Responsible
- Karen Puttkammer
Project Partners
Initial Situation and Problem
The steel industry is one of the most energy-intensive industries. Because of increasing energy prices and restrictions on CO2 emissions, steel producers are now trying to enhance energy efficiency in production.
One area that offers a significant potential for reduction in energy consumption is hot strip mill rolling. This area takes the steel slabs produced by continuous casting and processes them by rolling them into a uniform cross section. In European steelworks the casting and rolling processes are typically located in separated production areas. Furthermore, as there are different planning restrictions, the processes are not coordinated. The slabs arrive from casting at a temperature of about 1000°C. Due to transportation and storage, the slabs cool down. Because rolling takes place at a temperature of about 1250°C, they have to be heated in special furnaces prior to processing. The greater the lag between casting and rolling, the more energy is required for maintaining and raising the temperatures of the slabs. Difficulties in synchronization of the two production processes can be alleviated by improved planning, logistics and technology solutions.
Objective and Approach
This project aims at identifying suitable measures in order to enhance the hot charge rolling at the hot strip mill. The measures shall be evaluated so that those with a high evaluation can be suggested to management for implementation.
The project is structured as follows:
Phase 1: Identification of measures
- Expert interviews
- Market surveys
Phase 2: Development of a performance measurement system
- Identification of relevant key performance indicators
- Aggregation key performance indicators into a performance metrics
Phase 3: Evaluation of measures
- Evaluation of technological and organizational feasibility
- Economic and ecological evaluation on the basis of the performance measurement system developed
- Simulation for stochastic-dynamic evaluationh