Automation | Elkem Salten

Reliable furnace lining monitoring

- built to withstand the heat

Init helped Elkem Salten monitor the new lining of a smelting furnace with a robust temperature monitoring solution, built on ABB System 800xA and I/O modules designed for high transient voltages.

 

Elkem Salten, located in Straumen in Sørfold, is one of the world’s largest silicon plants, supplying silicon and microsilica to customers worldwide. Its smelting furnaces run around the clock, and their condition is critical to both safety and production.

In February 2018, when the lining of one of the smelting furnaces was replaced, Elkem Salten engaged Init Kristiansand (then Necto) to deliver the monitoring of the new lining, from equipment and programming to commissioning.

Elkem Salten silicon plant in Straumen, Sørfold, on a sunny winter day

ASPIRATION

Operational reliability in one of industry’s harshest environments

The area around a smelting furnace is among the most demanding environments an automation system can operate in. Elkem Salten needed a monitoring solution that would deliver reliable temperature data from the furnace lining, support efficient operation, and keep working when exposed to high transient voltages over longer periods.

SOLUTION

Components that can take the strain

Init Kristiansand delivered the equipment, programmed the temperature sensors and their visualisation on the operator screens, and commissioned the installation. The control system is built on ABB System 800xA and AC800M, with M-System R3 I/O communicating over EtherNet/IP.

Component selection was key to operational reliability. The M-System R3 modules withstand 1000 V for one minute, while other leading brands withstand 500 V for one minute or less. That means twice the tolerance for the transient voltages that occur around a smelting furnace.

With Necto (now Init Kristiansand) as supplier, Elkem Salten can be confident they get a system that meets their needs for operational reliability and efficiency.

Cato Jensen, Elkem Salten

RESULT

Confidence in every reading

Operators at Elkem Salten now have the temperature of the new furnace lining visualised directly on their screens, giving them a clear and continuous picture of the lining’s condition.

With I/O modules designed to tolerate twice the transient voltage of comparable alternatives, the solution is built to keep delivering reliable data in a harsh environment, supporting both safe operation and efficient production.

Reach out

for more information

Geir Kulia

Commercial Manager

[email protected]

Init Kristiansand,

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