Automation in Blast Furnace

Cost-effective blast Furnace Ironmaking necessitates maintaining low coke rates. This requirement pushes several process parameters to their limits, increasing the operator’s responsibilities. Advanced blast furnace automation M HEAVY TECHNOLOGY`s company is an invaluable tool for operators in this scenario, offering coherent guidance and information while providing a high degree of process automation with the flexibility for manual intervention in various furnace operations. The system follows a modular architecture, allowing for the complete integration of all modules or upgrades to existing systems.

Our system is built upon extensive operational experience and is fine-tuned to align with the end-user’s working practices. Adjustments can be made during ongoing operations to accommodate variations in operating characteristics or adhere to Standard Operating Procedures. While full process automation can reproduce previous outcomes, our approach emphasizes collaboration between the operator and the system, elevating process control to its highest level while maintaining adaptability for continuous improvement.

Your Industry Challenge

Your primary goal is to achieve reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally compatible hot metal production to meet evolving market demands. As blast furnace operators, you face significant challenges, such as maximizing output from new and existing capacity, ensuring a continuous and dependable supply of hot metal for your steel plant, and maintaining consistent quality while minimizing costs.

Plant Growth and Capacity

The steel industry has grown substantially in integrated plant capacity, particularly in emerging markets. However, excess capacity remains a major threat to the sector. Despite around half of the installed capacity requiring significant repairs or replacement of critical components like hot blast systems, lower demand for new capital plant projects is being felt due to the approximately 80% utilization rate recorded in 2023.

Investing in the Future

As a steel producer, your success depends on cost efficiency, product quality, and adaptability to rapidly changing market demands. New plants and modernizations must deliver enhanced performance and increased productivity to meet these requirements. Reliable automation systems and equipment minimize operator intervention and enhance personnel safety. Furthermore, meeting stringent environmental regulations requires continuous efforts to reduce emissions while streamlining maintenance for higher availability.

When it comes to plant replacement or repair, minimizing production downtime is essential. Rapid startup and achieving high productivity demand advanced technology and proven solutions for a sustainable blast furnace operation. This includes:

• Cost-effective input materials that meet hot metal production and quality targets. Well-engineered equipment and refractories to minimize production downtime and maximize campaign life.
• Emissions reduction below legislative limits while maintaining fuel-efficient operation. Comprehensive service and support throughout your investment’s entire lifecycle.
• Advanced control and automation systems to ensure safe and stable process conditions while minimizing operator intervention.

Leaders in the Blast Furnace Technology Automations

Our total solution competence for automating crude blast furnace positions us as the leading supplier of blast furnace technology. With over 56 plants supplied worldwide to date, we have the background and experience to meet your specific needs.

Whether your project involves capital builds, enhancements to an existing plant, or individual equipment supply, our dedicated project management, shorter project timelines, rapid startup capabilities, and production optimization deliver exceptional results. Primetals Technologies offers a comprehensive technology portfolio that addresses performance, reliability, environmental impact, and cost-effectiveness.

Through our global presence and extensive after-sales network, we are your complete lifecycle partner, committed to your reliability and success. Integrating the Blast Furnace Process Control System with the Blast Furnace Optimization System represents a significant advancement in intelligent blast furnace automation. This synergy between advanced models and expert systems greatly enhances support for plant operators, minimizing the potential for human errors.

M HEAVY TECHNOLOGY blast furnace automation system represents a pivotal step toward an intelligent factory. It addresses core challenges such as cost-optimized operation, process enhancements without compromising raw material selection, superior product quality, and maintaining desired productivity levels. The system relies on optimized burden calculations with precise chemical targets and closed-loop controls to produce high-quality hot metal and slag while reducing energy consumption.

Our Approach to the Blast Furnace Optimizaton

The optimization system provides easy access to all process parameters, material properties, and productivity data, including charging details, burden material characteristics, and process measurements. This ensures the ideal conditions for producing top-quality hot metal and slag. The system guarantees shift-independent plant operation with minimal manual interactions, resulting in continuous blast furnace operation, extended equipment lifespan, and reduced production costs.

Our approach emphasizes flexible thinking, bold innovation, and intelligent measurements as essential elements for ensuring your plant’s adaptable and trouble-free production. We aim to optimize your assets sustainably for lifecycle value by integrating various technological packages, from intelligent cooling systems with water leakage prevention to fully automatic cast house management.

Our team’s knowledge and experience, coupled with innovative technologies, are the driving forces that elevate your blast furnace to the next level of automation. We view our collaboration with clients as a partnership and deliver proven, cost-effective solutions from a single source.

How to automate blast furnace

Efficient automation relies on proper instrumentation. We ensure the suitable instruments are in the right places and seamlessly integrate them into our automation solution. A reliable process control system forms the foundation for your transition to Industry 4.0. Established techniques like server virtualization enhance system flexibility and availability while reducing hardware and maintenance costs. Our use of the latest industrial Ethernet technologies and proven hardware architecture delivers maximum performance with the highest levels of IT security, especially when transitioning to a smart factory.

Throughout the plant’s lifecycle, the system stores numerous raw data sources, including frontend signals, material charge quantities, laboratory data, events, model results, and cost data. Specialized tools link process information to analysis data and burden matrices. Flexible interfaces, modularization, and cutting-edge software architecture enable easy adaptation and maintenance, accommodating changes in raw materials, operational philosophies, and third-party system connectivity.

In addition to the robust basis system, numerous interactive process models support operators and metallurgical engineers in their daily decision-making. These metallurgical process models incorporate plant-specific requirements.

Streamlined Blast Furnace Data and Mobile Interface

Our Blast Furnace Optimization System provides complete data transparency across the entire process. It condenses extensive processes and metadata into concise reports, such as shifts, alarms, and materials. Smart tiles on the home screen display live information from your preferred applications, even if they’re not running. 

With the information technology landscape shifting toward mobile access, our human-machine interface is responsive and flexible, whether on a desktop or a novel multi-touch interface. Its simplicity enhances operator efficiency and effectiveness.

Benefits of the Effective Blast Furnace Automation Solution

Blast furnace process automation, measurement, and control systems are pivotal in ensuring the successful operation of industrial blast furnace automation solutions while significantly contributing to its economic efficiency. With the increasing complexity of the blast furnace process and the growing demand for operational effectiveness and environmental sustainability, there has been a shift in process control strategies.

Historically, static calculations based on black-box principles were used to predefine fundamental set points with limited feedback from the process. However, process instability could lead to significant deviations from the operating point, necessitating set point corrections, typically accomplished through artificial intelligence (AI) methods.

Given the variability in charge composition and diverse operational practices, it has become essential to account for process dynamics by recalculating set points and providing real-time feedback. Dynamic process control relies on developing sensors and measuring techniques to provide real-time information about the process state. The utilization of dynamic models has enabled a shift from process supervision to proactive real-time control. Different approaches are tailored to specific situations and control philosophies.

Today’s blast furnace process control systems are grounded in dynamic models, enabling online control. The fundamental concept treats the blast furnace as a dynamic system with water cooling, involving material and energy inputs, exothermic and endothermic chemical reactions, and energy dissipation in heat losses to water-cooled surfaces and sensible heat in off-gas.

Challenges of the Blast Furnace Automation

The primary challenges for advanced blast furnace process automation, measurement, and control systems are cost-optimized operation, process enhancements that do not compromise burden material selection, achieving the highest product quality, and maintaining desired productivity levels. Optimized burden calculations with precise chemical targets and closed-loop controls are the foundation for producing high-quality hot metal and slag while concurrently reducing energy consumption.

The optimization system offers convenient access to all process parameters, material properties, and productivity data, encompassing charging information, chemical and physical burden materials, and process measurements. This accessibility allows for determining optimal conditions for producing high-quality hot metal and slag.

The blast furnace process automation, measurement, and control system delivers high-precision process control with real-time graphical information. It ensures stable and reproducible blast furnace operation, maintaining consistent hot metal quality. The system promotes shift-independent plant operation, minimizing manual interventions. The result is the continuous and efficient operation of the blast furnace, extended equipment lifespan, and reduced production costs.

Complete new steel industry players, furnace modernizations and relines, brand new or upgraded equipment and systems, plant automation, process control systems, engineering design services, equipment maintenance, and spare parts are all covered by our extensive range of blast furnace automation solutions. We provide insightful operational and system design guidance and on-site services for blast furnace operation and maintenance tasks. Our clients’ benefits include:

• Increased plant capacity, availability, and reliability.

• Enhanced unit productivity.

• Improved hot metal quality and stability.

• Reduced energy consumption.

• Lower operational costs.

• Enhanced plant hygiene, safety, and environmental performance.

• Prolonged campaign life.

Enhancing Blast Furnace Efficiency

The modern technology automation in blast furnaces seamlessly integrates proven solutions with the latest advancements to deliver optimal project outcomes, including capital cost efficiency, project implementation excellence, smooth operation ramp-up, high availability, safety compliance, environmental responsibility, extended campaign life, and competitive total cost of ownership.

We work closely with our clients to develop the most suitable solutions, whether for a new furnace or the relining or rebuilding of an existing unit. Our partnership extends to sub-contractors and construction companies, where we focus on minimizing disruptions to ongoing operations, downtime, and project costs.

Our commitment to regular improvement ensures that our clients receive the latest proven technologies and solutions, promoting both technical and commercial success for the project.

The proper design of the furnace is pivotal to achieving reliable operation, excellent metallurgical performance, sustained high productivity, and extended campaign life. For turnkey installations of any capacity and plant rebuilds, M HEAVY TECHNOLOGY’s modern automation in blast furnace designs features a free-standing vessel with a surrounding tower structure, providing easy access to the furnace. We employ powerful simulation tools to optimize burden and gas flow, considering potential raw materials and operating conditions throughout the furnace’s campaign. 

The efficient operation of a modern industrial blast furnace automation hinges on a high degree of automation, complemented by computerized monitoring and control systems.

Blast Furnace Automation Process: Planning, Implementation, Improvement

Introduction to Engineered Control Systems

As automation engineers, we provide comprehensive engineered control systems designed for top-tier blast furnace operations. Leveraging our extensive expertise and capabilities, we can craft customized automation solutions precisely tailored to fulfill the demanding requirements of the producer. Our solutions integrate cutting-edge advancements in system design and connectivity, aiming to optimize the accessibility of crucial process and equipment data for operators, all while minimizing maintenance expenses and production interruptions.

Our automation solutions are built upon our practical operational knowledge and fine-tuned to align with the specific operational practices of the end user. Adjustments and modifications can be seamlessly incorporated during the operation by evolving operating characteristics and Standard Operating Procedures. While relying solely on an automation system for process control ensures the ability to replicate past outcomes, it falls short of driving progress toward a higher standard.

The M HEAVY TECHNOLOGY approach encourages collaboration between operators and the system, elevating process control to its highest potential. The efficient operation of a modern blast furnace demands a high level of automation in conjunction with a comprehensive measurement system and a robust monitoring and control system. The synergy between the blast furnace process control and optimization systems results in sophisticated blast furnace automation. This optimized interaction between advanced models and the expert system provides extensive support to plant operators, effectively reducing the risk of human errors.

Challenges of the Blast Furnace Automation

The challenges associated with blast furnace process automation, measurement, and control systems encompass a broad spectrum, ranging from classical control theory problems in linear and nonlinear, single and multivariable systems for process control to operational and production control issues. To address these challenges, intricate operating systems are required. 

The efficient operation of a modern blast furnace requires a high degree of automation combined with a measurement system and a control system. The blast furnace control system, in combination with the optimization system, creates a high level of intelligent automation for the blast furnace. The optimal interaction between complex models and the expert system provides comprehensive assistance to plant operators and minimizes the risk of human errors.

Comprehensive and Phased Approaches of the Blast Furnace Automation

Automation of blast furnace production can be either comprehensive (covering all central technological units) or phase, for example, focusing on individual components such as air heaters, burden feeding systems, or aspiration systems. Regardless of the approach to automating blast furnace production, the process of planning and implementation typically consists of the following main stages:

– Site Assessment: At this stage, the current state of the blast furnace automation systems is determined, along with the required scope of work to bring the system to the level necessary to achieve planned objectives.

– Economic Justification: This stage determines the economic impact of the planned measures.

– Development of Project Documentation by the applicable regulatory framework, including:

• Explanatory notes
• Diagram of the technical equipment complex
• Electrical schematic diagrams
• Cable schedules
• Equipment connection tables
• Assignment to the plant for the production of low-voltage complete devices
• Equipment installation drawings, pipe, and cable routing
• Estimate documentation
• Development and Testing of Software.

– Manufacturing and Supply of Low-Voltage Complete Devices, Materials, and Components.

– Installation Works: During this phase, low-voltage complete devices, sensors, and other equipment are installed, and cable routing and connections are established.

– Commissioning: This stage includes system startup, operating it, and conducting warranty tests to determine if project parameters have been achieved.

Each stage is critically important, and the timely execution and correct sequencing of each stage significantly reduce unforeseen additional resource costs for the development and implementation of the automation system.

What Stage of Blast Furnace Automation Are You Now? Drop Us a Line and Get a Professional Audit and Possible Improvements For Your Particular Case

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Industries

Our company provides services in the design, supply, and commissioning of industrial automation systems, including instrumentation, APCS, electrical equipment, power supply, personnel, and mechanisms safety based on Schneider Electric, Rockwell Automation, Phoenix Contact, Rittal components, as well as equipment of other world producers such as Siemens and others. We operate in metal mining, FMCG, food and beverages, and Power. 

M HEAVY TECHNOLOGY formulates its growth strategy with a fundamental recognition of core elements, including ethics and integrity in behavior, customer-centricity, the empowerment of individuals, and innovation. These concepts are inherently interconnected, fostering a mutually dependent relationship that promotes economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Sustainable metallurgy encompasses the imperative of supporting social responsibility within the industry. This entails providing safe and healthy working conditions for employees, upholding the rights of local communities, and championing equitable labor practices.

Social Responsibility and Environmental Sustainability

Sustainable metallurgy requires a socially conscious approach to ensure that sustainability benefits in wealthy areas don’t offset the suffering of those in less developed nations. It implies we cannot shift all the health and labor challenges associated with mining and producing the additional metals required for a more sustainable technology infrastructure to low-wage regions. Doing so would create a global imbalance, where the sustainability progress in affluent areas is achieved at the cost of hardship endured in less privileged regions.

We are dedicated to conducting our business with a solid commitment to environmental responsibility. Our goal is to contribute to the planet’s long-term well-being, the prosperity of our customers, and the welfare of the communities in which we operate. 

Our environmental sustainability strategy of implementing advanced blast furnace solutions for our clients is designed to foster climate action across our entire value chain, optimize resource utilization, champion the circular economy, advance diversity and inclusion, uphold responsible and ethical sourcing practices, and rigorously adhere to product stewardship principles.

Why Choose Automation for Blast Furnaces from M HEAVY TECHNOLOGY?

Our unwavering commitment to innovation drives our company’s dynamic growth, relentless pursuit of creative solutions, and ambition to explore new frontiers while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. From our humble beginnings as a small team, we’ve evolved into a group of companies comprising over 150 highly skilled specialists. We continuously invest in our group’s development, which includes honing our employees’ expertise through training at prestigious educational institutions worldwide.

We hold our business reputation in the highest regard and take full responsibility for the quality of our services. We are results-oriented and deeply committed to our clients, earning their trust through our dedicated work. M HEAVY TECHNOLOGY stands out for several key benefits:

• Commitment to Quality: We aim for excellence and prioritize quality in all of our offerings.

• Responsibility and Results: We take ownership of our work’s outcomes, working tirelessly to achieve our clients’ goals and strategic objectives.

• Innovation: Task us with a challenge, and we’ll provide a solution. Our core focus is introducing new technologies and modernizing existing solutions for APCS and instrumentation. We are continually evolving, embracing novel methods and technologies.

• Efficiency: We aim to enhance efficiency by optimizing resources to maximize output.

• Professionalism: We highly value professionalism, elevating our employees’ knowledge and skills. 

• Enhanced Productivity: Maintains peak blast furnace performance while minimizing electrical energy and fuel consumption.

• Optimal Product Quality: Ensures hot metal and slag maintain desired chemical properties.

• Stability and Continuous Operation: Achieves best-practice blast furnace operation 24/7 for efficient production.

• Lifecycle Support: Provides ongoing service and support for future system expansions, ensuring sustainable benefits.

• Quick Return on Investment: Typically achieves a return on investment.

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Case Studies

Reconstruction by M Heavy Technology of Blast Furnace No.3 at Zaporizhstal

Set Goals and Objectives:

Zaporizhstal has been doing extensive modernization work on outdated equipment. In 2016-2017, Azov Controls LLC implemented the largest investment project in recent years, directly participating in the reconstruction of blast furnace No. 3.

During the execution of the work by our specialists, the following tasks were set: to increase equipment productivity, use current automatic control and management systems, and create a modern central control panel with a progressive approach to displaying interactive technological information on a video wall.

Technical Resources:

Programmable Logic Controllers Allen-Bradley ControlLogix L72 and Modicon Quantum;

Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 753 frequency converters;

Component base from Allen-Bradley, Phoenix Contact, Rittal, Schneider Electric;

Hewlett Packard DL 360 rack servers;

Industrial Ethernet switches Cisco Industrial Ethernet 3850 and 3010.

Software:

FactoryTalk View Server;

FactoryTalk View Studio;

FactoryTalk View Site Edition;

FactoryTalk Transaction Manager;

Studio 5000;

Unity Pro XL.

Achieved Results:

Modern solutions from world-class manufacturers achieve the specified technological parameters.

Reconstruction was completed within record timeframes for Ukraine.

Implemented solutions fully comply with environmental requirements.

Background to Project Implementation

Zaporizhstal is one of Ukraine’s largest metallurgical enterprises. The plant’s products are known for their high quality and are used in producing welded pipes and in the automotive, machinery, and other industries in Ukraine and abroad.

In metallurgy, the path from raw materials to finished products requires the coordinated efforts of all plant departments, each of which must meet the high demands of the modern market. This is why Zaporizhstal reconstructed blast furnace No. 3 (from now on referred to as BF No. 3).

With investments totaling approximately 1.47 billion UAH, the most cutting-edge technologies were used to execute the project. The first innovation was developing an intelligent 3D model of the furnace. BF No. 3 is equipped with the latest aspiration system, which ensures dust emissions are reduced to 20 mg/m³. Another innovation applied during the reconstruction of BF No. 3 was the large-unit assembly of new furnace elements. As part of the reconstruction work, a new non-conical charging device was installed at BF No. 3, the number of furnace instruments was increased from 16 to 20 units, and a combined lining using state-of-the-art technologies was carried out.

Additionally, on BF No. 3, the rail scales were replaced with conveyor material feeding for loading material into the skip, and the furnace cooling system was equipped with copper coolers.

Azov Controls actively participated in all stages of the reconstruction, closely collaborating with colleagues from Zaporizhstal, thus effectively responding to the customer’s requests. Our company was one of the key contractors during the development of the Process Control System (PCS) in 2015-2016. The scope of work included the comprehensive development of project documentation for the blast furnace’s leading control and management subsystems, the cooling system, gas purification, upper-level systems, and more—the blast furnace No. 3 model at Zaporizhstal.

Implementation Experience

The comprehensive work on the reconstruction of BF No. 3 presented several challenges to our company, including the assembly, delivery, and installation of over 70 local control cabinets and panels and the execution of installation and commissioning activities, system startup, and initial system support.

Azov Controls was a major supplier of specialized software for servicing controllers and workstations during modernization.

The control cabinets (manufactured by Rittal) were equipped with equipment from leading manufacturers such as Allen-Bradley, Schneider Electric, Phoenix Contact, and others. Special attention was paid to the construction of the central control panel. Given the high requirements for the room itself, a design project was developed that included innovative solutions in industrial design (ergonomic features for optimal use of the video wall and related equipment).

Azov Controls approached the commissioning phase with even greater responsibility, acting as the general contractor for the startup of the following subsystems:

• Automation Control System for Hot Blast;
• Automation Control System for Blast Furnace Smelting;
• Energy Carrier Control System;
• Gas Cleaning Automation Control System;
• Automation of the aspiration system for the bunker platform;
• Aspiration system for the casting yard;
• Cooling System Automation Control System.

The flawless operation of these subsystems is essential to ensure high-quality pig iron production and the uninterrupted operation of the blast furnace equipment.

The automation solutions used in this project comply with modern global standards and are applied in the most advanced projects worldwide. The blast furnace cooling subsystem was traditionally implemented using the ControlLogix Redundancy platform from Allen Bradley, similar to the cooling systems of blast furnaces No. 2 and 4. In these cases, the use of hot controller redundancy is justified by the continuous nature of the process and the increased technological requirements for system reliability.

Another complex yet successfully implemented task was integrating and displaying technological information from programmable automation controllers into a unified visualization system built on the client-server architecture of Factory Talk View SE from Allen Bradley. This approach has proven convenient for operation, maintenance, and workstation placement.

It should be noted that the application of redundancy systems, both in hardware and specialized software, significantly enhances the overall system’s fault tolerance and is a necessary tool for achieving high-quality process control. All blast furnace subsystems, except the cooling system, were implemented by our company based on Modicon Quantum controllers with built-in hot redundancy from Schneider Electric. Specialists at Zaporizhstal PJSC have extensive experience operating this equipment, which contributes to reducing downtime during system maintenance.

List of Used Software and Hardware Resources

1. Programmable Automation Controller for Evaporative Cooling System

As the main controller for automating the operation of pumps and monitoring parameters of the chemically purified water cooling system with forced circulation, the 1756-L72 controller from Rockwell Automation was used.

The ControlLogix controller is a solution that provides all the necessary functions for controlling the control system, diagnosing its condition, and controlling frequency converters. The controller is designed for managing continuous processes, offering extensive communication capabilities, and allowing for maximum flexibility in the use of input-output modules. The system has a modular architecture.

2. Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)

Automated control systems ‘Hot Blast Delivery,’ ‘Blast Furnace Smelting,’ and ‘Energy Carrier Control’ were implemented using the Modicon Quantum Hot Standby 140CPU67260 PLC from Schneider Electric.

Modicon Quantum is well-suited for automating complex processes. The performance of processors at this level ensures optimal cycle times. The controllers have extensive data exchange and diagnostic capabilities.

Modicon Quantum includes a balanced central processor that maximizes performance in performing system functions.

Quantum Hot Standby series controllers provide more excellent reliability to the production process through hot standby technology.

3. Frequency Converters

The control of cooling water pump motors for copper and iron refrigeration plates in the evaporative cooling system of BF No. 3 is achieved using PowerFlex 753 frequency converters.

Data exchange – PowerFlex 753 series supports many network protocols to simplify integration with your architecture. An additional EtherNet/IP module with two ports for PowerFlex 753 converters is a flexible and cost-effective tool for connecting EtherNet/IP and supports DLR (Device Level Ring) functionality.

Preventing unplanned downtime through preventive diagnostics and built-in protective functions – these settings allow the PowerFlex 753 series to monitor information affecting the lifespan of converter components.

4. Networking Solutions

Communication between the central controller and distributed input/output devices, frequency converters, and the safety controller is based on the Ethernet/IP protocol with support for Rockwell Automation’s proprietary DLR (Device Level Ring) technology.

Advantages of DLR:

• A ring network topology is formed at the end-device level.
• Minimal communication recovery time in case of a ring break (no more than 3 ms for a network of 50 nodes). Advanced diagnostic features pinpoint faults, reducing time and costs for maintenance and repair. DLR technology provides reliability and is flexible with other topologies.

5. Visualization Software

The Human-Machine Interface (HMI) for all automated control and monitoring systems is based on the FactoryTalk View Site Edition package. The applied visualization environment provides the following features: Client-server architecture for the visualization system. Advanced tools for displaying process graphics, alarms, and events. Hot redundancy of visualization system components. Open databases based on Microsoft SQL Server.

6. Specialized Data Collection and Storage Software

FactoryTalk Transaction Manager software is used to collect and store all necessary data for analysis and planning of the operation of BF No. 3.

FactoryTalk Transaction Manager transfers critical data received from production equipment to the enterprise’s information system. This enables the integration of BF No. 3 into the plant’s information systems.

The Results of the Project Implementation

The result of the work performed is the extensive modernization of blast furnace No. 3 and the creation of a modern control panel within a record-short timeframe for the Ukrainian industry.

To establish the Process Control System (PCS), solutions from world-renowned manufacturers such as Allen-Bradley, Schneider Electric, Phoenix Contact, Cisco, and others were used. The control system is built on an Ethernet network. The network’s reliability is ensured by employing a ring topology (including DLR technology from Allen-Bradley).

The foundation for implementing analytical and expert systems is the centralized collection of technological information from various subsystems.

Currently, our company’s specialists continue to collaborate with colleagues from Zaporizhstal PJSC, providing consultation and assistance in addressing maintenance and operation-related issues of the automation system. Zaporizhstal PJSC now has a modern sinter shop control room, thanks to all of Azov Controls’ work.

The plant’s operational services can now automate the management of these procedures and monitor and control the primary technological characteristics of every workshop piece of equipment, thanks to the new facility.

Increased plant productivity, intelligent energy regulation, more precise production process control, and remote monitoring have all been made possible by installing Allen-Bradley PACs in combination with FactoryTalk software. As the Head of Azov Controls’ Automation & Drives Department stated, “The system we created has capabilities that go beyond the original terms of reference, and it is actively still evolving and improving at this time.” The next stage of the reconstruction will be the modernization of the control systems for the batch-feeding conveyors and sintering machine No. 4.

Mr. Dronov, Head of Automation at Zaporizhstal, says, “We are happy with the solutions that were provided, and we’re working hard to get even more savings and functionality out of the system. The data we are seeing from this new installation is already being used in the plant’s MES track-and-trace module, and we have several other initiatives relating to the sinter and blast furnace shops”.