Revamp Increases Wire Rod Mill Capacity by 22 %

Arcelor Mittal, Brazil

Russula supplied a complete control and automation solution for the modernization of the two stand wire rod mill at Arcelor Mittal in Joao Monlevade, Brazil.

The Russula scope of supply included a complete modernization of the electrical equipment and the automation and control system:

MEDIUM VOLTAGE SWITCHGEAR
POWER TRANSFORMERS
DC/AC MOTORS
DC CONVERTERS, ABB DCS600
FREQUENCY CONVERTERS, ABB ACS800
HMI, WONDERWARE
CONTROL SYSTEM, S7-400
ENGINEERRING
COMPLETE ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION
START UP
TRAINING

Challenge:

The main challenge was to minimize downtime and to commission the plant on the estimated date to meet the market demand.

Project Results:

Following a construction time of only 20 days Russula succeeded in starting-up the plant on the planned date, May 1, 2006. This was accomplished by following a strict project planning during the installation, testing and start-up. The electrical equipment was pre-tested before the start-up to ensure that any failures were foreseen and corrected. As a result, Russsula was able to meet the project time requirements ensuring no rework and without any complications or safety issues.

Capacity Improvements:

A significant 22% increase in production capacity was achieved thanks to less downtime through the optimized operation. The use of preset recipe modules enabled faster production of various end products with optimum quality. In June 2006, one month after the start-up the mill already reached 80% of its nominal capacity and in the beginning of July, 2006 it reached 95% of its full capacity.