Utilities are the cost line most plants pay without ever really reading. Power, water, industrial gases and compressed air arrive on separate bills, are metered at different points and are rarely tied back to the process step that used them. The result is a cost per tonne that moves with the tariff and the weather, while the avoidable part hides in idle running and leaks. Analysis by process step turns that noise into targets someone can own. Plants that want their utilities stacked by step can ask iFactory AI's team to map their utility meters to production data.
See Which Process Step Is Spending Your Power, Water and Gas
iFactory AI stacks utility consumption by process step and per tonne, so reduction targets land on the unit that actually uses the energy.
The Utility Heat Map
Each process step leans on utilities differently. The map below rates illustrative intensity for a generic melt-to-rolling route, and your own plant will shift the pattern.
| Process Step | Power | Water | Industrial Gases | Compressed Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melting | High | Medium | High | Low |
| Ladle refining | Medium | Low | High | Low |
| Casting | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Rolling | High | High | Low | Medium |
| Auxiliaries | Medium | Medium | Low | High |
A Day of Base Load
Utilities do not stop when production slows. The chart splits an illustrative day into base load, which runs regardless of output, and productive load, which follows the heats.
Find Your Own Base Load Before the Next Bill
Book a 30-minute session and iFactory AI will show base and productive utility load by process step from your own meter data.
Where Each Utility Hides Its Loss
Every utility has a typical place where money slips away. Knowing it in advance shortens the search.
Power
Idle furnaces, motors and fans running unloaded, and demand peaks set by simultaneous starts.
Water
Cooling circuits running at full flow when load is low, and losses from blowdown and leaks.
Industrial Gases
Purge and blanketing flows left on between heats, plus over-blowing beyond process need.
Compressed Air
Leaks in distribution, artificial demand from over-pressure, and compressors running unloaded.
Signal to First Check
When a utility number moves, the first check should be obvious. These pairs give the team a shared starting point.
Reduction Targets by Utility
A target needs a metric, a first move and an owner. The table sets out a starting design.
| Utility | Target Metric | First Move | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | kWh per tonne and demand peak | Cut idle running, stagger starts | Energy manager |
| Water | m³ per tonne by circuit | Match cooling flow to load | Utilities head |
| Industrial gases | Nm³ per tonne by grade | Tighten purge and blow times | Melt shop lead |
| Compressed air | kWh per Nm³ and leak share | Leak survey, pressure reduction | Maintenance head |
Shifting Load Without Losing Output
Tariffs reward flexibility. Where the process allows, moving some load out of peak hours lowers cost per tonne without any change in tonnes. The bars show an illustrative shift in the share of consumption by tariff band.
A Composite Scenario: The Quiet Compressor
A rolling mill noticed that night power barely fell when the lines stopped. Tracing the base load by section pointed at the compressed air system. The figures below are illustrative.
Where iFactory AI Fits
Meters, production records and tariffs live in different places. iFactory AI joins them and shows utility cost per tonne by step.
Step-Level Allocation
Utility use is assigned to the process step and heat that consumed it.
Base Load Tracking
See what each section draws when it is not producing, and how that trend moves.
Tariff-Aware Views
Cost is shown by tariff band, so load-shifting choices are priced in advance.
Target Alerts
Owners are told when a utility per tonne moves outside its agreed band.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need a meter on every process step?
Not on day one. Start with the main incomers and the largest consumers, then add sub-meters where the data shows a large unexplained share. Some steps can be estimated from equipment ratings and run hours until a meter is justified. iFactory AI's team can review your metering and suggest where the next sub-meter pays back fastest.
How do we allocate a shared utility to several units?
Use a simple, agreed rule and apply it consistently. Common choices are metered sub-loads where they exist, run hours for equipment and production tonnes for process loads. The right rule matters less than the fact that everyone accepts it. Once the rule is stable, trends become comparable from month to month and disputes about allocation fade away.
Can load shifting affect quality or output?
It can if applied to the wrong loads, which is why the process team decides what can move. Loads tied to heat timing or metallurgy should stay where they are. Flexible loads such as preheating, auxiliaries and some batch tasks are the usual candidates. See a load-shifting view in a short walkthrough built on your tariff bands.
Which utility usually gives the quickest win?
Compressed air and idle power are the most common quick wins, because losses are steady and the fixes, such as leak repair and switching off unloaded equipment, are cheap. Water and gas savings often need a process review, so they take longer. Ranking utilities by cost and by ease of fix gives a sensible order of work for the first quarter.
How does this connect to overall cost per tonne?
Utility cost is one bucket in the cost per tonne stack. Because iFactory AI tracks it by step and heat, a movement in the total can be traced to the utility and unit behind it. Ask support how utilities roll into your cost view alongside other drivers.
Put a Name and a Target on Every Utility Rupee
iFactory AI connects meters, heats and tariffs so utility waste can be found and fixed. Book a walkthrough to see it on your own data.
