This paper is dedicated to the problems of servitization and the possibilities of its application in metallurgy. It aims to identify the selected Czech steel manufacturers’, steel processors’ and casting manufacturers’ awareness of the servitization concept and to analyse the possibilities of its application at these companies. On the basis of the conducted professional literature review focussing on the essence of servitization and on the conditions for its application, the websites of the selected companies associated in the Foundry Association of the Czech Republic and the Czech Steel Association were analysed from the point of view of the provided services connected with their products. The conclusion summarizes and evaluates the outcomes of this analysis.
The production of iron in a blast furnace requires great quantities of feedstock. Some of the basic raw materials are ore constituents, fuel and other basic additives. Ore feedstock can be bought by steelworks from various sites. The key factor is, naturally, the quality of the ore constituent but also the overall cost of purchase. Production facilities are also forced to consider several sources of supply. The problem in assessing the quality of ores is primarily in the broad range of criteria, which are often categorically different. In order to evaluate ore quality, we can make use of specific criteria or technological indicators. The quantity and range of evaluated parameters offer the use of multicriterial decision-making tools. A broad range of methods and procedures can be applied in this. A great advantage is the quantification of different types of criteria into a single determining parameter. In this research, an analysis of raw ore materials was conducted using multicriterial decision-making management tools. The aim of this paper is to mutually evaluate the quality of three selected types of raw ore material in terms of a wider range of criteria. The comparison will be based on the quantification of selected criteria used by crude iron producers. The comparison and its results can then be used for decision making in the choice of suitable raw ore material, but also for further study of the complex quality of the raw ore material. The research was realized in the environment of a selected iron producer in the Czech Republic.
The paper is focused on electrical and electronic waste and the associated waste. The generated amount of electronic waste, including mobile phones, supports the search for an efficient way to process this waste. The dominant materials in used mobile phones containing a printed peripheral board are metals, especially copper. It describes the common and less widely used technology for processing electrical and electronic e-waste such as manual dismantling, mechanical, pyro metallurgical, electrochemical, hydrometallurgical methods. Describes various methods of economic evaluation.
Computer Vision is currently one of the most advanced and fastest growing areas of computing and software development. It can be used to recognize objects from the captured image. It is a visual image and video recognition system coupled with artificial intelligence. Industrial vision using industrial cameras is currently used in many industrial areas. Initial capital investment into the vision system has fast economic return, depending on the cost of the system, the number of human operators replaced, production capacity and other parameters. In the case of a properly designed and configured system that can often fully eliminate the human factor. Typical tasks in machine vision can be recognition and counting of products using industrial cameras, positioning, dimensioning, or optical quality control. The paper will describe the use of machine vision in the metallurgical industry - specifically for the numerical identification of embossed numbers on continuous steel casting billets. The basic requirement of the operation was to create a system for billet identification and archiving of collected data in order to eliminate inaccurate control causing billets to be replaced of each other and fatal manufacturing defects with considerable financial losses. The solution uses a combination of machine vision and neural networks. Combined with automation, advanced data analytics and production management systems, it creates a unique concept of smart metallurgical operation.
The aim of the article is to research approaches and trends in the supplier selection and evaluation process in the metallurgical industry with focus on sustainable and resilience assessment. A systematic literature review of scientific articles containing case studies of selection and evaluation of metallurgical suppliers was chosen as a research method. The research has proved that the conventional approach to supplier selection and evaluation is still prevalent in the metallurgical industry. However, the importance of the sustainable and resilient criteria is gradually increasing.
Lean Management as well as different management systems require continuous improvement from enterprises. When looking for areas and ways to improve, the Kaizen philosophy, which is based on the principles of common sense, low-cost and implementation of change, should be taken into account. The Kaizen is an integral part of the improvement processes of the products and their quality, processes, organization, what is more, achieving the objectives set by the enterprise depends on the implementation of appropriate systems. One of the important tools of the Kaizen is the system of submitting ideas by employees, called the Suggestion System. The purpose of such a system is to improve the workplace of an employee or other areas and processes in an enterprise. A suggestion can be made by each employee. The metallurgical industry is very specific. Machines and workstations are used in most cases 24/7, and their work is carried out in a continuous system. It should be emphasized that larger changes and improvement in this case require large financial outlays and often shutdown of machines, therefore the Suggestion System may prove to be very useful. The purpose of the article was to check the applicability of the Suggestion System for quality improvement in Polish enterprises from the metallurgical industry. Particular attention was focused on showing the diversity in the use of this tool by different age groups of employees. In the empirical studies, voluntary interviews with management and staff were used.
The present state of energetic management is facing several issues, including force to lower production power consumption, to increase efficiency of the production and among others to eliminate financial penalties for energy spikes drawn from the power grid. Especially financial penalties can be eliminated keeping power consumption of the production line in specific boundaries and has immediate financial effect. One solution, how to keep power consumption right, is by the digital energetic model of the production line. This paper originate from real operation measurement and describe methods used in digital model.
Every company, including metal industry company, forces every day with the problem of the quantity of ordered and stored materials used in production processes. The quantity depends mainly on the cost of their ordering and storage as well as technological requirements of the production process. The article presents the analysis of the optimal orders in the selected company of metal industry.
A brief overview of the status of European steel mills is the basis for the possibility of incorporating the Vroom-Yetton-Jago model in metallurgy. Not only in the Czech Republic, the steel industry is heavily influenced by the emerging applications of Industry 4.0, which will lead to new production standards and, at the same time, the pressure of global competition will increase. The advent of Industry 4.0 applications is the improvement of project management techniques, specifically the requirements for custom software to be compatible with enterprise systems while simplifying work. The use of Agile Approach is suitable for compatible SW development, and there are several decision styles for successful implementation. The Vroom-Yetton-Jago model is appropriate for the business manager to know which decision-making style to follow in a given task. The model, through defined decision-making situations, determines the decision-making style and supports the successful completion of the project and its implementation.
The paper deals with steel surface treatment, blackening and phosphating of zinc and a production line that will perform these treatments. With the help of simulations were validated its various options and variants in which is able to work and produce. A variant has been developed for each surface treatment, as well as the simultaneous execution of both surface treatment at the same time. The paper describes both surface treatments, their types and then the line that will deal with these surface treatments in the production conditions. Surface treatments are divided into two groups. One group is the division of steel blackening methods. The second group describes the possibilities and types of phosphating. With the help of the simulation, the individual production variants for individual modifications as well as the concurrent model of the implementation of both surface treatments and the evaluation of the effectiveness of individual variants were revised. At the same time, the need to occupancy the production line with employees in individual variants and their benefits is also evaluated. We used the Tecnomatix Plant Simulation software module to create the simulation.
The article presents structural changes of blast furnace coke. Mass proportions of the crystalline phase of coke before the blast furnace process and after heat treatment are presented. For this purpose, studies were carried out using the Seifert X-ray diffractometer. The crystallite dimensions were determined - width, height and interplanar distance. The crystallinity coefficients were calculated. The nanoporosity structure on the surface and inside the coke pieces was determined for selected samples. The structural tests were compared with coke test results after the processes under variable temperature conditions.
Metallurgy is one of the key areas of the Czech processing industry. It is closely intertwined with the supply and demand, construction, mining, energy and transportation areas/industries. Steelmaking companies employ a large number of people across the whole range of education levels. The production of Czech industries has in general been growing over the past five years. However, this is not the case of the metallurgical industry, which has rather stagnated or even declined in the Czech Republic over the past ten years. In line with the dynamic development of the economy, the job market currently boasts the highest employment rates in Czech history and companies are actively competing for every competent employee. This article analyses the relationship between the development of production in the metallurgical industry and the development of employment in this branch over the last five years. The conclusion then presents the possible future development for both of these monitored parameters.
Beverage can production process is incredibly rapid and precise. Aluminum stripes used in the process must meet several requirements. However no pre-production test of the material is present in a quality system. At the same time, occasionally can producers struggle with increased number of jams in presses which is believed to be caused by material characteristics. This paper presents results of test designed specially to be performed on aluminum stripes, with the use of 3 punches causing different reduction of material thickness, Relations between the results and number of jams observed for individual coils are also presented, together with a project of quality charts.
The article deals with the ways of the most accurate calculation in the intercompany prices of the cooperating centres activities, which transmit their activities in such a way that transfer cycles occur. Examples include mutual transfers of Maintenance and Energy centres, where activities is transferred from Maintenance to Energy and also from Energy to Maintenance centre [1]. In this article, the transfer prices are considered on the basis of their own costs.
In his work, a manager will come across situations, which will require him to make easy or complicated decisions. The company management often has to take into account the sequence of decisions, of which every decision affects the following one. The tool used to find solutions to the consequential types of decision problems is called dynamic programming.
A key part of the logistics process is purchasing the necessary raw materials for production for the best possible price.
This article deals deals with the subject of optimalization of purchasing BECO alloys (an alloy of copper and beryllium) in order to achieve the highest possible conservation of financial resources, that‘s why the timing of purchase is a deciding factor in terms of the manager‘s responsibilities.
One quality that characterizes the management of manufacturing enterprises is the constant search for ways to improve the productivity of production processes. It is production that causes the main stream of materials, components, and parts to flow through individual departments and structures of a company. The task of logistics is to ensure a buyer to obtain the proper quality and quantity of a product in due time and place on the minimal cost of delivery. The use of production lines strongly depends on orders - orders for products. 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, the impact of shutdowns and equipment failures on the sheet production capacity was examined.
The article deals with the issue of the interconnection of economic and technological thinking in the process of selected product group and branches of metallurgical production. Growth in the commercial potential of distribution and redistribution of metallurgical products at large distances between the place of production and the place of consumption entails increased requirements for control of materials entering the manufacturing industry and final assembly. The research proved partial differences in the deviations of the declared values and the poor interpretation of the documents, accompanying selected deliveries. The pressure to save costs and reduce production processes in the middle of technology chains creates an interface between economic efficiency and technological security. The authors document this trend in selected examples.
Ergonomic rationalization of workplaces and the creation of optimal conditions for work performance have a positive impact on worker satisfaction, thereby enhancing efficiency and productivity at work and reducing employee turnover. Therefore, for manufacturing companies where human labor is the dominant factor, efficiency gains are very important for ergonomic rationalization. The trend in projection of layouts is using the simulation software to move from classical design to digital and virtual design. A great advantage of such applications is that, they allow creating visual space of workplace with taking into account the ergonomics requirements on workplaces already in the process of design. The article is focused on the application of simulation tools in the creation of the casting process model and the simulation of technological operations on the workplace of casting processing. The goal is to optimize the workplace layout in terms of ergonomics by using the Tecnomatix Jack software module and the Microsoft Kinect. Linking Tecnomatix Jack with Microsoft Kinect creates area for simulating work movements right at their performance. Creating a static model of the work position in Tecnomatix Jack and then placing a person in the digital model and moving it through Microsoft Kinect allow moving real worker movements into the virtual environment and evaluating the worker's current workload. The advantage of simulation modelling in the selected software is to propose an ergonomic design before the implementation phase, thereby avoiding back-ups and the need to make changes later, at a time when corrections are more complicated and costly. The results from realized ergonomics analyses were used to improve the ergonomic conditions of selected workplaces like casting and inspection of castings.
The aim of this article is to present the relationship between the foreign trade in iron ore in European Union countries and the overall economic situation. The study covers the period from 2001 to 2017. The sources of materials include literature, date from the EUROSTAT, World Steel Association and World Bank. The following methods have been used in this paper: descriptive, graphic and the Pearson linear correlation coefficient. The findings of the study indicate that steel use, production of industry sectors and Households consumption were generally most closely linked to changes in import of iron ore in the EU. The exceptions were GDP per capita, value of export, value of import, value of construction industry, prices of iron ore which did not indicate such a link. EU countries were net importers of iron ore. The only exceptions were the Netherlands and Sweden.
The objective of this article is to compare and evaluate the most suitable washing technology of cleaning and degreasing machined parts after CNC machining, based on analysis of technological and economic criteria. Based on these criteria, costs of low-quality products are eliminated, production costs of manufactured parts are reduced, and the enterprise reaches higher profit. Increasing of quality of products and services is accompanied by the necessity of permanent investments into new production technologies that would move quality of products to the limit where they maintain or increase profitability of manufactured products, attract new customers, and thus bring profit to the company. Permanently increasing quality of products and services is understood as a never-ending cycle.
The paper deals with essential aspects and steps that an enterprise must ensure, within its the organizational structure and the Information systems and technology and manufacturing processes in order to be able to successfully implement the calculation method of Activity Based Costing. The specification of these basic assumptions is mostly part of the input analysis of the costing system of company. The aim of this paper is to focus attention on individual criteria, which may be a pitfall when implementing Activity Based Costing itself.
Despite the use of modern technologies that aim to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing, industrial production still brings with it some negative phenomena. This mainly relates to the production of waste materials of various types, properties, volumes and also adverse effects on the environment.
Most primary raw materials are transformed into waste, so it is essential to maximize the rational use of not only all input materials and energies but also secondary waste materials from production processes. This is especially important since the supply of primary raw materials is not unlimited. The use of waste as a secondary raw material is a beneficial phenomenon for the environment, leading to a reduction in dependence on imported raw materials, and above all, it eliminates the problem of its disposal.
The Republic’s strategic goal is to gradually reduce the high raw material and energy intensity of industrial production using low-waste treatment technologies, higher utilization of secondary raw materials and implementation of environmental management such as Circular Economy. According to legislation, the use of waste is preferred to its disposal, with the emphasis being placed on preferential material utilization over other uses of waste.
Recently, all developed nations have devoted much attention to the issues of waste management, and it must be emphasized that the solutions to waste management are in the interest of us all for the future and to the heritage, we leave for future generations.
The article aims to analyze the possibilities of using waste materials from the production of iron in the construction industry and the possible effects on the environment.
The subject of this work is a production line in an anonymous enterprise. It is a production process of forming U-profiles of different thickness and structure. Our task was to thoroughly analyze the current situation of bending and cutting processes in the workplace, find manufacturing errors and design the assembly line with the Tecnomatix Process Simulate. Therefore, it was necessary to model the current state first so that it was possible to first detect any shortcomings and downtimes and only then optimize it. Subsequently, the proposed solutions were verified by means of modeled simulation of the selected workplace and by time analysis, time savings or other modifications leading to production optimization were found.
The article presents the results of research related to the assessment of the impact of the use of selected lean tools on the level of safety in foundries. The factor analysed is the registration of potentially dangerous accidents and events in the foundry. The obtained results for a specific research sample from the foundry industry were referred to the obtained results for the metal processing industry. The obtained results indicate a positive effect of using selected lean tools on the level of security. The number of registered accidents as well as potentially dangerous events has significantly decreased as a function of time.
The chimney gate valve is widely used in the metallurgical industry as a control element in fume extraction systems of the furnace chamber. However, its flow characteristics are not appropriate for controlling this flow. Linear characteristics would be the most appropriate.
The aim of this study is to present the problems of control technology in the metallurgical industry - conducted improperly due to many difficulties or lack of knowledge of controlled installation. The chimney gate valve (as an element of control), installed in the heating pusher furnace, is presented in the paper. The proposal to address the identified problems is also presented. The solution is to use a digital control linear setting element which significantly reduces the negative environmental and economic consequences. As a result of the chimney gate valve digital control and the measurement of the exhaust gas pressure in the furnace chamber, a significant reduction in gas fuel consumption and reduction of CO2 emissions have been achieved. The reduction of fuel did not change the technological temperature of the metallurgical process.
Present fast development of automation technology and its optimal implementation in control of metallurgical processes requires trained specialists who will be able to manipulate with it and also design and set it up. That requires special practical training of university students. Metallurgical processes are typical for their complexity, large dimensions, high temperatures and high costs. This is the reason why it is not usually physically possible to implement these processes in the learning process in the form of physical models that would be used in teaching of their real-time control. In technical practise the PLC are used for control most often. PLC connection with models of technologies allows to increase quality of teaching in the field of technological process management. This article is mainly dedicated to the creation of microcomputer virtual models of important representatives of technological aggregates and their integration and communication with PLC. The advantage of virtual models is their easy hardware and software implementation, a variability, a small size, a low price and a sufficient model representation and visualisation of real technologies, aggregates and equipment of technological complexes. At the same time this ensures safety of students in the learning process. The article contains examples of virtual models of selected devices that are most often used in technical practise. The example of a virtual model is an assembly line transport and material sorting, level monitoring and regulation in tanks and containers, etc. These applications can be easily extended with other elements used in metallurgical industry. Whereas extension of quantity and types of virtual learning models just depends on the development of the appropriate software.
Net working capital management is of key importance for the development of every enterprise. Net working capital directly affects the income, costs, profit and financial safety of business units. It is very complicated to manage it as it concerns the two most important areas from the point of view of short-term management of the current assets and current liabilities. Stocks, receivables from customers, cash or current liabilities in trade, service or production enterprises are managed in a completely different way. Therefore, other strategies for managing net working capital are applied in commercial, service or production enterprises. This is primarily due to the differences that arise in the structure of current assets. The purpose of this article is to present a management strategy for working capital in small and medium production enterprises. For the analysis, 62 aluminum pressure foundries operating in Poland were selected. The analysis was carried out on the basis of the financial statements of the enterprises surveyed, and the research period covered the years 2015-2017. In the article, based on selected enterprises, it was assessed whether the applied capital management strategy model is beneficial for them and, if necessary, in which areas of working capital management changes are necessary.
Currently, technological progress in many modern industries requires in implementation of new types of technical materials and related development of new manufacturing technologies that bring both enhancement of service properties of final products, as well as their wider implementation into engineering practice, including the associated energy savings. One possibility is also a constant increasing of consumption of non-ferrous metals. Sustainable development of human society is subject to a maximum economy of non-renewable sources of energy and raw materials, especially metallic ones. One of the ways for achieving this goal, in addition to recycling waste alloys based on aluminium, copper and magnesium, is systematic reduction of their consumption by increasing their quality and service life of utility objects and structures made from them. Already for many years, this happens in metallurgical production for example by alloying or by heat treatment. Production of reinforcing steel by cold deformation by twisting or by tension has brought significant savings in civil engineering. In this way a significant increase of the yield point and its shifting to the ultimate strength was thus achieved at small decrease in ductility. Technical and economic benefits are obvious: metallurgical irreversible consumption of metals and of financial costs related to it were reduced at producers. One of the ways to the more effective use of metallic materials is their processing by forming. At present in this the area the use of the process of multiple severe plastic deformation (SPD process), leading to a refinement of the structure (materials with UFG structure) and thus to achievement of higher level of their utility value, is expanding.