Primetals Technologies has completed an automation upgrade at Ulsan Aluminum’s hot finishing mill in Ulsan, South Korea
Ulsan Aluminum recently awarded Primetals Technologies the final acceptance certificate (FAC), which marked the completion of the project.
The automation servers were virtualised, which reduced maintenance requirements and enabled rapid scaling of digital services.
The basic automation upgrade has stabilised plant operations and improved maintainability.
The process automation system database was migrated from Oracle to Microsoft SQL Server, which lowers license costs and simplifies support.
A new Level 2 human-machine interface (HMI) provides better operator guidance and increased transparency, while Primetals Technologies’ diagnostic plug now enables ongoing performance monitoring and quality assurance.
As part of the migration, the software was optimised according to the latest standards.
The plant now operates with up-to-date software, enhanced IT security, and improved antivirus protection.
Jihwan Jung, Hot Mill Engineering & Automation Team Leader at Ulsan Aluminum, said: “The dedication to supporting our plant during demanding situations has further reinforced our confidence in Primetals Technologies as a trusted and reliable partner.
"We believe this experience demonstrates the company’s strong dependability and serves as an important foundation for a continued and strengthened partnership between our companies,”
To reduce risk during commissioning, Primetals Technologies implemented a shadow-mode strategy, running both the old and new Level 2 models in parallel.
This ensured model optimisation and consistent pass schedules before the final switchover.
After the planned five-day annual shutdown, the mill resumed three-shift production immediately.
The first aluminium hot strip produced fulfilled all quality requirements and was immediately ready for sale.
The successful project has further strengthened the partnership between the two companies, and a new basic automation project is already in planning.
Established in 2017 as a joint venture between Novelis and Kobe Steel, Ulsan Aluminum supplies flat-rolled aluminium products to the automotive, beverage can, and speciality markets, with an annual capacity of 400,000 tons.