Steel mills in China are seeing a boom in demand while at the same time shifting their focus from pure output to profitability. The demand for quality is also increasing and requires improved accuracy of thickness and width, and better mechanical performance in terms of hardness and tenacity.

Automation of the rolling processes in a modern steel mill now requires higher speed, greater performance and quicker communication. The control system has to be multi-functional and fast. Different functions have to work together closely and connect to third-party devices.

To meet these needs, Handan and Jinxi Steel in the Hebei province of China recently enlisted the help of GE Fanuc and PACSystems. In Handan and Jinxi's hot rolling strip steel application, the travel speed of the steel from stand to stand, pressurized systems, and critical temperatures must all be monitored and/or controlled. Handan and Jinxi have been slowly phasing out traditional PLCs and replacing them with GE Fanuc's new PACSystems controllers, which can run on a variety of platforms and include controller programming.