As part of the implementation of its Big Data strategic initiative, Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works is planning to complete five projects in 2018 that will result in savings of over 40 million rubles a year.
At the end of 2015 MMK adopted a new development strategy for the period through 2025 that included, among other things, a Big Data strategic initiative calling for comprehensive modeling and mathematical optimization of key production processes.
In order to implement this initiative, a program was approved for the development and implementation of mathematical models at MMK for 2016-2018, which included 14 projects throughout the company’s production divisions. Two of these were carried out in 2017 at a cost of around 65 million rubles: an integrated system for managing the energy efficiency of the central power station through the optimization of the technical and engineering model; and the first phase of the automated control system for the operation of steam-generating units in the thermal power station. The implementation of these projects resulted in savings of 31.7 million rubles during the period from August 2017 through March 2018.
There are plans to complete five more projects in 2018, covering the blast-furnace plant, rolling mill No. 10, the oxygen-converter plant and MMK’s thermal power station. The cost of implementation will exceed 30 million rubles, while they are expected to result in savings of over 40 million rubles a year. Work on a total of 16 projects will continue in 2018-2019. The approximate costs will be about 480 million rubles, while they are expected to save 425 million rubles a year.
The company is currently preparing a program for scaling its Big Data strategic initiative for another strategic initiative: MMK-Industry 4.0, which includes not only Big Data projects but also projects related to predictive technologies, the Internet of things and the robotization of production. (MMK/Ukrainian metal)