Category: Manufacturing

AFV Beltrame S.p.A.

Vincenza, Italy

Sparks Fly During Steel Production at AFV Beltrame S.p.A.

Challenges

  • Multi-plant visualization and control - Needed better process visualization across multiple locations for furnaces, cooling, and material handling systems.
  • System integration requirements - Required integration with existing Allen Bradley PLCs, Microsoft SQL Server, and handling thousands of I/O points.
  • Development efficiency needs - Needed fast, easy development and deployment with customized interfaces and alarms for each plant location.

Results

  • Significant cost savings - Saved thousands of euros by dramatically reducing internal application development time with GENESIS.
  • Enhanced operational adaptability - Improved ability to adapt to process and environmental changes across steel production operations.
  • Successful enterprise-wide deployment - Rolled out from Vicenza headquarters to five additional plant locations with expansion plans.

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About AFV Beltrame S.p.A.

The Beltrame Group is a European leader in the production of commercial rolled steel sections, as well as the main producer of special bars for shipbuilding and earthmoving machines. Today, the Group is in the forefront of technology and innovation within this industry.

It boasts a century-old tradition, started by the Beltrame family at the end of the 19th century and continuing through its Laminés Marchand Européens subsidiary. The Beltrame Group’s distinctive elements are the quality of the product and the ability to satisfy customers’ needs through excellent service. With nine strategically located plants, it is the only European steel rolling operation with production of over three million tons.

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An AFV Beltrame S.p.A. Steel Plant Control Screen An AFV Beltrame S.p.A. Steel Plant Control Screen

Software Deployed

AFV Beltrame S.p.A. has selected Mitsubishi Electric Iconics Digital Solutions' GENESIS™ OPC Web-enabled HMI/SCADA suite to assist in the production of its rolled steel from iron scrap. Currently, the company has about 30 installations between its steel plants and rolling mills.

An AFV Beltrame S.p.A. Steel Plant Control Screen An AFV Beltrame S.p.A. Steel Plant Control Screen

Project Summary

AFV Beltrame S.p.A. started a search for an HMI/SCADA solution to better visualize and control processes within its multiple plant locations. Examples of such processes include lowering pollution within fusion furnaces, cooling, stocking and the insertion of iron alloys in silos. Each plant would have its own graphical interface, settings and alarm requirements.

In addition to a robust system for the set-up, monitoring and control of its plants, AFV Beltrame S.p.A. required a solution that was easy and fast to develop and deploy. The selected system would need to easily handle several thousand tags and I/O points, working with existing Allen Bradley PLCs. An additional need was the integration with the company’s existing Microsoft SQL Server installation. The company also runs Microsoft Office and Visual Studio.

Water Systems Summary Screen at AFV Beltrame S.p.A. Water Systems Summary Screen at AFV Beltrame S.p.A.

Benefits of the System

The European rolled steel producer has been happy since the initial rollout of its GENESIS solution. AFV Beltrame’s new HMI/SCADA system has allowed it to save thousands of euros as it speeds up its own internal application development time. 

GENESIS also provides the manufacturer with the ability to better adapt to process or environmental changes. This led to the company’s wide rollout from its Vicenza headquarters to locations in S. Didero, Marghera, S. Giovanni Valdarno, S. Giorgio Nogaro and Villadossola. AFV Beltrame S.p.A. also selected GENESIS as it plans to utilize the software to adapt to additional applications beyond the present fusion furnace pollution abatement, plant cooling and iron alloy stocking/silo insertion.

Our scalable software will also prove its value when the European steel provider decides to add to its existing Microsoft technology or its number of licenses/seats.

Water Systems Summary Screen at AFV Beltrame S.p.A. Water Systems Summary Screen at AFV Beltrame S.p.A.
Air and Smoke Handling Summary Screen Air and Smoke Handling Summary Screen

Conclusion

AFV Beltrame S.p.A. was able to save both time and money by implementing GENESIS HMI/SCADA solutions. Development time is faster. Adapting to change is easier. And operations for the steel manufacturer keep rolling thanks to GENESIS.

Air and Smoke Handling Summary Screen Air and Smoke Handling Summary Screen