Primary products production system and method

• US 20040236445A1
• Filed: 10/21/2003
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bhp Billiton Innovation Pty., Ltd. (BHP Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Bhp Billiton Innovation Pty., Ltd. (BHP Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bowles, Angela
• Application Number:
  US10/472,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236445A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/97
• CPC Class Codes: C21C 5/285 Plants therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C21C 5/5294 General arrangement or layout of the electric melt shop
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/20 Recycling

Abstract

The present invention relates to a primary product production system, and a method of supplying raw material (15) for the production. The row material (15) is provided in a manner, inter-alia, that is an improvement in the delivery and/or selection of supplied materials used. In a particular form, the product results from metal making and/or the coal industry. In a generic overall description, a customer (10) specifies a processed product as set out in an order (11) which typically includes quality and quantity of processed product such as pig iron (33) or other product, and places it. Changes (12) may also be made. This information is input to a database/computer (20) which then determines from the order (11, 12) which sources of raw materials (15) to the foundry or refinery (9) to produce a primary product which fulfils customer (10) orders (11) and/or changes (12). The raw material(s) (15) may be supplied from any‘asset’ (1-n).

Claims

1. A system adapted to determine a preferred supply path for raw material(s) to be used in the production of a primary product, the system including:

a network for providing information corresponding to at least one asset,

first means for determining customer requirements,

second means for determining production criteria, where determination is made with reference to the information corresponding to the at least one asset, and

third means repetitively determining utilisation of the at least one asset to enable production of the primary product substantially in accordance with the customer requirements.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third means periodically or continuously determines asset utilisation.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the third means repetitively determines the asset utilisation based on changes in the information corresponding to at least one of the at least one asset(s).

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the third means determines utilisation with reference to fourth means for asset management including repair and maintenance, diagnosis and prognosis.

16. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, or 8 to 15, wherein the second means and/or third means additionally creates further supply chain(s), taking into account events, such as changes in customer requirements, equipment availability, asset/ore body/deposit/reserve availability, feed variation, local commodities, supply delays/timing, transport delays/timing and characteristics.

5. A method for selecting raw material from a plurality of locations for delivery to a processing site for the production of a primary product, including:

receiving a customer order, the order specifying characteristics of the primary product,

determining, from the customer order, a specification of required raw materials to be processed in order to provide the primary product order by the customer,

determining, with reference to a database identifying characteristics and quantifies available of raw material resources, which available raw material resource can be utilised in order to substantially meet the specification of required raw materials.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the primary product is an output of a process in the steel making and/or coal industries, such as any one or a combination of, but not limited to, hot metal, pig iron, slab, clean coal, blended coal, coke, lump and nuts, blended lump and fines (Fe), sinter.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the determined available raw materials are (each) supplied in a manner coordinated with the production of the primary product.

17. A method as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, further including the step of repetitively and/or continuously determining a new supply chain for the order for at least a portion of the time taken to move the raw material(s) from source to a final destination.

18. A method as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7 or 17, further including the step of determining a plurality of supply chains, taking into account events, such as changes in customer requirements, equipment availability, asset/ore body/deposit/reserve availability, feed variation, local commodities, supply delays/timing, transport delays/timing and characteristics.

19. A primary product made in accordance with a method as claimed in any one of claims 5, 6, 7, 17 or 18.

20. A primary product made in accordance with a method as claimed in any one of claims 5, 6, 7, 17 or 18.

8. A system for selecting raw material from a plurality of locations for delivery to a processing site for the production of a primary product, including:

input means for receiving a customer order,

first means for identifying from the order, characteristics of the product to be processed,

second means for determining, from the first means, a specification of required raw materials to be provided in order to substantially meet the customer order,

third means for determining, with reference to a database, a selection of raw material(s) each having characteristic(s) and a quantity available and which can be utilised in order to substantially meet the specification of required raw materials.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, further including:

means for tracking a number of raw material(s) throughout a portion of their movement from source to customer.

10. A system as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein the processed product is an output of a process in the steel making and/or coal industries, such as any one or a combination of, but not limited to, hot metal, pig iron, slab, clean coal, blended coal, coke, lump and nuts, blended lump and fines (Fe), sinter.

11. A system as claimed in claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein the determined available raw materials are (each) supplied in a manner coordinated with the production of the processed product.

12. A system of determining a supply chain of raw material(s) in a process of primary product production, the system including:

first means for creating a new supply chain for each order,

second means for repetitively and/or continuously creating a new supply chain for the order for at least a portion of the time taken to move the raw material(s) from source to a final destination.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein each supply chain created is based on information gathered regarding at least one of the raw material(s).

14. A system as claimed in claim 12 or 13, adapted to the production of an output of a process in the steel making and/or coal industries, such as any one or a combination of, but not limited to, hot metal, pig iron, slab, clean coal, blended coal, coke, lump and nuts, blended lump and fines (Fe), sinter.

15. A system as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein the information gathered relates to quality, quantity, and availability of the raw material(s).