AISTech 2019 — Proceedings of the Iron & Steel Technology Conference

6–9 May 2019, Pittsburgh, Pa., USA

DOI 10.1000.377.133

Industry 4.0 Technologies Applied to the Meltshop

Nicola Bertoni

BM Group S.p.A.
Loc. Al Ponte, 38083 Borgo Chiese TN Italy
Phone: +39 0465 621794
Email: nicola.bertoni@bmgroup.com

Melt shop, EAF furnace, refractories, ladle, smart robotics, machine vision, safety

INTRODUCTION
Operator’s safety, product’s quality and productivity improvement are cornerstones of Industry 4.0 concept.
Melt shop is a work environment with risks. The collaboration between human intelligence and smart robotics can increase
safety averting operator from hot areas. Powerful Machine vision systems implemented on robots and managed by user friendly
interfaces allow that upgrade, we call 4.0. Data collection is another important opportunity that these solutions offer.

DISCUSSION
To be successful, an Industry 4.0 approach must be concrete. How can we upgrade existing plants, how can we invest in
operator’s safety and how we can prevent accidents?

Fig.1 Safety first – Different operations at furnace / at CCM ladle yesterday and today

© 2019 by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology. 1303

 AUTOMATIC SAMPLING, TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT AND FURNACE INSPECTION IN EAF
FURNACE
Defining usually operations and activities beside EAF furnace, we can consider sampling and measurement and refractories
inspection high risk activities.
In this area the irradiation can reach 100°C, the environment is dirty and the area sometimes is not safety due the scrap basket
operations.

Technology
The system has been developed considering the aspects of safety and efficiency we already talked about and consists of:
• Anthropomorphic robot with tool change system and stainless-steel heat shield protection
• Tools for sampling/measurement and furnace inspection tools
• Automatic cartridge warehouse for charge and discharge operations
• Circuit for pneumatic cooling and cleaning of axis
• Sensor control system
• Software and Hardware security areas
• Connections to Level 1/2 plant network
• HMI station for the robot cell control
Standard cycle time with the automatic system for sampling/measurement:
• 17 seconds from cartridge load station to picking point
• 5 second to take the sample, 8 second to take the measure
• 20 seconds from the picking point to the discharge station

Benefits
Below some benefits of the sytem:
• The operator controls from the pulpit in safety conditions the activities through a user-friendly interface
• Dynamic parameterization of inclination, height and speed during sampling operations. These values can change
dynamically with the furnace consumption information
• The inspection tool allow to enter in the furnace and inspect, with a 360° view, the refractories, burners, injectors and
water cooled panels when needed
• Working with electrodes power on
• Reduction of time and energy for each heating cycle
• Advanced algorithm for collision detection in order to guarantee the safety of lance and arm

Fig.2 Control pulpit and vision of internal furnace

1304 © 2019 by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology.

 AUTOMATIC CRANE FOR SCRAP BASKET
The operator on the EAF crane works in hard conditions due the dirty environment, the movements must be precise and requires
operators with long experience.

Technology
The system has been developed considering the aspects of safety and efficiency we already talked about and consists of:
• Upgrade of the crane automation system and network in order to control the movements with a PLC
• Sensors for the positioning and interlocks of the crane
• Antisway control for avoid the oscillation of charge during automatic cycles
• Installation on the EAF pulpit of a dedicated HMI for the remote control
Benefits
Below some benefits of the system:
• The operator controls from the pulpit in safety conditions the activities through a user-friendly interface
• Software algorithm that move the basket in safe position interlocking the sequences
• No differences in cycle time between the operator and the automatic system in order to respect the productivity

Fig.3 Remote pulpit control of the crane on main EAF pulpit

SLAG DETECTION SYSTEM WITH REMOTE TAPPING

In many plants the tapping is managed from the auxiliary panel located near the furnace. The operator works in a smoky and
risky area with the possibility of explosions.

Technology
The system has been developed considering the aspects of safety and efficiency we already talked about and consists of:
• Electrical cabinet and valves for automatic interface with the slide gate and argon opening on ladle car
• Cooled box with thermal and color view camera for the automatic identification of the % of slag through vision system

© 2019 by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology. 1305

 • HMI station with the data measures of the percentage of slag and storage of production process

Benefits
Below some benefits of the system:
• Locating the tapping control in the furnace control room are increased the safety and comfort of the operators
• The remote tapping control system reduces Power on and Power off times therefore the electrical consumption.
• Consider time saving (about 1 minute per casting) and electricity saving (about 1.5kWh/t)
• Concentrating the furnace operations controls in the same room increase the work synergy and reduces the number
of the needed operators

Fig.4 HMI View during remote tapping

AUTOMATIC SYSTEM FOR EBT OBSTRUCTION OPENING AND TAP HOLE FILLING SYSTEM
Defining usually operations and activities in the EAF furnace, we can consider the EBT hole cleaning activities from the
operators as high risk activities.
In this area the environment is dirty and the operators works in conditions where the temperature is often critical.

Technology
The system has been developed considering the aspects of safety and efficiency we already talked about and consists of:
• Anthropomorphic robot with tool change system and stainless-steel heat shield protection
• Tools for sampling/measurement, oxygen opening and ram lance
• Circuit for pneumatic cooling and cleaning of axis
• Sensor control system
• Software and Hardware security areas
• Connections to Level 1/2 plant network
• HMI station for the robot cell control
For the tap hole filling the system is composed from:
• Powder fills system completed with cylinder and valves
• Vision camera system with pin hole lenses for high temperature to show the tap hole status
• HMI system with actual images and historical archive

Benefits
Below some benefits of the system:
• The operator controls from the pulpit in safety conditions the activities through a user-friendly interface
• Dynamic adjustment of the cleaning operations reducing the cycle time
• With one system only one operator can perform remotely from the pulpit all the activities above described

1306 © 2019 by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology.

 Fig.5 Robot in movement during the cleaning cycle

CONCLUSIONS
The technologies now at disposal permit to really use the Industry 4.0 concept in the production line, increasing the safety of the
operator, reducing the scrap and finally dramatically increase the productivity and the quality on the casting products realized in
your mill.

© 2019 by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology. 1307