Noodle.ai and SMS Group Partner to Advance the Learning Mill for Big River Steel

Cutting-edge Enterprise Artificial Intelligence® and powerful process automation systems work together to maximize production yields, enhance product quality, conserve energy and reduce costs

SAN FRANCISCO & PITTSBURGH & DÜSSELDORF, Germany--()--Leading Enterprise Artificial Intelligence® provider Noodle.ai and the digital resources of SMS group, a trailblazer in digitalization for plant and equipment used in steel and nonferrous-metals production and processing, today announced a partnership to further optimize the world’s first learning steel mill for Arkansas-based Big River Steel.

To help Big River Steel conserve resources and control energy output, SMS group and Noodle.ai came together to couple the deep experience SMS group has in the metal industry and process knowledge with Noodle.ai’s AI expertise. The joint solution was created by implementing Noodle.ai’s learning algorithms into SMS group’s X-Pact® MES 4.0. Noodle.ai was able to leverage the existing integration of SMS group’s X-Pact MES 4.0 in the steel mill‘s IT environment and in their SaaS (Software as a Service) applications. The new end solutions digitize applications throughout every stage of the steel-making process – starting at the liquid phase all the way to strip finishing.

Noodle.ai’s software and Enterprise AI Data Platform analyzes historical and current high-frequency data from the mill’s 50,000 sensors, attached to SMS group’s state-of-the-art equipment. Noodle.ai is able to use the mill's data, plus these sensors and external data to sense, predict, and recommend corrections that ultimately maximize production yields, enhance product quality, mitigate safety risks, and minimize costs.

For example, these insights can help minimize transition losses regarding steel grade, strip width or strip thickness, and predict how much energy is being consumed by the mill each hour. This allows the steel mill to trade back energy to the market or change production schedules to make consumption more predictable.

“By working with SMS digital, we are empowering an industry to turn business challenges into competitive advantages through the use of Enterprise AI®,” said Noodle.ai CEO Steve Pratt. “Our mission is to create a world without waste. Given the intensive energy and material needs of the metal industry, efficiency improvements will not only improve business operations and the bottom line, but positively impact the entire ecosystem that surrounds manufacturers.”

“In order for SMS group to implement digital solutions and therefore increase value for customers like Big River Steel, we knew that strong partners with excellent AI and machine learning capabilities were essential,” said Bernhard Steenken, CEO at SMS digital GmbH. “Noodle.ai’s solutions gave our existing tools within Big River Steel’s mill the power to help them achieve maximum plant performance with minimal maintenance effort, along with high product quality and revenues.”

As early as 2017, Big River Steel has been a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credential holder.

About Noodle.ai
Noodle.ai applies advanced data science to industries at the core of the global economy to create a world without waste. With advanced AI applications business leaders who make, move, and sell things are empowered to make better decisions, reduce wasted energy, money, and resources, and ensure their businesses are built to last. Founded in 2016, Noodle.ai is led by executives previously with the top firms in data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and management consulting. Noodle.ai focuses on radical efficiency for supply chain, transportation & distribution, and manufacturing using leading-edge artificial intelligence.

About SMS digital comprising SMS group Inc. Digital Solutions and SMS digital GmbH
SMS digital GmbH, the digital subsidiary of SMS group GmbH, and SMS group Inc. Digital Solutions collectively are a market leading supplier of digital solutions for plant and equipment in the steel and NF-metals industry. SMS group GmbH generates worldwide sales totaling EUR 3.3 billion with more than 14,000 employees.

In close collaboration with its customers, SMS digital identifies and develops innovative products for the metals industry building on most advanced development techniques, in-depth metallurgical process knowhow and technological expert knowledge. SMS digital helps its customers enter the world of Industry 4.0 by enhancing their plants and machines by means of digital applications and the use of AI.

Contacts

Leslie Poston, Noodle.ai
leslie.poston@noodle.ai

Thilo Sagermann, SMS group
thilo.sagermann@sms-group.com

Release Summary

Noodle.ai and the digital resources of SMS group announced a partnership to further optimize the first learning steel mill for Big River Steel

Contacts

Leslie Poston, Noodle.ai
leslie.poston@noodle.ai

Thilo Sagermann, SMS group
thilo.sagermann@sms-group.com