The manufacturing of steel bar products in mini-mills involves continuous casting of billet sections, cooling of the billets, reheating to rolling temperatures and final shaping and size reduction in rolling mills. The operation of the reheat furnaces is a significant challenge due to the dynamic nature of both the reheating and rolling processes. The operation of a furnace was analyzed with the use of a SCADA data collection system, and with both steady state and transient mathematical models. The new knowledge gathered in this way was complimented by knowledge from experienced mill personnel to form the basis for an expert system designed to offer timely advice to furnace operators. The result was development of an industrial expert system leading to an increase in furnace and rolling mill productivity.
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