Using digital simulation models to optimize the operation of complex production facilities

Using the example of formalized description of the converter production at JSC EVRAZ United West Siberian Metallurgical Plant consisting of two converter shops with two and three units, it is shown that the issues of planning production volumes and repairs of metallurgical units, building end-to-end schedules of units are complex and multifactorial tasks characterized by the discreteness and non-linearity of the functions describing them. The formalization of the tasks of optimizing production processes with specified constraints and criteria showed that features of the studied process of converter production make it almost impossible to build and use analytical solutions. The approach chosen by the authors to the solution (taking into account these circumstances) is based on the use of a digital discrete event simulation model. Such a model is a digital copy of the investigated process of converter production, reflects its structure, performance, technical condition and parameters: duration of converter campaign, duration of repair periods, etc. The model uses various control mechanisms to solve the problems of distributing the input flow of cast iron between converter shops, forming schedules for the operation of individual converters and their repairs, accumulates information as it functions for the purpose of optimizing and predicting the results of the operation process. It allows one to collect data on the operation of converter production and use predictive analytics tools to plan repairs, provides data that cannot be obtained directly on a physical object and which can be used to optimize system parameters, and generates datasets for visualizing individual results of the operation process.