Topy Industries, Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Nobuhiko Takamatsu, hereinafter "Topy Industries") and a startup from the University of Tokyo, EVERSTEEL Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director, President and CEO: Keijiro Tajima, hereinafter "EVERSTEEL"), have started AI-based analysis of steel scrap grades and dust amounts, as well as demonstration experiments for detecting non-conforming products. By doing so, we will work to solve problems such as variations in the results of steel scrap quality assessments conducted visually by acceptance inspectors when receiving steel scraps and a shortage of human resources. In the future, we will use steel scrap analysis results to advance development aimed at optimizing the entire steelmaking process, including charging of steel scrap into an electric furnace after acceptance inspection and melting.
【background】
In order to realize a decarbonized society, efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions in the steel industry, which accounts for 11.5% of domestic CO₂ emissions, are essential. The electric furnace method, which recycles steel scrap to make steel, can reduce CO₂ emissions compared to the blast furnace method, which uses iron ore and coal to make steel.
However, steel scrap contains a wide variety of items, including steel pipes used in buildings, drums, gas cylinders, and electrical appliances such as refrigerators. The electric furnace method accounts for only about 30% of crude steel production. In addition, at the factories of steel manufacturers, skilled acceptance inspectors visually determine the quality and presence of foreign matter, which causes variations in the results of assessments made by people.
[Initiative status]
Topy Industries and EVERSTEEL have been discussing and examining the development of image analysis technology for steel scrap. The demonstration experiment started in December 2022, and during the acceptance inspection process, we are taking pictures of steel scrap, analyzing the grade and dust amount of steel scrap, and detecting non-conforming products. At present, we have been able to obtain the same level of judgment accuracy as skilled acceptance inspectors. Topy Industries and EVERSTEEL will bring together the technologies that they have cultivated together and steel scrap to develop a more practical automatic analysis AI system. We will continue.
【Contact】 General Affairs Department Public Relations & Investor Relations Office TEL 03-3493-0777
Art Village Osaki Central Tower, 1-2-2 Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-8634
TEL 03-3493-0777 FAX 03-3493-0200
