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Intelligent Sensors | Optimization of the Entire Raw Material Handling

Automatic and unmanned product tracking and process supervision – a goal of all production supervisors. Together with our customer, who is running Austria’s most efficient steel plant producing rebar steel, we are accomplishing a comprehensive solution to automatically track the scrap handling and charging process. Our intelligent solution tracks all movements: from the moment the scrap arrives in the plant up to the charging in the electric arc furnace.

The centerpiece of this solution are our intelligent, camera-based sensors called qurve, featuring automatic image and object detection and data processing in a completely embedded solution. Our qurves are installed at different locations along the production process to fulfill the following objectives:

• Detection of number and position of scrap railway wagons
• Detection of the exact position of the two scrap charging cranes in the bay by an unprecedented camera-based positioning solution

Linking our qurves in a comprehensive software solution together with further signals from the scrap charging cranes and the scrap bucket transfer cars we achieve a complete tracking and reporting of all scrap charging operations. The results of this project help the customer in

• achieving full transparency of the scrap handling process
• optimizing the EAF process
• optimize the supply chain management

in a completely automatic solution.

Requirement Engineering | Software Solution to Monitor, Control and Optimization

The primary goal of this project is the optimization of the production of ferro-alloys with the help of a software solution that monitors, controls and optimizes the processes. For this purpose, several workshops were carried out with this Austrian customer in order to systematically record the requirements for such a system. The traceability of all activities and process steps as well as the monitoring and control of material additions, quality control and the analysis of production performance are fundamental requirements. The potential of a holistic process model was the centerpiece of this requirement engineering project to optimize and control the entire production process.

Superior Engineering | New Manufacturing and Assembling Possibilities

In forming new friendships, forget not old friends.

It is a great confirmation of our qoncept path that a partner, who we would by now call an old friend, supplying consumables to the metals industry, has commissioned us with the engineering and supply of mechanical auxiliary devices for his consumables. Running a small batch series for producing these devices, the qoncept team is exploring new manufacturing and assembling possibilities to reduce the per-piece costs yet keeping the required quality level.

All relevant completion steps for final assembly, quality control, FAT, packing and shipping of the goods are run from our own dedicated workshop.

Consulting | Conceptual Mechanical Engineering Study

Improving existing equipment to achieve higher productivity and process stability is the daily challenge of production. Pairing this challenge with limited investment budgets requires for a structured and profound analysis of the equipment and possible improvement suggestions.

In this project, qoncept was commissioned with a conceptual mechanical engineering study to investigate the possibilities of improving the process stability and reducing the production related costs of a secondary metallurgical unit in the steel industry. Due to the very specific design and age of the production unit, the different improvement suggestions had to consider numerous factors and complex plant surroundings. qoncept conceptual engineering study was then taken as the basis for tendering the revamping project.