 detect the condition of a plant, predict the product quality, redirect production routes, and minimize downtimes. That is why companies need solutions that process large volumes of data and analyze it in real time in order to identify new correlations. In the era of digitalization and Industry 4.0, it is important to obtain maximum performance from both equipment and processes: Maximum plant availability, low energy consumption per ton, minimum scrap rates, and continuously cost-optimized production planning for full and on-time delivery are key factors for competitive production. With the use of digital technologies, savings in the multi-digit millions are possible.
Increasing complexity, volatile markets, and disruptive technologies require a new way of thinking as well as a willingness to change. SMS already offers new processes and plants for the production of high-performance materials in the field of metallurgy, the learning steel plant through digitalized and networked processes as part of Industry 4.0, solutions in the field of “additive metal manufacturing”, as well as sustainable innovative environmental technologies. SMS group's New Horizon initiative is aimed at developing innovative product and production solutions for the metals industry and applying proven SMS solutions in business areas that are facing similar technological challenges and changes. Thus, SMS group is also pushing into adjacent industries, such as energy and port logistics.
The use of new technologies is interesting for companies in the steel industry, from both an economic and ecological perspective: hydrogen will displace carbon as a reducing agent and energy carrier, and thus steel production of the future will get by with significantly lower CO2 emissions. At SMS group, the world's leading technology in the direct reduction of iron ore, MIDREX® technology, which is manufactured by Midrex, is what makes this possible. A new feature is that hydrogen is used as a reducing agent instead of natural gas. The direct-reduced iron (DRI) produced in this way is further processed into green crude steel in the electric arc furnace using green electricity. Hydrogen is thus of central importance in the production of green pig iron. A prerequisite of this is that the power used for melting in the electric arc furnace and for producing the hydrogen by means of electrolysis was produced without any CO2 emissions.
Via its subsidiary Paul Wurth, the SMS group holds a stake in the start-up SunFire, which is one of the most innovative companies in the world in the field of hydrogen production by means of high-temperature electrolysis and develops plant and equipment for the production of renewable technical gases and fuels. As e-gas, e-fuel or e-chemicals, these substitutes for conventionally produced hydrogen, crude oil and natural gas replace fossil energy sources in existing infrastructures.
SMS group takes the next step into a carbon-neutral future.
Together with the Australian company Neometals Ltd., SMS group set up the 50:50 joint venture PRIMOBIUS to bring an eco-friendly recycling solution for end-of-life lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) to the market. In the recycling process with low CO2 emissions, high-purity raw materials are recovered and reused in the battery production. In Hilchenbach, Germany, SMS group is currently building an industrial pilot plant for PRIMOBIUS on the company's own premises. The plant will go into operation this year.
In view of the economic competition, only digital solutions that are sustainable and generate value will be able to survive. SMS group enables plants to make autonomous, data-based decisions, regardless of their complexity, and thus respond to changes occurring spontaneously. As a systems supplier, SMS group has set itself the task of offering a pioneering technology that eliminates the high CO2 emissions from the steel production process. SMS group designs tailor-made solutions in close cooperation with our customers and aligns pioneering technologies with their needs. With mechanical equipment, technological expertise, electrical and automation systems, and digitalization technology from a single source, SMS group has all the skills and prerequisites for successful plant modernization and optimization.
Bundestag Member Volkmar Klein (CDU) (second from right) gets an idea of the innovative solutions for green steel production at SMS group and SMS digital.
"Our highly qualified staff is a key to the...Thing is, though, GameStop is deliberately trying to get them infected with COVID19. I mean, they really do not care. They even made their own "hand sanitizer" which is actually alcohol that you find in liquor stores. There's a video of it on his channel. I can't remember which one, but he chronicles it all even before the pandemic started.
Yeah. I saw those videos too (and subscribed!) and it's horrifying what Gamestop is doing. But they aren't alone in the corporate world doing that. My company did handle it better. Corporate was sent home before it was mandated but we shuttered the stores pretty much last chance we could. But we didn't have curbside for a long time, even though in some states you could. I also can't complain about my furlough. Between unemployment and the extra money from the government, I'm not worried about my bills (unless my furlough gets extended) and they are paying their part of my health insurance. I even got a personal phone call from the VP on the day I was notified to explain it and make sure I was ok. Honestly, I wasn't expecting an executive to do that.
My favorite is Gamestop claiming Camelot is the cause of their bad sales.  Their lack of sales is all self inflicted. I used to be a loyal Gamestop customer. I stopped a couple years ago when I basically felt like I was being harassed every time I walked in. Between the protection plans, the major upsells and them trying to get me to bring in my game collection for a trade and being super super pushy about it, I had it. And the last straw was when I tried to buy a new game and they gave me an unsealed copy (I'm very picky about when I buy a new game that it's complete and sealed.  I got into it with the clerk saying "how do I know you aren't putting a used copy in that box". "Well you just have to trust me." "That's it I don't. Just give me the used copy" and then he put that disc in the used case! Like are you kidding me? I buy my games at Best Buy now. And maybe Amazon for an older title Best Buy may not have. No upselling. I get my stuff and leave. How I like my shopping experience. It's a shame too because I did like buying used games there and that option may not be around anymore. But even then, they'd put their stickers on the spines of the games which ruins the collectability of them. Not to mention ruins the artwork. But what I'm hoping is with GameStop gone, it'll open a whole new market for the smaller mom and pop stores to fill the void on used game sales.
I was like, "huh? No, he didn't. You self-inflicted the low sales." I was also a GameStop shopper, and I probably will be later, if they manage to survive the pandemic and riots. Because where I used to live in Cali, it's right there next to my job. When I'm home, and I want a game, like now... I go either Best Buy, or GameStop. When I go GameStop, it's because I'm looking for a specific game and it's not in Best Buy.
  Like.. c'mon. Let me buy my game, bro. Unless you're offering a huge discount, like... I dunno, pricing your rewards program similar to Best Buy, I'd be interested. But tapering off $5 makes me sleep and snore like a baby.
Yes, I know/knew most companies are doing the blanket responses regarding Coronavirus. Honestly, I don't even know why you're defending GameStop, lol.
When a company is on the verge of bankruptcy or not doing well, it's pretty much in the playbook to deflect their own shortcomings and blame some outside reason, like what GameStop is doing. Heaven forbid the CEO doesn't admit to themselves they effed up! Hell, I see it all the time in the corporate office of my company.  I can't wait to get out of the corporate world lol. It's amazing the moronic stuff I see on a daily basis.
The only reason I got the rewards program for GameStop was because it came with a subscription with Game Informer. What's dumb is if I just signed up for the subscription, the price was the same lol. So why not at that point. I pretty much let it lapse after the layoffs of the staff members at Game Informer.
Huh? I wasn't defending GameStop.  And not getting them the supplies they needed and telling the stores to get it themselves?  But they got caught (rightfully so). And I'm sure other retailers dropped the ball and didn't get caught. I'm sure the company I work for dropped the ball in a lot of areas too (I'll find out ). And this country did have some businesses that were deemed essential basically forcing their workers to show up or either a) not get paid or b) fired while not doing much to protect them. So they had to choose between their livelihood or risking their health. And that's not right. 
Retail is funny in that all these companies pretty much follow each other, so the response of one to coronavirus is likely a similar response of another. These CEOs talk. Retail is a small world believe it or not with a club of executives. CEOs and upper management constantly jump from one retailer to another. What's funny too is retail is hurting. So when someone comes up with an