Author: Dr. Caren Möhrke, 4Production AG
Investments and optimisations in the Slim plant are continuing, as is the strategic partnership with 4 Production. As a next stepp th ribbon roller will be upgraded and fully automated. The new components such as cooling, control, measuring devices and automation systems will mean that the roller can supply valuable data to the MES. This will ensure that the most ideal presettings for widely differing materials can be determined during the engineering phase. The optimal settings for the cold rolling process will then automatically occur during ongoing operation. The aim is for metal bookkeeping and accounting (ERP/SAP) and mental stock (MES) to also exchange their data with the Manufacturing Execution System in future.
Integration of the systems at the Hydro Slim rolling mill plant in Italy was designed with a view to connecting it to the global standard Hydro SAP interface. Following a short integration test in Hamburg and after SAP became available in Slim, adapting the ERP interface was a quick and uncomplicated process. In addition, a technical hotline ensured continual support, thereby guaranteeing 24x7 availability.
The MES allows for optimal interaction between these extremely different systems. Production know-how on the part of the 4Production team also ensured problem-free integration: the experiences of all those involved were of value as early as the engineering decision-making phase. The plant now operates with proactive material flow management and shop-floor-management; precision advanced planning and sequence planning are performed automatically or manually. Intuitive user guidance shows the planner all work processes,material and order data. In the event of changes, restrictions and availabilities are checked and the effects on the delivery deadlines are shown. As various scenarios can be run through simply by clicking a button, flexibility and speed are increased. All important information such as set-up times and down times can be called up directly via the monitor. Reports can be automatically generated and provide central operating figures in terms of capacity utilisation, quality and perfomance.
The next step was to include 50 additional systems in ongoing operation. All stations in the system, from the foundry to the adjustment stage, such as ovens,saws,milling machines and cutters, are now included. Some of the stations are new or upgraded and work manually or fully/semi-automatically,such as the uprated hot roll. The various starting materials including scrap,ingot and primary alloys also had to be taken into consideration.
In the last few years, the company has invested extensively in state-of-the-art systems technology and automation solutions to extend its capacity. The aim was to increase service competencies and quality, and in so doing to gain an advantage over the competition. The 4Production advisory team supported the process using sector-specific IT solutions and knowledge from the complex manufacturing processes at Hydro. After implementation of the Manufacturing Execution System, a new high rack warehouse with intensive cooling and a new cold rolling mill was first integrated.
4Production AG is part of the PSI group and has special responsibility for the efficient planning and control of manufacturing processes in the aluminium industry. Together with Hydro Aluminium, the company is continuing the modernisation of the Slim rolling mill plant. The Manufacturing Execution System (MES) ensures clearly structured processes, maximum transparency and reliable implementation of strategic requirements.
Hydro Aluminium is one of the world's leading manufacturers of aluminium rolled products and has been an important strategic partner of 4Production AG since this company was founded in 1998. The plants in Hamburg as well as those in Grevenbroich rely on solutions provided by 4Production. Hydro's rolled products are used for packaging in the lithography and automobile sectors as well as in construction, for example. In Europe, Hydro operates a rolling mill plant as part of a multi-plant manufacturing process in Cisterna, Italy, around 60 kilometres south of Rome. The plant has a capacity of 130 000 tons per annum, and focuses on supplying the local market.
Modernisation with 4Production