TMEIC Completes Modernization of China Steel’s Hot Strip Mill No. 1
05/14/2014 - TMEIC has just completed the modernization of the No. 1 hot strip mill at China Steel Corp. in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
This 1730-mm mill, when built in 1982, had DC drives and motors, but over the years has gone through several expansions and modernizations to increase production and improve product quality. The recent modernization on the furnaces, delivery tables, roughing mills, and the delay tables had all DC drives (DC-2000) upgraded with the latest control and communication boards. All finishing mill DC motors were replaced with TMEIC AC motors, and all the old drives replaced with the latest TMEIC variable frequency drives. The roughing mill, finishing mill, and coiler Level 2 models were also replaced. All the PLC controls were replaced with new nv Controllers, and TC-net high-speed communications.
I/O bridges were used to connect the legacy Genius I/O to the new level 1 system. The bridges allowed the I/O to remain in place during shadow rolling and commissioning. Shadowing was performed prior to main switchover to verify the new control and new models. Each month, mini shutdowns were used to commission drives and subsystems. A phased approach utilizing shutdowns for I/O panel replacement is ongoing.
TMEIC is using the TM Advanced Control Solutions (TMACS) automation system. This employs a high-speed optical network and shared memory tightly integrating all production functions including Level 1 PLC control, Level 2 supervisory control with models, operator interfaces, field mounted I/O, and variable speed drives.
TMEIC supervised installation of the equipment, and carried out the commissioning and system performance testing.
Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corp. (TMEIC) was formed in 2003 from the merger of the industrial systems departments of Toshiba Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. TMEIC manufactures and sells variable frequency drives, motors, and advanced automation systems for a range of industrial applications.
The CSC group is Taiwan’s only integrated steelmaker and slab producer. China Steel Corporation’s number 1 hot strip mill is one of four hot flat rolling production lines. The hot strip mill was built in 1982 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and by 2010, had produced 100 million tons of rolled steel. CSC is currently producing pure Titanium, low/medium/high Silicon steels, HSLA, alloy steels and carbon steels. About 20% of the production is high grade Silicon steels.
I/O bridges were used to connect the legacy Genius I/O to the new level 1 system. The bridges allowed the I/O to remain in place during shadow rolling and commissioning. Shadowing was performed prior to main switchover to verify the new control and new models. Each month, mini shutdowns were used to commission drives and subsystems. A phased approach utilizing shutdowns for I/O panel replacement is ongoing.
TMEIC is using the TM Advanced Control Solutions (TMACS) automation system. This employs a high-speed optical network and shared memory tightly integrating all production functions including Level 1 PLC control, Level 2 supervisory control with models, operator interfaces, field mounted I/O, and variable speed drives.
TMEIC supervised installation of the equipment, and carried out the commissioning and system performance testing.
Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corp. (TMEIC) was formed in 2003 from the merger of the industrial systems departments of Toshiba Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. TMEIC manufactures and sells variable frequency drives, motors, and advanced automation systems for a range of industrial applications.
The CSC group is Taiwan’s only integrated steelmaker and slab producer. China Steel Corporation’s number 1 hot strip mill is one of four hot flat rolling production lines. The hot strip mill was built in 1982 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and by 2010, had produced 100 million tons of rolled steel. CSC is currently producing pure Titanium, low/medium/high Silicon steels, HSLA, alloy steels and carbon steels. About 20% of the production is high grade Silicon steels.
