A large Canadian steel manufacturer relies on ABB AbilityTM Condition Monitoring to predict and prevent unexpected downtime and ensure 24/7 production. By combining the data insights regarding the condition of their motor-driven systems with the expertise delivered by ABB , the steel manufacturer will ensure its Canadian plant’s sustainability and maintain its global leading edge by making better decisions regarding the maintenance of their assets.
ABB assisted its customer with one of his temper mills in avoiding unexpected breakdowns, which can have a tremendous financial impact due to loss of production. The mill houses the finishing component of the steel formation process. This is the part of the process where the steel is tempered to yield a product with high-tensile strength and to provide varying thickness or texture to the steel. The mill is designed to produce over 500 000 tons yearly and is a critical part of the finishing process.
Giving sustainability and reliability a home
ABB was happy to provide a sustainable solution that combined ABB’s deep domain expertise with connectivity and software innovation to ensure the mill’s reliability. Our team installed ABB AbilityTM Condition Monitoring for powertrains on all the main mill drives. This solution assesses the health and condition of the drive to prevent potential downtime and minimize the risk of unexpected failure. The monitoring system collects information from the drive and uploads it into the ABB cloud, where it is processed to calculate specific key performance indicators (KPIs). The main KPIs measured include availability, reliability, stress from environment and operations, and environmental conditions.
This system is the perfect integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) into ABB systems, empowering data-driven, real-time decisions for smarter and safer operations. In addition to maximizing resource efficiency and contributing to a low-carbon future, it provides the opportunity to future-proof business to drive sustainable progress while achieving new heights of performance.
Moving towards digitization
ABB’s customer understands that Digital is the future of industry. They initially tested our solution on a single Multi drives Lineup and immediately appreciated the added value of the indices (KPIs), the fault condition warnings to promptly flag abnormal situations, and the detailed expert report that summarizes the overall health of the drive and recommends action to prevent downtime.
They tested this system for about a year before concluding that this technology was exactly what they were looking for. The system determines when maintenance is needed by flagging potential problems and issues, which the customer’s employees are then able to confirm, making it possible to schedule downtime.
Correcting problems before they arise
ABB is at the forefront of digital innovation to move from the traditional practice of preventive maintenance towards predictive strategies to ensure equipment reliability.
Going digital to stay sustainable
The understanding and visibility gained through analytics and connectivity will power countless better decisions. ABB’s global research on the state of Industrial IoT has unearthed considerable opportunities for companies to reduce emissions, conserve resources and drive change. And the industry is ready: global spending on digital transformation for 2020 to 2023 is projected at $7 trillion, and 96% of decision-makers say digitization is “essential to sustainability.”
“As industry leaders, we need to do our best to balance the needs of the economy with those of the environment,” says ABB Service Director, Hugues Therrien. “Industrial IoT will be key in striking that balance. We need to unlock new sources of productivity and efficiency to fight climate change and build a low-carbon future.”
