Process Automation has three main levels:

Level 1 - Basic Automation

Basic Automation represents main production control and plays key role for smooth plant operations. In this level PLCs (Programmable Logic Controller) like ABB, Allan Bredley, General Electric, Mitschubishi and Siemens are used. Other requirements in this area include standardized platforms, open communications, easy expansion and reliable diagnostics

Level 2 - Process Control

The main task of the Process Control is to achieve high quality of products and performance improvement. All relevant information about production are stored and evaluated.Process Control generally includes Mathematical models with process adaptation and optimization

Level 3 - Production Management

Production Management systems control product flow through technology and assist to plant management and to sales department, providing important information on a single product as well as on the whole production

BASIC AUTOMATION

In the field of Basic Automation we develop control programs for the PLCs on the basis of the specifications and analysis. We have also the experience with the commissioning of the programs developed by other parties. Vital part of the control systems is also visualization. Our specialists are able to implement the visualization sub-systems using the standard systems (depending on the customer request).

PIKE has been implementing following solutions:

Basic Systems:

• & Weighing systems
• Cooling Water System
• Open & Close Machine Cooling System
• Media Control System
• Grease Lubrication Control
• Material Tracking System
• Low & High Pressure Hydraulic Control

Technological Controls for Casters:

• MLC - Mold Level Control
• HMO - Hydraulic Mould Oscillation

Technological Controls for Rolling Mills:

• Cold & Hot Plate Leveller Technological Control
• AGC – Automatic Gauge Control
• HGC – Hydraulic Gauge Control
• Backup Roll Eccentricity Compensation
• Dynamic Profile Control
• Flatness Monitor
• Bending, Shifting and Tilting Control
• CVC Rolls Handling
• Tension & Tensionless Control
• Looper Control

PIKE uses for basic automation the hardware and software instruments from most of the world leading producers.

PROCESS AUTOMATION

Main goal of Process Control is material tracking, measured values acquisition and processing, rolling control models and setup values distribution. Our Process Control solutions are based on our own platform PPF (PIKE Process Framework).

In Process Control  achieved our employees wide-range experience. According to the customer needs, PIKE can implement complete Level 2 systems, mathematical models or encapsulate the models supplied by the technology supplier (or even by the customer), customize rolling models and implement HMI for Level 2 systems.

We have expert knowledge (dozen of projects) in the implementation of the following Level 2 functions: Material Tracking, Measured Values Acquisition and Processing, HMI, Communication to other systems (based on TCP/IP, ISO OSI, SQLNet, BEA MessageQ and others).

We offer complex know-how in the following function units:

General

• Application Framework
• Communication to L1, L2, L3, Roll Shop Management etc.
• Primary Data Handling
• Event Handler
• Material Tracking
• Measured Values Processing
• Production Data Handling (Quality Evaluation)
• Reports (coil report, shift report, line stop report etc.)
• Setpoint Handling
• Mathematical Models

Casters

• Thermal Transfer and Solidification Model
• Cutting Plan Optimization
• Casting Speed Control
• Break Out Warning and Prevention

Rolling Mills

• Rolling Models
• Temperature Control during rolling
• Temperature Control at cooling section
• Profile and Flatness Model
• Shape Control (Plan View Optimizer)
• Roll Change Handling
• Mill Pacing

• Thanks to our long year experience in developing and exploiting various mathematical and physical models, PIKE is prepared to meet any expectations with creating new tailored control programs for any branch of industry the customer will ask for.

PIKE uses the latest advanced technologies of the world market leaders, like Microsoft, Oracle, Siemens, HP, IBM, DELL etc.

PRODUCTION AND PLANNING SYSTEMS

1. Requirements on Metal Producers
Steel producers have to meet ever increasing reguirements of their customers. Most important among these requirements are:

• delivering high-quality products
• constant demand for product innovation
• delivering at customer-friendly prices
• optimizing order due dates
• providing flexibility in production
  
  There are „plant internal“ requirements that are defined as well. It is necessary for the steel producers to constantly meet these requirements:
• optimizing costs
• increasing plant throughput and produktivity
• comply to internal quality management system
• minimizing stock volumes
• environmental requirements

2. Plant Management System - Level 3
Control systems at first and second level (Level 1 and Level 2) support direct control of production units like melt shop, caster or hot strip mill. Metal Plant Management systems (Level 3) are implemented above unit control systems. Their goal is to:

• face and meet defined customer and „plant internal“ requirements
• integrate the management and control of the whole metal plant
• integrate Plant Management with ERP systems

3. Structure of Plant Management System
To support processes at plant management level and to provide user benefits, Metal Plant Management System has following structure of modules:

• production management
• advanced planning/scheduling
• quality management

4. Production Management
Production Management modul supports main processes and provides fundamental functions at level 3. Production Management modul consists of following structure of functions:

• accepting of customer order from ERP system
• transformation of business order into production order
• planning material chain ( heat, slab, plate, coil, etc.) for every production order
• with modul Advanced Planning/Scheduling (APS)
• material tracking and stock control
• production resources management
• confirming production of production and customer order to ERP system
• customer access to production and customer order via internet
• integration with modul Quality Management

5. Advanced Planning/Scheduling (APS)
APS solution is designed specifically to the needs of metal companies to help them to become low-cost, high-margin companies. APS has following structure of functions:

• supply chain planning
• sales and operations planning
• order planning and scheduling
• transportation management

Implementation of APS functions is based on PIKE solution or APS product i2 Primary Metal Solution.

6. Quality Management
Quality of production is essential to metal producers. Metal Quality Management (MQM) modul is used to support quality management functions within Level 3 Plant management system. The structure of MQM modules is:

• MQ Release
• MQ Prediction
• MQ Planning
• MQ WareHouse
• MQ Analyzer

7. Benefits of Plant Management System in Metal Industry

• Increasing customer satisfaction
• Increasing total productivity
• Increasing throughput of the whole plant
• Reducing material on stocks
• Minimizing non-allocated material
• Improvement of overall production quality
• Preventing further processing of not qualified material
• Increasing process know-how
• Matching with Environmental Requirements
• Sure identification of material
• Less material movement

Decreasing use of production resources