The Solution

The first step was to take an objective, zero-based look at the entire enterprise to uncover savings. We discovered the mill was capable of producing 36 heats or, 9,000 tons, of liquid steel per day. The capacity was delivered by either a two-strand Slab Caster or a two-strand Direct Strip Production Complex (DSPC). The latter, considered a world-class asset, was known for producing some of the best quality hot-rolled coil in North America.

At the time, the mill’s production strategy was to keep the DSPC supplied with steel and run the Slab Caster during turnarounds, or keep it available as a contingency to handle major delays on the DSPC. This allowed only two strands of either caster to produce steel at any given time. Once the sales and marketing team made the decision to focus on selling DSPC coils, we helped the mill harness the full capacity of the DSPC without decreasing the steel supply to the Slab Caster.

Working with the mill’s production control, scheduling department and the primary steelmaking operations group, we developed and implemented a new production strategy to reduce the number of practices. The strategy included:

• Aligning ladle steel production with sales and operations to reflect a repeatable and predictable process.
• Originating and instating contingency plans to manage ladle steel practices in queue, so that unplanned delays on either caster would be accounted for and accommodated.
• Instead of running two strands and continually alternating between casters, the company employed a three-strand casting approach that achieved constant steel flow through the production pipeline, eliminating changeover downtime.