23 Discrete Sites: How Remonde Helps Steel Plants Achieve Centralized Monitoring of Large-Scale Environmental Protection Equipment?
Project Background
A large steel group's environmental protection business mainly covers sintering areas, coking areas, power plant areas and various dust collectors. Each area has several flue gas purification projects.
These projects were renovated by different units at different times, with physically dispersed central control rooms. In addition, the control systems include Siemens, Rockwell, HollySys DCS, SUPCON DCS, Keyuan DCS, etc. All systems operate independently with diverse control logics and solutions, making data interoperability impossible.
How to achieve unified monitoring and management has become an urgent problem to be solved for safety compliance requirements and digital empowerment.
Practical Dilemmas of Dispersed Management
Currently, the steel plant has 23 discrete central control rooms for environmental protection equipment, facing three core problems in actual operation and management:
Safety hazards：Some central control rooms are located in core production areas, exposing personnel to high-risk environments for long periods, which does not meet work safety requirements.
Inefficient managemen：Dispersed site operation makes it impossible to centralize personnel, difficult to optimize scheduling, and hard to standardize management processes.
Delayed decision-making：Data is scattered across various sites, lacking a unified data collection and analysis platform, so management cannot obtain the global operation status in a timely manner.
Against this background, the group proposed to build an environmental protection centralized control center. The requirement is to retain the functions of original operation stations without modifying the configuration of existing production systems, and realize unified access and centralized management of all discrete sites through a single access management system, providing support for improving operational efficiency and management optimization.
Remonde Solution: "Non-intrusive" Access Under Zero Trust Architecture
Faced with such challenges, the traditional approach is often to "start from scratch" — replace systems, rewire, and carry out comprehensive transformation. However, this comes with long cycles, high costs and great risks.
Targeting the above pain points, we customized a centralized control center solution centered on the Access Management Platform + RCH Industrial Gateway, mainly constructing the system from two aspects:
1. RCH Gateway Deployment
Deploy network cabinets beside the original operation rooms of each discrete site, add RCH industrial gateway devices to realize wired connection with existing operation computers and communication with the access management server. At the same time, achieve physical security isolation between the centralized control ring network and each system of the control network.
2. AMP Deployment
Deploy active and standby servers of the centralized control access management platform in the centralized control center. Ensure 7×24 uninterrupted operation of the system through seamless switchover of the active and standby systems.
3. Core Function Implementation
| Function | Implementation Method | Value Proposition |
|---|---|---|
| Unified Access | Gateway bypass access, compatible with Siemens, Rockwell, Keyuan and other control systems | No need to replace existing systems, retain existing investments |
| Operation Audit | Full-link log recording, supports operation traceback | Meet compliance requirements, improve management transparency |
| Secure Access | Encrypted channel based on the Zero Trust architecture of AMP | Ensure data transmission security |
| Report Acquisition | FTP function enables access to terminal file directories | Simplify O&M processes, centralize reports |
| Audible Alarm | Platform audible alarm function, replicates alarms from each discrete terminal and broadcasts via voice | Improve abnormal response efficiency |
4. Core Value of the Solution
Non-intrusive deployment：Gateway access does not change any configuration of the original system or affect the use of original operation stations. The system platform is embedded design, which does not affect existing operations. No offline transformation is required during the project renovation period, and production status is not affected.
Lightweight architecture：Web-based deployment without installation. Operators can complete daily monitoring in three steps with zero IT skill threshold and quick start-up.
Secure and controllable：Based on Zero Trust architecture, fine-grained permission management and full-process operation audit.
Compatibility：Supports various control systems and most industrial protocols, with strong scalability. New sites can be quickly and seamlessly accessed in the future.
Project Outcomes: One Solution, Multi-dimensional Breakthroughs
Time Dimension：Compared with traditional transformation solutions, the implementation cycle is shortened by 86%, and equipment fault response time is improved by 35%.
Cost Dimension：Compared with other solutions, the overall cost is reduced by approximately 60%, and O&M manpower input is reduced by one-third compared with the original.
Decision Dimensions：All equipment status is clear at a glance on the centralized control large screen, and equipment O&M decision-making speed is increased by 50%.
Security Dimension：Fine-grained permission management and full-process operation audit; log and screen recording traceability meets compliance requirements; active-standby redundant switchover ensures 7×24 uninterrupted operation.
Closing Remarks
The successful implementation of this project not only brings tangible value to customers, but also verifies the reliability of Remonde's remote access management system in multi-site and multi-control system centralized management scenarios.
Stable and efficient solutions can also be provided in the following and more scenarios:
- Centralized monitoring transformation of discrete sites
- Work safety compliance upgrade
- Remote O&M audit system construction
- OEM/MF equipment remote O&M hosting
As a reliable partner in industrial remote communication, Remonde will continue to provide professional, flexible and reusable solutions for customers in various industries, helping industrial enterprises achieve safe, efficient and low-cost digital transformation.
If you are also facing such challenges, please feel free to consult for customized solutions!
