Meanwhile, through the adoption of electric drives and renewable energy sources to power plants and cold rolling mills, the industry can future-proof in preparation for the decline in conventional fossil-fuel-dependent systems and reduce the carbon footprint of metals production.
Integrated electrification solutions and automation are driving the transition to more autonomous plants and promoting the circular economy by optimising resource use, reusability, minimising waste generation and fostering closed-loop material cycles.
In 2019, ABB partnered with stainless steel manufacturer, Acciai Speciali Terni S.p.a. (AST Terni), Italy, to upgrade drives at the no. 8 sendzimir mill. The upgrade included switching the controllers of its original cycloconverter from analogue to digital, ensuring the power component and thyristor stacks remained functional and intact. Control performance, energy efficiency, and maintenance cost reduction have improved as a result. The greater dynamic response allows for an increase in production capacity – in Terni’s case, increasing the mill speed from 600 metres per minute (mpm) to the designed speed of 800 mpm, which would otherwise have been unattainable using analog control.
Advanced software tools within the system improve ease of use while the less controlled hardware increases control platform reliability. Reduction in unplanned downtime is also key for efficiency, so the addition of digital services for remote assistance and troubleshooting will not only reduce operating costs but also minimise environmental impact.
More widely in the industry, steelmakers, partners and suppliers must make efforts to change their technological approach to manufacturing products. We know that there is one solution to the challenge of decarbonisation – no silver bullet. There are multiple pathways and it is not yet clear which of those will lead to success. The choices made also depend on where a producer is located, and the resources they have available, geographically or logistically.
Today, three main routes to decarbonisation in primary steel production are direct reduction with hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and electrochemistry – an electrolysis-based process that uses electric energy instead of conventional smelting to reduce iron ore ready for use in steelmaking.
The hydrogen route is often the subject of discussion, with options to reduce iron using hydrogen as a substitute for carbon, meaning the only emission is water. How ‘green’ this is depends on the method of hydrogen creation, with water electrolysis using fossil-free electricity known as green hydrogen. If steam reforming of natural gas is used in combination with CCS, it’s known as blue hydrogen. This ‘green’ steel production relies on the use of hydrogen-powered machinery and CCS. However, high costs and limited resources mean this is not an accessible solution for advancing sustainability – for now.
Customers clearly support technology solutions that reduce energy consumption, waste and costs, those that offer scope for immediate implementation and futureproof for the hydrogen-powered industry ahead. Electrification encourages higher quality and better yield while reducing the energy and raw materials required for products. It has been integrated into various stages of the metal production process, from metallurgy through to rolling. For example, ABB deploys electromagnetic stirring technologies that create greater efficiencies in the melt, reducing energy and electrode consumption. In cold rolling, technologies can be used to provide more accurate thickness of the strip and less off-gauge lengths, reducing waste. Similarly, profile mills with fast shear controls can ensure the heads and tails of the bars are cut with the highest levels of accuracy.
When it comes to enhancing metals manufacturing, digitalisation is an ongoing process. The adoption of automation and electrification technologies is an important layer, unlocking unprecedented levels of efficiency, quality and sustainability, but with digital on top, it is possible to do even more. Harnessing the power of automation and digital solutions can enhance operational agility and electrification.
To improve operations and reduce costs in the metals industry, it takes real know-how – domain-specific expertise from people and organisations that have been around mills for a long time, and have captured knowledge built into digital platforms.
Often, there is no room for physical expansion of a site, so it is useful to have knowledge of the existing infrastructure to install the correct drives and motors for the application with minimal modifications to the site.
In 2016, the Aluminium Norf GmbH’s (AluNorf) KW5 cold rolling mill in Germany was part of a four-part project with ABB to upgrade its existing systems to the latest automation and control function capabilities, with minimal downtime. The first phase of this project saw the implementation of the Level 2 system with integrated set-up model followed by an upgrade of its existing System 800xA process control system in tandem with the installation of AC 800 series controllers.
Using data gathered through the digitalisation process, we could create digital twins that simulated results without risking downtime, identified areas of weakness and ultimately led to the ideal solution for improved thickness performance. These functionality tests allow for shorter rebuild times.
Data that is readily available can therefore be harnessed to deliver noticeable business value. Or in other cases, big data from other plants can be analysed and ready for use to optimise processes.
In plants where ongoing productivity and profitability are paramount, digital twins test process control before deploying in real life, with the options to adjust and change parameters. Digital twins in cold rolling mills consist of process model components that can simulate the behaviours of:
- The strip segment connected between fixed points, such as pay-off reel and mill stand
- The pay-off reel and tension reel drive train with connected mechanical equipment
- The mill stand with connected mill drive train and the roll gap hydraulic and rolls
By putting the process model components together, it is possible to build a project-specific rolling mill from single stand up to five-stand solutions. With the right parametrization ABB can bring the process model of the cold rolling mill to behave like a real mill.
Moreover, the metals processing industry is currently facing a skills gap as it grapples with an ageing workforce and a shortage of qualified workers, inflated by the rapid evolution and growing complexity of the modern manufacturing process. Automation and electrification embedded with digital technologies are a viable solution to address these challenges.
By automating routine activities such as material handling, quality inspection, and machine operation, mills reduce reliance on highly skilled workers on the shop floor and open up the industry to a wider talent pool, where mills can be operated from a control room instead of closer to the process area.
Digitalisation remains a crucial part of development across various industries and, if providing employees with training in these areas, the metals industry can empower their workforce to adapt to the evolving industry trends. This also has the potential to attract new talent who are drawn to the opportunity for career advancement and professional development using their skills in technological fields.
And ultimately, collaboration and long-term partnerships provide the foundation for the implementation and continuous maintenance of plants within the metals processing industry and allow for the seamless integration of automation and electrification technologies as the industry strives towards digitalization.
As technological advancements continue to evolve, the industry must embrace a wide variety of innovations and collaborations to capitalize on emerging opportunities and navigate the dynamic landscape of metals processing, ensuring sustainable scalability and efforts to future-proof.