Real-Time Control Systems

TSi's real-time control system implementation at Bethlehem Steel illustrates our ability to create customized control system solutions for the most challenging and/or industry specific problems.

Bethlehem Steel at Sparrow Point produces a variety of galvanized steel products for customers world wide. The coating process involves the application of zinc alloy to the surface of rolled steel. The coating application is controlled by the manipulation of air pressure through a system of "air knives."  Coating thickness is not measured until the zinc has sufficiently cooled.

In this project, TSi developed automatic feed-forward and feedback control algorithms for the air knife pressure to deposit the precise amount of alloy on the surface. The physics of the coating process is very complex, with substantial uncertainties arising from measurements of a large number of parameters. The coating process is modeled for the feed-forward controller.  Feedback from the delayed coating thickness measurement is used to tune the feed-forward controller. TSi provided custom software built using the Wonderware InTouch and InControl products for the collection of data and execution of the control laws.

For more information regarding our control systems expertise please see our real-time control capabilities and control systems design capabilities.