On February 9th, 2024, representatives from NLMK USA’s automation team visited CIVS to learn the methods used to develop and deploy the SMSVC Smart Ladle. CIVS Senior Research Engineer Nick Walla hosted the NLMK Machine Learning team that included:

Dan Whelan, Melt Shop Process Engineer
Ian Pearson, Production Automation Engineer
Josh Heaton, Production Automation Engineer

The visit is related to the SMSVC Smart Ladle, a software designed to use artificial intelligence to predict future temperatures in the ladle and casting processes of steel production. As part of the SMSVC, different member companies have worked with CIVS to build custom-designed implementations of the Smart Ladle for their locations.

The engineers at NLMK were interested in a deeper understanding of the process for preparing data and training the models used in the Smart Ladle. They were given a walkthrough of the Smart Ladle code and logic, as well as tips for preparing raw site data for machine learning usage.

Smart Ladle is an ongoing project to develop an AI tool that uses industry process data and machine learning to predict future behavior in the steel refining and casting processes. Originally started as part of an AIST Digital Transformation grant, the Smart Ladle has since become a continuing project as part of the Steel Manufacturing Simulation and Visualization Consortium (SMSVC) Refining Ladle project.

Working with the SMSVC industry partners, CIVS students, staff, and faculty have developed a machine learning tool to process steel production data and build correlations between various production logs and sensor measurements to enable the prediction of steel temperatures at a critical stage of the steel manufacturing process.

NLMK USA is a member company of the Steel Manufacturing Simulation and Visualization Consortium (SMSVC). NLMK USA is one of the leading steel companies in the United States. With production sites at NLMK Indiana, NLMK Pennsylvania, and Sharon Coating (NLMK Pennsylvania’s galvanizing operations), they produce flat-rolled steel essential to modern manufacturing.

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