The metal and steel industry in transition: progress through technology
The metal industry forms the backbone of numerous key sectors – from the automotive industry to aerospace and microelectronics, and many more. It encompasses the extraction, processing and refinement of metals such as copper, aluminium and titanium. Within this sector, the steel industry focuses on the production and processing of steel and iron alloys – key materials for construction, transport and industrial engineering.
In the steel industry, very high plant availability and consistent quality assurance are essential in order to remain competitive internationally. ifm electronic, founded in 1969 in Essen in the heart of the Ruhr region – the home of coal and steel – has over 55 years of comprehensive application knowledge that has been continuously incorporated into the further development of our products. Today, our customers in the steel industry have access to robust, shock- and vibration-resistant devices for high ambient temperatures whose five-year warranty speaks for itself.
In addition, ifm electronic supports its customers in the steel industry in their transformation to digitally networked production – with sensors and software solutions that collect data from machines and plants and provide immediate insights into their condition so that maintenance work or the replacement of machine components can be initiated if necessary. This makes ifm your technology partner on the path to more efficient and sustainable production.
Solutions for steel and metal production
ifm offers innovative technologies for optimising production processes:
Position monitoring of materials
Radar, laser and infrared sensors for safe handling of red-hot steel and other metals.
Thermal monitoring in steel processing
Temperature and flow sensors for cooling furnaces and rolling mills.
Monitoring of cooling, hydraulic and lubricating fluids
Pressure, level and temperature sensors for metallurgical plants.
Predictive maintenance and plant safety
Vibration monitoring systems detect faults in metalworking machines at an early stage – networked with the moneo IIoT platform.
Success in practice
Innovative technologies demonstrate their value in everyday industrial life. Discover how steel and metal manufacturing companies achieve sustainable competitive advantages with solutions from ifm.
Efficient coolant monitoring
The GASER Group specialises in the surface treatment of metals. In order to meet increasing demands, particularly in the automotive and aviation markets, for traceability and process monitoring, the company is pursuing a digitalisation strategy.
Hydraulics under control
HINE uses digital pressure and temperature sensors from ifm for real-time monitoring of hydraulic systems. This improves reliability, extends service life and saves costs through precise control of pressure, flow and oil quality.
Maximum plant availability
The use of ifm sensors to monitor critical plant areas has drastically reduced unplanned downtime at a US steelworks, avoided production losses and saved over USD 2.5 million in five years.
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