- ABB supports SDI Heartland’s steel processing operations in its critical modernization efforts
- Strengthening reliable power supply and preventing costly downtime with the upgrade to ABB Relion® protection and control relays
- New communications capabilities ensure 24/7 monitoring of electrical assets to help avoid unexpected issues/outages while enabling SDI Heartland to scale its operations
ABB has teamed up with Steel Dynamics Heartland Division (SDI Heartland) to modernize aging substation equipment with an upgrade of switchgear doors, protection relays and controls at its 18-breaker substation. SDI Heartland produces various types of value-added, flat rolled steel by further processing hot-rolled coils into pickle and oiled, cold rolled and galvanized products.
With a facility comprising a continuous pickle line, a two-stand reversing cold mill, batch annealing bases, a temper mill and a galvanizing line, SDI Heartland boasts an annual capability to pickle and cold-reduce one million tons of steel and galvanize 360,000 tons.
SDI Heartland faced the challenge of repairing vintage relays and chose ABB’s Electrification Service team as their partner to replace them with new technology essential to ensuring reliable power supply to the mill and avoiding costly downtime.
Opting for ABB’s Relion® 615 series as the new protection relays, these compact and versatile devices offer protection, control, monitoring and supervision all in one relay. In addition, for increased safety, the relays include arc flash protection, based on optical arc flash detection with fiber-optic light sensors, tripping at arc faults in milliseconds.
To demonstrate the performance and capabilities of the Relion® relays, ABB initially replaced two of the old unreliable relays in SDI Heartland’s substation. The successful smaller-scale project gave SDI Heartland the confidence and conviction to move forward and replace the remaining 16 relays in the medium-voltage line-up.
Beyond a modern set of protection and control relays that help keep the substation operating at optimal conditions, ABB’s Relion® 615 series relays also include communications capabilities, enabling SDI Heartland to monitor their main relays and understand what each of their feeders is doing. This enhanced communication capability combined with the confidence of modern relay technology will be critical as SDI Heartland grows.
“I’ve always been impressed with ABB and their commitment to quality safety, and service,” said Dave Fulford, Engineering and Maintenance Manager with SDI Heartland. “The experience and expertise of their field engineers are the reason we consistently choose them to help us keep our electrical assets operating as effectively and efficiently as possible.”
The company is currently undergoing an expansion project that has added a second galvanizing line and a paint line. SDI Heartland has once again selected ABB for the new switchgear and commissioning work that will support these new lines.
“We’ve been fortunate to have a great working relationship with the team at SDI Heartland over the years, and as they’ve grown, we’ve been able to work alongside them to help ensure the plant had a reliable supply of power,” said Tim Gentry, Business Development Manager, ABB Electrification Service in the United States.
“Servicing their aging relays has been an important part of our work at the Heartland operation. So, when it came time to modernize their gear, we were fully aware of the challenges they faced and the importance of delivering a safe, on-time installation,” said Gentry.
“These new Relion® relays have a large, user-friendly graphic display, and now SDI Heartland’s technicians are able to continuously see the status of their equipment, making it easier for them to get detailed information and make better-informed maintenance decisions to further prevent costly downtime.”
From product care to modernizing operations to providing advisory services on the health of electrical distribution systems, ABB Electrification Service helps companies reduce total cost of ownership, maximize performance, improve energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions.
ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on over 140 years of excellence, ABB’s more than 105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation. www.abb.com
ABB Electrification is a global technology leader making efficient and reliable use of electricity from source to socket possible. With more than 50,000 employees across 100 countries, we collaborate with our customers and partners to solve the world’s greatest challenges in electrical distribution and energy management. We help businesses, industry, and consumers run their facilities and homes efficiently and reliably. As the energy transition accelerates, we are electrifying the world in a safe, smart and sustainable way. go.abb/electrification
