Business Unit: Consulting & Studies

Focus Area

  • Production Route Design, Logistics & Tendering Support

Short Description

qoncept conducted a conceptual engineering study for a new special steel meltshop covering all core process areas, including scrap yard, electric arc furnace (EAF), ladle furnace (LF), vacuum treatment (VD/VOD) and ingot casting. The scope included an on-site project alignment meeting and the preparation of a rough layout, a recommended equipment list, and high-level investment estimates. The study focused on establishing a coherent process route and evaluating the required main equipment while excluding auxiliary systems such as fume extraction, water treatment, and electrical grid support. The results provide a strategic basis for further planning, budgeting, and technical decision-making.

Focus Area

  • EAF/IF Performance Optimization
  • Secondary Metallurgy Optimization
  • Ingot and Continuous Casting Optimization 

Short Description

In this project, qoncept conducted a comprehensive fact-finding mission to evaluate key production steps at a steelmaking facility, covering the scrap yard, Electric Arc Furnace (EAF), Ladle Furnace (LF), Vacuum Degassing (VD/VOD), and ingot casting. The study involved on-site observation of multiple heats and detailed assessments of both equipment and technological practices. While the existing infrastructure was generally found to be adequate for high-grade steel production, several areas for operational improvement were identified. These included suboptimal raw material usage, insufficient production planning, manual alloy calculations, and inconsistencies in scrap yard organization and ingot casting preparation. The findings provide a detailed baseline for potential cost savings, enhanced yield, and improved product quality, forming the basis for further collaboration and targeted optimization measures.

Focus Area

  • Scrap Yard Management and Charge Design
  • EAF/IF Performance Optimization
  • Secondary Metallurgy Optimization

Short Description

This project involved a comprehensive evaluation of an integrated EAF-based steel plant operating with a 100% scrap charge. The on-site fact-finding mission focused on understanding the current practices in electric arc furnace (EAF) and ladle furnace (LF) operations, alloying procedures, tapping logistics, and traceability. qoncept assessed the process design, operating parameters, and typical bottlenecks across steel grades. The final report included a critical analysis of the current process route, identified limitations in yield, temperature control, and alloying accuracy, and provided recommendations for short-term improvements and potential mid-term investments to enhance production consistency and cost-efficiency.

Focus Area

  • Ingot and Continuous Casting Optimization

Short Description

For this project, qoncept conducted a computational solidification analysis of a billet caster with a focus on stainless steel grades. The simulation was based on process-specific input data, such as casting speed, superheat, cooling rates, and geometric parameters. The analysis revealed the temperature distribution and solidification progress throughout the strand. The study provided reliable initial estimates of shell growth and solidification zones. The results were evaluated against available plant measurements and served as a basis for interpreting casting behavior and identifying areas for future process verification and optimization.

Focus Area

  • Requirements Engineering and Management 

Short Description

This project focused on defining the functional requirements for a tailored software solution to support and manage complex melting and casting operations in a foundry setting. The scope included multi-route production with induction furnaces, coordinated partial tapping, ladle tracking, and alloy-specific treatment logic. In addition to process management, the specification addressed production planning, recipe handling, material and equipment tracking, and real-time integration with MES and ERP systems. The result is a modular, scalable specification designed to improve production transparency, consistency, and metallurgical control across the entire casting workflow.

Focus Area

  • Validation, Testing and Quality Assurance

Short Description

This project focused on supporting the test planning and functional evaluation of software systems in a highly automated ingot casting environment. The aim was to validate the integration between various Level 2 systems involved in logistics, casting, and upstream meltshop coordination. qoncept proposed a structured testing strategy including the definition of test scenarios and test cases, execution of functional tests, and documentation of results. By comparing implemented features with the original specifications, the goal was to assess the system’s readiness for commissioning and ensure stable operation in one of the most complex digital casting environments in the industry.

Focus Area

  • Digitalization Strategy and Roadmapping

Short Description

In this project, qoncept developed a structured digitalization roadmap for a specialized manufacturing company as part of the Green Tech TopRunner Program. Over eight on-site workshops, the team assessed the current state of both office and shop floor processes and identified potential for digital transformation. Two strategic approaches were evaluated in detail: a modular open-source ERP system combined with track-and-trace solutions, and a fully integrated single-source software system. Based on these scenarios, concrete functional requirements were derived, including planning, dispatching, material tracking, equipment management, downtime recording, and digital work instructions. The resulting roadmap supports a step-by-step transformation aligned with the company’s agile and customer-driven operations model.

Focus Area

  • Requirements Engineering and Management
  • Wireframing and UI/UX Concepts

Short Description

In this project, qoncept supported the development of a comprehensive requirements specification for a modular software system aimed at optimizing the production of FeNiMo, FeV, and Calumet® for a European alloy producer. Based on several on-site workshops, the focus was placed on the most time- and energy-intensive stage of the smelting process: Stage 1 of the smelting operation. The scope included defining functional and non-functional requirements for process monitoring, control, and optimization in detail. This included metallurgical modeling, campaign planning, traceability, and advanced reporting. The system was designed to seamlessly integrate with existing Level 1 and ERP systems, providing a future-ready platform for scaling to subsequent process stages.

Focus Area

  • Requirements Engineering and Management
  • Wireframing and UI/UX Concepts

Short Description

In this requirement engineering project, qoncept developed a mockup-driven concept for software-based production control in copper electrolysis. Through on-site workshops with plant stakeholders, the team analyzed core process requirements and translated them into interactive interface prototypes. The solution was designed to support digital tracking of cell-level parameters, electrolyte composition, material usage, and batch-specific treatment steps. The resulting mockups illustrated how a future software system could structure production planning, resource management, and process monitoring directly at the shop floor, while enabling knowledge-based process standardization and improved operational transparency.

Focus Area

  • Requirements Engineering and Management
  • Conceptual Software Engineering

Short Description

As part of a strategic digitalization initiative at a leading Austrian steel producer, qoncept was tasked with defining a comprehensive set of functional and non-functional requirements for a new software system. The system aims to digitally map and control all processes within the finishing area, from order intake to final delivery. The project focused on building a detailed requirement specification covering all aspects of production tracking, planning, equipment monitoring, and quality assurance. In addition, qoncept structured the logic for product-level traceability, system interfaces, and real-time data capture. The result was a future-proof requirement specification that enables modular development and seamless integration into the plant’s IT architecture.