CASE STUDY
Throughout its 38 years of existence , the unit , where long and flat steel is produced , has been modernized , along with the development of industry 4.0 in Brazil and has become an important reference in technology in the industrial sector .
Supported by this new network , Gerdau will expand its investments in more advanced devices and multiple machinery , such as autonomous and tele controlled vehicles , digital twin technology , Internet of Things and AI .
According to Gerdau ’ s Global Director of Information and Digital Technology , Gustavo França , the 5G network will contribute to the evolution of the company ’ s digitalization and boost operations .
Gerdau ’ s Ouro Branco unit
The Ouro Branco unit , located in the central region of Minas Gerais , Brazil , has 37 years of integrated operation . The unit has an installed capacity of 4.5 million tons of liquid steel per year , in a 10,000,000 m ² plant , with 5000 hectares of preserved green area . With two blast furnaces to produce long and flat steels , such as rebar , wire rod , structural profiles , plates and coils , the plant serves the civil construction , automotive , agricultural , energy , naval and railroad markets , among others .
With 123 years of history , Gerdau is the largest Brazilian steel producer and one of the main suppliers of long steel in the Americas and special steel in the world .
“ About 500 chips have already been made available to allow the unit to be even safer , more productive and more efficient . There are several positive examples that illustrate how this technology is already being exploited by the operation . For example , asset monitoring , which enables real-time data collection , increased connectivity in the warehouse and product shipping yards , allowing us to significantly improve logistics efficiency , streamlining storage and distribution processes , in addition to the use of video analytics cameras , supporting production monitoring ,” he said .
França also points out that the unit has a state-of-theart Monitoring Center , where the main assets and strategic equipment for the operation of the plants in Brazil are monitored , using AI models in a predictive way , anticipating possible problems that may occur .
“ In this scenario , the installed network is essential to support the actions developed and expand new initiatives , providing more availability and scope for monitoring . During 2024 , we will expand the scale of the use of these initiatives in Ouro Branco and in the other Gerdau units in Brazil ,” he says .
The project carried out by Embratel follows strict safety standards . Each connected machine receives a unique SIMCard to access the network , allowing automatic authentication of the equipment without the need for passwords . This approach is essential to protect devices from cybersecurity threats , especially the most critical equipment that could pose risks to employees in the event of a loss of control .
“ Embratel has built an innovative and unique infrastructure that allows Gerdau ’ s continuous evolution
In Brazil , it also produces flat steel , as well as iron ore for its own consumption .
In addition , it has a new business division , Gerdau Next , with the objective of undertaking in segments adjacent to steel .
The company is present in several countries and has more than 30 thousand direct employees in all its operations .
Gerdau is the largest recycler in Latin America , having scrap metal as an important raw material : 71 % of the steel it produces is made from this material . Every year , 11 million tons of scrap are transformed into various steel products .
The company is also the largest charcoal producer in the world , with more than 250,000 hectares of forest base in the state of Minas Gerais . As a result of its sustainable production matrix , Gerdau currently has one of the lowest average greenhouse gas ( CO 2 e ) emissions of 0.86 t of CO 2 e per ton of steel , which is approximately half of the global industry average of 1.91 t of CO 2 e per ton of steel ( worldsteel ).
For 2031 , Gerdau ’ s goal is to reduce carbon emissions to 0.82 t of CO 2 e per ton of steel .
so that new technologies can be incorporated ,” said Gustavo Silbert , Embratel Executive Director .
In addition to the devices that are already connected to the private network , new equipment is in the approval phase to go into operation .
“ This project is a milestone for the industry , as it is the largest private network of a company in Latin America ,” he said .
According to the executive , Embratel is committed to the next steps that Gerdau will take in its digitalization process to take its operations to a new level , working collaboratively to develop and improve use cases . p
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