify the implementation in the American facility.

ThyssenKrupp Nirosta belongs to the Stainless Global division of ThyssenKrupp AG and is, as the largest company in this segment, one of the world?s leading producers of rust-, acid- and heat-resistant stainless steel products.

ThyssenKrupp Stainless USA is an independent subsidiary within the Stainless Group and is currently constructing a new, integrated plant for non-corroding stainless steel flat products in Calvert, AL. In August 2008, PSI was awarded with the delivery and implementation of PSImetals as the system to optimize production processes in the steel mill and cold rolling mill.

PSI AG develops and integrates complete software solutions for managing the electricity, gas, oil, heat, water used in energy networks; cross-company production management of metals, automotive, mechanical and plant engineering, and logistics; and infrastructure management for telecommunications, transport and safety. The integrator was founded in 1969 and employs 1,400 people.

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