According to Primetals Technologies, the upgrade optimizes the level 2 process automation serving the No. 1 caster at Outokumpu’s Torio facility. 

“The hardware and software for optimizing the processes of (the caster) had become outdated and individual spare parts difficult to procure. Outokumpu consequently engaged Primetals Technologies in the middle of 2019 to upgrade the process optimization solution for the line. The original operation on physical servers has now been replaced by operation on virtual servers in Outokumpu's VM infrastructure,” the company said. 

The new software offers Outokumpu more options for evaluating quality evaluation as well as a "digital twin" of the caster, which allows for off-line simulation of the casting process.

Primetals Technologies said it carried out the commissioning remotely. 

“The new level 2 system was then supplied with real-time data from level 1 and level 3 in parallel operation lasting several months, during which time the system was verified and optimized. So when the time came to switch over, the No. 1 line's new level 2 system had already been tested over the course of several months. This parallel operation was crucial for the trouble-free commissioning of the new level 2 system,” it said.