Hoa Phat Dung Quat Steel plans a new production line at the steel plant in Dung Quat, Quang Ngai province in Central Vietnam. As part of one of the world’s most expansive and dynamic steel markets in Vietnam, Hoa Phat will be able to meet rising demands with a dramatic increase in capacity by 5.6 million metric tons per year. Currently, Hoa Phat is the leading industrial manufacturing group in Vietnam. With steel production at the heart of the business, producing eight million metric tons of crude steel per year, Hoa Phat is the largest steel producer in Southeast Asia.
The expanded production line consists of two slab casters, one hot rolling mill, modern automation systems, and comprehensive digitalization solutions. A fully integrated quality control system, intelligent digital assistants, and scheduling solutions will ensure high quality, productivity, and flexibility.
Advanced Technologies
Primetals Technologies is responsible for designing, engineering, and supplying mechanical equipment, media systems, technology packages, automation technology, and digitalization solutions. The production units are equipped with consistent and modern process control (Level 1) and process optimization systems (Level 2). An integrated scheduling solution provides flexibility related to incoming orders, changing production conditions, and scheduled maintenance. Business Intelligence dashboards enable operators to make fast and intelligent decisions. The integrated quality control system “Through-Process Optimization” (TPO) assists Hoa Phat in achieving interconnected operational excellence at each stage of the production chain. The intelligent digital assistant “Asset Life Expert” (ALEX) improves plant availability.
Modern Innovations
The 2-strand casters that Primetals Technologies have a rated capacity of six million metric tons and casting speeds from 1.1 to 1.66 meters per minute. The integrated process-control and process-optimization system is equipped with modern expert systems and innovative process models to improve product quality and performance.The hot-strip mill with a rated capacity of 5.5 million metric tons per year comprises one slab-sizing press, two single-strand roughing mills, a seven-stand finishing mill, three down coilers, auxiliary systems, and other equipment. Four stands of the finishing mill are equipped with pair cross-technology. In pair cross mills, the upper and lower work and back-up rolls are crossed toward each other so that the two pairs of rolls form a narrow “X” when viewed from above, allowing optimum adjustment of the roll-gap contour and thus ensuring fine control over the strip profile.
Intelligent Digital Assistant
Operators and maintenance engineers will be guided and assisted by the intelligent digital assistant “Asset Life Expert” (ALEX) to ensure the high availability of the two new slab casters and the new hot-rolling mill. The centralized expert system for intelligent condition monitoring offers clear status information and recommends corrective and compensational actions.
