Primetals Technologies has developed the Central Operation Cockpit (COC), a highly innovative operating concept that enables the control of an entire plant from a single point. Numerous intelligent and AI-supported assistants enable the operator to obtain a complete overview of the entire production process.
thyssenkrupp Steel recently took an important step towards an autonomous plant by commissioning Primetals Technologies to implement a COC concept in its hot strip rolling mill No. 1 in Duisburg.
Tailored to needs
The first project phase lasted until the end of March 2024. During this time, thyssenkrupp Steel and Primetals Technologies designed an operating concept for the COC system that is tailored to thyssenkrupp Steel's current and future needs. With the implementation of the system, the project has now entered phase 2, which will be completed in early 2025.
Reducing manual interventions
Steel producers are currently looking for solutions to reduce manual interventions, become more productive and increase quality. At the same time, an increased number of automation systems can lead to a more demanding and complex monitoring process. To overcome this challenge, Primetals Technologies has developed the COC.
With this new concept, a single operator can control several plant areas via a highly intuitive interface. The large video wall displays all important information and can automatically switch to the most relevant cameras based on events. This is particularly helpful when one of the numerous assistance systems detects a situation that requires urgent attention or a user-defined event occurs.
The COC is equipped with an intuitive configuration tool, making it easy for steel producers to adapt and expand the cockpit to changing needs. This ensures a customer-optimized, clear and concise presentation of information.
Adaptable video management system
The intuitive and user-friendly interface is supported by the intelligent video management system SynX Supervision, which was developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in close cooperation with Primetals Technologies. The video wall is highly customizable: the operator can, for example, assign screens to specific assistance systems or areas of the plant.
The COC combines a variety of digital assistance systems. Together, they ensure that operators have all the information they need to operate the plant efficiently. One example is the Ski Assistant - developed by Primetals Technologies - which detects a ski in the roughing mill in real time. The seamless integration into the COC enables the operator to react quickly to insights provided by the assistance systems.
(Source: Primetals Technologies)
