iEngineering Transforms a 50-Year-Old Steel Mill with Modern Automation Drives
The hum of machines had echoed through the steel mill for half a century. For years, its heart was powered by AEG DC Drives and a Siemens S5 PLC , old systems that had been loyal companions but were now well past their prime. The plant’s workers had grown used to the occasional hiccup—a sudden halt here, a glitch there. But recently, those hiccups have turned into serious interruptions.
The mill, once the pride of its region, was at risk of shutting down altogether. Every delay meant lost production, mounting costs, and frustrating customers. Worse, the management knew that a single major failure could stop operations for weeks. Their reputation, their revenue, even their future was hanging in the balance.
iEngineering becomes their turning point.
The Hidden Cost of Downtime in Industrial Operations
For the workers on the floor, downtime meant standing around, waiting for machines to come back online. But for the company, the real damage lay behind the scenes.
Every hour the plant stood idle tons of steel went unproduced. Orders piled up, deliveries delayed, and customers raising questions which the management couldn't respond to. The accountants calculated the losses: tens of thousands of dollars each day, vanishing like smoke.
And the impact was not over yet. Customer trust was eroding. Steel buyers can’t wait forever; they will find other suppliers. In an industry as competitive as steel manufacturing, especially in Australia and Oceania, reliability is everything. If one couldn’t deliver, someone else would.
The leadership team understood this all too well. Every breakdown, every frantic repair, was eating away at their ability to compete on a global stage. Something had to change—and fast.
The Challenge of Outdated Legacy Systems
Walking into the control room was like stepping back in time. Dusty cabinets housed AEG DC Drives that had been faithfully running since the mill first opened. They were reliable—legendary, even—but technology had moved on. These drives were like an antique car: dependable, but no match for the demands of today’s high-speed highway.
The 1 MW motor stack, powered by a master/slave DC configuration, was starting to stumble. The operators had noticed the instability. At times, the system seemed almost… crippling down. Like a workhorse that had carried too much weight for too long.
And then there was this control system: the Siemens S5 PLC Once cutting-edge, it had long been discontinued. The problem wasn’t just the age-old system —it was also the spare parts that were practically impossible to find. The few that were available would cost anyone a fortune, and only a handful of engineers in the region still knew how to play with it.
Every passing day felt like rolling dice. Would they find the part they needed? Would they find someone who could fix it? Would they have to wait weeks to get the plant running again?
The management realized they cannot just quickly fix the machines anymore. They have to bring the whole factory to life.
iEngineering’s Turnkey Solution for the Steel Mill
When iEngineering’s team arrived, they didn’t just see old equipment. They saw the heartbeat of a company that had carried Australia’s steel industry for decades. The challenge was to bring the mill back to life, without shutting it down for months.
And they had a plan
Step 1: Breathing New Life with Siemens Sinamics Drives
The first task was to replace the 50-year-old AEG drives with Siemens Sinamics DC Drives. Modern, efficient, and built to last, these drives were the perfect fit. Unlike the old equipment, Sinamics drives came with local support in Australia , ensuring that spare parts and technical expertise would always be just a call away.
For the operators, it was like trading in that old, sputtering car for a brand-new engine—smooth, powerful, and dependable.
Step 2: Strengthening the 1 MW DC Stack
The DC stack powering the 1 MW motor was critical. Without it, the mill couldn’t function. iEngineering’s engineers carefully rebuilt and upgraded the stack, restoring stability and ensuring the system could handle the demands of modern steel production.
This wasn’t just about fixing what was broken—it was about building a foundation strong enough to support the future
Step 3: Migrating from Siemens S5 to S7
The control system was the mill’s brain, but it was trapped in the past. iEngineering migrated the obsolete Siemens S5 PLC to the modern Siemens S7 platform.
This change opened the doors to a world of possibilities:
- A flexible system that could grow with the company.
- Compatibility with modern automation tools.
- Widely available support across Australia and Oceania.
For the first time in years, the client no longer had to worry about whether the next breakdown would be the last straw.
Step 4: Commissioning with Minimal Downtime
The most impressive part? iEngineering pulled it all off with minimal disruption. The team worked tirelessly to install, test, and commission the new systems without dragging out downtime.
Within days, the steel mill was back online—stronger, faster, and more reliable than it had been in decades.
The Results – A Future-Ready Steel Mill
The transformation was nothing short of remarkable. The plant roared back to life, not as a relic of the past, but as a modern steel producer ready for the future.
The managers no longer dreaded unexpected failures. The operators had new confidence in their systems. And customers noticed the difference—deliveries were back on track, efficiency was higher, and reliability was restored.
By choosing iEngineering, the steel mill had done more than replace parts. They had future-proved their business,ensuring they could compete with confidence not just today, but for years to come.
Partner with iEngineering for your next project.
For more details, contact us today — we’re ready to assist you!
Email: enquiries@iengaust.com.au
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