Quality is one of the basic elements influencing the final shape of the chosen logistic strategy. Low level of quality is one of the most visible indicators of efficiency of supply chain. The article presents the experience in documentation development of the logistic quality management system and use of quality assurance instruments in metallurgical industry. The process of quality and logistics management in metallurgical enterprise must be closely related. Quality management and logistic processes must interact with each other and mutually penetrate in order to ensure the effective implementation of logistic services. Presented results are based on analysis of Polish enterprises of metallurgical industry, as well as enterprises co-operating with this branch.
The paper desribe the production scheduling model design for continuous-discrete process. Due to the continuity of the chemical composition of produkt sequence - Al alloys, it is necessary to apply a specific approach. The production schedule is initially created for the workplace of a continuous nature, and from it derive schedules for discrete preceding and following work similarly to the application OPT.
Production is concerned with short throughput times and high schedule reliability in order to on the one hand, fulfill customer demands and on the other hand, increase planning reliability. However, from the business perspective, it is preferred that the available production equipment is highly utilized and that there is the lowest possible WIP (Work in Process level). For the evaluation system used in the study TPM method.The TPM method most commonly employs three indicators: MTTR, MTBF and most typically - OEE. The first two are associated exclusively with technical issues of the examined production line.The object of the study was the production plant of transformer sheets. The article presents parts of research OEE performance indicator for many production lines. In particular was examined the impact of modernization of the line on the efficiency.
A new control method is proposed for controlling cooling temperature in steel plate production process. The proposed method is based on a locally weighted regression model, which is a type of Just-In-Time models. The cooling temperature control system using the proposed method was developed and has been applied to actual plants. The proposed method determines the optimal manufacturing condition from the information of the pre-processes which has actual process data. Significant effects on reducing cooling temperature deviations and model maintenance load have been achieved in commercial production. The developed system has made contributions to improving yield and production rate.
Optimal control systems is still relevant topic. In industries (especially in the range of metallurgy) that are primarily dependent on energy there are desirable either changes in technology and changes in existing technologies or changes of traditional materials for substituting ones or to explore possibilities for energy savings. Optimal control, as the term itself suggests, leads to savings on principle, even energies that are required to ensure these processes. The core is the optimal control model. That describes the behaviour of the controlled system. We try to summarize modern methods, for example using the principles of artificial intelligence and genetic algorithms, to balance the core of modules, which are used to optimize process control. The main focus will be concentrate on selected aggregates in rolling mill plants especially on continuous reheating furnaces.
The paper gives a general idea of the multi-agent system for modeling the logistics system in the steel industry. The purpose of the use of the agent-based approach as decision making system in transport. Agent-based systems are efficient (asynchronous independent operation), reliable (failure of one agent does not cause failure of the entire system), flexible (can adapt the system to a larger size by adding new agents without impact on existing) and have an ability to respond to changes occurring in the environment. The paper shows a general scheme of the multi-agent system for modeling. Basic tasks of the units of the mentioned groups as well as more detailed characterization of transport agent regarding the knowledge, actions and states of the agent, the environment in which it operates, the interoperability with other agents and mechanisms of this cooperation are proposed.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is important management tool for evaluation of the environmental impacts in whole life cycle of product or technology from the extraction of the raw materials to the end-of-life. In the paper, special attention is given to the role of LCA as a tool for natural resources management, environmental implications of critical raw materials evaluation and resources depletion assessment in the steel industry. It was presented environmental life cycle impact assessment methods and impact categories relevant to the the assessment of natural resources in steel sector. Based on the own analysis, it was found that LCA can help optimize environmental performance connected with natural resource and critical raw materials management in steel industry.
The paper deals with problems of modelling technological processes by a regression function in cases when available data samples are of small size and contain outliers. The essence of the method used in the paper lies in exploiting robust quantitative characteristics. For the purposes of the paper, data are simulated and processed both the standardard and nonstandard way, using robust characteristics. Both regression approaches are then compared. The characteristics that are modelled involve a characteristic of central tendency of a quality variable Y and a measure of variability of such variable.
It appears that in contemporary entrepreneurial environment industrial enterprises that are able to realize regular and targeted changes survives. These changes or innovations are implemented not only for survival, but also for gaining significant market position. Innovation is supposed to be a creative destruction of current status, and a tool to enhance long-term competitiveness and necessary condition for successful business. Innovation should contain development impulse, should lead to enhanced performance, return and utility features. In industrial company a precondition for successful innovation implementation is an existence of innovative infrastructure that enables to create, transform and amplify resources to required effect. Aim of the paper is to evaluate level of innovation activity in large industrial enterprises in the Czech Republic and to outline specifics of innovative infrastructure in metallurgical company. For evaluation of innovative infrastructure there was used an empirical survey of selected sample of industrial enterprises.
Presented paper concerns a methodology of knowledge components management in a platform of knowledge integration using an ontological model of knowledge sources. System uses a web application that supports an integrated database from the Foundry Research Institute in Cracow and includes components of the latest publications, research projects and patents in the field of casting, forging and rolling, and the database of foundries and suppliers to the foundries. An additional advantage of this study was to develop an ontology based on the database for the application to build a knowledge base on the basis of the information gathered. Article also describes a methodology of creation such ontological model and the procedure of knowledge components management focused on the needs of the user.
The high cost of inputs and their continual change, efforts to retain core employees, unrealistic environmental standards, limits, taxes, levies and fees are increasing at the Czech metallurgical companies fixed costs and making them less competitive. This makes diagnosis costs in metallurgical companies, records any changes to the cost, consistently looks for the causes of changes including conservation point of view of an individual approach, even more important than before. Whether you choose already being used new or traditional approaches to monitoring, control and evaluation of costs using economic and mathematical methods, the needs of current metallurgical companies must be especially met - to achieve a radical increase in the effectiveness of all available company resources.
Polish metallurgical enterprises spend significantly less on R&D and innovation than their regional peers. The income and productivity growth in the last 20 years has been much faster than that of its neighbors. It suggests that factors unrelated to R&D and technological progress must have accounted for the boom. Looking ahead, however, Poland needs a transition to innovation- and R&D-driven growth to meet targets defined by the Europe 2020 Strategy and sustain the fast pace of convergence with the EU.
After theoretical background overview and preparation of the absorption of innovation analysis, it was possible to point out the most important areas for changes. The main goal of the paper is to identify absorptions’ models and its implementation possibilities in metallurgical enterprises. The research was conducted in years 2010-2015. Presented investigation was partly designed to highlight the possibilities of innovation implementation with special attention to its absorption limits.
Research and Development is believed to be a major source of innovations, which are increasingly driving modern economic growth. Although we are convinced that investments in R&D and other innovation assets are desirable they are difficult to measure from business perspective. I analyze changes in research and development expenditures across industries and over time focusing on metallurgical companies. The main result of the paper is the recognition of differences and changes in R&D spending across sectors implicating changes in strategic approach to R&D.
A steel industry was, like all other market sectors, struck by financial and economic crises whose impacts are noticeable even a couple years after, in 2015. In such an uncertain and unstable environment, it is severally crucial to achieve the maximum efficiency of business processes. Steel companies in the EU are under the effect of carbon trading which can be both a competitive advantage (but rather) a threat. This paper is focused on assessing the efficiency of steel companies’ emission management and exploring the influence of two important factors of this process – emission price and a possibility of banking (transferring of unused allowances to following periods). This impact is researched using the real historical data of four large steel companies in the Czech Republic. Several scenarios of both companies’ behavior and alternative conditions of the emission trading system are considered and assessed.
Nowadays one of the most important global issue in the heavy industry and specially in metallurgical sector is the allocation of carbon dioxide emission allowances. The equity in allocation of emission allowances is discussed offend with this problematic. In the metallurgical sector the unfair allocation may cost problem of development of some metallurgical sectors or countries. Therefore, the proper emission trading system must be used and all countries have to accept and implement the system properly. This paper is based on the model by Gomes and Lins (2008) and uses the zero sum game data envelopment analysis (ZSG-DEA). The emission allowance is input variable and energy consumption, spending and gross domestic product are output variables. The paper explore and evaluate the allocation of emission allowances in European Union countries. The empirical results show that allocation of emission allowances is inefficient as in paper by Chiu et al. (2015).
The paper presents the identification and analysis of the most important conditions for logistics in the selected company, particularly, taking into account the field of procurement, production and storage, distribution and sales, transport and costs. The empirical studies covered one of the Silesian metallurgical companies. On the basis of the analysis of the literature data, the interviews carried out in the company and the examination of the enterprise internal materials, the theoretical approach of logistics in the company was transferred to its practical use in the business activity.
The determinants of logistics, identified in the metallurgical company and analyzed in the paper, referred to the activities of movement and storage, which are to allow the flow of products from their destinations to the locations of the end consumption, as well as the information connected with them to provide customers with the appropriate level of service at reasonable costs.
Particularly, they referred to spatial and time allocation, status and flow of goods being the subject of these processes and, therefore, people, material goods, information and financial resources. Referring to the concept of logistics as the basis, whose achievements were analyzed in different conditions of the entity management, aims at the aspect of development of the organization.
Despite the fact that profitability of reverse logistics can have its roots in rather diverse areas, most of them can be attached to how and how well reverse flows are managed. Specific character of reverse flows requires planning and innovative approach as well as some level of managers´ understanding and commitment, there are also several drivers for companies which make them to be involved in reverse logistics management. These drivers can be placed on the continuum from the pure economic and/or financial ones to the non-economic. Although it can be very individual, some presumptions may be formulated that link some typical drivers to some industries based on characteristics of the environmental forces (drivers). This idea stands as the background for the survey presented in the paper. Analysis of responses from 32 companies from metal industry compared to 147 companies from other industries revealed some expected and some surprising differences in perceived drivers of reverse logistics management linked to the profitability and some other managerial issues. The findings cannot be generalized due to the small number of companies in the sample, nevertheless the results show several points for food for thought and further research.
Strong competition on the market has led to increased customer's requirements according to manufactured products. Customers expect unique products that meet their individual needs; low prices and very good quality service. Strong competition is also a reason for seeking more and more opportunities to gain a competitive advantage by firms in the market, leading to a significant increase in the number of unique orders with specific characteristics definite by the customer. This trend is clearly visible in the steel industry, which is steadily growing share of the make-to-order systems.
The article presents the latest trends and issues related to the order management of metallurgical production and proposes improvements in the planning and verification of production orders. The proposed solutions are dedicated for make-to-order systems of especially medium metallurgy enterprises.
Stable process can be called a process in which variability is the result of many accidental causes, resulting in minor changes, not a specified number of reasons, resulting in significant changes in the parameter values. In the article the map of process stability, which is a result of process stability (X axis) and product quality (Y axis), was used. This map consists of four areas. The area called “Leave the process without any changes or possibly make small corrections” is the most important and most valuable one. The data for the construction of this map was obtained from the results of BOST survey carried out in the company from the metal industry. At the beginning the structure of the respondents participated in the survey was presented. Analysis of results consists of the number of individual evaluations for both factors, as well as the distribution of evaluation pairs in each area of the map. Statistical analysis of the results was also presented.
The paper deals with the influence of important macroeconomic parameters on development of ironworks production prices. Macroeconomic factors and their effect on final prices are often undervalued next to closer surrounding forces inside industrial branch. There was applied evaluative partial PEST analysis and three factors considered as important were highlighted and closely observed: quantitative easing, GDP growth and Ukraine civil war conflict. Significant timeline dates on 2010 - 2014 iron production price trend line were pointed and discussed. Necessary statistical calculations as correlations were provided. Kind advice and data of industrial partner were utilized. Results are presented and conclusions are proposed.
Design – Material – Technology – Quality access to welded structures economic production is here explained, using the original model and demonstrated on the practical case of fillet welding 4 mm steel sheets. Together 7 various methods of producing this type of joint was used. The newly experimented welding methods, firstly used on this thickness, and new equipment were applied and compared with traditional advances, using various technical-economical criteria. Various aspects were combined, with the respect to real conditions of praxis, to reach less costly, easily accessible and acceptable quality solution of this problem. The purpose of this work was to demonstrate that properly chosen and innovative experimented technology has a great influence to finished costs.
The papers presents an analysis of influence of wax assembly and ceramic mould status on product quality in investment casting of jet engine critical parts. As part of the work, was carried out computer simulations in ProCAST software. Considered several variants concerning the change of the wax assembly status, including various arrangement of single wax patterns on the wax tree, wax patterns twisting and changes in the ceramic mould, including variable wall thickness and type of coating. The simulation results were verified in tests carried out in an industrial environment.
Enterprices twenty-first century, become before the complex challenges that we are looking at the origins of the changes taking place in the globalized economic system, new geopolitical and high volatility in the so-cio-economic transformation. Effectiveness of management and entrepreneurial attitude today go far be-yond simple action resources, ie. The intelligence, experience, competence specialized or evolving educa-tion. Positive potential of the organization is to attempt to define more precisely optimize the use of organi-zational resources. Genealogy of the process of shaping a positive concept of the organization shows that the causes of the emergence of a new paradigm occur in management sciences primarily in the manage-ment of interpersonal relations in social psychology, the social responsibility of business and knowledge management. Creating a positive trend in management theory focuses on focusing and interpretation of positive processes taking place in organizations and having an impact on the results achieved by these organizations. Efforts are trying to analyze the attitudes and behavior of members of the organizations, such as: happiness, enthusiasm, personal commitment, vitality, enthusiasm for the tasks, openness, and faith in the success of the actions. Bind the whole organizational creative processes as to cause formation of such a development potential of individual traits and skills, and thus also the possibility of action of indi-vidual participants organization, which will translate into an increase in extra-effectiveness of the organiza-tion. Such an approach is particularly important in the case of traditional industries such as iron and steel industry.