New controllers and services help minimize downtime

In the port of Ghent, ArcelorMittal's blast furnaces have been a familiar sight for years. But did you know that it also produces laser-welded blanks that are pressed ready-made into bodywork parts by car manufacturers? To drive quality to the top, the production of Tailored Blanks is highly automated. ABB's robots have been welcome employees there for years. New IRC5 controllers will now make the production line completely future-proof again. Moreover, they make the leap to ABB's Connected Services possible, so that downtime can be avoided or remedied more quickly.

The Tailored Blanks department at ArcelorMittal Gent has been producing laser-welded blanks since 2000. The steel grades used and the shape can be produced to the customer's specifications, making the car bodywork lighter and yet safer. Automation manager Cedric Colas: "We can work here from the best possible source: the flat steel that rolls out of the blast furnaces. In fact, we are going to cut it into pieces and weld it back together according to the customer's wishes. The fabricator then only has to apply a deep drawing process to it to have his bodywork ready." Partly due to the quality of the steel, partly due to the production process within ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks Gent, every challenge can be met. "R&D is crucial to arrive at the right combination of steel grades to make the bodywork ever lighter and safer. In that respect, we can call ourselves pioneers."

At the heart of every cell within the production line, ABB's robots play a starring role.

Robots refurbish, renew controllers

R&D is only one side of the story. Nor can a high-performance production system be lacking. Production is therefore highly automated. At the heart of every cell within the production line, ABB robots play a leading role. Colas: "We are standardized on ABB. The robots have been proving themselves as robust, reliable workforces for years, and our programmers and operators enjoy going to work with them." All robots within Tailored Blanks feature the same arm for easy interchangeability and ease of maintenance. They are responsible for picking up and depositing the sheets within the process. The robots have been around since production started. "Still to great satisfaction, but the controllers on the oldest lines were gradually becoming obsolete.
We wanted to keep the robots themselves because of their very compact design. A replacement of the controller to IRC5 and a mechanical refurbishment are actually sufficient to make our production line future-proof again," Colas summarizes.

Matthias Luxem (ABB) and Cedric Colas (ArcelorMittal): "ABB has been a true partner of ours for years, with good people and good service."

Completely maintenance free

Since 2018, one robot has taken its turn every quarter and the cabinets are also being addressed. In this way, ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks Gent aims to have transformed its nine lines by 2025. "ABB has been a real partner of ours for years, with good people and good service," Colas knows. "By continuing this cooperation, we can recover 99% from our robotic programs. We also find that the new controller makes us have more options and the robot moves even more fluidly. Furthermore, there are no more filters and batteries, making the controllers maintenance-free. In addition, we are taking a big step toward reducing unplanned stops to a standstill by having state-of-the-art technology again." This is further aided by an option ABB recommended: Connected Services.

An old controller on the left, the new one on the right. There are no more filters and batteries in there, making the controllers maintenance-free

Quickly and efficiently resolve downtimes

For Colas, ABB's Connected Services have already proven to be a tremendous help in resolving outages quickly and efficiently. "When problems extend beyond the operator's knowledge, I am the first point of contact. Thanks to Connected Services, I can read error messages on my laptop anywhere in the world and respond appropriately. Faster and more efficient. There is an antenna near the controller that collects and sends data nearby, separate from the company network. An important requirement for ArcelorMittal." Not only ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks Gent can thus monitor and adjust the robot data. The data also goes to the maintenance team. Based on trendings, they can thus start predicting failures and intervene before the line comes to a standstill. But ABB specialists also keep a close eye on the data and intervene when necessary. Colas: "For example, they signaled that the temperature in the control cabinet was rising. So our uptime will certainly continue to improve in the coming years thanks to the new controllers and thanks to Connected Services."