sap at new plate mill, rsp, sail: an implemented approach · 2018-03-10 · sap at new plate mill,...
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Sap at New Plate Mill, RSP, SAIL: An implemented approach
Ram Narayan Nayak, Ashok Kumar Dash, Dhirendra Mohapatra
SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant, Rourkela-769011, Odisha
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected],
New Plate Mill (NewPM) installed in Rourkela Steel Plant has a new state-of-the-art
technology and is capable of producing wide variety of plates with consistent dimensional
tolerance to successfully meet the stringent quality requirements of customers. Plates are hot
rolled and go through the major processes like preheating in walking beam furnace , De-
scaling, Hydraulic AGC, Plan View Rolling (PVR) , Thermo Mechanical Rolling(TMR),
Accelerated Cooling Control(ACC), Hot Plate Leveler (HPL), Profile & Shape Gauge (PSG),
Online Ultrasonic testing (UST) recording, Double side trimming Shear(DSTS), Dividing
Shear(DS), Plate Marking, Cold Plate Leveler(CPL) and Piler . The information flows across
a series of diverse systems covering business and process control systems e.g. SAP, Furnace
Level2, Mill Level2 and Finishing Facility Level2 for material tracking and control. SAP has
the PDI of slabs and all the recording of production work in progress (WIP)/ final plates,
planning for customers and dispatch from New Plate Mill take place through SAP. Hence, it
calls for seamless integration of SAP with all these level-2 systems.
The integration of SAP system with the above 3 major Level2 systems of plate mill has been
done in-house after using different modules of SAP which included Production
planning(PP), Quality management(QM) and Sales Distribution(SD). NewPM uses a model
based Furnace Level-2 Computer system for optimization of furnace parameters ,tracking.
The model based MILL Level2 Computer system is used for calculation & management of
online and offline mill setup, tracking and MIS. The Finishing Facility Level2 system is used
for activities ranging from cutting schedule generation ,tracking till plate yard mapping . The
weighment & dispatch operation is performed online using SAP system at shipping area. The
ABSTRACT
level-2 systems were modified for creating staging tables in level-2 Database and SAP system
was modified for exchange of information through XI/PI.
The different activities required were customization of modules in SAP, creation of required
interfaces with level-2 system and weigh-bridge system, modification of level-2 software,
weigh-bridge software and ultimately selling the system to end-users for smooth
implementation. These challenges were taken up in a planned manner. The data flow and
process flow was analyzed and interfaces developed and implemented covering all activities
involved in the process.
The loading of slabs in SMS slab yard, unloading of slabs which include external slabs , slab
yard mapping, rolling program from CMO’s Customer Orders with technical delivery
conditions(TDC), WIP mapping, plate yard mapping, quality management and dispatch are
done through SAP modules. The PP module was interfaced with the NEWPM L-2 systems for
flow of PDI for process control , production planning and production data. The rolling
program is received by all the three level-2 systems so that dimension and route control is
achieved. The weigh-bridge PCs were interfaced with SAP through RFC for plate PDI. This
paper contains the various challenges faced by the C&IT, ERP and members of NewPM , RSP
while implementing online use of PP, SD and QM modules.
Keywords: NEWPM: New Plate Mill, Level-2 systems, Mathematical model, SAP, PDI,
Production Order, XI/PI, RFC, GI, GR, PP, SD,QM, TDC, TMR, HAGC, PVR, ACC,HPL,
PSG, UST, DSTS, DS
INTRODUCTION
In the Order to Cash scenario for Plates of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), customers book order
with Central Marketing Organization (CMO) of SAIL. These orders are received through
CMO SAP system at different branch offices. The Movement Plans (MPs) pertaining to RSP
are transferred to RSP SAP Server via SAP PI Server over the SAIL Intranet. These MPs are
converted to Sale Orders by PPC Product Manager depending on its suitability for production
RSP New Plate Mill. The orders are processed by various SAP modules like MDM (Master
data Management), PP(Production and Planning), QM(Quality Management), SD(Sales
Distribution) and FICO(Finance and Control) which work in consonance to facilitate the
production , material tracking and shipment of the product. The production process starts with
the creation of Production Orders from the Sale Orders.
The RSP New Plate Mill is a highly automated plant with three major Level-II systems
covering the functionalities of the Reheating Furnace (RHF), Main Rolling Mill (MILL) and
the Finishing Facilities (FF). The RHF Level-II system is having the Furnace Optimization
model for pre-heating of slabs to desired temperature. The Mill Level-II system aims at
rolling of desired quality of plates using mill setup and adaptation. The FF Level-II system
aims at quality tracking and storage of rolled daughter plates. The SAP system acts as the
Level-III system for these Level-II systems. All these systems work in tandem to achieve the
desired level of customer satisfaction.
In the NPM integrated system, SAP system has the pivotal role as the data supplier and data
integrator. It has the important responsibility for the functions like : Slab Yard Management in
SMS and NPM, Sale Order Tracking, Production Planning, Source of Master Data for Level-
II, Production Functions, Quality Result Recording and Usage Decision, Dispatch activities
like Indenting, Rake Formation, Vehicle Control (Gate pass), Weighment Recording ,
Delivery Creation and Invoice Generation, Test Certificate Generation and Supply of required
information to customer through CMO. It also gives a no of MIS reports for Order tracking,
Material tracking and Quality tracking.
MATERIAL TRACKING IN SAP WITH L2 INTEGRATION
In NEWPM rolling Process, information flows between multiple Level2 systems from slab to
plate and traverses through a no of Stages while it moves from slab yard to plate yard. For
on-line tracking of material, it was required to Map the Level 2 processes/states in SAP. A
flow diagram as shown in figure was constructed to study extensively the information, events
and interfaces involved which is presented in figure-1 below with explanation following it.
Message
Code
Source
System
Destination
System
Message Description
1 SAP FCE L-2 &
MILL L-2 .
Heat data with chemical composition
10 SAP RHF L-II Lineup details (Slab dimensions, weight, grade,
slab reference, charge sequence no)
12. RHF L-2II SAP Dropped slab details
20 RHF L-II RHF L-I individual Slab data to be put on RT1 of Roller
Table
30 RHFL-I. RHF L-II Charging Table and Furnace MAP, Instrument
data cyclically
40 RHFL-I. RHF L-II charged slab information
50 RHF L-II MILL L-II charged slab information
51 RHF L-II SAP charged slab information
52.1 SAP RHF L-II rolling program
52.2 SAP MILLL-II rolling program
52.3 SAP FF L-II rolling program
60 RHF L-I RHF L-II discharged slab information
70 RHF L-I MILLL-I discharged slab information including Slab
Temperature
80 RHF L-II MILLL-II discharged slab information
90 MILLL-II MILLL-I discharged slab information and mill setup .
100 MILL L-I RHFL-I Speed reference. MILL L-I adjusts de-scaling
header. Pass schedule execution starts
110 MILL L-I MILL -II actual pass parameters’
120 MILL -II MILL L-I pass to pass corrections
The mathematical models work on a band of
input data like PDI(Geometry), mill stretch, mill
zeroing, Process rules, Temperatures( discharge
and all pyrometers), Roll geometry, Roll
wear/ crown/ thermal/ mechanical, PVR, Roll
shifting, Roll cooling, Steel grade Chemistry,
Cast information, Bending Trim, Flatness rules,
Adaptation parameters, Material Hardness etc.
140 MILLL-II RHF L-II Slab arrival temp at Mill
145 MILLL-II SAP mother plate data after slab is rolled
150 MILLL-II CVTL-I setup information for ACC system
160 MILLL-II HPL-II setup information depending on the plate as-
rolled dimensions, material grade and
temperature HPL-II receives and sends MILL
L-I for execution
170 MILLL-II FF L-II Plate no, grade and dimensions at the exit of
HPL.
180 MILL L-I Plate Plate information when the mother plate crosses
information from Entry table of CB1 to Entry table of CB2
190 MILLL-II FF L-1I. The plate occupancy of CB-I
200 MILLL-I FFL-I Plate information which in turn sends them to FF
L-II At CB-I exit and entry table of CB-II .
210 FFL-I FF L-1I Plate information at CB-II delivery table
215 FFL-I FF L-1I Plate information at PIB entry
220 FFL-I FF L-1I Information t at PIB delivery
230 FF L-1I PSGL-I Plate information to PSGL-I at PSG entry
240 PSGL-I FF L-1I Plate shape details At PSG exit
250 FF L-1I USTL-I Plate information AT UST entry
260. USTL-I FF L-1I Test details to At UST exit
270. FF L-1 FF L-2for The request to length of plate at CS exit roller
table 2
280. FF L-1I FFL-I The plate length
290. FFL-I FF L-1I The plate has entered at DSTS entry
300. FF L-1I FFL-I The setup to FF L-1 At DSTS entry
310. FF L-I FF L-1I The plate has entered At DS entry.
320. FF L-1I FFL-I Setup at DS entry
330. DG L-1 FFL-I Plate dimensions at Dimension measurement
340. FFL-I FF L-1I Plate dimensions at Dimension measurement
345. FF L-1I SAP Daughter plate information
350 FF L-1I Marking
M/C L-1
Plate data at Marking/punching
360 Marking
M/C L-1
FF L-I Marking over signal Marking/punching
370 FF L-1I FF L-I Marking over signal from FF L-2 from FF L-I.
400. FF L-1I SAP Plate placement data
410 SAP FF L-1I Dispatched plate information
MAPPING OF PLATE MAKING PROCESSES
The flow of Make to Order (MTO) functionality of SAP helps for producing plates as per
customer needs. Different stages of transformation from slab to plate can not be replicated in
any standard format of the SCM software like SAP. So mapping these steps in SAP was the
real issue. Readymade applications to declare Kickback, Cold rejection etc. are not found in
any standard package. Hence the issue of mapping of SAP and online L2 system is tackled
through a number of status codes in SAP z-tables. The Data transfer between SAP system and
NPM Level-II system takes place via the PI server. To keep track of the status, status fields
by name Process Status , Storage Locations, XI Status, FCE L2 Status FCE, XI Status Mill,
Level2 Status Mill, XI Status FF, Level2 Status FF are used at the SAP level to keep track of
each slab/plate which are Processed in SAP / Processed in L2 and subsequent data transfer
status. Such a mapping was aimed at giving us error free tracking in SAP and data flow
between the systems.
They are as follows in Table-1 and Table-2.
Table-1.0
Process Status Meaning Slab
Location
Location Description
A Lineup done in FCE L-II NP07 De-Piler
1 Lineup Data sent from SAP to
FCE L-II
NP07 De-Piler
2 Charging NP60 Inside Furnace
3 Order attachment done in
SAP
NP60 Inside Furnace
4 Kickback NPKB Yard Kickback Location
5 Drop NPMD Yard Drop Location
6 Rolled - Slab Consumed
Table-2.0
System Field Name Information Type Interface
Status
Code
Description
Furnace L2 XI Status FCE Rolling Plan Transfer
to FCE L2 ( Rolling
Plan for the Mother
Plates with proposed
grade and dimension)
R Record ready to be
transferred to L2
P Recorded is picked by
PI server for transfer
Y Record successfully
transferred to L2
L2 Status
FCE
Rolling Plan Status in
FCE Level-II system
0 Plan Data Received in
L2
1 Plan Data successfully
processed in L2
2 Plan Data processed
with errors in L2
Mill L2 XI Status Mill Rolling Plan Transfer
Mill L2 ( Rolling Plan
for the Mother Plates
with proposed grade
and dimension)
R Record ready to be
transferred to L2
P Recorded is picked by
PI server for transfer
Y Record successfully
transferred to L2
L2 Status
Mill
Rolling Plan Status in
Mill Level-II system
0 Plan Data Received in
L2
1 Plan Data
successfully
processed in L2
2 Plan Data processed
with errors in L2
Mill L2 XI Status FF Rolling Plan Transfer
to FF L2 ( Rolling Plan
for the Daughter Plates
with proposed grade
and dimension)
R Record ready to be
transferred to L2
P Recorded is picked by
PI server for transfer
Y Record successfully
transferred to L2
L2 Status FF Rolling Plan Status in
FF Level-II system
0 Plan Data Received in
L2
1 Plan Data
successfully
processed in L2
2 Plan Data processed
with errors in L2
For production and stock transfer related functionalities, the standard functionality of SAP
like creation, change and confirmation of Production Order, Order Confirmation, Good
receipt, Batch Creation, Batch Updating and Goods Issue are used in PP module. In the QM
module, Sampling Plan determines the Testing frequency like Two samples per Heat, One
sample per plate. Here the results are recorded against the test pieces and copied to other
plates. Finally usage decision(UD) is made to send the plates to shipping location. The SD
module covers the creation of indents, rake plan, gate pass entry, creation of deliveries,
weighment data recording, railway receipt creation and invoice creation . This module gives a
no of MIS reports pertaining to Order position and Dispatch status. All these modules make
required accounts entry in the FICO module. The above modules are supported by Z-
Developments to take care of operations which are not supported by SAP and also for ease of
operation of users. These customizations enable users to accomplish the job with minimum
entry and are supported by the standard operations of SAP in the background. A no of
background jobs are created to take care of repetitive processes in required intervals to
minimize user intervention.
INTERFACING METHODOLOGY TO EXCHANGE PRODUCT DATA
There are different types of interfacing methods like DB Access/ RFC/File Transfer/IDOC
available to interface SAP with external computer systems. Here the interface has to be
seamless and real-time for the NPM Level-II systems to operate in tandem with the SAP
system. In our environment, XI/PI of SAP was preferred and adopted as because the Level-II
system is having database Oracle 11g and PI can directly access these system. The protocol of
data transfer was decided by the RSP SAP team and NPM L2 IT Vendors to have a staging
table approach where the staging tables will reside in L2 DB system and SAP PI will both Put
and Pull data into these tables. The Staging table structures are designed as per requirement of
both the systems. SAP writes the data into these tables as and when some operations are
carried out and read data from these tables in certain intervals. As per the agreed convention,
all tables are having a fixed header containing fields e.g. message counter, message date
,message time, message status, action-code etc for successful processing of data.
The different processes/interfaces used from Slab unloading till plate dispatch is as in the
table below:
Table-3.0
Sl
no
Event/Process SAP
Process
PI
Process
Level-2
Process
Frequency
1 Slab unloading and mapping of slab
yard
2 Slabs from external sources like sister
plants are unloaded in NPM slab
yard. The slab data and cast analysis
are uploaded to SAP for further
processing
3 Slabs Returned/Rejected to Steel
Melting Shop, Scrap and Salvage
Section
4 Rolling Program Generation
5 Slab Lineup in SAP and Slab Data
transfer to FCE Level-2 system
Online
6 Cold rejection of slabs from line up
in Furnace Level-2 because of mill
problem or change in lineup plan
As and when
takes place
7 Charging of slabs into the furnace As and when
takes place
8 Transferring of charged information
to SAP for attachment of Production
Orders
Every time a slab
is charged
9 Attachment of production orders to
create rolling plan
After charging of
10 slabs
10 Transfer of rolling plan from SAP to
All the three Level-2 system
Online
11 Issue of Rolling program and their
online display in operation pulpits
12 Kickback of Slabs As and when
takes place
13 Plate Rolling As and when
takes place
14 Transfer of Rolling Data from Mill
L2 to SAP
As and when
rolling over
15 Plate Side Trimming and Shearing to
daughter Plate
As and when
takes place
16 Daughter Plate Production Data from
FF L2 to SAP
As and when
daughter plate
marking is over
17 Plate Confirmation and Production
(GR of Plates, GI of Slabs, Order
Change as required)
18 Test Advices Generation ( as per
sampling plan)
19 UST Result Auto Recording ( as per
FF L2 data)
20 Result Recording , Copy and Usage
Decision
21 Dispatch activities ( wagon
Placement, Tare weight recording,
Delivery Creation, Gross weighment,
RR feeding, Invoice creation, Post
goods Issue)
Dispatch weigh-
bridge online
interfaced with
SAP
22 Test Certificate Generation
23 Transfer of Dispatch Data to FF L2
system
Every 2 hours
24 Transfer of Invoice Data / Test
Certificate to CMO system
Sent by user
Thrice a Day
25 Defective plates dispatched through
Secondary Stock Yard
26 MIS Reports
QUICK STABILISATION
In the New Plate Mill, the Reheating Furnace and Mill Proper was ready before the Level-II
system was established. So our approach in SAP was to start the SAP activities without data
as decided from L2 systems. As a transient major, we started recording production data by
uploading through excel files and do the subsequent activities as per SAP requirement. Then
in the next stage, Mill L2 was ready for interface with SAP. So our challenge was to quickly
stabilize the interface with Mill L2 to avoid manual data upload and do proper production
recording. In this stage the interface was developed to receive data from Mill L2 and do
confirmation of production and GR / GI from this data. In the final stage FF L2 was ready and
our approach was to verify the production of daughter plates with plan data and do the GR/GI
through background process. Here operation persons confirm the production and do GR/GI
for the plates which are diverted during rolling. To scrutinize the errors/deviations, we
developed some tables in SAP to record the data transfer logs.
INITIAL TEETHING PROBLEMS FACED
- Slab stock not getting updated. Slabs already received but still showing at Stock in
transit.
- A slab whose details are not there in SAP cannot be lined up.
- Batch confirmation (GI/GR) challenges. Since interfacing of SAP with Finishing area
was getting stabilized and was taking time, Batch confirmation facility was provided
from mill L-2 production data. This provides redundancy in production data confirmation
in case of inconsistent data from FF level-2 .
- Data sent from SAP was getting lost in case L2 is down. Provision of resending was
introduced.
- Heat chemistry was unavailable in MILL L2 as well as in FCE L2. Resend facility
provided in SAP..
DOS AND DON’TS FOLLOWED
The implementation of ERP gave a unique opportunity to the SAP members and the
associated IT people to understand a number of aspects of factory computerization. The dos
and don’ts which were normally followed and subsequently learnt to follow after a number of
trials by us are as follows.
DOs
- Involve steering committee to provide resources and control time over-run of the
project.
- Improve and standardize business processes and adopt processes built into ERP ( best
business practices)
- Avail adequate number of core users.
- Focus on improvement on process and not automation.
- Form data co-ordination/date migration/data cleansing team comprising of core users,
end users and IT technical team.
- Sign off Documentation.
- Use Access right management- unique username/password, traceability, security and
safety.
- Procure right size of infrastructure (servers, PCs, virus free network, SAN box,
printers, user license etc)
- Plan the growth of database and number of end-users to plan the right infrastructure
- Assess accurate assessment of no. of users.
- Take attendance during training and user involvement
- Explore what information the ERP provides and how can we use the information for
decision making
DON’Ts
- Do not automate
- Do not compromise on user training.
- Do not Compromise on acceptance test
- Do not customize.
- Do not look at ERP implementation as an IT project.
- Do not look for current reports.
CONCLUSION
At present the implementation at NEWPM is stabilized. It has educated us to a great extent
and we have been exposed to mostly all the facets of implementation issues of ERP in a
manufacturing plant with multiple level-2 automation systems. Since the PDI data of slabs
and heat and the Rolling plan as per customer requirements is available in SAP from the
originating locations, these authentic data facilitates the level-2 models to operate effectively
and produce desired results in terms of quality, productivity and efficiency. The level-2 data
as supplied to SAP enables to automate some of the functions of SAP there by reducing errors
and lead time for dispatch. The SAP working as Level-3 system along with the New Plate
Mill’s Level-2 systems extends the gamut of functions required for the successful functioning
of an IT system.
REFERENCE
1. Level-2 Documentation of M/s Danieli Automation for New Plate Mill, SAIL, RSP
2. Level-2 Documentation of M/s Tenova Italimpianti for New Plate Mill, SAIL, RSP
3. SYSTEM PLANT STUDY, Production Planning Management System by KAISER ENGINEERS /
MECON, October, 1993.
4. Tasks and Functional Specifications of the steel plant Hierarchical Control System - Volume-II by
Purdue laboratory for applied industrial control.
5. National Seminar on ‘Automation and its networking with MES and ERP’ by CSI, Visakhapatnam
Chapter in June-2005.