Manufacturing
Bluescope - Servo Drive Upgrade
Production uptime boosted by new servo drives at region’s leading steelworks.
Simple replacement of unreliable D.C. drives rewards BlueScope Steel with an immediate – and significant – increase in production uptime, processing accuracy and system reliability.
When you rely 100 percent on the reliability and accuracy of your machinery for your production critical processes you want 100 percent confidence in your system control solution. When you are the region’s leading flat steel products company and your industrial markets business has an annual production capacity of 5 million tonnes anything less than total reliability in your production critical machinery can impact significantly on output and – ultimately – profitability.
Port Kembla Steelworks, an integrated steel plant manufacturing both semi-finished and finished products, is home to BlueScope Steel’s Australian & New Zealand Industrial Markets business. As one of the world’s most successful steel plants any inefficiencies that compromise system reliability need to be addressed – fast. When BlueScope Steel identified production breakdowns and drive tripping on its slab-cutting and deburring processes it quickly became clear that poorly rated motors and drives, and inaccurate alarming of the drive controllers were underlying factors. These, combined with programming difficulties, hard-to-source spare parts and the highly specialised technical backup required for dedicated electronic control boards were resulting in production downtime and highlighted the need for a complete revision of the existing D.C. drive system.
Not just torque
Replacement of the existing D.C. drives was the key to the system control solution provided by Machinery Automation & Robotics (MAR). Frequent drive tripping indicated insufficient power and torque sizing and the existing D.C. drives were prone to breakdown and difficult to fault find. Securing spares also proved challenging. The twelve new A.C. servo drives installed by MAR easily achieved the power and torque requirements demanded of the system and immediately resolved the drive tripping problems responsible for the earlier production losses.
The MAR solution, however, provided more than just torque. Replacement of each new motor by maintenance personnel is now made easily and quickly thanks to the quick-release plugs and sockets connecting all equipment (drive motors) in the field. Importantly, all fittings and cables are clearly marked for ease of identification with full supporting documentation to assist with maintenance and general programming. In addition, replacement parts are easily available ‘off the shelf’ saving BlueScope Steel both time and money.
New technology has seen a reduction in modern drive size; as a result, MAR was able to install the new servo drives into the existing cabinets making the upgrade both economical and possible within the physical constraints of the existing control cabinet located inside the operator’s cabin.
And finally, the adaptor plates and drive couplings enabling the new motors to be attached to the existing gearboxes were retrofitted to ensure a quick and cost-effective system change over.
When a ‘quick fix’ solution is just what you need
With only one week of production shutdown available in which to replace all twelve drives MAR had to work fast and effectively. With this in mind the project was delivered in stages to work within BlueScope Steel’s production and budgetary schedules along with the short machine shutdown period. This involved running all twelve-axis pre-wired cables (both power and encoder) connecting to the long travel-, cross travel- and deburrer motors through the machine and along the length of the catenary support system. In addition all servo drive equipment, drivers, power supplies and resolver cards were fitted on to the gear racks, and total fabrication of the top-hat section for the mounting of analog ammeters was completed.
Upon completion of the installation factory acceptance testing with BlueScope Steel employees ensured that the system was fully operational within the machines’ and the company’s specifications and effectively minimised commissioning and onsite training time.
Adding up the benefits
Successful integration of the new A.C. servo drives provided BlueScope Steel with the accuracy and reliability required for its slab-cutting and de-burring operation. MAR was able to deliver many benefits including:
- A comprehensive solution, which included set up, programming and commissioning of the long travel-, cross travel- and deburrer motors and drive controllers
- A.C. servo drive integration designed for the high-speed operational requirements of BlueScope Steel
- Installation of all servo motor drives and servo controller equipment to existing gearboxes and cabin panels, and fitting of new servo motors to existing gearboxes and mechanical drive chains
- Maximised productivity through increased system reliability and accuracy
- Factory acceptance testing and employee training
- An efficient installation schedule designed to work within BlueScope Steel’s planned production shutdown period
- 7-day service backup
Bluescope Steel - Control System Upgrade
Control system upgrade project delivers maximum results with minimal impact for production-critical steel plant.
Completion of the gantry crane control system upgrade at BlueScope Steel within strict pre-determined maintenance periods guarantees minimal disruption of steel slab supplies to the plant.
The success of any control system upgrade is dependant not only on the end result – the measure of a truly successful upgrade project considers also the impact of that project on production through-put during implementation. This is true of any manufacturing industry but none more so than production-critical businesses where prolonged interruption to production through-put during upgrade completion impacts negatively on production output – and, significantly, on your bottom line.
The 60-tonne gantry overhead slab crane at BlueScope Steel’s Port Kembla Steelworks forms a key component of the integrated steel manufacturing plant, where production capacity currently sits at 5 million tonnes per annum. Outdated relay logic on the gantry crane control system was no longer providing the technology required for smooth operation and system maintenance. While a total control system upgrade to new advanced PLC controls was clearly needed, disruption to BlueScope Steel’s high through-put of steel slab supplies to the plant was not an option. The only viable solution was an upgrade that could deliver advanced technology in record time.
Advanced technology delivers trouble-free troubleshooting and a smooth ride
The existing control system at BlueScope Steel relied upon old relay logic to operate the gantry overhead slab crane. While overall performance was satisfactory the outdated control system couldn’t compete with advanced control system technology in three key areas: fault-finding; driver comfort; and documentation.
Due to the age of the existing control systems and equipment the system was functioning without PLC control, alarm monitoring and system control monitoring resulting in poor fault-finding ability and maintenance difficulties. Add to this inadequate driver comfort and handling – the result of run-down cabin equipment, aging joystick controllers, console operations with no labelling and inadequate indication, and poor timing control of crane functions – along with inaccurate documentation missing crucial wiring additions and it soon became clear that only advanced PLC control system technology could deliver the flawless fault-finding capabilities, effective monitoring and system alarming, and smooth crane operation required in BlueScope Steel’s production-critical environment.
The control system upgrade solution delivered by Machinery Automation & Robotics (MAR) tackled the three key operational issues head on. Replacement of the outmoded relay/timer logic controls with PLC controls provides BlueScope Steel with a highly flexible control platform. This allows control modifications to be made without the need for problematic – and expensive – hardware changes. The upgraded system now allows engineers to view the program and understand crane operation from a single local point. The benefits of this are twofold: a control system that is easier to operate and more efficient in pinpointing faults. In addition, the PLC control system delivers a significant reduction in overall machine downtime boosting production through-put – a huge bonus for any production-critical manufacturer.
Driver comfort within the cabin has been increased dramatically as a result of the control system upgrade thanks to enhanced system operation, which enables the operator to fine tune the timing functions of the crane’s hoist, as well as its long- and cross-travel controls. Providing new and improved joystick controllers with labelled driver consoles and distribution controls enhances driver comfort during crane operation.
Complete hard and soft copies of the gantry crane’s electrical schematics and PLC/HMI programs give BlueScope Steel a clear understanding of the system’s features and functionality and facilitate troubleshooting, when required.
Installation completed in record time
Sensitive to the negative impact of downtime to the overall productivity and profitability of the client’s manufacturing plant, MAR tailored their upgrade project to work within BlueScope Steels pre-determined maintenance and shutdown periods to eliminate any effects on production. With this in mind all crane control panels and cabin equipment were tested according to BlueScope Steel’s detailed factory acceptance plan. This ensured a smooth transition from the existing to the new control system equipment. In addition, all pre-installation work was completed onsite within the client’s existing maintenance periods. Project completion was scheduled for a public holiday shutdown and MAR’s installation teams worked twelve-hour shifts around the clock to ensure a swift and full installation and changeover of all control equipment.
Adding up the benefits
MAR’s prompt and fully operational implementation of the gantry crane control system upgrade delivered a range of benefits to BlueScope Steel including:
- Removal of redundant relay/timer control equipment and replacement with new PLC control equipment;
- Manufacture of new PLC and interface relay panels to control crane operations;
- Supply of a fully networked Allen Bradley ControlLogix PLC platform with Ethernet and ControlNet capabilities;
- Allen Bradley remote I/O for control equipment connections not local to the PLC, considerably reducing interfacing control and multi-core cable installation costs;
- A complete upgrade of the driver’s cabin, including joystick controllers, seat, distribution control, lighting, and radio equipment;
- Complete design of PLC logic with comments, providing the engineering teams with easy and accurate timing changes for all crane operations to allow hoisting, and long- and cross-travel operations to be fine tuned, enhancing driver comfort;
- Design of an operator interface touch panel for all monitoring of crane operations and alarms, allowing the engineers to easily track crane performance;
- Complete documentation of the PLC, operator interface programs, and electrical schematics of the new improved system controls.
