Digital Transformation of Quality Management at Big River Steel: Product Quality Control From Scrap to Finished Product

Innovations in steel production quality management are demonstrated through the first deployment of an integrated quality control system in the U.S. at Big River 2. This system uniquely merges detailed unit-level data and plantwide insights into a single platform. Supporting both horizontal and vertical integration enables real-time quality assessment, product genealogy, traceability and automated full-length product evaluations from scrap to finished product. Continuous key performance indicator tracking, dashboards, and automated claim tracing foster accountability and continuous improvement. By connecting typically isolated modules, the system elevates quality management from a reactive function to a proactive, strategic enabler of operational excellence.

Authors:

Chirag Mahimkar | Big River Steel – A U. S. Steel Co.
 

Shobhit Bhartiya | Big River Steel – A U. S. Steel Co.
 

Amar De | Big River Steel – A U. S. Steel Co.
 

Venkata Natarajan | Big River Steel – A U. S. Steel Co.
 

Siddhartha Biswas | Big River Steel – A U. S. Steel Co.
 

Klaus Jax | Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH
 

Dieter Steiner | Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH
 

Wolfgang Oberaigner | Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH
 

Yuyou Zhai | Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH
 

Session Chairs:

Naveen Sundaresan Ramesh | Interpro Pipe and Steel
 

Michael Peintinger | Smart Steel Technologies Inc.
 

Shaojie Chen | Interpro Pipe and Steel
 

Anil Kanagala | Primetals Technologies USA LLC