The Challenge: Brock Solutions was contracted by a large North American steel manufacturer to
design and supply a complete power and control system for their new Inline
Finishing Mill. The scope of work included Power System, AC Drives and Motors,
Controls and a Level 2/MES solution.
The Solution:
A ControlLogix PLC and 3 HMI terminals plus a PanelView Operator Interface
were used to automate the process. The PLC was programmed to execute the
sequencing of the mill and interfaced over ControlNet to SAFphire drive
controllers. The SAFphire controls communicate to the ABB Direct Torque
Control AC drives via a 10MB-fiberoptic link. SAFphire performs the Master
Control functions as follows:
- Bar Head/Tail Tracking for precise sequencing
- Cascade Speed Control
- Zero Tension and Loop Modes
- Shear Position Control for Crop/Cobble Shear and Flying Dividing Shear
- Automatic cobble detection
Complete mill simulation and testing reduced commissioning time and
eliminated potential start-up obstacles.
The Level 2/MES Component:
The new Level 2/MES solution interfaces to plant-wide control and
data collection systems providing the following functional modules:
- Setup Algorithm
- Data Collection
- Disposition Control
- Downtime and Delay Tracking
- Quality Data Management (SPC Analysis)
- Roll Management
- Production Lot Number Generation
- Remote Alarming and Reporting
The Results:
Following completion of the project, the customer increased mill production
by 30% and recorded significant improvements in product quality. Real-time
heat-treating data, moreover, is proactively being used in product development
and refinement.
