Novelis Aluminum Zhenjiang completed an automation upgrade project at its aluminum hot-rolling mill in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, China. The company recently awarded the final acceptance certificate (FAC) to Primetals Technologies for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project.
“The new solution from Primetals Technologies improves equipment reliability, positively impacting both efficiency and production quality. Our expectation is that unplanned downtimes will be reduced by the new technology,” says Lei Xia, manager of the Hot Mill Unit at Novelis Aluminum Zhenjiang. “We have observed several improvements with the new system. For example, the new programmable logic controller (PLC) is more standardized for integration compared to the former system. The updated platform also makes it easier to adjust critical process parameters, which shortens troubleshooting times.”
Automation Improvements
Novelis Aluminum Zhenjiang first installed the aluminum hot-rolling mill from Primetals in 2014. The mill produces high-quality aluminum items, particularly for the aviation industry. In order to enhance production stability and future-proof operations, the company decided to launch an upgrade project focused on improving the hot mill’s hardware and software.
Phase 1 of the project involved a full-scale upgrade of the mill’s Level 1 automation system, including operating systems and a new human-machine interface (HMI). This phase had a challenging timeline, with just eight months from contract signing to final acceptance. Despite procurement delays and visa-related complications, necessitating remote system testing, Primetals received the FAC four days ahead of schedule. By then, the mill had returned to full operational capacity, with all products meeting the required quality standards.
Phase 2 marked a milestone as the first software migration of its kind in China. The project included a transition to the state-of-the-art Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) platform, which offers higher capacity and reduced operational costs. With enhanced computing power, the upgraded automation system now operates on a more stable and efficient platform. As with Phase 1, the system was operational four days ahead of schedule.