consult
“The METUS® method and software provided us with
a simple solution for synchronizing all the teams involved in the platform project. This step enabled us
to create an optimal product architecture for the new
plant in virtually no time. The new architecture not
only lays the foundation for the quick and cost-efficient development of tailor-made variants but also protects our intellectual property in combination with the
associated sourcing strategy.”
Dr. Roger Steins, Project Manager Lean PLM,
Siemens AG (Healthcare / formerly Siemens VAI)
SUCCESS STORY
Modularization in Plant Construction
The Challenge
Platform development – resilient, polished and refined
Siemens VAI Metals Technologies (now Primetals Technologies) is one
of the world’s leading suppliers of continuous casting plants. The com-
Added value at a glance:
Development of a modular platform with a high
level of standardization and implementation
of a sourcing strategy that ensures the protection
of intellectual property
pany has more than four decades of experience in the engineering,
Ability to quickly deliver customized plants and
supply, installation, and start-up of slab, bloom/beam-blank and billet
as well as combi caster installations. It is, therefore, in an ideal position
the reduction of target costs for development
to advise and implement the optimum casting solution for today’s me-
and production by 30-50 percent
tal processing industry.
The global demand for steel products has significantly increased in
Successful, IT-supported coordination of the
various development and competence teams
recent years – particularly when it comes to the emerging markets
of newly industrialized countries. Siemens VAI responded to this development by expanding its portfolio to include a new plant for the
riod of time and can easily be adapted to individual customer require-
Siemens VAI Metals Technologies GmbH
(now Primetals Technologies Ltd.):
ments. There was only one strategy qualified to master all these chal-
Siemens VAI Metals Technologies is a worldwide lea-
price-sensitive M3 market. It processes large volumes in a short pe-
lenges and still quickly deliver customized variants: the introduction of
a modular platform with the highest possible level of standardization.
Special challenges: the library structure could not exceed the established target costs, while strategic know-how had to be protected.
ding life-cycle partner for the metallurgical industry. The
Siemens Business Unit based in Linz, Austria, offers a
comprehensive technology, modernization, product and
service portfolio, as well as integrated automation and
environmental solutions for the entire life cycle of plants.
The Solution
Pulling together
BEFORE
Roger Steins, Project Manager Lean PLM,
Components
AFTER
Assemblies
Components
Modules
Siemens AG (Healthcare / formerly Siemens
VAI) chose ID-Consult as their partner for
implementing this strategy. The first step to
success: gathering all the requirements that
are essential from the customer as well as
Standard module
quality perspective. “The METUS method and
Level of standardization:
software was a crucial success factor to our
project management. Although six developModule (external
production)
ment teams as well as numerous representatives from other business units were involved,
Module (purchased
components)
the shared data model ensured excellent, in-
S
standard
P
C
parametric
customized
Sourcing strategy:
In-house production
External production
Purchased components
terdisciplinary collaboration”, Steins explains.
“Today any kind of coordination based on Excel or other tools is simply out of the question.“
Definition of standard modules and implementation of the sourcing strategy with METUS
This approach certainly also paid off in the
tegic know-how could be efficiently located
Despite the high level of plant complexi-
further course of the project: in a second
and taken into account in terms of the sour-
ty, many components could be combined
step, the collected requirements had to be
cing strategy.
to form standard modules. On top of that,
the clearly structured product architecture
translated into a graphically processed, functional model that laid the groundwork for
In a last step, the estimated actual costs
discussing various technical solutions. The
were determined and broken down to the
result: a structured list of all the individual
component level, which made it that much
components needed to fulfill the required
easier and more efficient to compare them
functions. “First a preliminary product struc-
to the previously defined target costs.
ture is established but this is only the starting
provides an optimal basis for informed make-or-buy decisions. This is how customers
make sure that their strategic intellectual
property stays within the company. The
overall target costs both for plant production and the development of tailor-made
point of the actual standardization and opti-
The Result
variants could be reduced by 30-50 percent.
mization process”, as Jan Göpfert, Managing
Everything flowing smoothly
Steins concludes, “It certainly was the right
Director, ID-Consult, explains. “Once the pro-
decision to work with ID-Consult and struc-
duct architecture is visualized, we are able to
Siemens VAI was able to develop the plat-
ture our data in the early stages of develop-
examine individual components from different
form for the new plant in virtually no time
ment. The platform makes it possible to sup-
angles and combine them into optimally confi-
thanks to the unique and consistent METUS
ply our customers in a heartbeat, while still
gured standard modules.“
method and software by ID-Consult. The
meeting the quality and cost requirements all
most important success factor in the course
around the world.”
When it comes to Siemens VAI, the new mo-
of the project: the interdisciplinary, IT-sup-
dular structure was primarily determined by
ported cooperation between the various
the desired level of standardization, simpli-
development and competence teams. A
fied assembly processes, and the protection
follow-up project on data integration bet-
of intellectual property. The clear graphic
ween METUS and Siemens PLM Software
presentation of all mechanical, hydraulic
has been intensifying this successful coope-
and automation parameters in one shared
ration ever since. Today, METUS is not only
METUS model made it possible to quickly
a central element of the Siemens VAI engi-
identify and eliminate variance drivers. In
neering process but also an essential tool of
addition, all the components including stra-
internal knowledge management.
Further references and more information
on ID-Consult at:
www.id-consult.com
© ID-Consult GmbH 2015. All rights reserved. Images and illustrations: ID-Consult GmbH and Siemens VAI Metal Technologies GmbH / Primetals Technologies Ltd.