Masteel's iron ‘Super Brain’ takes the spotlight

China’s most advanced centralised control system for pan-ironmaking took centre-stage at Baowu Green Development’s recent Intelligent Manufacturing Conference.

The conference, held at Masteel in Maanshan City based in China’s Anhui Province, was given a special report and demonstration on the success of the CISDI-developed ‘Super Brain.’

Masteel's Intelligent Pan-ironmaking Control Centre has the CISDI Shuitu Cloud Industrial Internet Platform at its core and can integrate over a hundred intelligent applications and big data algorithms.

The state-of-the-art system is capable of controlling more production lines to the largest scale than any other control centre operating in China.

Transformative upgrades driven by digital and intelligence tech mean super-efficient, low-consumption production for Masteel’s ironmaking.

Ultra-precise control of mass flow, energy flow and information flow have been achieved from the stockyard through to sintering, coking and ironmaking procedures. Conventional production boundaries have been eradicated from organisation and flow levels and deep integration have been achieved.

Flows inside each production procedure are optimised and flows between procedures are dynamically aligned. All production efficiencies are optimised.

 

State-of-the-art intelligent manufacturing for China’s steel sector

Special steels producer Masteel is part of the Baowu Group and has an annual output of 20 million tonnes.

The new centre gives centralised control of six blast furnaces, six sintering machines, four coke ovens, one traveling grate machine and one stockyard, which are sited across 13.5 square kilometres.

Its control range, line quantity and centralisation levels are the most advanced in China’s entire steel sector.

Only 120 duty posts at the centre now require manpower.

Remote control has been achieved across a wide range of production procedures. The workforce has been reduced by more than 200, while productivity has improved by 39 per cent.

 

Night view of the Masteel Intelligent Pan-ironmaking Control Centre

 

Safe, long-distance centralised control is finally achieved

Masteel’s intelligent control centre is based outside the steelworks and is the first of its kind.

It has eliminated the need for 46 onsite control pulpits in the pan-ironmaking production area - some of which are 18 kilometres away. Their functions are now controlled by the centre.

The control centre was designed and built by CISDI for China’s steel enterprises. CISDI sees its invention as an important achievement in the goal to create a harmonious relationship between the steel sector and the city.

Screens enable staff to monitor and understand first-hand data and status of each procedure. Alarms sound in the event of any anomalies and relevant staff are alerted by messages sent via a Palm Factory APP, which means troubleshooting can be swiftly carried out.

Achieving failsafe long-distance remote control which ensures production security, reliability and stability has long been a battle.

But CISDI’s design has integrated over 200 PLC/DCS systems and more than 2,000 monitor displays. They guarantee the centre’s power supply, control, network, data, applications and operation safety.

In addition, the centre’s intelligent products and methods means operators are freed from long periods of screen-monitoring.

 

The interior of Masteel Intelligent Pan-ironmaking Control Centre

 

Super brain: transforming Masteel production to digital

The CISDI-built ‘Super Brain’ for pan-ironmaking production and management has applied over a hundred smart APPs and hundreds of automatic spreadsheets.

It facilitates highly scientific and accurate decision-making - hundreds of thousands of points of data can be collected and utilised to support staff at over 120 posts.  

The data is deeply mined and processed to transform production from approximations to digital and intelligent. The result is more refined management, stabler production, higher efficiency and lower costs.

The Masteel project marks the first successful application of dozens of CISDI’s intelligent developments for transforming ironmaking production, including:

Integrated logistics tracking

Key post information sharing

Distribution linkage

Belt conveyor intelligent cycle inspection

Stockyard visualisation

Tuyere intelligent diagnosis

Safe, dynamic replay system of the furnace wall.

 

The future is flow-based management

The CISDI Shuitu Cloud Industrial Internet Platform is a trail-blazer setting China’s intelligent steel manufacturing alight.

Conventional administrative management structures have dozens of separate hierarchical systems, but the Shuitu Cloud is flow-based and fully integrates production procedures.

A total fusion of technology, production and management is achieved.

Masteel’s pan-ironmaking production management flows apply a ‘1+4+N’ collaborative decision-making method:

One intelligent, centralised hub controls four centres - the decision-making centre, production commands centre, operational management centre and the technology integration centre, and also coordinates a number of production procedures.

As a result, operators at separate onsite pulpits can now communicate directly with each other without procedure boundaries. Manpower and costs have been reduced and efficiency has been maximised.