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MSA PASS Develops Billet "Cut Optimization"
Software
PITTSBURGH, PA - April 21, 1999 - MSA Process Automation Solutions and Services, Inc. (MSA PASS) has completed the design of a new "Cut Optimization" software for continuous casters used in steel mills. The new software, which is being designed with the aid of a Grant from the Ben Franklin Technology Center of Western Pennsylvania, is intended to improve the yield of the billet casting process in multi-strand casters, according to Patrick J. Gallagher, Vice President of MSA PASS.
Beta testing of the new product will be done at several steel mills where MSA PASS has provided Level 2 Caster Dynamic Control, Data Acquisition and Reporting Systems, Mr. Gallagher said.
The new software increases yield by optimizing the cut length to position quality defects so the maximum saleable product is produced. It works by dynamically modifying the cut location on the strand as defects are detected to position such defects at the end of prime product, or to minimize the length of unusable steel. Conservatively, yield improvements of 0.25 to 0.5% are possible and, considering the large volume of product cast, this translates into large cash savings.
The proposed optimization model is based on a software prototype queue-oriented mixed-integer linear programming developed at Carnegie Mellon University. The technical development plan also includes the adaptation of a combinatorial heuristic algorithm developed by MSA PASS as a solution to optimal slab cutting. The solution requires a Level 2 caster system in order to function, and thus the solution also constructs software required to integrate the model into a Level 2 system. The MSA PASS Project Director is Timothy D. Redmond. David H. Reed is the Technical Caster Consultant on the project.
Continuous casting is now widely used in the steel industry, producing semi-finished product directly from liquid steel in a single process and resulting in significant cost savings by eliminating capital and operating costs of the multiple processes it replaces. The U.S. has more than 45 million tons per year of operating billet casting capacity.
Quality defects in continuously cast steel are usually caused by contamination and mechanical stress during the solidification process. With conventional casters, quality defects require either the lowering of requirements for the casting or scrapping of the entire piece. The Cut Optimization software is expected to minimize waste and maximize the amount of prime material cut to customer specifications. Using mixed-integer linear programming (MILP), it will be capable of handling several thousand constraints and is expected to be effective, even when compared to much more expensive commercial packages, Mr. Redmond said.
MSA PASS is a process automation company with extensive experience in the automation of melting, refining and casting operations for the steel producer. While the company is best known for its work in steel mills, it also has worked in chemical process, pulp and paper and other industries specializing in turnkey computer systems, process control, system design and facilitywide management systems.
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