Context & Challenges

The rolling process plays a crucial role in steelmaking, but it also brings significant challenges that affect the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of steel production. One of these challenges is the physical misalignment of lamination equipment components, caused by dust and other contaminants. As a result, the steel rolling process ends up being blocked or interrupted – a situation that can lead to financial losses and even accidents.

Solution

Stefanini created a new AI model that, through continuous and real-time monitoring of the electrical currents of rolling mill motors, can detect twice as many blockages in steel rolling mills when compared with the previous model. Additionally, a feedback interface was developed that allows operators to report whether an alert was real or a false positive.

Results

- Detection of 1 in every 3 blockage events in steel rolling mills
- Cost savings due to preventing periods of inactivity
- Greater safety for operations
- 4% reduction in energy consumption