Düsseldorf, Germany – August 2024 – A leading German steel manufacturer has announced a 19% reduction in energy consumption for its hot rolling mill after upgrading to ABB’s GFD563A101 3BHE046836R0101 power modules. The retrofit, completed in June 2024, addressed the mill’s aging drive system—an issue that previously wasted 2.3 GWh of electricity annually and risked production halts due to frequent breakdowns.
The Challenge: Aging Drives Held Back Efficiency
For over a decade, the Düsseldorf mill relied on outdated power modules to control its hot rolling mill motors—critical equipment that shapes red-hot steel into sheets for automotive and construction clients. The old modules had two major flaws:
- Inefficient Power Conversion: With a maximum efficiency rating of 89%, they wasted significant energy as heat, forcing the mill to invest in extra cooling systems.
- Unreliable Performance: The modules failed an average of 6 times per year, each outage causing 4–6 hours of downtime and costing €75,000 in lost production.
“As EU carbon regulations tightened and energy prices spiked, we couldn’t afford to keep wasting power or dealing with unplanned stops,” said Thomas Becker, the mill’s maintenance director. “Our rolling mill uses 40% of the plant’s total electricity—fixing its efficiency was our top priority.”
After evaluating three competitors, the mill selected ABB’s GFD563A101 3BHE046836R0101 for its proven track record in heavy-industry applications.
The GFD563A101’s design is tailored to the harsh conditions of steel mills, offering features that addressed the mill’s pain points:
- 97.8% Energy Efficiency: The module’s advanced silicon carbide (SiC) technology minimizes power loss during conversion, cutting heat generation by 60% and eliminating the need for extra cooling.
- Rugged Build for Harsh Environments: With an IP54 rating and resistance to dust, vibration, and temperatures up to 65°C, it withstands the mill’s hot, dusty atmosphere—unlike the old modules, which required monthly cleaning to avoid overheating.
- Predictive Maintenance Alerts: Built-in sensors monitor the module’s temperature, voltage, and current, sending real-time alerts to the mill’s SCADA system if anomalies arise. This lets technicians address issues before they cause failures.
- Seamless Retrofit: The GFD563A101’s dimensions (450x320x180mm) matched the old modules’ footprint, allowing installation without reengineering the mill’s drive cabinets.
“We installed 8 GFD563A101 modules over a 5-day shutdown—ABB’s team worked around the clock to minimize production loss,” Becker said. “By the first week back, we could already see the energy meter dropping.”
Results: Energy Savings and Reliability Gains
Two months after deployment, the mill’s data shows transformative results:
- 19% Lower Energy Use: The rolling mill’s monthly electricity consumption fell from 192 MWh to 156 MWh, saving €48,000 monthly and reducing carbon emissions by 1,200 tons annually.
- Zero Breakdowns: The GFD563A101’s predictive alerts have prevented 3 potential failures, eliminating €225,000 in downtime costs.
- Maintenance Time Cut by 50%: The module’s self-cleaning filters and diagnostic features reduced service visits from monthly to bi-monthly, freeing up 12 technician hours per week.
“The GFD563A101 isn’t just a power module—it’s a cost-saving tool,” Becker added. “At this rate, the upgrade will pay for itself in 14 months, and we’re already planning to install it in our cold rolling mill next year.”
Lars Müller, ABB’s industrial drives product manager, noted the module’s role in steel industry decarbonization. “Steel makers face immense pressure to cut emissions,” he said. “The GFD563A101 3BHE046836R0101 helps them do that without sacrificing productivity—this Düsseldorf project is a model for the industry.”
The mill has since been recognized by the German Steel Federation for its energy efficiency gains, with plans to host a site visit for other manufacturers interested in the ABB upgrade.
