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Simulación · Minimal Factory · Iron and steel

Meiderich ironworks · blast furnaces in Duisburg-Nord

Three blast furnaces of an ironworks as a model: blast furnace gas flare above, tapping into torpedo cars below, plus burden bunker and blower house in Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord.

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Real are location, terrain and structures (official NRW elevation data, OpenStreetMap). The daily output per furnace has not been handed down, the use of the gas is interpreted; quantities, processes and times are model values. With your data, the model shows your site and your processes.

In today's Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord stand three blast furnaces of the Meiderich ironworks; in the model they are blown in again one after the other. Above, the blast furnace gas flare burns, below, the pig iron flows into torpedo cars at tapping, and ore and coke trains arrive at the burden bunker. The gas goes through a pipeline to the blower house; that is interpreted.

Five controls steer the works: investment (one to three blast furnaces), workforce, supply, quality and market. Pigs of iron pile up on the pig-iron stockpile when more pig iron is made than the steelworks take. If ore and coke are missing, the blast furnaces run only in part.

Real are location, terrain and structures from official NRW elevation data and OpenStreetMap, and all three blast furnaces really stand there. The daily output per furnace has not been handed down; quantities, processes, times and the use of the gas are model values, and one working day lasts ten seconds. The page is for museums and exhibitions, schools and universities, industrial heritage and local history.

From raw material to product

  1. 01

    supply – ore and coke trains at the burden bunker

  2. 02

    blast furnaces – top-gas flare above, pig iron at the tapping below

  3. 03

    pig iron yard – takes in what is not sold

  4. 04

    dispatch – pig iron in torpedo cars to the steelworks

A site at work

01

A site at work

Meiderich ironworks: Three blast furnaces in today’s Landscape Park Duisburg-Nord are blown in again one by one: flare, tapping, torpedo cars – and ore and coke arrive at the burden bunker.

Blast furnace 1 (real)

02

Blast furnace 1 (real)

Blast furnace 1 (real) – A blast furnace: the top-gas flare burns above, below the pig iron runs into the torpedo cars at tapping; the top gas goes to the blower hall (interpreted).

What is shown – why – for whom

Qué se muestra Por qué Para quién
Three blast furnaces with gas flare Por quéShows how an ironworks with several blast furnaces is laid out. Para quiénmuseum, teaching
Tapping with torpedo cars Por quéShows how the liquid pig iron leaves the furnaces. Para quiénmuseum, exhibition
Burden bunker with ore and coke trains Por quéShows where the raw materials arrive and the burden goes to the furnaces. Para quiénteaching, history of technology
Blower house and blast furnace gas pipeline Por quéShows where the wind for the blast furnaces came from and where the gas goes in the model. Para quiénteaching, history of technology
Pig-iron stockpile Por quéShows what happens to pig iron the steelworks do not take. Para quiéneconomics teaching, exhibition
The ironworks' gas holder, today a diving pool Por quéShows what became of a part of the plant after the ironworks era. Para quiénindustrial heritage, local history
Five controls with output, stockpile and daily result Por quéShows connections in operations, not operating figures. Para quiéneconomics teaching
Blast furnace 3

03

Blast furnace 3

Blast furnace 3 – the expansion runs along as long as people, materials and market suffice.

Five levers, one works

04

Five levers, one works

Full investment – three blast furnaces: capacity for the boom, but only with enough people and materials.

Films from the model

  • Above Meiderich ironworks

    A flight across the whole site: low approach, Blast furnace 1, then across the works to the long shot – everything moving, with the sound of the works.

  • From raw material to product

    The works’ chain in one flight – supply (ore and coke trains at the burden bunker), blast furnaces, pig iron yard, dispatch: station by station.

  • A working day in time-lapse

    In time-lapse working days pass in seconds: shifts at the gate, traffic on the supply and dispatch routes, the stockpile (pig iron yard) changing along.

  • A works grows

    Investment step by step: new blast furnaces appear, the workforce grows with them, then more supply and a boom in the market.

  • Bottleneck – the works respond

    First materials run short and the plant only runs in part, then the market takes too little and the stockpile fills up – in the boom the works recover.

  • Using the software

    With the full interface: open the works, set investment and market, look at stockpile and plant – every lever acts at once.

Facilities and areas in the model

  • Blast furnaces

    A blast furnace: the top-gas flare burns above, below the pig iron runs into the torpedo cars at tapping; the top gas goes to the blower hall (interpreted). In the game: all 3 real.

  • Pig iron yard

    Whatever is made but not sold ends up here; when it is full the surplus goes at a discount, when the market wants more it is drawn down.

  • Supply

    Ore and coke trains at the burden bunker. A bigger contract costs more, the store buffers short gaps.

  • Dispatch

    Pig iron in torpedo cars to the steelworks. The market only takes what it needs.

  • Blower hall

    Where the blast for the furnaces was made; in the model the top gas runs there through a pipe.

  • Burden bunker

    Ore and coke trains unload here; from here the burden goes to the furnaces.

  • Gas holder

    The ironworks’ gas tank, today a diving pool.

When things get tight

05

When things get tight

Pig iron yard filling up – more is made than sold; when there is no room left the surplus goes at a 40 % discount.

Medium long shot

06

Medium long shot

Medium long shot – Blast furnace 1: top-gas flare above, pig iron at the tapping below.

Processes in the model

From raw material to product

  1. 01supply – ore and coke trains at the burden bunker
  2. 02blast furnaces – top-gas flare above, pig iron at the tapping below
  3. 03pig iron yard – takes in what is not sold
  4. 04dispatch – pig iron in torpedo cars to the steelworks

Expansion

  1. 01raise investment by one step
  2. 02another blast furnace is built on its plot
  3. 03set the workforce to match, otherwise it only runs in part
  4. 04the market decides whether it pays – success in one number at the top

Bottleneck and recovery

  1. 01supply short – the store empties
  2. 02materials missing – the plants only run in part
  3. 03market in a slump – the stockpile grows until the fire sale
  4. 04boom – the stockpile empties, the result rises

What the model can be used for

  • Museum and exhibition

    The blast furnaces explain themselves on the plant: above, the gas flare burns, below, the pig iron runs into the torpedo cars at tapping, at the burden bunker the ore and coke trains unload.

    Para quiénmuseums, visitor centres, exhibitions

  • School and university

    What is blast furnace gas, and what was it used for? Terms like blowing in, burden bunker, blower house and pig of iron sit where they belong.

    Para quiénschools, universities, vocational training

  • Industrial heritage and landscape park

    What has become of the blast furnaces in Duisburg-Nord? The model shows them running, with the ironworks' gas holder, today a diving pool, on the real terrain.

    Para quiénindustrial heritage, city marketing, local history societies

  • Understanding operations

    Investment, workforce, supply, quality and market act at once on output, stockpile and result. It becomes visible why a third blast furnace without ore, coke and sales costs money.

    Para quiéneconomics teaching, further training

Blast furnace 1 at work

07

Blast furnace 1 at work

Blast furnace 1 at work – top-gas flare above, pig iron at the tapping below; the machines run with the works’ utilisation.

The whole software

08

The whole software

Running the works – five levers: investment, workforce, supply, quality and market; the chain shows at once what follows.

What you can change

Controls

  • Investment: Number of blast furnaces (1 to 3): more money builds more, less shuts them down; without more people they only run in part.
  • Workforce: Enough people for all blast furnaces – output rises, and so does success. Too many people cost wages without more output.
  • Supply: More material arrives – the plant no longer has to wait. Levels short, normal and double; supply security costs money.
  • Quality: More quality means less scrap and fewer breakdowns but costs testing and maintenance (levels low, normal, high).
  • Market: Slump, normal or boom. In a slump more is made than sold: the stockpile grows and success drops. In a boom the market takes more: the stockpile empties and success rises.

Disruptions

  • Too few people: Workers are missing, part of the plant stands still.
  • Material missing: Supply is not enough; once the store is empty the plants only run in part (message: “Parts store empty – supply is short”).
  • Too much built: More is made than the market takes: the stockpile grows; when it is full the surplus goes at a 40 % discount (message: “Stockpile full – fire sale at a discount”).
  • Market wants more: Demand is greater than the works can make; once the stockpile is empty orders are lost (message: “Stockpile empty – orders are lost”).

What the model brings

  • 01

    The real terrain as a stage

    Blast furnaces, tracks and surroundings stand on terrain from official elevation data. You show the site as it lies, not as a diagram.

  • 02

    Three furnaces one after the other

    The blast furnaces are blown in one after the other. You see how an ironworks with several furnaces starts up.

  • 03

    Bottlenecks without damage

    Ore and coke fail to arrive, the store empties, the pig-iron stockpile fills up. You see where it gets tight first, and set it back.

  • 04

    For big screens and the browser

    Runs in the browser and on large projections. A working day in fast motion lasts ten seconds.

  • Hüttenwerk Meiderich: Drei Hochöfen im heutigen Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord werden nacheinander wieder angeblasen: Gichtfackel, Abstich, Torpedowagen – und am Möllerbunker kommen Erz und Koks an.
    Meiderich ironworks: Three blast furnaces in today’s Landscape Park Duisburg-Nord are blown in again one by one: flare, tapping, torpedo cars – and ore and coke arrive at the burden bunker.
  • Hüttenwerk Meiderich von der anderen Seite – derselbe Ort in der Nachmittagssonne aus Südwesten, mit langen Schatten der Hallen und Gerüste.
    Meiderich ironworks from the other side – the same site in the afternoon sun from the south-west, with long shadows of halls and structures.
  • Halbtotale – Hochofen 1: Gichtgasfackel oben, Roheisen beim Abstich unten.
    Medium long shot – Blast furnace 1: top-gas flare above, pig iron at the tapping below.
  • Weit draußen bei Duisburg-Nord – Gelände, Häuser und Bäume stammen aus amtlichen Höhendaten, am Rand läuft die Welt weich ins Dunkel aus.
    Far out near Duisburg-Nord – terrain, houses and trees come from official elevation data; at the edge the world fades softly into the dark.
  • Von oben – Hüttenwerk Meiderich als Modell aus Quadern: jede Zelle ein Quader, Gebäude und Gelände nach Höhendaten und OpenStreetMap.
    From above – Meiderich ironworks as a model of blocks: every cell a block, buildings and terrain from elevation data and OpenStreetMap.
  • Hüttenwerk Meiderich schräg von oben – Zulieferung, Hochöfen, Masselhalde und Abtransport auf einen Blick.
    Meiderich ironworks from above at an angle – supply, blast furnaces, pig iron yard and dispatch at a glance.
  • Rundherum Duisburg-Nord: Straßen, Gleise und Wasser aus OpenStreetMap, Häuser und Bäume aus den Höhendaten – nur die Anlage in der Mitte ist eigens gebaut.
    All around Duisburg-Nord: streets, tracks and water from OpenStreetMap, houses and trees from the elevation data – only the plant in the middle is built specially.
  • Hochofen 1 (echt) – Ein Hochofen: Oben brennt die Gichtgasfackel, unten fließt beim Abstich das Roheisen in die Torpedowagen; das Gichtgas geht zur Gebläsehalle (gedeutet).
    Blast furnace 1 (real) – A blast furnace: the top-gas flare burns above, below the pig iron runs into the torpedo cars at tapping; the top gas goes to the blower hall (interpreted).
  • Hochofen 2 (echt) – ein echtes Bauwerk des Orts, im Spiel in Betrieb: Gichtgasfackel oben, Roheisen beim Abstich unten.
    Blast furnace 2 (real) – a real structure of the site, running in the game: top-gas flare above, pig iron at the tapping below.
  • Hochofen 3 (echt) – ein echtes Bauwerk des Orts, im Spiel in Betrieb: Gichtgasfackel oben, Roheisen beim Abstich unten.
    Blast furnace 3 (real) – a real structure of the site, running in the game: top-gas flare above, pig iron at the tapping below.
  • Masselhalde – hier landet, was entsteht, aber nicht verkauft wird; ist kein Platz mehr, geht der Überschuss mit Abschlag weg.
    Pig iron yard – whatever is made but not sold ends up here; when there is no room left, the surplus goes at a discount.
  • Zulieferung – Erz- und Kokszüge am Möllerbunker: ein größerer Vertrag kostet mehr, das Lager puffert kurze Lücken.
    Supply – ore and coke trains at the burden bunker: a bigger contract costs more, the store buffers short gaps.
  • Gebläsehalle – hier entstand der Wind für die Hochöfen; im Modell geht das Gichtgas über eine Leitung dorthin.
    Blower hall – where the blast for the furnaces was made; in the model the top gas runs there through a pipe.
  • Möllerbunker – Erz- und Kokszüge laden hier ab, von hier geht der Möller zu den Öfen.
    Burden bunker – ore and coke trains unload here; from here the burden goes to the furnaces.
  • Gasometer – der Gasbehälter des Hüttenwerks, heute ein Tauchbecken.
    Gas holder – the ironworks’ gas tank, today a diving pool.
  • Masselhalde nah – Stapel um Stapel, sobald mehr entsteht, als der Markt nimmt.
    Pig iron yard close up – stack upon stack as soon as more is made than the market takes.
  • Zulieferung in vollem Gang – Erz- und Kokszüge am Möllerbunker; je größer der Vertrag, desto mehr ist unterwegs.
    Supply in full swing – ore and coke trains at the burden bunker; the bigger the contract, the more is on the move.
  • Hochofen 1 in Betrieb – Gichtgasfackel oben, Roheisen beim Abstich unten; die Maschinen laufen mit der Auslastung des Werks.
    Blast furnace 1 at work – top-gas flare above, pig iron at the tapping below; the machines run with the works’ utilisation.
  • Hochofen 3 – der Ausbau läuft mit, solange Leute, Material und Markt reichen.
    Blast furnace 3 – the expansion runs along as long as people, materials and market suffice.
  • Abtransport – Roheisen in Torpedowagen zu den Stahlwerken; im Boom ist mehr unterwegs, in der Flaute weniger.
    Dispatch – pig iron in torpedo cars to the steelworks; in a boom more is on the move, in a slump less.
  • Am Tor – hier kommen die Schichten an, Wege führen zu den Anlagen, zur Werkstatt und in die Pause.
    At the gate – the shifts arrive here, paths lead to the plants, the workshop and the break area.
  • Volle Fahrt – alle drei Hochöfen in Betrieb, der Markt im Boom: auf Zufahrt und Abfahrt ist am meisten los.
    Full steam – all three blast furnaces running, the market booming: supply and dispatch routes are at their busiest.
  • Investition klein – nur Hochofen 1 läuft, die übrigen Plätze liegen als Fundament mit Markierung da.
    Small investment – only Blast furnace 1 runs, the other plots lie ready as marked foundations.
  • Investition voll – drei Hochöfen: Kapazität für den Boom, aber nur mit genug Leuten und Material.
    Full investment – three blast furnaces: capacity for the boom, but only with enough people and materials.
  • Jede Anlage beschriftet – Hochofen 1 bis 3, Masselhalde, Zulieferer und Markt; oben der Werktag mit der Menge je Tag, rechts der Erfolg in einer Zahl.
    Every facility labelled – blast furnace 1 to 3, pig iron yard, supplier and market; at the top the working day with the daily output, on the right success in one number.
  • Hochofen 1 beschriftet – Name und Nummer stehen direkt im Bild.
    Blast furnace 1 labelled – name and number right in the picture.
  • Erfolg in einer Zahl – 100 heißt: besser geht es bei diesem Markt nicht; darunter das Ergebnis je Tag, oben die Menge je Werktag.
    Success in one number – 100 means it cannot get better in this market; below it the result per day, at the top the output per working day.
  • Wo ein Regler wirkt, leuchtet ein Ring – hier nach einem Wechsel am Markt: Masselhalde.
    Where a lever acts, a ring lights up – here after a change in the market: pig iron yard.
  • Material fehlt – die Zulieferung ist knapp, das Lager leer: die Hochöfen laufen nur noch zum Teil, auf der Zufahrt ist wenig los.
    Materials missing – supply is short, the store is empty: the blast furnaces only run in part, the supply route is quiet.
  • Masselhalde läuft voll – es entsteht mehr, als verkauft wird; ist kein Platz mehr, geht der Überschuss mit 40 % Abschlag weg.
    Pig iron yard filling up – more is made than sold; when there is no room left the surplus goes at a 40 % discount.
  • Boom – der Markt nimmt mehr ab, als gerade entsteht: die Halde leert sich, auf der Abfahrt ist viel los.
    Boom – the market takes more than is being made: the stockpile empties, the dispatch route is busy.
  • Die ganze Software – oben der Werktag mit Uhr und Menge, rechts der Erfolg in einer Zahl, unten die Kacheln für Werk und Anlagen.
    The whole software – at the top the working day with clock and output, on the right success in one number, below the tiles for works and facilities.
  • Werk steuern – fünf Regler: Investition, Belegschaft, Zulieferung, Qualität und Markt; die Kette zeigt sofort, was daraus wird.
    Running the works – five levers: investment, workforce, supply, quality and market; the chain shows at once what follows.
  • Ein Regler, sofort sichtbar – Markt auf Flaute: die Lage oben erklärt den Engpass, die Halde wächst, das Ergebnis je Tag sinkt.
    One lever, visible at once – market set to slump: the status line explains the bottleneck, the stockpile grows, the daily result drops.
  • Karte einer Anlage – Hochofen: in Betrieb, Beschäftigte und Auslastung, dazu ein Satz, was dort geschieht.
    Facility card – blast furnace: in operation, workforce and utilisation, plus one sentence on what happens there.
  • Karte der Halde – Masselhalde: Bestand, belegter Platz und Zuwachs je Tag.
    Stockpile card – pig iron yard: stock, space used and growth per day.
  • Karte der Zulieferer – Lieferung je Tag, Lager und Materialkosten am Tag.
    Supplier card – delivery per day, store and material costs per day.
  • Karte des Markts – Nachfrage, verkauft und Umsatz am Tag.
    Market card – demand, sold and turnover per day.
  • Engpass in Orange – die Zulieferung reicht nicht: Zeile oben und Lage im Werk sagen in einem Satz, was fehlt.
    Bottleneck in orange – supply is not enough: the line at the top and the works status say in one sentence what is missing.
  • Das Menü – Übersicht und Anlage, Schnitt, neu beginnen, Vorführung, Ton und andere Orte, darunter die Bedienung mit Maus, Finger und Tastatur.
    The menu – overview and plant, cutaway, restart, demo, sound and other sites, below the controls for mouse, touch and keyboard.
  • Sechzehn echte Orte – Hochöfen, Zechen, Autowerke, Häfen und eine Werft, jeder dort, wo er wirklich steht.
    Sixteen real sites – blast furnaces, collieries, car plants, harbours and a shipyard, each where it really stands.

Your site as a model

Would you like to show your plant, your museum or your industrial site like this? Write to us or call. We will send you the password for starting it on request.

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Minimal Factory: Hüttenwerk Meiderich · Hochöfen in Duisburg-Nord

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Basis and limits

Real are the location, terrain and buildings in Duisburg-Nord (official NRW elevation data and OpenStreetMap). The plant in the middle is our own simplified interpretation: quantities, processes, times and prices are model assumptions; the economy runs in time-lapse (10 seconds are one working day). Not a simulation of real operations and no cooperation with the site.

Public sources the model is based on:

  • Wikipedia (German), article on the site: Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord
  • Website of the site
  • Geobasis NRW: digital surface and terrain models DOM1/DGM1 (Data licence Germany – Zero – 2.0)
  • OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): streets, tracks, water, land use

More places in the model

← Minimal Factory

Real are location, terrain and structures (official NRW elevation data, OpenStreetMap). The daily output per furnace has not been handed down, the use of the gas is interpreted; quantities, processes and times are model values. With your data, the model shows your site and your processes.