Press Release, Announcement: August 8th, 2000
This order is one of the biggest ever received by ABB for industrial automation equipment. The seven pelleting lines of different vintages operate in parallel. The control systems will be converted to the latest ABB Freelance FC Control System with Maestro NT operator stations, and 41,000 digital and analog input and output points. For the most part, conversion has to be carried out in small steps while production is in progress. Consequently, it will take 46 months to complete with signals being replaced one by one. The iron ore pellets manufactured in the Vitoria plants are an intermediate product which is formed into finished products in the furnaces of the metals industry all over the world. CVRD – the biggest and most important minerals producer in Brazil – has more plants in the pipeline, one of them an additional pelleting line in Sao Luis in the north of Brazil. ABB Building Material & Mineral Industries, headquarters within ABB Industrie AG, Switzerland, part of ABB Automation, provides integrated automation solutions, comprehensive services, leading-edge technologies and broad experience to worldwide customers. ABB Automation delivers Industrial IT solutions, including control products, systems, software, instrumentation, analytical devices, meters, robotics, drives, motors and machinery. For further information please contact: ABB Industrie AG Building Material & Mineral Industries Max Berner (Marketing-Communication) Segelhof 5405 Baden-Dättwil, Switzerland Phone: +41 58 586 88 32 E-mail: max.berner@ch.abb.com