Dr. Benjamin Li - Modeling and Production Scheduling

 
Dr. Benjamin Li has worked on material processing and related software developments for 30 years, and has developed an entire set of material processing models. Besides his engineering experience (e.g. Ph.D. from Germany on AI in material processing), he also completed his 8-year on-job training for 30 computer classes throughout his work as software engineer and software consultant. Up to now, he has published over 30 technical papers and completed three books on Level 2 system (Intelligent System is mainly required in advanced material processing) development and other Smart Manufacturing.

He received  his B.S. from University of Science & Technology Beijing (USTB). During his graduate study in USTB he was selected as the top-30 best student of China who qualified for Ph.D. scholarship in studying abroad, so he went to Germany in 1990.

Dr. Li earned his Ph.D. on process modeling in 1995 from the Institute of Metal Forming of TU Bergakademie Freiberg (the oldest university in the world in mining and metallurgy). The success of his project, which was with equiv. US$500,000 DFG funding and a workload initially planned for two Ph.D. programs, led to the industrial-scale FEM application in processing of complicated shapes. During the research he was also specially assigned to direct a Master (Diplom) student and several research students (B.S.). The research results were highly recognized by well-known scholars (e.g. O. Pawelski, R. Kopp and A. Hensel) and applied in the world's top companies such as then Mannesmann Demag (now SMS-Demag), and he was also invited by Danieli to Italy for three times. Shortly before he completed his Ph.D. study, he was offered a Senior Engineer position in the largest metallurgical company Morgan Construction Co., USA.

In Morgan, Dr. Li focused on the model development, and established an entire set of material processing models such as those to predict metal/roll deformation, force and torque requirements, and microstructure evolution during processing and controlled cooling. The models were developed through evaluation of a 15-years tests in Germany, a 5-year tests in Morgan, various published data and numerous site data that Morgan collected all over the world. He also completed industry projects such as then GST 19" bar mill roll pass design and then ASW high-speed wire block pass sequence development. As early as in 1996 he published his first book on the process modeling of complicated sections (ISBN 3-86012-029-8, in German).

Dr. Li have been on the model-based software development since he started evening computer classes in 1998. He developed Level 2 systems for Cascade Steel smelting processes EAF, LMF and Caster, etc., which used C/C++ for function implementation, VB for interface and Oracle as backend. He also improved EOS (then Oregon Steel Mills) plate steckle mill Level 2 model by applying efficient learning, improved flow stress model and metallurgical principles. By integrating microstructure model, intelligent learning and advanced software engineering into Level 2 system, he developed New-Generation Level 2 system, filled world's technological gap! He has thus also customized the Level 2 systems for various mill environments (EAF, LMF, Caster, Plate Mill, etc.) .  In the mean time, Dr. Li developed dozens of software packages (e.g. those in www.Meta4-0.com), and wrote his second and third books, particularly on Smart Manufacturing.

In recent years, Dr. Li have primarily customized the 70-year steel industry Level 2 concepts and applied it in the new emerging industry such as Smart Manufacturing of Lithium Battery, and New Materials and Advanced Equipment, and created entire concepts of Defect Warning Systems. By model and software developments (Industry 4.0), he is integrating Basic Automation system (Industry 2.0) and MES/ERP/Other Data Systems (Industry 3.0), to achieve Multi-Level Automation for full automatic optimized systems. He has been improving product quality and reduce defects through Engineering Modeling, Intelligent Learning and Advanced Software Engineering (currently use-cases/user-scenarios handling), which he considered as primary principles of Intelligent Manufacturing.

Dr. Li is one of the major developers on material processing models in USA (see a earlier review). He is now actively helping industries to improve their Level 2 for high accuracy, by applying his process/product models and by pursuing intelligent learning and advanced software engineering, etc. He also actively conducts design and development in material processing intelligences and software. Up to now, over 200 projects has been completed worldwide, such as the two-year project on Level 2 model improvements for NISCO, and 3 contracts for BYD, etc.

For detailed information on Dr. Li, please visit www.Meta4-0.com/bli for resume. You may contact Dr. Li or other Metal Pass colleagues via email bli68@qq.com.