Expert Optimizer 5.0 is successfully applying Model Predictive Control to Jura Cement’s vertical raw mill and cement ball mill at the Wildegg plant.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has successfully completed installation and commissions of its Expert Optimizer solutions at Jura Cement‚s Wildegg plant in Switzerland.  Version 5.0 of Expert Optimizer was installed on Wildegg‚s mills for raw material and cement at the end of 2007. The raw mill is a vertical mill and the cement mill is a three chamber ball mill.  Secondary commissioning was completed at the beginning of May 2008.

ABB’s Juliano Arantes, the commissioning engineer for Expert Optimizer at Wildegg, said "The cement mill is quite unusual as it‚s a central discharge mill with three chambers, but Expert Optimizer’s graphical modeling capabilities allowed us to nicely represent this new configuration. The solution is bringing good results and high run times.

In February 2008 Expert Optimizer was awarded the Global Fuels Award for Most innovative technology for electrical energy efficiency.  Expert Optimizer is advanced process control software the purpose of which is to achieve continuous process optimization. Part of ABB’s Collaborative Production Management suite, it coordinates the setpoints of the different parts of the process and immediately detects deviations among the different parts of the operation. By expertly applying MPC, Expert Optimizer is able to stabilise and then optimise the process which helps plant management to reach profitability and sustainability goals.