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

<pre>
[ Operator Stations ]
   Control Room + Field
            ?
   [ FrameworX Enterprise ]
        (Level 2 control)
            ?
      [ .NET DLL Layer ]
 (Temperature & Fuel Algorithms)
            ?
   [ Integration Layer ]
      200,000+ Tags
            ?
   ????????????????????
   ?        ?         ?
 [SAP]  [Siemens PLCs]  [LIMAB Lab]
        (5 Furnaces)
            ?
      [ TCP/IP Level 1 ]
</pre>

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)