426 South Main Street
Pittsburgh PA, 15220
Phone No.: (412) 921-3226
Fax No.: (412) 921-9660

INSTALLATION DESCRIPTION BRIEF

INDUSTRY: Primary Metals (Steel)

APPLICATION: Welded Tube Mill

COMMERCIAL OPERATION: September 1999

ATLAS TUBE MILL

16" WELDED TUBE

Harrow, Ontario, Canada

EPC CONTRACTOR: MANNESMANN DEMAG

DESCRIPTION:

ACS was responsible for total system integration and specifically charged with engineering, design, and PLC programming for the Strip Preparation Area and Tube Welding Mill Area.

Custom programming of the Strip Prep Area includes Uncoiling, Leveling, Centering, Shearing, Butt-Welding, and Line Control of a continuous strip of steel sent into an Accumulator.

The Accumulator acts as a buffer for the strip, which is then pulled into the Tube Welding Mill area.

Custom programming for the TWM area includes: All Line Run and Jog functions for 10 main drives which force the strip through the mill, Control of Central Hydraulic Pumps and circulation valves, Control of the hydraulic cooling and heating system, Butt-weld detection and seamdressing capability, and Manual/Auto movements of all hydraulic equipment.

Both areas are equipped with alarm and permissive screens for operator information.

On-site work performed by ACS during the installation of this system included: Alignment and calibration of Strip Centering System and systems coordination.

CONTROL EQUIPMENT:

  • (2) Allen Bradley PLC 5/80 Processors with:
  • DataHighway Plus Communications
  • Ethernet Hubs and Cabling for Interprocessor Communication
  • A-B Incremental Encoders
  • DeviceNet Modules and Hubs
  • 1771 Series - VHSC and I/O modules and Flex I/O Modules
  • Over (30) Remote I/O Termination Boxes
  • 1717 Total I/O Supplied: 968 DI 688 DO 61 AI
  • Application Software including:
  • RSLogix5 Programming Software DeviceNet Programming Software
  • RSLinx Lite Communications Software PanelBuilder Software
  • (7) Operator Stations, (2) Panelview Stations, and Various Pendant Stations
  • (3) Customized Allen Bradley Motor Control Centers (MCC’s)

SPECIAL FEATURES:
  • Mill Speed Up to 45 Meters/Minute
  • System includes Strip Totalizer for tracking production.
  • Ethernet and DH+ ports are located throughout the mill for ‘local’ future programming.
  • Extensive Program Documentation and User Documentation for future integration.
  • Additional space and spare I/O was left in panels for any future additions.
  • "Quick-set" PLC was programmed by MDC and integrated into the system.
  • Drive control PLC was Programmed by AB/RS and integrated into the system.