Level 3 Systems

Due to the distributed nature of the cold mill, there exists a need to coordinate the entire complex from a global, often multi-computer system. This higher level function serves to interface the batch process Level 2 systems to the "outside" world and often contains high-level process information.  Typical examples of Level 3 applications are:
 

• Receive manufacturing and inventory information from a plant wide manufacturing computer
• Track and manage the inventory between the cold mill processes
• Generate mill lineups based on the inventory and customer schedule
• Keep process and quality standards at the mill level
• Report out of standard material and quality issues to the next process
• Save and archive inspection results
• Retain process and business information on a long term basis
• Relational database of all collected process variables
• Retain, summarize and send process data to a plant wide system
• Send necessary information to accounting systems
• Retain maintenance records and spare parts

Often there is a need to tightly couple engineering, maintenance, office automation, and process systems within a facility, suggesting a cluster arrangement of Level 3 computers sharing functions and information.  Such an approach maximizes the availability of data and reduces data redundancy.  The maintenance system supports storage and retrieval of delay information, preventative maintenance work histories, failure histories, and modal signatures for mechanical systems.

Integrated Process Automation & Control Technologies