The focus laid on the modernization of all peripheral plants in very short time. In order to get the plant components to the state of the art, it was necessary to renew the entire measurement and automation technology as well as update the SIMATIC PCS 7 control system from Version 6 to 9.
The SIMIT simulation platform by Siemens served
as a central software. With its help, the engineers of Küttner first created the
plant simulation and tested the generated automation software with emulated
hardware. The simulation model not only incorporated the signal and device
level, but also the physical model of the plant.
“SIMIT formed the basis for the virtual start-up with which our automation software was able to achieve a quality class that was close to the zero-error rate.”
Friedhelm Bösche, CEO of Küttner Automation
Timeliness thanks to virtual commissioning
The start-up phase can be reduced to an absolute minimum and production can be ramped up to full output right away
The simulation model will be used to train plant operators
With the Digital Twin, all remodeling plans, expansion, or process optimizations on the HOA can be first simulated and evaluated virtually in a safe simulation environment
The Küttner Group is a specialist for industrial plant construction located in Essen, Germany, with a focus on conveying and processing technology, industrial furnace construction, waste gas purification and waste heat recovery. The independent subsidiary Küttner Automation in Trier, Germany had already been able to prove its competence in implementing large automation projects several times for voestalpine in Linz, Austria.
In 2018, the general overhaul (the so-called reline) of Austria's largest blast furnace took exactly 111 days. In this time, not only the furnace was completely restored but also the complete automation hardware and software of the furnace and pertinent operating equipment. Finishing this Herculean task on time was only possible with the help of a virtual commissioning performed beforehand.