Bingji (Benjamin)  Li
 

Cover Letter (PDF-File + Word-File)

Dear colleague

As a mill engineer with B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. all on steel rolling and 20 years on mill process modeling, and as a software engineer with 10 years of working experience and 30 evening classes completed during the work, I would like to apply my mill process models to develop/improve your mill software system. In full scope of modeling (mechanical, metallurgical and rolling process) for all rolling processes (both flat and bar/rod/section rolling) together with model-based software development, I believe I have done more than anyone else in USA. See a modeling review.
 

Possible consulting areas (details)

 (1) Develop new or improve existing Level 2 model for steel plate rolling and strip rolling. Most systems, due to lack of metallurgical principle and low quality rolling process models, only reach limited prediction accuracy for force, temperature and roll deformation, etc. This limits the quality of draft schedule and causes various problems. For example, the wrong initial roll gap due to inaccurate force prediction requires large movement of AGC in adjusting the gap and this may result in many defects or potential defects in the plate/strip. Inaccurate prediction also causes the equal deformation target, the metallurgical temperature target and the maximum productivity target, etc. to be missed during rolling. This also leads to the center buckle or edge wave, or poor properties and low productivity, etc.

 (2) Design, develop and improve mill Level 2 supervisory system. This includes those for the rolling of plate, strip, bar, wire rod and section, etc., and EAF/LMF steelmaking, Casting, controlled cooling, heating and reheating, etc.

 (3) Design and develop mill software, e.g. roll pass design program, Level 3 production scheduling system (including slab providing and roll management, finishing end management), and Level 1 system software, etc.

 (4) Design and improve data communication in Level 2 / Level 3 and Level 2 / Level 1; Display data on the web (e.g., for AutoCAD drawings); Perform data modeling, database design, data security improvement and database support.

 (5)  Perform roll pass design and rolling/cooling process improvement.
 

Summary of experiences (a short profile)

 (1) Mill Process Modeling. My work in the past 20 years was primarily focused on the rolling mill modeling. During my Ph.D. study in Germany I successfully established a full-version and a simplified version of the FEM models, which led to industrial-scale FEM application in steel shape rolling. The results and concepts were highly recognized by and applied in the world's top companies such as then Mannesmann Demag (now SMS-Demag), and I was also invited by Danieli to Italy for three times. After Ph.D. study I worked for Morgan and completed an entire set of empirical models on force/power calculation, rolling stock shape control, and microstructure and product property predictions. In recent years I also focused on the improvement of the Level 2 model and the development of the Level 2 system. With accurate process models, improved learning logics and the application of the metallurgical principles, my results can save most mills millions of dollars per year.

 (2) Mill software development/improvement. I also have sufficient skills to integrate my mill models into your online or offline systems. Computer training I have received is more than Master of Computer Science. Since 1998 I have been developing model-based mill software and have completed over 30 computer evening classes. I am a programmer, system architecture, system administrator, web designer and Database Administrator.

 (3) Project References. I have completed over 100 projects in steel rolling process modeling and related software development. The projects consist of Level 2 development, improvement and support, and pass schedule design and improvement, as well as general development on rolling process models and model-based software development. Recent projects are such as a nine-month supply contract in China. Project description document is available.

 (4) Publications. Recent publications include about 10 technical papers since 2008. I authored two chapters for a book w/ Vladimir B. Ginzburg (Flat-Rolled Steel Processes Advanced Technologies). My first book was published as early as in 1996 on rolling process modeling and model verification (ISBN 3-86012-029-8). My second book, "Steel Mill: Process Modeling and Computer Application”, serves as reference materials for consulting clients only.

For mill-related projects completed, see metalpass.com/bli/home/MPPro.pdf. For detailed technical discussion, please visit metalpass.com/consulting. For engineering software I developed and metal/steel data I created/collected, visit metalpass.com.

Best Regards

Benjamin