Deployment of End to End Process Control for Encirc’s Elton site (DEEP Control)

The 'Deployment of End to End Process Control for Encirc's Elton site (DEEP Control)' project will deliver energy savings through deployment of new end-to-end control systems linking processes across the two Encirc Elton container-glass furnaces and associated 14 forming lines to facilitate: 1. Optimisation of furnaces to run at minimum energy whilst maintaining glass quality 2. Increased packed-to-melt efficiency through reduced defects/rejects in forming processes 3. Estimated total annual CO2 savings of more than 15kT/year Lack of communication between current furnace and forming areas of the production line delays feedback of issues, delaying corrective action and improvement opportunities. This project will use a MindSphere platform and Mendix-based dashboard to deploy new furnace and forming-section control systems, integrating both areas of the production process into one system. This will enable operators to maximise process efficiency through safely reducing the energy safety-margin required for reliable furnace operation. It will also help operators to identify operational trends so that processes can be corrected before defects occur. These control systems will be refined and optimised through a series of whole-line production trials. The new control systems to be deployed will be an enabler for implementation of future decarbonisation opportunities, e.g. hydrogen fuels and light-weighting of containers.