Large-scale & complex plant automation at a fractional cost of OEM
CSP Mill Caster & Tunnel Furnace
The Challenge
This was a very unique project both because of the sheer scale and size and the timing of execution. This plant was operated by financial institutions who were looking for highest bidders of this plant. They wished to make all systems up to date and operational for the new buyer. This system was supplied by a renowned OEM and the system was lying idle for more than 06 years, the cost to start this plant was very important for the management. If they would have approached the OEM the cost to start this plant would have run into multi fold and the budget would have been humongous. Velox was a trusted partner catering to this plant for more than 15 years. Velox had delivered success for every challenging job offered to them. This successful track record prompted the plant management to rope in Velox for the execution of this project.
The Solution
The system had two main areas Caster and Tunnel furnace. Velox had very little role in deriving the solution as the equipment was already available at site. This project was a mix of more than 10 Siemens PLC systems totalling to more than 10000 I/Os and 100 odd Siemens Servo Drives, more than 1200 ABB Drives, Factory link and Wonderware SCADA Software. The system had more than 250 safety loops at various PLC systems with SIL 3 rating. This was by far the biggest project handled by Velox. The system not only demanded highest level of expertise but also a large number of team members to be deployed at the same time. The expertise and resourcefulness of Velox was tested and Velox came out with flying colours once again.
Why Velox Solutions Makes Sense
Velox team was able to write the logic, test it offline and commission the system in a single shot without any rework. Total 10 engineers worked round the clock for 15 days. The system got commissioned without any support from the OEM at 5% of the cost compared to the OEM offer. The new plant enhanced the capacity by 35% and increased the flexibility of operation of all three lines enormously. The overall productivity increased by 50%. Local development means lifelong services will be available to the customer at a very low cost.
Metals industry is a very high energy consuming industry. The project was commissioned without any error in the first go. This lead to lot of savings of energy, recycling costs and wear and tear of the system. The operational flexibility rewarded the customer with time and energy saving for life long.