TPi July 2017

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8 TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL July 2017
newsbusiness & market
On the way to smart factories
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.
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
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
Marcegaglia’s Ravenna plant uses automated guided vehicles to transport materials