Plenary Lecture

Advances of Anticipation Models for On-Line
Control in Steel Industry

Professor Roberto Revetria
DIPTEM, Dipartimento di Ingegneria della Produzione
Termoenergetica e Modelli Matematici
Via all'Opera Pia, 15, 16145 Genova, GE
University of Genoa
ITALY
E-mail: roberto.revetria@unige.it

Abstract: In a steelmaking real system the production planning is typically manual-loaded into a Gantt chart tracking system by operator, at the start of his shift only. If an accident event occurs during the steelmaking chain, the worker has a few minutes to change his production plan to another one, which typically has not the performance like the first one about cycle time, processes time, transport utilization etc. Then, the experience of worker planner is fundamental to perform the steelmaking chain but not sufficient. A predictive model could be a solution to automate and optimize the production planning activity, reducing possible human error and to speed the process of “remaking” for new chain.
The presentation outline the development of a simulation based a system for tracking full production from the hot metal availability to continuous casting process bound. The proposed system does not replace the local systems in singular but incorporates features to higher level by defining three new concepts:

• With real time situation, it shows a photograph of a particular moment in which for each object
• With forecast shows a projection made from a real-time fixed by considering the parameters of walking facilities, the establishment and planning of current flows to achieve. This forecast also takes the name of on-line scenario
• With prediction it indicates a projection from the on-line scenario, considering various steel plant and facilities parameters and planning different casts in order to achieve a target from those mentioned earlier (for example maximization of production Reduction in stocks of cast iron, etc.).
The outlined innovative system will be composed of three modules: the first module will have the duty to construct and present an overview on the current state of facilities and resources of plant, the second module will allow for the representation of the script online, as planning and the current state of facilities, the third module will finally realize the simulation of the system in correspondence to a baseline scenario of the various online.

Brief Biography of the Speaker:
Roberto Revetria earned his degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Genoa and he completed his master thesis in Genoa Mass Transportation Company developing an automatic system integrating ANN (Artificial Neural Networks) and simulation with the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) for supporting purchasing activities. He had consulting experience in modeling applied to environmental management for the new Bosch plant facility TDI Common Rail Technology in construction near Bari, FORD Motor Company in Detroit and in Severstal Lucchini. During his service in the Navy as officer, he was involved in the development of WSS&S (Weapon System Simulation & Service) Project. He completed is PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2001 defending his Doctoral thesis on “Advances in Industrial Plant Management” by applying Artificial iontelligence and Distributed Simulation to several Industrial Cases. Since 1998 is active in Distributed Simulation by moving US DoD HLA (High Level Architecture) Paradigm from Military to Industrial application. In 2000 he succesfully led a research group first demonstrating practical application of HLA in not dedicated network involving a 8 International University Group. He is currently involved, as reseacher, in the DIPTEM of Genoa University, working on advanced modeling projects for Simulation/ERP integration and DSS/maintenance planning applied to industrial case studies (Contracting & Engineering and Retail companies). He is active in developing projects involving simulation with special attention to Distributed Discrete Event, Systems Dynamics and Agent Based Continuous Simulation (SwarmSimulation Agents). He is teaching Modelling & Simulation, VV&A, Distributed Simulation (HLA), Projecty management in Master Courses Worldwide and he is teaching Industrial Plants Design in University of Genoa Masters' Courses. He is member of WSEAS, SCS, IASTED, ACM, ANIMP, AICE, MIMOS and Liophant Simulation Club. He is Associated Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Logistics. He is currently director of the simulation departement in Iso Sistemi srl.