CONTROL SYSTEMS AND THEIR PROGRESS IN IRON AND STEEL PLANTS IN JAPAN

Abstract

Since the surrender, every industry in Japan suffered a great change and obliged. to meet n free competition.. For such purpose it was necessary to make. rationalization and to. improve in quality of steel products. In July 1949 the Industrial Stadardization Law was established in Japan, based on which the Japanese Industrial Standard(JIS) Research Association was instituted. Besides, the Industrial Rationalization Council was established and the Heat Control Law was promulgated in 1951.
In the present paper the recent progress in statistical quality. control(SQC), the heat control and other type controlling techniques in siderurgy in Japan were discussed. At first the introduction of statistical quality control(July 1950) and its performance in Japan, applications of the statistical methods, their systematization in steel firms, formulation of the operational standards and the necessity of sampling were discussed. Then an establishment of the inspection department and applications of random sampling, the study and performance of the market survey and the SQC applied in JIS specifications were. informed.
Next, the advent of the Heat Economy Technical Committee and its activities since June 1949, popularization of the heat balance, the improvements in reheating furnaces, lowering of the analysed unit of fuel consumption in open hearth furnaces, strengthening of the gas control and progressive use of heavy oil in place of coal for the purpose of rationalised fuel control were dealt with.
Moreover, ideas of the preventive maintenance of machinery and equipments were introduced, among which is counted the lubricant control. Recent birth of the color dynamic and the color control and a penetration of the industrial salty were informed.
In conclusion, the author mentioned the recent revolution in control systems, re-examination of various control syetems, some problems of “staffs” and the “line” in plants and other problems such as “operation research” (OR) were discussed with reference to the future iron and steel industry in Japan.