CIE integrated system for the CPCM (coupled pickle line and tandem cold mill) at Dofasco´s Hamilton Works

The CIE (computer, instrumentation, and electrical) integrated control system of the CPCM (coupled pickle line and tandem cold mill) at DOFASCO is described. The CPCM makes full use of the features of the CIE integrated control system to achieve both high productivity and high quality. The salient feature of this system is the fact that the line supervisory computer, the monitor/control process control stations, and other control components are integrated with the use of a local area network, thus allowing the system to share stored data from a common memory. The CIE integrated system offers the following advantages: flexibility of assigning functions and ease of expanding functions by integrating data sources; reduction of the number of operators by the use of integrated human interfaces and centralized monitoring; and ease of maintaining coordination by distributed processing through data sharing