STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 04/2019 EXTRACT

METEC 2019 - AFTERTHOUGHT | 73
PSImetals Service Platform
PSI Metals has successfully launched
the PSImetals Service Platform at
METEC 2019, the international metallurgical
trade fair taking place in June
2019 in Düsseldorf, Germany. The Service
Platform is the new powerful software
basis that combines all requirements
for a future-proof production
management solution for all currently
available PSImetals components as
well as new services that will be developed
in the coming years for metal producers.
The PSImetals Service Platform features
an integrated service bus (PSIbus),
which is responsible for the entire data
exchange between PSImetals services and
third-party services/products. The proven
PSImetals Factory Model, the digital twin,
is still the heart of the new platform and will
operate on all industry-proven database
management systems for future services.
In addition, an old-timer bus exclusively
acquired for METEC 2019 as a physical reference
to the service bus represented the
development towards digitalization of metals
production. Several showcases inside
the old-timer demonstrated PSI’s innovations
in the fields of machine learning, service-oriented
architecture, artificial intelligence
and virtual reality.
Technical presentations of PSI experts
during the parallel conferences European
Steel Technology and Application Days
(ESTAD) and European Metallurgical Conference
(EMC) backed up the participation.
• PSI Software AG, Berlin, Germany
Advanced features for gunning machines and pneumatic conveying installations
As novelty VELCO presented at METEC
2019 a remote access module for their
machines. The access is given through a
specific cloud service.
The control cabinets of all VELCO
machines can optionally be equipped with
the new remote access module which
allows to call worldwide for machine data,
e.g. operation hours, flow rates, water
pressure, operational condition, fault messages
and even the location of the
machine. The access is given through a
cloud provided by VELCO. For the machine
only a country-specific SIM-card at the
place of use is needed to get access – simply
with a smartphone, tablet or PC. It
offers advantages as following:
• information about machine status and
operation hours,
• quick fault diagnosis by the support
staff,
• cost-effective – as only small data volumes
are exchanged,
• no interference of the company network
(data protection).
Based on prior verification, the VELCO
remote access module can also be retrofitted
to existing VELCO machines and
machines of other brands.
Hot repair of refractory linings
Visitors of VELCO’s booth showed also
big interest in gunning technique for the
quick hot repair of the refractory lining.
Today the hot gunning repair of aggregates
(converter, ladle, EAF, RH-snorkels etc.) is
a cost saving alternative to the shut-down
and renewal of the complete lining. This
process increases the service life of a furnace
considerably and it further results in
savings of re-heating energy. Due to the
quick repair, the number of circulating
aggregates, e.g. ladles, can be reduced,
too. Moreover, the accident risk is reduced.
However, melt shops are not identical.
VELCO offers the customized solution for
each aggregate, being a fix installation,
crane-moved or mobile unit.
Pneumatic systems for injection
and conveying of bulk materials
Besides the well known gunning
machines and gunning manipulators VEL-
CO presented also pneumatic conveying
installations for dry bulk materials. Here
the pneumatic injection system type UNI-
DOS found special interest. In steel plants
it is used for injecting carbon for the foaming
slag process and for the addition of
lime and other secondary-metallurgical
treatments.
Nowadays, with regard to ecological
and economical aspects, it is also used to
blow-in filter dust. For materials that flow
poorly and agglomerate easily, VELCO
offers the UNIDOS-R model which is
equipped with a special agitator in the
chamber substructure.
UNIDOS is also a proven system used
in blast furnace operations, where carbon
powder, iron ore, filter dust, Rutilit, Ilmenite
and even plastic shredder material are
fed into the furnace.
EAFs with EBT can be equipped with
an automatic installation for the addition of
tap hole filling sand. The exact needed
quantity of sand can be given either semi
Remote access via smartphone, tablet or
computer (Picture: VELCO)
or fully automatically onto the EBT. This
procedure reduces the standstill times and
the danger of accidents.
For coarser bulk materials or materials
with higher humidity, VELCO offers its
machine type EKS with mechanical dosing
system. All machine types can be provided
as multiple dosing devices with several,
parallel outlets.
• VELCO, Velbert, Germany
STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 4