INNOVATIONS FROM THE AUTOMATION OF THE VACUUM STEEL CENTRE

The Department of Ferrous Metallurgy at RWTH Aachen University has purchased a vacuum induction furnace in 2004. After finishing the design of the metallurgical function the engineering of the automation system started in cooperation with the manufacturer ALD Vacuum Technologies, Hanau and the Chair of Process Control Engineering at RWTH Aachen University. This paper gives an overview of the furnace's capabilities from the automation engineering as well as from the metallurgical point of view.