New automation technology in the cold rolling mill for grain-oriented silicon steel from Thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel increases plant safety and availability.
Thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel(TKES) has awarded SMS the contract to upgrade the automation system at its cold rolling mill, boasting a four-high CVC design, located in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Originally built by SMS in 1974, this reversing mill specializes in the reduction of strips made from grain-oriented silicon steel (GO Si-Steel). According to SMS, the current modernization initiative aims to advance automation, enhance safety, and integrate highly innovative technological advancements to ensure maximum plant availability. Numerous modern technological features will be available post-upgrade to exploit the plant’s full potential. Scheduled for completion in two phases in 2027, the project emphasizes TKES’s dedication to maintaining high safety and operational efficiency standards.
The project involves upgrading the existing X-Pact electrical and automation equipment, originally supplied by SMS. The new system will leverage SMS’s state-of-the-art automation technology, featuring the X-Pact Embedded controller and a high-speed EtherCAT I/O system. Additionally, ergonomic control pulpits will replace the existing installations, and the IT infrastructure will be virtualized, thus ensuring high plant availability, safeguarding its lifecycle, and providing independence from hardware and operating systems.
The new automation solution from SMS includes level 1 and model-based level 2 automation systems specific to GO Si-Steel production, along with the X-Pact Vision HMI, which offers forward-looking interactions to assure effective operator guidance. This system provides comprehensive tools for system maintenance, diagnostics, and troubleshooting. The master controller coordinates the rolling process and facilitates the exchange of information between various automation systems, including the level 2 system, the safety system, and the level 1 automation functions.
Through the X-Pact Plug & Work integration test, both the original hardware and software for the cold rolling mill are rigorously tested and pre-optimized as a cohesive unit in the test field. SMS’s holistic approach to the digital commissioning of the automation systems, utilizing the plant’s digital twin, allows for final optimizations to be completed before installation. This process ensures exceptional reliability and significantly reduces the time and costs associated with testing, documentation, and commissioning. The safety control functions, which operate independently of machine controls, are also thoroughly tested during the integration phase.
Source: SMS group
