VAiron Sinter Optimizer

The VAiron Sinter Optimizer is a process optimization system improve to support sinter plant operations. It aims at optimizing efficiency, ensuring consistent sinter quality, and reducing production costs by maximizing productivity, lowering energy demand, and improving raw material utilization flexibility. It achieves standardized operations across all shifts through sophisticated process models, artificial intelligence applications, and a closed-loop expert system with a plant-specific knowledge base.

The VAiron Sinter Optimizer is a sophisticated system that monitors the material flow from the blending yard through the stock-house to the finished sinter product. Utilizing a 3D-blending yard model and burden calculation, it predicts sinter product chemistry while accounting for the loss on ignition. This process is enhanced by an AI-based prediction of the grain size distribution, represented by the harmonic diameter. All calculations and predictions are integrated into a rule-based Expert System, which diagnoses the current operational condition and suggests actions for operational improvement.

The VAiron Sinter Optimizer boosts productivity by typically 5% and ensures consistent product quality by reducing the standard deviation of hot metal quality parameters by typically 10%. It also minimizes energy and fuel consumption. The system stabilizes product quality and maximizes net production by controlling raw material mixing, sinter bed permeability, and process parameters in a 24/7 shift-independent best-practice operation. This comprehensive approach ensures that steel producers can maintain high standards of efficiency and quality in their sintering processes.

Benefits of VAiron Sinter Optimizer

• Increases productivity by typically 5%
• Reduces hot metal quality parameter standard deviation by typically 10%
• Minimizes energy and fuel consumption
• Avoids critical process situations
• Improves environmental compliance
• Provides 24/7 shift-independent operation
• Enhances raw material utilization flexibility
• Standardizes operations across all shifts