Increase of production and transport co-operation efficiency in the material traffic at metallurgical enterprises

Analysis of material traffic showed that it comprises several interacting elements including transport (railway) and production. On this basis the production-and-transport system (PTS) has been modeled. Its major element (subsystem) provides unloading of mass raw materials and finished products shipment, as well as internal (technological) transportations of semifinished products. From mass raw materials reception to finished products shipment, all the operations with railway cars which belong to different carriers are carried out by minor (servicing) subsystem (STS). Taking a large metallurgical enterprise as an example, an assessment of the functioning of the major and servicing subsystems has been made, quantitative indicators of the work of cargo, sorting, district and technological stations have been given; serious shortcomings being noted in the interaction of production and transport. It was determined that now both major and minor subsystems within PTS of enterprises do not comply with the production process requirements, due to management ineffectiveness and poor conditions for interaction between production and transport. This causes considerable transport expenses and significant production losses. In order to solve this problem, optimization models are needed. These should be based on logistical management of material traffic which, as a result, will secure transport expenses and production losses reduction