Have you tried including baking powder into your cake while it’s baking halfway? Perhaps not, but if you had, you’d realize that the results wouldn’t be quite what you expected. This is why the most profitable bakers in the world follow their recipes to a T, to ensure their baked goods always meet consumer expectations.

But what does baking have to do with heat sequencing in steel? One word: Precision.

Similar to the science of baking, heat sequencing in steel production is all about precision. Deviate from the formula and you will not get the results you had planned for. Sounds easy, since it all comes down to following a formula.

However, your planners do face a problem. Their biggest one is juggling multiple order assignments, each with its own chemical compositions and heat requirements. Sure, several orders can be combined, based on common requirements. But the ultimate question that your planners want answered is this:

Which orders should we cast together and in what order, to avoid reassignment and unwanted inventory?

The answer is far from simple.

The most optimal heat sequencing schedule uses resources efficiently and takes production constraints into account. Ultimately, it all comes down to these four critical areas:

• Composition
• Position
• Transition
• Adjustment

We’ve taken a closer look at these four areas and outlined how you can master each one to improve your heat sequencing. Read more about these four areas in our new heat sequencing guide.