The SMS group has entered into a strategic partnership with Lotte Aluminum Materials USA LLC to set new standards for production operations through the combined use of modern SMS technologies. As part of this partnership, SMS group delivers a state-of-the-art digitalization package. The package will help Lotte Aluminum coordinate the production of ultra-thin aluminum cathode foils for use in electric vehicle batteries at its new production facility in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA.
In order to meet the rapidly increasing demand, Lotte Aluminum is aiming for an annual production capacity of 36,000 tons of cathode foil. This will be achieved in combination with the AMOVA high-bay warehouse, which is currently being put into operation.
Collaboration in detail
The use of a sophisticated package of various digital systems and state-of-the-art technology to optimize efficiency, quality and customer-specific adaptation of the manufacturing process from the first day of production is the basis of successful collaboration. The digital package includes, among other things, the DataFactory Suite from SMS for recording all relevant production data starting with the very first product, the Manufacturing Execution Suite (MES) as a planning and communication master for the automatic handling of the entire production process of the system, as well as the Quality Execution Suite (QES ) for precise quality assessment and product certification in real time.
The project includes the integration of six cold rolling mills and four slitting lines from a third-party provider as well as the high-bay warehouse from AMOVA, an SMS group company. The high-bay warehouse with around 500 storage spaces is connected to the various process lines via appropriate conveyor technology and is equipped with warehouse management software developed by AMOVA.
This logistical solution is in turn directly connected to the Manufacturing Execution Suite, which enables bidirectional communication between production and warehousing. Additionally, all systems integrate seamlessly with third-party equipment and automation, allowing efficient logistics to be established throughout the facility.
“SMS group is the perfect partner for our business in the sensitive aluminum industry. SMS has impressed with a digital package that seamlessly integrates even third-party equipment for greenfield production of ultra-thin aluminum cathode foils for electric vehicle batteries. SMS group combines many years of metallurgical and operational know-how with digitalization expertise - this strong qualification supports us significantly in the further development of aluminum foil production. “In addition, our strategic partnership contributes significantly to shaping the electric vehicle production landscape,” said Eun Seong Chang, CEO of Lotte Aluminum Materials USA.
The digital package will be fully customizable to Lotte Aluminum's production needs and will take into account Lotte Aluminum's existing processes in various production facilities around the world. It offers various operational support functions such as inspection procedures, planning and management of production support equipment, claim assessment and reporting functions at the mill floor and for the entire operation as well as at the strategic and management levels. In addition, the systems enable remote access and control even from another continent.
Digitization project
SMS group's Manufacturing Execution Suite, for example, handles process control at the stitch level and controls intralogistics, while the Quality Execution Suite tracks the genealogy of a product and maps the time from the first stitch to the final product. The easy integration of various third-party surface inspection systems supports the enrichment of quality-relevant data if necessary. With the automatic coil release of the QES, the decision-making process regarding product quality is automated and the load on Lotte Aluminum's operating team is relieved, allowing staff to concentrate on critical quality decisions. The QES also ensures that every coil receives a quality certificate.
Through the long-term storage of all production data in the DataFactory Suite, quality process-oriented analyzes can be carried out and production downtimes can be avoided. An SMS global team, coordinated by a local project management office in the US and composed of individual technical sales, coordination, consulting and fulfillment teams, ensures effective communication and rapid problem resolution.
Life cycle partnership
SMS group also supports Lotte Aluminum as part of the life cycle partnership based on a software maintenance contract with predefined and on-demand services for long-term safe operation and continuous improvements to ensure that the systems are always at the cutting edge of technology to keep.
“This forward-looking approach is an example of our commitment to being at the forefront of technological development in the aluminum industry and achieving long-term success, while at the same time contributing to reducing global CO2 emissions,” said Dr. Thiago Turchetti Maia, Executive Vice President of the CoE SMS digital.
