| Abstract Scope |
Industry 4.0 is visible in aluminium producers’ strategies, however, often lacking common terminology. We propose a framework for applications seen in the carbon area, ranging from Measuring and managing data, Sensing and diagnosing, Simulating and creating a “twin, Optimization, and Robotics and autonomous operation.
We review what’s currently existing in the market, discussing some of the early adoptions of e.g. anode and rod tracking, and presenting what we currently see under development. Currently, there are four interesting avenues emerging:
Process optimization in the carbon area, based on anode and rod tracking
Predictive maintenance applications
Increased autonomous operation
Advanced rod shop process simulations
In summary, digitalization is progressing in the industry. However, the conservative approach seen particularly in new greenfield investments is a hindrance– as adding new features would be easier than in retrofits. We encourage more cooperation between technology vendors, EPCMs and producers. |