Gwangyang Steelworks Hosts 2021 First Half Smart Technology Competition

Enhancing Safety and Productivity through Intelligent Automation with Smart Technology
Online Live Broadcast for COVID-19 Prevention... Lee Seong-jin, Steelmaking Department Manager, Wins Grand Prize

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seonsik] POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks (Director Kim Jiyong) held the 2021 First Half Smart Technology Competition on the 22nd. The grand prize was awarded to Manager Lee Seongjin of the Steelmaking Department.

The Smart Technology Competition is an event to share achievements developed by applying various smart technologies to on-site know-how in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution era. Gwangyang Steelworks has been holding the competition twice a year since 2017, taking a step further toward realizing a smart factory.

About 20 people, including Kim Jiyong, Director of Gwangyang Steelworks, the deputy director, engineers in charge of presentations, and steelworks executives and employees, attended the competition to brighten the occasion. To prevent mass infections of COVID-19, the number of attendees was limited, and online live streaming was conducted simultaneously.

Under the goal of ‘Expanding the 全 Process Smart Value Chain,’ Gwangyang Steelworks selected 15 tasks ahead of the finals that applied artificial intelligence on-site, leading to tangible results such as productivity improvement and quality enhancement. After evaluation by category, smart technologies that greatly contributed to realizing a ‘Safe Workplace’ were listed for the finals.

The eight selected engineers introduced cases that significantly strengthened on-site safety through artificial intelligence technologies such as safety monitoring systems, automation of hazardous work, and unmanned inspections, receiving great responses. Employees watching the competition online actively participated by sharing questions and opinions in real time.

The judges comprehensively evaluated △effectiveness △usability △presentation skills to select one grand prize and three excellence awards. The award ceremony was made special by the first-ever live broadcast conducted by a quadruped walking robot in the competition’s history.

The grand prize was awarded to Manager Lee Seongjin of the Steelmaking Department, who achieved POSCO’s proprietary technology of automating the tapping process that follows the molten steel refined in the converter, greatly enhancing worker safety. The excellence awards went to Deputy Manager Lee Kyungjun of the Rolling Equipment Department, Deputy Manager Song Eunha of the Production Technology Department, and Manager Lee Minju of the Hot Rolling Department, respectively.

Manager Lee Seongjin of the Steelmaking Department, who won the grand prize, said, “It was a great joy to complete the tapping automation through collaboration with the Technology Research Institute, Electrical Technology Section, and POSCO ICT from scratch. With the pride of having accomplished an important task that will be remembered in steelmaking history as my driving force, I will take one step at a time to achieve tapping automation across all steelmaking plants so that our colleagues can work more safely and comfortably.”

Kim Jiyong, Director of Gwangyang Steelworks, said in his closing remarks, “I am proud to see efforts that greatly contributed not only to production and quality but also to safety improvement by integrating various smart technologies throughout the steelworks process,” and added, “I hope you will not stop here but share knowledge and technology horizontally with your colleagues around you and move forward to become Gwangyang Steelworks with the world’s best competitiveness.”

Meanwhile, Gwangyang Steelworks has been providing opportunities for technology sharing among employees every year through events such as the Smart Technology Competition, Engineer Technology Conference, and New Employee OJT Presentation Competition, and plans to continue efforts to enhance its status as a global steel company by combining on-site knowledge and know-how with smart technology.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.