Drop-Bottom Vertical Heat Treat Furnace
The Challenge
To keep up with the high demand for larger-sized aluminum sheets for the fabrication of new, larger aircraft, a large aluminum manufacturer decided to add another production center at its plant site.
PCT Engineered Systems' extensive experience with furnace control systems, and previous project successes with the manufacturer, led the manufacturer to select PCT as the integrator to provide them with a complete furnace control system for a drop-bottom, Vertical Heat Treat Furnace.
The PCT Solution
PCT provided three control systems for the production center: a control system for the furnace proper that included combustion controls and a light-up station MMI; positioning controls for a large quench tank using AC Vector Drives; and material handling controls including radio-controlled cranes for handling the sheets.In addition to developing the furnace control systems, PCT also provided a motor control house and an operator control house; a motor control center and drive line-up equipment; a construction package and engineering support for the installation of the electric controls; and engineering support for the furnace start-up.
Among the components used for this project were Allen-Bradley 1336 AC and 1395 DC drives; 5/40 and 5/80 PLCs; and a PanelView for the light-up station. PCT also provided an MMI station communicating with a Level II Process Database and plant floor emulation software, as well as a hydraulic positioning control system on the furnace load hoist.
Completed in record time, the furnace continues to produce at levels that exceed original expectations. The furnace is one of the largest drop-bottom Vertical Heat Treat Furnaces of its kind for processing up to 25,000 pounds of aluminum skin sheet with thickness' up to ¼-inch. In addition, the furnace passed a temperature survey in which the variance was less than 5 degrees overall.
PCT's success with the Vertical Heat Treat Furnace project lead the manufacturer to choose PCT to integrate a new flat mill system with the furnace that same year.