SMS group has introduced its new X-Pact Digital Hub, a comprehensive software ecosystem designed to transform metals production through improved productivity, connectivity, and sustainability. The platform unifies SMS’s own digital applications with third-party systems, offering seamless data integration across Level 1 HMIs and Level 2 and 3 automation systems. By aggregating operational data and synchronizing plant workflows, the Digital Hub supports SMS’s long-term vision of fully automated, “lights-out” steelmaking, referring to a highly or fully automated production process that requires minimal or no human presence on the factory floor.
The X-Pact Digital Hub brings together more than 300 industrial software applications, ensuring smooth interoperability through shared standards and eliminating the inefficiencies of isolated systems. Its modular architecture allows customers to deploy SMS’s proprietary tools while easily integrating external or custom solutions, making the platform highly scalable and adaptable to evolving operational needs.
A key focus of the ecosystem is user experience. A single-entry point, unified interface, and consistent workflows streamline navigation, while prompt-based interfaces enable automated decision-making for routine tasks such as triage and classification. Voice-enabled features allow hands-free commands and status checks, helping reduce human error, speed up responses, and free skilled staff for higher-value work.
By consolidating critical data, from process parameters to energy use and quality metrics, into clear, intuitive dashboards, the X-Pact Digital Hub provides a holistic view of plant operations, enabling faster and more informed decision-making across the metals production chain.
