PTC and MPI to apply industrial IoT to brownfield project

PTC will work with the North East-based research and innovation centre to implement its ThingWorx Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform at three steel plants in the region.

Product Q&A: Simulation innovations

For this project, MPI will undertake an initial pilot project using its Normanton Steel Plant to assess and improve the Industry 4.0 technology, before applying it to production processes operated by Liberty Steel Group’s Hartlepool Pipes Mill and Stocksbridge plant.

ThingWorx will capture and analyse data in real time, giving operators the option of changing processes and potentially saving millions of pounds per year.

In a statement, David Grammer, general manager for UK and Ireland at PTC, said: “Digital technologies are commonplace in new build, modern factories, but implementation in older plants in more traditional sectors is a lot more difficult.

“This is why this £10m digitisation project with The Materials Processing Institute is so important for UK industry. Our experts have been working with specialists at the Institute to trial our platform over a four-week period and have made some specific changes to the software to make sure it will deliver what is required in what will be very demanding environments.”