Melting 4.0 – digitalization and digital control of the melt shop

The considerable fluctuations in material prices and the increasing energy costs of recent years combined with growing pricing pressure emphasize the necessity to reorganize processes and to use existing resources in the most effective way.

The COVID19 situation has worsened many melt-shop operations since production is down but the overheads are not, the need of the hour is “digitalization” on the shop-floor in all aspects, definitely in the melt shop.

In many (steel) foundries, ironworks, steelworks, etc the IT-support for the melting / heating process, in contrast to other areas of production, is still a long way from achieving its full potential. Very often the level of industry is more or less on a “2.0” – infrastructure i.e. manual , and very far away from the “Industry 4.0” – digitalization and deployment of cyber-physical system  - concept. 

Databases are an essential tool in handling the digital processes in your business. They are key to storing, organising and analysing your business' critical data, such as staff and customer records, accounts, payroll, inventory, etc. In melt-shop operations it is absolutely essential to put your know-how into a form of database for various benefits. 

- The melt shop is THE MOST important part of a foundry / ironworks / steelworks

- It however comprises of up to 70% of total energy cost in a metal casting company

- The „melt process“ makes a foundry unique in manufacturing, it requires attention

- Evolutionary process inside the Melt Shop Area allows creation of databases

- The melting and alloying process is in many foundries a well protected company secret and this special Know-How MUST be preserved in form of a DB and not in Excel or even paper

THE SCOPE OF FRP®.melt
As a sector-specific MES (manufacturing execution system), the FRP®.melt program package is now part of the FRP® - System Standard, provides continuous support for the melt process and is an integrated IT solution for better melt operations.

FRP®.melt comes as a standalone system in 3 levels:

- M1 = Master Data and Charge Calculations

- M2 = M1 + Post-Charge Calculations and Melt Report but without MM and without digital integration of Spectrometer

- M3 = M2  + Post-Charge Calculations and Melt Report and with MM and with digital integration of Spectrometer 

Source: Foundry-Planet www.foundry-planet.com