In a statement, the association said the successful project has “contributed to the further digitalization of the sector and has helped support the ambition to achieve the ‘zero defect vision’ for users of flat steel products.”

The association said the system makes use of linear bar codes that are printed automatically at regular intervals along the length of a strip, typically every meter. The bar codes contain standardized quality information about that section of the strip, including position of any flaws. 

That gives coil customers the ability to automatically reject a section of steel on the blanking or stamping line, rather than having to reject a finished component in downstream quality control processes.

The association worked with ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel Europe, thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, voestalpine Stahl and Salzgitter Flachstahl to develop the system. 

“The use of unique one-dimensional bar codes printed automatically along the coil to identify each section of steel is highly innovative, and the five founding members of the project are now equipped with the system. Having a common technical solution enables steel users to work with all steel suppliers in the same way,” said Axel Eggert, the association’s director general.  

The association said the quality tracking system has been submitted to European public standards body CEN, with publication of the standard expected at some point this year.