John Cockerill Energy and our Group’s Digital Engineering Department have developed together a SMART multiple-hearth furnace, or SMART MHF™.
Equipped with the John Cockpit™ application developed by our Digital Engineering, this fully operational SMART furnace is able to transform operational data into actionable insights to the benefit of end-users.
John Cockpit™ is a digital solution integrated to a multiple hearth furnace and acting as a digital brain. It contains a software, named John Connector™, that captures data and transfers them into the Cloud. The system retrieves the data, and they can be analyzed to help operators make the best decisions and produce more sustainably.
SMART MHF™ includes 4 integrated enhanced functionalities:
- SMART Fuel – Monitors energy use and performance to reduce fossil fuel consumption
- SMARTPROD™ – Tracks production quality, yield, and traceability to increase output quality
- SMARTOP™ – Monitors and diagnoses key process parameters for stable operations and fast troubleshooting
- SMARTSAFE™ – Predicts problems, schedules maintenance, and checks refractory health for smooth operations
Fully independent from the furnace control system, SMART MHF™ connects via a dedicated hardware, John Connector™, and sensor network, offering a user-friendly interface and remote access to end-users. It works alongside existing furnace controls without interference.
This new solution enhances product quality, ensures consistency, optimizes cost control and energy use, improves reliability, and prevents issues—meeting the needs of industrial players striving for performance, reliability, and sustainability.
