Primetals Technologies
Primetals Technologies, a global leader in metals engineering and plant services, leverages decades of metallurgical expertise and digital innovation to boost productivity, sustainability, and efficiency. At its Salem facility, Primetals aimed to further automate and digitize critical asset tracking operations for intelligent, data-driven metal production.
Real-Time Steel Ladle Monitoring System
Business Challenge
In large steel plants, ladles are critical for transporting molten metal. Each has a unique ID, and tracking them is vital for efficiency, safety, and lifecycle management. Primetals needed a fully automated, vision-based system to monitor ladles in real time and integrate data seamlessly at Salem.
The challenge was compounded by:
Extreme heat and dust-prone environments
Gradual wear of ladle paint and markings
24×7 operational requirements
The need for high accuracy and system reliability
Solutions provided by Stackfusion
Stackfusion’s AI ladle monitoring detects ladles, reads worn IDs, tracks real-time movements, and securely sends data to Primetals’ systems.
- Ruggedized IP cameras installed at strategic locations capture live ladle feeds from a safe distance
- IR illumination enables clear imaging under low visibility and high-glare conditions
- Cameras are designed to withstand extreme heat and dust
- Self-cleaning enclosures periodically remove dust buildup, ensuring uninterrupted and clear vision
A Stackfusion Edge GPU device processes video feeds locally, running AI models that:
- Identify ladles as distinct objects
- Accurately read embossed ladle numbers
- Track rotation and movement counts in real time
AI models are trained on multiple ladle images with variations in:
- Lighting conditions
- Camera angles
- Surface wear and aging
This makes the system highly adaptable, scalable, and future-ready as ladles evolve over time
- Structured JSON data including ladle number, camera ID, timestamp, and rotation count is generated in real time
- Data is transmitted securely to the Primetals application via REST APIs
- Enables seamless integration with existing plant systems and digital workflows
Conclusion
With Stackfusion’s AI-powered ladle monitoring solution, Primetals gained accurate, real-time visibility into ladle movements, enabling smarter operations, reduced manual dependency, and a strong foundation for data-driven manufacturing excellence.
