Today’s News from Abroad installment investigates the influence AI is bearing on the global field of heat treating, as well as a 2023 sustainability report and a future-looking question about the German foundry model amid transformations and a shortage of skilled workers.
Heat Treat Today partners with two international publications to deliver the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat. heat processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication, serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets, and Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication, primarily serves the English-speaking globe.
AI News No.1: Smart Manufacturing Proves Its Value
“A new agreement has been signed between Viking Analytics and Bharat Forge Kilsta (BFK) from Karlskoga. The agreement, which is for three years, provides BFK with the AI-based optimization tool ‘Smartforge’ after a 10-month implementation phase. Smartforge optimizes the forging process, primarily in the critical heat keeping process where the problems with scrap are greatest. The goal is to reduce discarded products by 50% and contribute to energy savings and a more environmentally friendly production.”
READ MORE: “AI-Driven ‘Smartforge’ To Enhance Forging Efficiency and Reduce Waste” – at heat-processing.com
AI News No. 2: Global Industry Goes “All In” With AI
“According to a report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), nearly 80 percent of companies around the world consider innovation to be one of their three main priorities this year, and 66% of them plan to increase spending for this purpose, of which 42% are ready to invest up to 10% more than before. Innovation is one of the SECO/WARWICK Group’s values, embedded in its DNA. Industry 4.0 is the guiding principle in the Group’s mentality and strategic direction, which identifies AI, automation and digitization as a priority.”
READ MORE: “SECO/WARWICK Bets On Artificial Intelligence (AI)” at heat-processing.com
A Sustainability Commitment to a Greener, Equal Future Shows Results
“Tenova has announced the launch of its new Sustainability Report, which tracks the progress the company has made against its sustainability agenda over the past year. The Report illustrates the company’s ESG-guided sustainability framework, including energy efficiency initiatives, circular economy solutions, and sustainable innovation. . . . Tenova’s flagship technologies–Direct Reduction Iron (DRI), Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs), and the Silicon Steel ones–are essential in driving the decarbonization of both the metals industry and the planet. This is demonstrated by its major international projects, which are set to make a substantial impact on sustainability in Europe, China, and other parts of the world.”
READ MORE: “The 2023 Tenova Sustainability Report Reconfirms the Company’s Commitment to a Greener and Equal Future” at furnaces-international.com.
German foundry Industry Navigating a Path Forward
“At its third ‘Zukunftstag’ (Future Day), the German Foundry Association (BDG) posed a rhetorical question to stakeholders and the industry: Do we still need casting from Germany? And why is the industry currently facing such difficulties? The Federal Association of the German Foundry Industry launched the ‘Future Day’ format in 2020 in order to visualize and establish generally applicable topics from corporate management and framework conditions in open discourse with experts from outside the industry, in addition to the industry’s technically focused conferences. In addition to economic policy framework conditions, the program revolved around skilled workers in the afternoon. The German foundry industry, part of the energy-intensive SME sector, is struggling amid transformations and a shortage of skilled workers.”
READ MORE: “Energy-Intensive and Medium-Sized: Is German Foundry a Discontinued Model?” at heat-processing.com.
