Tenova Expands R&D Innovation
by Hans Diederichs
Participation in Canadian Manufacturing Supercluster
Tenova Goodfellow Inc., (TGI) a Canadian subsidiary of Tenova, a Techint Group company specialized in innovative solutions for the metals and mining industries, continues to push the envelope of R&D innovation through a collaborative new project titled Digital Transformation of Secondary Metallurgy Facility at ArcelorMittal Dofasco.
This project is focused on ArcelorMittal Dofasco Secondary Metallurgy Facility that includes a ladle furnace, a degassing tank, their auxiliaries and transfer cars. The goal is to demonstrate how digitalization technologies can improve production by: minimizing manual intervention, reducing process variation and improving final steel properties. The new sensors will be based on an array of Tenova’s proprietary technologies, including two pioneering technologies not previously used in Ladle Furnace operations plus one optical technology never previously used in Vacuum Degassing. Tenova will adapt Tenova’s Advanced Sensor Technology for use on other oxygen and electric steelmaking furnaces.
In addition, Tenova will develop a technologically advanced sensing network capable of providing critical real-time process measurements that are currently not available.
At this first industrial installation, the proposed new sensing network will lead to extensive industrial benefits not previously possible such as: efficiency improvements, reduction of operating costs, increase of productivity and reduce operator exposure to the hazardous working environment.
The 3-year project involves a Consortium of leading Canadian companies with funding provided by NGen, which serves as Canada’s Supercluster for Advanced Manufacturing, managing $230 million in matching funds from the federal government to drive greater private sector investment in advanced manufacturing projects. NGen’s mission is to build world-leading advanced manufacturing capabilities in Canada through collaborative projects to achieve results that no single company could on its own. Working through multidisciplinary partnerships, NGen provides objective insight into advanced manufacturing decisions. NGen’s commitment to funding projects is predicated on the integration of new technologies that will lead to significant economic growth and job creation.
Source: Tenova Photo: ArcelorMittal