Millmate Weighing Systems

Weighing systems for the metals industry

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In the demanding environment of the metals processing industry getting the right balance between accuracy, speed and reliability in your sensing systems can mean a great deal. Weighing systems are an important part of the whole process but making sure that all the components can stand up to the harsh environment requires experience and skill – and the right components. A balance that few other manufacturers can match.

Weigh ing sys tems f rom ABB

Meeting the demand for fast and accurate weight information on-line, all the time.

Easy to install, easy to useThe key to the Millmate Weighing Systems lies inthe ease with which it can be integrated into yourprocess systems. Purpose built units make mountingthe load cells, electronics and displays easy, in bothnew and existing installations.

The operator can handle taring, weighing andprint out by simple push-button commands fromthe display in the operator cabin. Large scale displaysallow reading from up to 100 metres distance.Sophisticated control electronics combine off theshelf application functions with full configurabilityand connectivity making installation and com-missioning simple and rapid.

Economical in costs, efficient in actionWith Millmate Weighing Systems the load infor-mation is immediate and continuous without theneed for separate weighing operations. This meansbetter control over stock and recipes with immediateeffect on material consumption and the time taken toprepare charges. Weighing data can also be integratedinto plant wide process reporting, stock controlcomputers and logging systems for overall super-vision and quality control.

Reliable and accurate in harsh environmentsMillmate Weighing Systems include load cells withtransducer based on ABB patented Pressductor®

Technology. Designed to work well even in thetoughest environments and will withstand shock-loads and high overload without loss of accuracywhile providing a high signal level for faultless op-eration even in conditions with high electrical inter-ference. Operationally the load cell measurementerror is typically less than 0.05%.

Scrap scale/NorthBatched weight 1998 kgDemanded weight 2000 kgBatch error 2 kg

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With rugged load cells, high signals levels and a range of purpose built sensors, Millmate WeighingSystems can be quickly and easily integrated intoyour application.The Millmate Controller400W combines ease of use with advanced commu-nications and a range of display options. This meansthat the system can be usedto provide weighing data toa wide range of applications.

• Easy

• Economical

• Reliable

• Accurate

Quality control The requirements of today’s quality certificationsuch as ISO9000 mean that companies must beable to prove their quality with accurate reliable andrepeatable procedures. In steel making MillmateWeighing Systems provide the data needed to supportverification of recipes, output quantities and qualitiesand stock control.

Global experience, world wide supportABB has more than a century of experience in ironand steel industries and more than thirty years inweighing systems, world wide. There are more than1,500 crane weighing installed with users in manycountries. Purpose built equipment with its owndiagnostic and reporting system makes sure thatweighing is always accurate with down time formaintenance kept to the minimum.

Millmate Weighing Systems are supported by aworld wide organisation for advice and consul-tation in preplanning as well as after sales service.

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An in teg ra ted we igh ing sys tem prov ides con t inuous bene f i t s

Millmate Weighing Systems have been optimised for applications in the iron and steel industry with the ability to resist up to 300% overload, high accuracy and long term stability.

Crane weighing is a major asset in almost every stageof metal production from raw material to finishedproduct. Continuous, accurate and automatic weighingof every load that is lifted eliminates the need forseparate weighing operations and thus speeds upthe entire process. With accurate information availableto control operators at every stage makes the econ-omical use of resources much more feasible. Craneweighing can be used at all stages of the steel makingprocess – from scrap handling and charge assemblyto handling finished products – providing certifiedloading weights, accurate control of recipes andweight data for process and quality control.

Teeming operationsCrane scales give precise control over critical factorsin teeming including rise rate and ingot weight. Bothof these are important influences on the quality ofthe output. The use of large character digital displayson the crane itself allows the crane operator to con-trol rise rate by monitoring pouring from as far awayas 30 metres from the chill.

Scrap yard operationsWeighing the raw material while suspended from thecrane makes loading operations quicker and more ac-curate. Matching actual loading to the recipe makesbatch assembly more precise and easier. It also meanless adjustment during refining. With the crane scalesdirectly connected to the control computer it is pos-sible to monitor stock usage and maintain up to daterecords of stock holding.

Furnace feedingThe ability to continuously monitor ladle weightmakes it possible to pour exact quantities a portion ata time. This means that it would be possible to meetthe demand for small quantities of different recipeswithin one batch melt. This way the furnace is work-ing close to capacity by altering the recipe after eachtapping.

The result is a major saving not only in time,waste and labour but also in wear on the refractorylining of charging and transfer ladles.

CRANE WEIGHING

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Crane scales give precise control over critical factors

in teeming including rise rate and ingot weight.

Crane weighing can significantly

improve productivity by reducing waste and cutting down the time required

for weighing.

Perhaps the toughest environment for the weighingsystem, ABB provides several unique solutions formonitoring scrap weight which can be combinedto give flexible, fast and accurate scrap handling inany situation. The load cell has high overload andside load capacity, this coupled with the lack of re-calibration and lack of change over time, make thesystem ideally suited to scrap handling operations.

The system is purpose built for scrap operationsand is therefore designed for ease of use. Reliabilityand speed of operation, accuracy of weighing and longlife. It is readily adaptable to variations in scrap yardlayout and incoming/outgoing handling methods.

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• Crane weighing

• Scrap weighing

• Blast furnace weighing

• Continuous casting

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SCRAP WEIGHING

ABB provides several uniquesolutions for monitoring scrapweight which can be combined to give flexible, fast and accurate scrap handling in any situation.

Scrap scale/North

Batched weight 1998 kgDemanded weight 2000 kgBatch error 2 kg

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Weight data is an important factor in the accurateproduction of steel to given recipes. Top hopperweighing provides total weight indication withpressure compensation and flow rate indication de-rived from weight data change over time.

The load cells provide data for total hot metalweight, poured weight and residual weight in tor-pedo cars. This makes pouring operations more ac-curate and better controlled.

Transfer carsWeighing of ladle transfer cars is one of the mostdemanding applications in steel industry with hightemperatures, shock loads, side loads, metal spills andother destructive events. Therefore ABB’s experienceand know-how is essential and can be demonstratedin a number of installations world wide.

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BLAST FURNACE WEIGHING

Accurate, economic and safe, blast furnanceweighing helps improve productivity and profitability.

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Gross weight 320.0 tNet weight 200.0 t

Torpedo TPD 1Tare 120.0 t

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The use of Millmate Weighing Systems in thecontinuous casting process makes it possible to im-prove product quality, increase yield, increase au-tomation and improve safety.

Ladle weighingWith load cells installed in the ladle turret linked tothe operator station with an easily used dedicatedoperator panel it is possible to obtain far greater in-formation more rapidly and accurately than by anyother method. Ladle weighing gives you full con-trol over delivered quantities from the steel worksand quantities processed. Control of the materialyield in the machine. Indication of steel quantityremaining in the ladle so that advanced prepara-tions can be made for ladle exchange at the appro-priate moment. This gives an accurate control ofthe flow from the ladle to the tundish.

Tundish weighingContinuous data from load cells in the tundish al-low greatly increased automation of the process.With better control over the level in the tundishbath there is improvements in quality of the strandsurface, more consistent steel quality, less variation intemperature and improved water cooling economy.Better control over levels also results in better safe-ty for men and machines. Custom designed instal-lations can be provided for specific applications.

Slab weighingLoad cells in the roller table give continuous dataon the quantity of metal delivered to the rollingmill, constant assessment of the yield of the casterand allow for optimisation of the rolling operation.

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The use of Millmate Weighing Systems in the continuous casting process makes it possible to improve product quality, increaseyield, increase automation and improve safety.

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A robus t , accura te and re l i ab le sys tembased on the P ressduc to r ® Techno logy

A well proven designfor total reliability ABB weighing is an end to end concept built for itspurpose. ABB manufactures all the critical compo-nents to exacting standards and combines them intoa custom made weighing system to exactly matchyour needs.

At the heart of the system is the load cell, basedon Pressductor® Technology, a robust, reliable andaccurate sensor which eliminates many of the prob-lems associated with other weighing methods. Theconstruction of the transducer produces a near solidstate device with no mechanical or electronic partsto wear out or fail. Built into a load cell designedfor specific applications, such as crane weighing orladle turret, the load cell has low impedance andhigh signal output some ten times higher then thatof even high output strain gauges. This means thatthe load cell performs well even in environments athigh temperatures and high humidity with extremeelectrical interference. Under normal operating con-ditions the load cell is accurate to within 0.1%.

The way in which force measurement takes placemeans that the load cell can take 300% overloadand up to 30% side load without damaging thecell. The physical nature of the measuring principle(magneto-elastic effect) is such that the load cell isnot subject to fatigue, this effect does not changeover time. This means that the cells do not needperiodic re-calibration nor is there any change insignal year after year.

As a result Millmate Weighing Systems are ex-tremely stable and offer repeatable reliable accuracyfor a very long time.

Flexible configurations to suit all types of applicationsThe way in which loads cells can be integrated intoequipment and the differing ways that the operationalinterface can be arranged allow maximum adap-tability for differing plant layout. A wide range ofoptions for display type and location along withthe ability to link into many forms of plant-wideand process computing systems make it possible todistribute weighing data to many locations.

The Pressductor® Trans-ducer can be fitted intomany types of load cell forspecific applications, suchas; the crane load cell canbe fitted in hook block, lifting beam or guide pulleyand the rail beam load cellin continuous casting machines for e.g. tundishweighing. Standard sizes range from 5 to 160 tonnes and can be used together to handleloads up to 640 tonnes.

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• High overload capacity

• Insensitive to interference

• High repeatability

• Long term stability

Low maintenanceThe design of the load cell and the way in which itis linked to the control systems makes MillmateWeighing Systems extremely robust and reliable.Advanced diagnostics and self test features in thecontroller ensure that any alarm conditions are re-ported rapidly and dealt with effectively.

Integrated into the crane,the load cell’s detecting devices provide continuousmonitoring of the loadwhile the load is beingtransported.

The force measuring element is a robust andreliable Pressductor®

Transducer.

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Integrated into a weighbeam Pressductor® LoadCells provide a solid andstable foundation for theladle foot. This is essentialfor a good weighing result.

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Advanced e lec t ron ics pu t con t ro l a t your f i nger t ips

Millmate Controller 400W adds communications and control capability to the advantages of the load cell to make the Millmate Weighing Systemsa complete, accurate and controllable system.

LocationThe load cells are connected using standard cables,this and the relatively high output signal level meansthat the controlling computer can be placed whereveris most suitable. Making installation and maintenanceof the connections simple and straightforward. Theoperator’s panel is as robust as the rest of the systemdesigned to suit the operating environment. And tobe operated under less than optimum conditions.

The central processor is housed in a dust proofcabinet and is supplied with cable housing andplinth to accommodate the communications connec-tions. Power is distributed with compensation fordistortion and disturbance in the power network.

OperationMillmate Controller 400W is programmed for specif-ic applications so that the operational displays carryappropriate messages and information, whether it is aremote PC, dedicated operator panel or engineeringsupport. At operations level the operator panel hastwo modes – run mode and service mode, with menusappropriate to each and password protection for ser-vice modes. Service mode allows full definition of thecontrol unit and operator panel.

System information, communications and operatormessages are displayed on a LCD screen.

Operator level information can be supplied inlocal languages as needed by operators. The centralprocessor can also drive large displays via a standardRS232/485 link.

ConfigurationMillmate Controller 400W is designed for flexibleuse allowing system designers to decide on the typeof data distribution needed by the local operation.Multiple controllers can be connected to operatorpanels or PCs via ethernet where multiple weighingoperations are supervised from central locations.

Using open system protocols Millmate Controller 400Wmakes data available throughout your operations locally forreal time control and remotely for performance monitoring,statistical analysis and management reporting. Data derivedfrom the weighing control system can be shared with manyclients without compromising production.

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• Flexible configuration

• Control over location

• Control over operation

• Control over configuration

• Control over information

Information managementMillmate Controller 400W is fitted with a range ofcommunications connections allowing full inte-gration into the mill-wide network. For communi-cations between central processors and operatorstations the system uses ethernet LAN with TCP/-IP protocol. The system is also fitted with RS-232and RS-485 ports with the potential for linking viaSiemens protocol 3964. Extensive use of HTTPprotocols makes it possible to enhance serviceswith client specific data for remote use such asmanagement reporting, statistical analysis and qual-ity control.

Application specific messages are displayed on the operator screen.

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Gross weight 180.0 tNet weight 108.0 tPart weight 12.0 t

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ABB Industrial ProductsA unit within ABB Industrial Systems AB

S-721 59 Västerås, SwedenPhone: +46 21 34 20 00Fax: +46 21 34 00 05Internet: www.abb.com/pressductor

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We have local representatives in:

Argentina Buenos Aires, Australia Melbourne, Austria Vienna, Belgium Brussels, Brazil São Paulo,Canada Montreal, Chile Santiago, China Beijing, Denmark Ballerup, Finland Helsinki, France Décines, Germany Düsseldorf, India Bangalore, Indonesia Jakarta, Italy Milan, Japan Tokyo,Korea Seoul, Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Mexico Guadalajara, South Africa Randhart,Spain Bilbao, Taiwan Kaoshiung, United Kingdom Didsbury, USA Brewster N.Y., Venezuela Caracas

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ABB is a world-wide organization committed to providing solutions for the generation, transmission, distribution and use of electrical power.It consists of 1,000 companies in 140 countries.

As part of that group ABB Industrial Products is one of the world’s largest suppliers of industrial automation and machines, products andservices. Unique global resources provide the highest levels of customer value growing from in-depth knowledge and understanding of industry needs. Leading edge technology, specific application knowledge and an uncompromising commitment to quality make ABB Industrial Products an important partner for industries in their drivefor productivity, quality and profitability.

ABB Force Measurement Products and Systems is a division within ABB Industrial Products. It provides equipment for accurate, reliable measurement and control in a broad range of applications from steel making to paper converting industries.

Pressductor is a registered trademark of ABB Industrial Products.