UrBC, Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk Region, August 13, 2015. Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) is launching an automated operative scheduling system at the plant. The system was introduced at the company’s Sheet-Rolling Department 5 in July 2015 and by now has arrived to all of the major production divisions, including Mill 5000 and cold-roll Mill 2000, MMK reports.

The automated system means company can react quickly to changes in its orders book and ensure efficient cooperation among all of MMK production facilities. Considerable savings result from strict compliance with production schedules and terms of delivery, immediate action when any under-used sections of manufacturing flow get detected, and many other factors affecting production process efficiency.

The automated system was developed by Ausferr Research & Technology Center in close cooperation with MMK experts; it now allows for detailed production scheduling from steel smelting to end product’s shipment and ensures optimal equipment workload necessary to meet the customer’s technological requirements. Additionally, production costs were reduced significantly due to better cooperation between departments, and MMK’s key customers can now track their order delivery online, which makes the entire order fulfillment process (including the production stage) completely transparent. The system tracks both the way each order is fulfilled and makes sure the product meets the customer’s requirements.