Ensuring air and steel quality
The Challenge
• The steelworks must run 24/7, 365 days a year, putting tremendous stress on the plant and the dust levels on site. Any shutdown causes a knock-on effect. When the flow is broken, the furnaces immediately start to cool down and can take 1 to 2 days to get back up to the correct smelting temperatures.
• Compliance with European laws to reduce the amount of dust in the atmosphere on-site, as well as emissions to the Dunkirk region.
The Solution
Improving the dusting process for better steel quality, process reliability and working conditions with EcoStruxure™ Plant
Apps, Analytics and Services: Modernisation services
Edge Control: Modicon M580 automation system
• 20 years of partnership and experience in the steel industry have helped Schneider Electric to provide the correct solutions in the right environments.
• EcoStruxure™ Plant architecture brings advanced connectivity for better control of the entire process, from the plant to the management offices.
• The Modicon M580’s CCoF (Change Configuration on the Fly) feature allows maintenance and engineering teams to modify the automation control system without stopping the process.
• Ethernet connection makes the M580 more flexible, simple to install, and easier to control remotely.
The Results
• ArcelorMittal’s Dunkirk plant has achieved greater flexibility in its operations. Its staff can now perform maintenance and make changes to the process without having to slow down or halt production.
• With real-time updates on dust levels, the maintenance crew gets an overview of the entire site’s condition and can easily decide when and where they should intervene. Consequently, steel quality is constant and the working conditions on site have improved.
• Thanks to Schneider Electric’s IoT-enabled solutions, the Dunkirk steelworks has secured the continuity of manufacturing and increased its overall productivity to deliver strong, reliable steel 24/7, both today and tomorrow.
