INVESTMENTS

The automation of industry is an investment

in the future. The world of technology will

continue to expand and offer new opportunities.

There will not be many who have not heard of, read of, or otherwise encountered the term Industry 4.0. It

stands for the breakthrough changes in manufacturing on account of the progressive deployment of automation and digitization. ArcelorMittal Ostrava has long been developing the concept of Steel 4.0, which was the

focus of our discussion with the director of the automation plant, Miroslav Hýbl.

What projects have you managed to implement and

what does the automation process look like in an

integrated iron- and steel-making company?

So far, we have implemented several large and many

small projects. Out of the large ones, we have completed, for example, the automation of the quenching cars at the coke plant, whose operation is now

unmanned, a control system for the sinter plant, and

a digital system for truck transport control. In the company, automation is generally divided into two parts.

One is in charge of control systems used to control

machines and the manufacturing processes in all

operations. The other part of automation deals with

process management, modelling, and systems that

track and control all production at individual plants.

What are your current plans and what solutions do

you consider vital for the future?

We have a clear vision until 2021. So far we have completed the automation of quenching as well as guiding

a pushing cars. We have installed new control systems

for the sinter plant, and now we will introduce such

systems at the blast furnace plant. At that plant we are

also about to finalize a new digital twin of the blast

furnace to simulate the processes inside as these are

very difficult to measure. Based on the measurements

of such variables as the composition of the charge,

pressure, and temperature, the system will model the

processes inside the furnace. This will allow us to better

predict what will happen and make the production

process safer and more efficient. The twin for blast

furnace no. 3 has just been put into operation and the

digital twin for blast furnace no. 2 will be introduced

this year.

Another question that comes to the minds of many

people is whether there is a danger of some types

of “human work” disappearing as a result of automation…

In the case that automation in the company affects

some of the employees, they are offered other jobs or

re-qualification to work elsewhere in the plant. In addition to that, with further automation, which essentially

frees people from monotonous and dull work, new

opportunities and sectors open up. These may eventually employ more people than the original processes

required. Automation will take care of controlling

the process, while employees will be able to engage

in more creative and diverse activities that cannot

be automated. The world of technology will expand

and offer new opportunities that would be inconceivable without automation. Complexity will be boosted

and require more and more people to think, create,

operate and maintain. So I may safely say that

automation of the industry is an investment in the

future of all of us.

Text & foto:

ArcelorMittal Ostrava

Automatizace a digitalizace je v ostravské huti zastoupena ve všech provozech.

Automation and digitization touches all the operations of the Ostrava steelworks.

POSITIV 2017/2018

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