2020
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Vila Acos Finos Piratini, Charqueadas - Charqueadas - Brazil
Gerdau Charqueadas automation and drives revamp
In March 2020, the Gerdau combined bar and wire rod mill, located in Charqueadas Brazil, was successfully commissioned after the first phase of the SBQ mill revamp, which consisted of the electrical and automation upgrade for the bar mill and bar outlet. The switchover to the new automation system and DC drives occurred in just 11 days during a programmed shutdown.
Scope of Supply
All the equipment from the rougher trio, common mill, and the three outlets for the wire rod, bar mill and garret coiler are included within the electrical and automation scope of supply. The project is divided into three phases. Phase 2 consists of the DC drives upgrade to ABB DCS880 for the four shears, pinch roll and the coiler. All the main legacy PLC processors, including both Siemens S5 and ABB AC800M and the local IO racks, will be replaced with new Siemens S7-1500 PLCs and ET200MP IO boards.
Automation and services scope of supply
Factory Acceptance Test
In November 2019, the Gerdau Charqueadas team visited the Russula workshop in Bergondo, Spain. Alexandre Schultz, the Managing Director of Russula in South America, and Jacobo Barragán, Project Manager, accompanied the Gerdau team during the factory acceptance test.
Results
Although the plant shutdown in March, 2020 was partly induced by the coronavirus panademic and subsequent reduced steel demand from the automotive sector, the Gerdau and Russula team took advantage of the available downtime and successfully upgraded the automation and drives of the combined special steel mill.
About Gerdau Charqueadas
The Gerdau special steels plant is located in the state of Rio Grande dol Sul Brazil and has a capacity of 430,000 tons/yr. Gerdau Charqueadas has an EAF and produces bars, special profiles, wire, wire rod and cold finished bars for construction, stainless steel and tool steels for the automotive industry.
