<p> The major emphasis of this paper concerns the location of Stelco 1 s Lake Erie Works at Nanticoke. The paper puts into perspective Stelco's decision to build a new integrated steel works. Stelco had to increase its capacity by an estimated six-million tons to ensure its competitiveness up to the year 2000. Hilton Works could at best only produce a five and a half to six million ton annual capacity and had no room available to expand its operation. </p> <p> Stelco therefore set out on an intense search to find a suitable location to develop a new integrated steel plant. Nanticoke Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Erie, was finally chosen as the site. Overall, the differences between Hamilton and Nanticoke are small and it was chiefly the space available and better labour relations at Nanticoke that influenced Stelco's choice of location. Construction of Lake Erie Works began in 1974 and the first phase was completed in 1980. </p> / Thesis / Candidate in Philosophy

A typical steel plant includes iron-making, steel-making and rolling mills from the upstream to the downstream. The rolling mill can be extended and segmented as hot strip mill and cold strip mill in a large scale steel plant. A steel plant contains lots of automation control systems and process information systems to pursuit process efficiency and production optimization. The control systems and information systems are segmented based on physical model in ANSI/ISA-88 standard, and ranged up the enterprise-wide and down to each process. It is impossible to construct only a stand-alone Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to cope with the very complicated Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) environment. An adequate MES should interface information systems in the plant seamlessly, and eliminate the duplicated pattern functions which exist elsewhere. To build up an MES model for a steel plant, it is essential to gather all MES-related structure elements in the information systems as the first step, and conceive additional MES¡¦ structure elements as the second step. The first step makes our approach different from the traditional stand-alone MES system development methodology. In this thesis, the MES is decomposed from the view points of ¡¥Structure View¡¦ and ¡¥Behavior View¡¦ to obtain Structure Elements and Behaviors. The MES can be fully described based on Structure Elements and Behaviors. Our modeling approach defines a ¡¥Steel Plant MES Architecture Description Language¡¦ in the beginning, and fabricates a ¡¥Steel Plant MES Reference Model¡¦ then. ¡¥Steel Plant MES Reference Model¡¦ includes a set of Architecture Hierarchy Diagram, Structure Element Diagram, Structure Element Service Diagram, Structure Element Link Diagram, Structure Behavior Coalescence Diagram, and Sequence Diagram. This reference model has been introduced to set up a companywide integrated MES in a brand new steel plant to validate the model.

In recently years, RFID system has been developed rapidly and it is one of the ten most important technologies in this century. Our government (Taiwan) and the manufacture industries both are actively and positively promoting RFID system to enhance immediate reactions of corporate distribution & logistic system, and further improving the corporate operation efficiency and corporate competitive competences. In this study, we use Everett M. Rogers¡¦s (1962) Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) Theory as our framework, with individualized case study such as torpedo car system of steel plant discussing RFID system¡¦s five stages of its implementation process. The five stages are knowledge, persuasion, decision-making, implementation and confirmation. These are the consideration items and evaluation standards when implement RFID system. We research RFID system on its impact in organizational structure and culture, and further compare the impact of adoptive RFID system enterprises and existing resources. We summarized our research findings as following : 1. Large-scale and solid financial enterprises usually take the initiative to collect information and understanding the innovative technologies such as the RFID system. If the technology can be widely applied in the company and bring greater benefits, the employees within the company will propose recommended plans. Therefore, usually early adopters of such technology are big firm companies. 2. Enterprises whom are considering implementing this innovative technology like RFID system, the first focus is its future benefit, followed by the costs and the other factors; if the assessments revealed that can significantly enhance corporate performance, even in the absence of precedent for reference, the enterprises will still try to implement and use this technology. 3. Because the use of innovative technology companies usually lack of precedent and experience for reference, therefore before they adopted, they will survey related examples and will compare the current operation status to improve the efficiency of the forecast evaluation. In the initial stage of introduce innovative technology for a company, increasing corporate performance brought by technology usually remains in forecast period and hard to specify prediction.

A constante busca por redução de custos e alternativas estratégicas por abastecimento de insumos refratários, tem levado as usinas siderúrgicas à buscar novos fornecedores para atender suas necessidades. Com base na necessidade da Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), firmou-se uma parceria entre universidade e empresa, com intuito de desenvolver um novo fornecedor para um insumo refratário o qual só era fornecido por uma empresa. Foi então iniciado um trabalho de investigação das propriedades físico-químicas do material utilizado pela CSN (material de referência), utilizando-se a análise da distribuição granulométrica, composição mineralógica e propriedades mecânicas. A partir deste ponto, convidouse uma empresa genuinamente nacional, para desenvolver um novo produto, com matérias primas nacionais, que tivesse as mesmas propriedades mecânicas do material de referência. O concreto nacional foi caracterizado da mesma forma que o material de referência, em suas propriedades físico-químicas e ensaios mecânicos. Com base nos resultados foi realizado um teste em escala piloto, com aprovação do material. A empresa parceira passou a ter um novo material em sua carteira de produtos comercializado no mercado nacional e a CSN está realizando testes em escala industrial para aprovar um novo fornecedor de concreto refratário de alta resistência mecânica. / The constant search for cost reduction and strategic alternatives for refractory raw materials supply, has led the steelplants to look for new suppliers to meet its needs. Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) has signed a partnership between universities and companies, aiming to develop a new supplier for a refractory raw material which was only supplied by one company. Then a research based on chemical-physical properties of material used by CSN (reference material) was started, using the analysis of particle size distribution, mineralogical composition and mechanical properties. From this point, a genuine national company was invited, to develop a new product, with national raw materials, which had the same mechanical properties of the reference material. The national castable was characterized in the same way as the reference material in their chemical-physical properties and mechanical tests. Based on the results a test was performed on a pilot scale, with the approval of the material. The partner company has taken on a new material in its portfolio of products marketed in the domestic market and CSN is conducting tests on an industrial scale to approve a new supplier of refractory concrete with high mechanical strength.

O mercado siderúrgico vive um momento de grande competição e as empresas produtoras necessitam, cada vez mais, atuar internamente sobre seus custos para garantir lucratividade e rentabilidade. A motivação deste trabalho foi a redução de custos de produção de arames de aço para o setor agropecuário, por meio de estudo de viabilidade técnica do emprego de aço ao carbono produzido via aciaria elétrica, em lugar de aço produzido via aciaria a oxigênio – atualmente utilizado em algumas usinas siderúrgicas. As qualidades de aços estudadas são produzidas através de aciaria elétrica, dando origem aos tarugos que são laminados a quente para obtenção do fio-máquina que segue para os processos posteriores de trefilação e galvanização, em que se obtém os arames de aço. As composições químicas propostas neste trabalho devem garantir que as especificações de propriedades mecânicas permaneçam sendo atendidas. Foram realizados levantamento e análise de histórico de dados, análises de composição química, caracterização microestrutural, ensaios de tração e de enrolamento. Fundamentado nos resultados atingidos, mostra-se que a metodologia proposta para avaliação de propriedades mecânicas é válida. O presente estudo aponta também que é viável tecnicamente o emprego de aço ao carbono semelhante ao SAE1045, obtido via aciaria elétrica, na produção de arames de aço galvanizados para o setor agropecuário, mantendo o atendimento a todas as especificações e com possibilidade de redução de custos de produção. / The steel market is experiencing a period of great competition and manufacturing companies need, increasingly, to act internally on their costs to ensure lucrativeness and profitability. The motivation of this work was to reduce the cost of production of steel wires for the agriculture sector, by studying the technical feasibility use of a carbon steel produced by electric arc furnace, replacing the oxygen furnace steel – currently used in some mills. The studied steels are manufactured in an electric arc furnace, giving rise to the billets that are hot rolled to obtain the wire rod to follow the subsequent process of drawing and galvanizing, where the wires of steel are made. The chemical compositions proposed in this paper must guarantee that the mechanical properties described in the technical standards continue be met. Data, chemical composition, microstructure, tensile strength and winding properties were surveyed and analyzed. Based upon the results achieved, it is shown that the proposed method for assessment of the mechanical properties is valid. This study also indicates that it is technically feasible the use of carbon steel similar to SAE1045, obtained by electric arc furnace, to manufacturing galvanized steel wires for the agriculture sector maintaining compliance to all technical standards and with the possibility of reducing costs.

A constante busca por redução de custos e alternativas estratégicas por abastecimento de insumos refratários, tem levado as usinas siderúrgicas à buscar novos fornecedores para atender suas necessidades. Com base na necessidade da Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), firmou-se uma parceria entre universidade e empresa, com intuito de desenvolver um novo fornecedor para um insumo refratário o qual só era fornecido por uma empresa. Foi então iniciado um trabalho de investigação das propriedades físico-químicas do material utilizado pela CSN (material de referência), utilizando-se a análise da distribuição granulométrica, composição mineralógica e propriedades mecânicas. A partir deste ponto, convidouse uma empresa genuinamente nacional, para desenvolver um novo produto, com matérias primas nacionais, que tivesse as mesmas propriedades mecânicas do material de referência. O concreto nacional foi caracterizado da mesma forma que o material de referência, em suas propriedades físico-químicas e ensaios mecânicos. Com base nos resultados foi realizado um teste em escala piloto, com aprovação do material. A empresa parceira passou a ter um novo material em sua carteira de produtos comercializado no mercado nacional e a CSN está realizando testes em escala industrial para aprovar um novo fornecedor de concreto refratário de alta resistência mecânica. / The constant search for cost reduction and strategic alternatives for refractory raw materials supply, has led the steelplants to look for new suppliers to meet its needs. Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) has signed a partnership between universities and companies, aiming to develop a new supplier for a refractory raw material which was only supplied by one company. Then a research based on chemical-physical properties of material used by CSN (reference material) was started, using the analysis of particle size distribution, mineralogical composition and mechanical properties. From this point, a genuine national company was invited, to develop a new product, with national raw materials, which had the same mechanical properties of the reference material. The national castable was characterized in the same way as the reference material in their chemical-physical properties and mechanical tests. Based on the results a test was performed on a pilot scale, with the approval of the material. The partner company has taken on a new material in its portfolio of products marketed in the domestic market and CSN is conducting tests on an industrial scale to approve a new supplier of refractory concrete with high mechanical strength.

Always the integrated steel plant, invests hugely, produces many kinds of steel grade, makes the procedure heavy and complicated, with high capital and skill-intensive, the products need to enter the domestic and international markets via severe competition, does not have monopolizing nature. On the initial stage of founding the factory, there are three developing criterion ,such as: rationalization in management¡Bmanaging computerization and production automation. The internal process of the integrated steel plant is a big supply chain system. In order to implement the close integration among ¡§producing, sale and demand¡¨, promote the process efficiency of whole company and break through the inertia that has thinking, China steel established a task force to implement the SCM system specialized in sales based on the existing production and marketing system and homework platform infrastructure in 2004. The purpose of this project are: on the premise of improving customer satisfaction, create mechanism of ¡§operation of producing and selling in good order¡¨, and offering via SCM with depth, broadness, transparency mechanism in coordination with operation, can promote adaptability to changes internally while facing the complicated and fast change of the internal and external environments, can be satisfied with customer's demand fast externally, let supply chain have a competition advantage entirely. This research is to analysis and study the critical success factors for implementing the SCM system of the integrated steel plant in CSC¡¦s case. This research applied Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to find out the critical success factors (CSF) from five constructs and twenty impact factors through AHP Questionnaire answered by four kinds of personnel. By statistical analysis, we find out the top six impact factors include: (1) Cognition and support, fully authorizing of the high-order executive, (2) Keep positive interdynamic cooperation with the users, (3) Setting-up and participation of the internal common understanding, (4) The system is designed to be in conformity with the environmental change of trends, (5) Plan and execution that will be supplied in the supply chain management system are combined, feedback and revise each other to improve plan exactness, (6) Build the sharing platform for supply, demand and managing information.

O mercado siderúrgico vive um momento de grande competição e as empresas produtoras necessitam, cada vez mais, atuar internamente sobre seus custos para garantir lucratividade e rentabilidade. A motivação deste trabalho foi a redução de custos de produção de arames de aço para o setor agropecuário, por meio de estudo de viabilidade técnica do emprego de aço ao carbono produzido via aciaria elétrica, em lugar de aço produzido via aciaria a oxigênio – atualmente utilizado em algumas usinas siderúrgicas. As qualidades de aços estudadas são produzidas através de aciaria elétrica, dando origem aos tarugos que são laminados a quente para obtenção do fio-máquina que segue para os processos posteriores de trefilação e galvanização, em que se obtém os arames de aço. As composições químicas propostas neste trabalho devem garantir que as especificações de propriedades mecânicas permaneçam sendo atendidas. Foram realizados levantamento e análise de histórico de dados, análises de composição química, caracterização microestrutural, ensaios de tração e de enrolamento. Fundamentado nos resultados atingidos, mostra-se que a metodologia proposta para avaliação de propriedades mecânicas é válida. O presente estudo aponta também que é viável tecnicamente o emprego de aço ao carbono semelhante ao SAE1045, obtido via aciaria elétrica, na produção de arames de aço galvanizados para o setor agropecuário, mantendo o atendimento a todas as especificações e com possibilidade de redução de custos de produção. / The steel market is experiencing a period of great competition and manufacturing companies need, increasingly, to act internally on their costs to ensure lucrativeness and profitability. The motivation of this work was to reduce the cost of production of steel wires for the agriculture sector, by studying the technical feasibility use of a carbon steel produced by electric arc furnace, replacing the oxygen furnace steel – currently used in some mills. The studied steels are manufactured in an electric arc furnace, giving rise to the billets that are hot rolled to obtain the wire rod to follow the subsequent process of drawing and galvanizing, where the wires of steel are made. The chemical compositions proposed in this paper must guarantee that the mechanical properties described in the technical standards continue be met. Data, chemical composition, microstructure, tensile strength and winding properties were surveyed and analyzed. Based upon the results achieved, it is shown that the proposed method for assessment of the mechanical properties is valid. This study also indicates that it is technically feasible the use of carbon steel similar to SAE1045, obtained by electric arc furnace, to manufacturing galvanized steel wires for the agriculture sector maintaining compliance to all technical standards and with the possibility of reducing costs.

O mercado siderúrgico vive um momento de grande competição e as empresas produtoras necessitam, cada vez mais, atuar internamente sobre seus custos para garantir lucratividade e rentabilidade. A motivação deste trabalho foi a redução de custos de produção de arames de aço para o setor agropecuário, por meio de estudo de viabilidade técnica do emprego de aço ao carbono produzido via aciaria elétrica, em lugar de aço produzido via aciaria a oxigênio – atualmente utilizado em algumas usinas siderúrgicas. As qualidades de aços estudadas são produzidas através de aciaria elétrica, dando origem aos tarugos que são laminados a quente para obtenção do fio-máquina que segue para os processos posteriores de trefilação e galvanização, em que se obtém os arames de aço. As composições químicas propostas neste trabalho devem garantir que as especificações de propriedades mecânicas permaneçam sendo atendidas. Foram realizados levantamento e análise de histórico de dados, análises de composição química, caracterização microestrutural, ensaios de tração e de enrolamento. Fundamentado nos resultados atingidos, mostra-se que a metodologia proposta para avaliação de propriedades mecânicas é válida. O presente estudo aponta também que é viável tecnicamente o emprego de aço ao carbono semelhante ao SAE1045, obtido via aciaria elétrica, na produção de arames de aço galvanizados para o setor agropecuário, mantendo o atendimento a todas as especificações e com possibilidade de redução de custos de produção. / The steel market is experiencing a period of great competition and manufacturing companies need, increasingly, to act internally on their costs to ensure lucrativeness and profitability. The motivation of this work was to reduce the cost of production of steel wires for the agriculture sector, by studying the technical feasibility use of a carbon steel produced by electric arc furnace, replacing the oxygen furnace steel – currently used in some mills. The studied steels are manufactured in an electric arc furnace, giving rise to the billets that are hot rolled to obtain the wire rod to follow the subsequent process of drawing and galvanizing, where the wires of steel are made. The chemical compositions proposed in this paper must guarantee that the mechanical properties described in the technical standards continue be met. Data, chemical composition, microstructure, tensile strength and winding properties were surveyed and analyzed. Based upon the results achieved, it is shown that the proposed method for assessment of the mechanical properties is valid. This study also indicates that it is technically feasible the use of carbon steel similar to SAE1045, obtained by electric arc furnace, to manufacturing galvanized steel wires for the agriculture sector maintaining compliance to all technical standards and with the possibility of reducing costs.

Foram tomadas amostras de aço líquido referentes a três grupos de aço, a saber: (I) aços baixo-carbono (0,02 %C 0,08), acalmados ao alumínio; (II) aços peritéticos (0,09 %C 0,15), acalmados ao alumínio e silício; (III) aços ultrabaixo carbono ( C<35 ppm), acalmados ao alumínio.Os aços foram produzidos em aciaria do tipo LD e foram, a seguir, tratados em equipamentos de refino secundário, adequados a cada um dos casos.As amostras forma colhidas no distribuidor de uma máquina de lingotamento contínuo de placas, segundo critério que minimiza a possibilidade da ocorrência de interferências que pudessem mascarar o resultado do tratamento de refino secundário tais como re-oxidação do aço e coleta simultânea de escória. As amostras foram submetidas à análise de inclusões utilizando-se técnicas de microscopia óptica, microscopia eletrônica e micro-análise. Foi possível caracterizar as inclusões presentes em cada tipo de aço segundo a morfologia, o tamanho, a quantidade e a composição química. / Non-metallic inclusions in liquid samples of (I) low-carbon aluminium killed steel (0,02wpct C 0,08wpct), (II) peritetic aluminium and silicon killed steel (0,09wpct C 0,15wpct); (III) extra-low-carbon, aluminium killed steel (C<35 ppm) were taken from the tundish distributor of a continuous casting caster for steel plates according to a procedure that minimizes re-oxidation of steel and/or pick up of liquid slag. The samples were inspected through the following microstructural techniques: optical microscopy, electronic microscopy, and electron microprobe. Were possible to feature present inclusion in each kind of steel according to morphology, size, amout and chemical composition.