One of the production challenges for steel manufacturers is the transfer of molten metal from blast furnaces to other areas around the manufacturing plant in an efficient and safe manner. Because of the distances involved, rail ‘torpedo’ cars are used for this purpose and have to be constantly monitored for both process safety and efficiency. For example, deviations in temperature can result in significant cost increases if the contents of the ’torpedoes’ have to be reheated.
In order to provide complete visibility of this manufacturing process, this US steel manufacturer has selected the Ubisense Smart Factory System, which will be fully integrated with its thermal imaging cameras. This integrated solution provides visibility of the industrial process at critical process steps such as weighing stations and discharge. Any temperature, quality or weight distribution problems can be identified in real-time; allowing operators to be alerted and corrective action to be taken in a safe and timely fashion, something that was difficult to achieve with the previous manual measurement solutions.
Knowing the precise location and orientation of the rail cars can also be used to determine the wear and tear profile of not only the rail equipment but also the very expensive high temperature lining of the rail car itself. Reduction in wear of the torpedo car alone can result in significant cost savings amounting to several hundred thousands of dollars every year.
Richard Green, Ubisense Chief Executive Officer, said: “This is another great example of how the Ubisense Smart Factory System is being used to improve manufacturing production processes.”
Ubisense Smart Factory systems are widely used in automotive and aerospace manufacturing, and can be applied to any manufacturing activity where precise, reliable location can be used to provide production process visibility and control.
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