Automatic Control and Operating Simulation System for Steel Wire Heat Treatment

An automatic control system and its corresponding simulation system developed for steel wire heat treatment were presented. The control system consists of an industry control system and a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) system. The software, including configuration program, heating model program, PLC logical control program and a database, could control the temperature of a muffle furnace and a lead bath furnace based on production plan, product specification and technique or adapt the speed of steel wires to match the temperature of the current muffle furnace so as to obtain the optimum effect of heat treatment. The simulation system contained a simulation software, a combustion mathematical model and two data acquisition cards.