A synchronized production control system between steel making and hot rolling was developed at Mizushima Works, (which is named "P2 system"). This system is composed of integrated planning system and operation control system.
The former includes 5-day scheduling, daily scheduling and schedule adjustment system. And the latter covers operations of hot metal, BOF, CCM, slab yard, hot strip mill and coil yard.
In order to synchronize the production rate, these were the key technologies to be developed; decreasing the number of slab sizes in continuous casting, quick quality check of slabs before hot rolling and schedule free rolling in hot strip mill (HSM). HSM-in-line sizing press was developed and installed for the first time in the world to decrease the number of slab sizes. Hot slab samplers were also developed and equipped in slab finishing line for the quick check of chemical composition, and all the finishing stands of HSM were equipped with work-roll-shift devices for the schedule free rolling.
This system was started in March 1987, and now demonstrating noticeable results such as improvement of material flow, hot charge rolling, production yield, quality of products, energy saving, man power saving and so on.