Tata Steel tests at pilot plant Techport
As a partner, Tata Steel is closely involved in the Fieldlab Smart Maintenance and is also testing itself on this pilot installation at Techport. Hans Sintemaartensdijk, Technical Program Manager and Asset Management & Development project leader at Tata Steel explains, "In cooperation with SKF, SemioticLabs and IJssel Technology, various vibration sensors and current measurements have been installed at the Cold Rolling Mill, which we use to do condition monitoring for the motors and gearboxes and for roller maintenance. The data analyzed in the process helps reduce the wear behavior of rolls. These technological developments, through the amount of additional data released, contribute to the anticipation of the installations making conclusions easier to take."
Sensors have also been installed on the bellows fans of the Cold Rolling Mill annealing shop. Data from these sensors promotes predictability to prevent production reductions. Hans adds, "This matter is good to increase predictability for maintenance."
Encouraging collaboration
Not only in the field of sensor technology, the Fieldlab is an example, but also for stimulating cooperation. It facilitates companies that can be linked to parties for engineering developments. Lisette Sierevogel, Corporate Manager Cold Rolling Mill at Tata Steel: "I really like to see that you come to expertise with companies in the area which gives us new contacts that we can use for cooperation. This is how you arrive at a new way of working and at innovative methods."
In addition to the various companies involved in Tata Steel's project, data analysis is also being carried out by PhD students from the VU. This also involves education in the Fieldlab.
Smart Industry
With Smart Industry, Techport encourages companies to apply smart technology and digitization to create new business opportunities. Techport's Fieldlab Smart Maintenance has the ambition to link real-time data from factory installations to production and quality data, thus realizing a full integration of data - and thus control - in the process industry.
Techport's Smart Maintenance Fieldlab is on the grounds of Tata Steel's Academy. The Fieldlab was set up by Facta and Semiotic Labs. In the pilot plant, the project partners can test, demonstrate and eventually use sensors and software to train maintenance teams. Manufacturers, suppliers, maintenance parties as well as new entrants bringing new technologies are involved. The test plant consists of a 50m3 water tank with four pumps on it, and numerous valves, valves and peripheral equipment are connected to it. The pilot plant is set up so that installations can be added if desired.
Interested?
The pilot lab is also available to other Techport partners by arrangement and is also used for training purposes. Are you interested in the Fieldlab or would you like more information? Then please contact Gerik ten Berge(gerik.tenberge@techport.nl)
