Blast Furnace Products

The IPACT Blast Furnace Charging Control System controls all aspects of material handling and charging for skip-charged furnaces.  This system has been successfully implemented for furnaces utilizing scale cars (larry cars) for ore as well as for furnaces with completely automated stock houses.

The IPACT charging control system is designed to meet the following main objectives:

• Fast Charging - the stockhouse, skips, and furnace top must be managed in such a way as to provide charging at the highest possible safe rate.

• Accurate Charging - meet the aim burden ratio precisely in spite of unpredictable material overruns and under-runs.

• Reliable Charging - the control level of the automation must be able to support charging even when higher levels are not available, and be flexible enough to charge with parts of the stockhouse inoperable.

• Ease of Use - the automation must work for the operations and maintenance personnel, and not the other way around.

• Support for Process Improvement Studies - Support the efforts of process engineers and maintenance personnel by giving them tools with which to conduct studies.

The complete IPACT charging control system consists of a Level 1 PLC system, color graphic human-machine interfaces (HMIs) driven by Level 1, a Level 2 DEC VAX computer, and HMIs driven by Level 2.  As detailed below, the Level 2 functionality is optional and the Level 1 system can by itself control furnace charging.  In addition, as part of its charging control system, IPACT has developed a blast furnace simulator in order to facilitate complete system tests prior to installation

Level 1 System
Scale Car System
Level 1 HMI System
Level 2 HMI System
Blast Furnace Simulator

Integrated Process Automation & Control Technologies