Economic decisions made easy Standard solutions for the process chain: EXPERT 5i Software mentors for more economic efficiency in the steel mill Aachen November 13, 2008. ISRA VISION PARSYTEC the world's leading supplier of surface and web inspection systems for strip products provides solutions to the specific requirements of different production lines using EXPERT 5i modules. The EXPERT 5i modules of the Enterprise PROduction Management Intelligence architecture is the extended arm of the plant management that takes action to the field level without getting lost in details. The efficient EXPERT 5i modules help to quickly find the right answers to many questions concerning yield and process optimization. They are used to efficiently exhaust the potential for increases in productivity: quality becomes plannable, processes and production are systematically optimized. For decision-making the modules access all the available productionrelevant data of the product (surface, thickness, width, planarity, etc.) via the standardized EPROMI quality database. The same applies to order, resource and planning data as well as for information about material logistics and personnel planning from the MES and ERP systems. The EXPERT 5i modules evaluate and weigh this information according to specific questions and generate knowledge-based suggestions for the decision-makers. Page 1
"The use of intelligent connections uncovers relations that can reveal huge optimization potentials for the individual process line, the linked processes in one plant at one location and more globally, for an entire company, Hans Jürgen Christ, CEO of ISRA VISION PARSTYEC AG, explained at the Stahl 2008 in Düsseldorf,. "Besides the continual improvement of the quality with decreasing quality costs, the EXPERT 5i modules provide valuable support in the protection of the aggregate and, therefore, in minimizing standstill times," explains Michael Trunkhardt, Member of the Executive Board of ISRA VISION PARSYTEC and responsible for the metal business department. The operators and persons in charge of production receive early warnings of approaching problems and hereupon notices of corresponding intervention options. Maintenance can be performed in a preventive form and not just as reactive or firmly planned. This applies not only to individual systems, but even to worldwide dispersed production locations that can be accessed at any time to compare production data. A typical example is the PickleProcessTuning-EXPERT 5i that ensures an optimal throughput of a pickling line. The result: Fewer lines with overpickling or residual scale while increasing the throughput by up to 5%. How does it work? Initially the scaling and progression of the reeling temperature for a coil from the hot-rolling process is indicated and evaluated. The surface inspection results of the pickled coils can be added optionally, especially for controlling the residual scale. The central result of the PickleProcessTuning is a suggested correction for the current pickling Page 2
speed that is either rechecked by the operator at the line or automatically forwarded to the line control. Next to a list of incoming coils, the scale map of the current coil is displayed for the operator. The scale map is generated by the hotrolling inspection data of this coil and displayed synchronized with the operator position. With the same position accuracy the reeling temperature history is graphically displayed next to the scale map that has a significant influence on the scale type and quantity on a coil. To control the residual scale, the scale map of the current coil can optionally be shown after the pickling process. Based on the surface inspection and process data of the hot-rolling process for the current coil, the calculation of the optimal speed profile for the pickling line is then performed. The surface inspection data after pickling can be added as adjustment parameter as soon as they are available. This process turns information into knowledge and knowledge into decisions. With the EXPERT 5i modules, ISRA VISION PARSTYEC has an answer at the ready for many typical questions in flat steel production. 14 EXPERT 5i modules are currently available for various tasks along the different production lines. Any user can employ the EXPERT 5i module that provides him with the optimal solution for his problem. The line of the EXPERT 5i modules is successively supplemented. Hence, steel manufacturers can expand their quality management as required and therefore their lead in the market," Michael Trunkhardt states. The ISRA VISION Group is the world's largest vendor of surface inspection systems: Today, all of the top 10 steel producers and 15 of Page 3
the top 20 paper producers employ its products. With more than 510 installations worldwide, it provides its customers with the most advanced surface inspection system as well as reliable and comprehensive information about the relevant surface defects at all production steps. The innovative software platform parsytec 5i enables customers to easily create individual surface quality yield management applications while integrating surface quality data with process data. The ISRA VISION Group is the world's largest and most capable vendor of surface inspection systems. The systems are used in the glass, banknote paper, paper, plastics, non-woven fabrics, printing and metalworking industries. The ISRA VISION Group is operating globally with its headquarters in (Darmstadt and Aachen) as well as 15 additional subsidiaries worldwide, e.g. in North America, Korea and China. Page 4
Figure 1: EXPERT 5i.jpg Economic decisions made easy EXPERT 5i standard solutions along the process chain help in understanding connections and make purposeful decisions. Figure 2: PickleProcessTuning.jpg The pickling line under control: Significantly higher throughput with less scaling PickleProcessTuning EXPERT 5i Page 5