TPi July 2017

news business & market On the way to smart factories

Marcegaglia’s Ravenna plant uses automated guided vehicles to transport materials

transport of materials between the processing plant and the points for final shipment. Marcegaglia is also a supplier for carmakers and OEM manufacturers of structural parts, components and interior details and, in the plant of Casalmaggiore, specialises in machining welded pipes with diameters up to 406.4mm. With dedicated production for the automotive sector, Marcegaglia has developed an intelligent and automated crane system that handles storage of the collected bundles of tubes, directly from the production plants, moving them to the area for loading onto transport vehicles. Marcegaglia – Italy

In the plants for the processing of flat products (Marcegaglia Ravenna) and welded steel tubes (Marcegaglia Casalmaggiore), important techno- logical investments were brought forward, on the path of connected factories, in the creation of a fully interconnected and automated production system, improving the controlled supply chain that reduces the human error on certification and safety. Marcegaglia Ravenna is the company’s largest steel metallurgy plant, specialising in the treatment and finishing of coils, plates and pre- painted steel, as well being the centre for integrated logistics to supply each production and distribution facility of the group. Technological innovation has led to the creation of a fleet of automated guided vehicles for the

In the plants of Ravenna and Casalmaggiore, Italy, ‘Industry 4.0’ is a reality, with robot works improving the supply chain and reducing human errors. R&D, product and cutting-edge process technology are some of the keywords driving the development of Marcegaglia. The Italian industrial group in the steel processing sector has a yearly output of 5.6 million tons (2016), and 39 manufacturing plants covering six million square metres. Through the adoption of a unified network for company and plants, capable of enabling the re-engineering of processes in a perspective of ‘Internet of Things’, Marcegaglia, supported by Cisco, is on the way to smart factories, along a totally digitalised supply chain.

info@marcegaglia.com www.marcegaglia.com

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TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL July 2017

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