Fast-Squarepresenting Coil Cut Optimizer software products at EuroBLECH-2016
Coil Cut Optimizer (CCO) is an optimization software developed for Steel Service Centers, in order to support the generation of optimized Cutting Programs for Slitters and Cut-To-Length Machines.
CCO generates thousands of possible “Cutting Patterns” in a fraction of second, minimizing Trim-Loss (Scrap), Planning-time and Setup-time.
Innovation
CCO has been developed with Artificial Intelligence search heuristics, applied to the very specific field of Steel cutting, respecting all sorts of heterogeneous Customer-Order constraints, such as: Minimum/Maximum External Diameter, Minimum/Maximum Weight per single Strip, internal/external Burr, Sheet Orientation, Central Strip, Weight and Thickness tolerances.
The Artificial Intelligence technique together with the completely re-written new version makes it possible to generate thousands of cutting schemas in less than one second.
This way the Planner daily work is changing from: trying to find out one single solution which respects all Customer requirements, to choosing the best solution among the list of optimized schemas shown by CCO software.
Markets segments
Fast-Square initial market has been Italian Steel Service Centers, while in 2016 Fast-Square has started to sell the Optimization software to different countriesall over Europe, among them: Germany, Turkey, Romania and Portugal.
In addition to the Steel Industry, Fast-Square has developed also a specific version of the Optimization Software for Film and Paper industry.
Product Family
CCO-Planning is the Optimization Software developed specifically for Steel Service Centers, it has already helped to reduce Trim-Loss (Scrap) by 10-20% and Planning-Time by 20-40%.
CCO-Tubes is the new software Optimizer developed for Companies producing Tubes with a Slitting production phase. The solver algorithms have been adapted to high volume repetitive demand in order to Optimize non only the Trim-Loss, but also the Campaign of Tube production.
CCO-Replenishment is the Demand Planning software used to calculate the Coils replenishment, based on the specific requirements of Steel Service Centers, taking into account the semester and yearly Customer Contracts.
CCO-Film is the optimization software for the generation of Cutting Programs for Paper and Plastic Film Industries.
Benefits
The main tangible benefit is the reduction of Trim-Loss (Scrap) and Set-up time, confirmed by the customer base, (see “Case Study” for details).
In addition, the Steel Service Centers are reducing the Planning-time and being less dependent on one unique human expert planner. With CCO software usage, also a young human planner can generate optimized Cutting-patterns, without having years of planning experience.
Case Study
Eusider spa is an Italian Steel Service Center, which is using CCO in the last one year. Before the introduction of Coil Cut Optimizer, the Programmingdepartment was composed of 10 persons working 50% of the time generatingCutting Programs. With CCO usage, Eusider has reorganized theProgramming department with only 3 full-time Programmers, with
two of them recently hired and without Programming experience.
So there has been a reduction of Planning-Time by about 40%, even with the lower experienceof the new employees.
After two month of continuous usage of CCO the number of lateprogrammed Orders has been reduced.
The Trim-Loss target for Cutting Programs on SlittingMachines was 1.50% and the average real Trim-Loss before CCO usage has been about 1.55%. With CCO support, in few weeks theAverage Weekly Trim-Loss has been stable between 1.25% and 1.35%, with a real reduction of Trim-Lossof about 20%.
Fast-Square Italia srl
Stand G140 Hall 16
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