1. The Problem

• Steel slabs required precise temperature control across multiple furnaces for different alloy types and applications

• Manual recipe management and tracking was inefficient for 24x7 operations

• Lack of integrated control between charging, tracking, and discharging processes

• Need for fuel optimization while maintaining product quality across 5 furnaces

• Disconnected systems between SAP, laboratory data, and Level 1 control systems

Business impact: Inefficient furnace operation leading to increased fuel consumption, quality variations, and limited production throughput in continuous steel processing operations.

2. The Solution

Architecture Details:

• FrameworX Enterprise managing Level 2 advanced control system

• Multi-tier architecture supporting control room and distributed operator stations

• Integration layer connecting multiple data sources and control systems

• 24x7 continuous operation environment

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  <!-- Operator Stations -->
  <text x="200" y="40">[ Operator Stations ]</text>
  <text x="220" y="60">Control Room + Field</text>
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  <!-- FrameworX Enterprise -->
  <text x="190" y="120">[ FrameworX Enterprise ]</text>
  <text x="230" y="140">(Level 2 control)</text>
  <line x1="300" y1="150" x2="300" y2="180" stroke="black"/>
  
  <!-- .NET DLL Layer -->
  <text x="210" y="200">[ .NET DLL Layer ]</text>
  <text x="150" y="220">(Temperature & Fuel Algorithms)</text>
  <line x1="300" y1="230" x2="300" y2="260" stroke="black"/>
  
  <!-- Integration Layer -->
  <text x="220" y="280">[ Integration Layer ]</text>
  <text x="230" y="300">200,000+ Tags</text>
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  <!-- Branch -->
  <line x1="180" y1="340" x2="420" y2="340" stroke="black"/>
  
  <!-- SAP -->
  <line x1="180" y1="340" x2="180" y2="370" stroke="black"/>
  <text x="160" y="390">[ SAP ]</text>
  
  <!-- Siemens PLCs -->
  <line x1="300" y1="340" x2="300" y2="370" stroke="black"/>
  <text x="250" y="390">[ Siemens PLCs ]</text>
  <text x="260" y="410">(5 Furnaces)</text>
  
  <!-- LIMAB Lab -->
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  <text x="380" y="390">[ LIMAB Lab ]</text>
  
  <!-- TCP/IP -->
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  <text x="250" y="470">[ TCP/IP Level 1 ]</text>
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Technical Specifications:

• PLCs: Siemens controllers

• Communication protocols: TCP/IP for Level 1 integration, proprietary protocols for laboratory systems

• External systems: SAP integration, LIMAB laboratory data system

• .NET DLL components for specialized control algorithms

• Scale: 200,000+ internal tags

• Coverage: 5 reheating furnaces

• Deployment: Central control room plus distributed operator stations

Core Functionality:

• Originally C++ algorithms migrated to .NET DLLs for:

  • Charging control (weight validation, measurement, SAP data verification)

  • In-furnace tracking

  • Discharging control

  • Advanced temperature calculation and fuel optimization

3. Key Enablers

Essential capabilities that made this solution possible:

• .NET DLL Integration: Native support for loading and executing custom .NET assemblies containing proprietary control algorithms

• Massive Tag Management: Ability to handle 200,000+ tags with real-time performance

• Multi-Protocol Support: Simultaneous communication with Siemens PLCs, TCP/IP Level 1 systems, and laboratory interfaces

• Advanced UI Components: Complex grid controls with color-coding for slab status and positioning visualization

4. The Results

Measurable improvements:

• Achieved unified control across 5 furnaces from single platform

• Enabled real-time tracking of all slabs through complete furnace cycle

• Optimized fuel consumption through advanced temperature algorithms

• Maintained 24x7 operation reliability for continuous production

• Integrated previously disconnected systems (SAP, Laboratory, Level 1)