Russula presents at the European Commission the outcome of MULTIPLE, a project that integrates photonic technologies into industrial environments

Russula has successfully collaborated in MULTIPLE, a project driven by the European Union under the H2020 framework program on research and innovation, which aimed to develop cost-effective multimodal control solutions with a positive impact on the quality and efficiency of industrial production. 

Russula has participated, together with other international partners, in the steel sector use case, which sought the application of spectrometry and hyperspectral cameras to provide solutions to a series of problems and demands of the sector.

How this technology works

The solutions presented use spectrometry and multispectral cameras to help improve traceability in the production process to avoid waste in steel manufacturing.

Through spectrometry it is possible to identify the composition of furnace gases, directly inside the furnace, which allows access to data in real time and more accurately apply control strategies that improve combustion.

Cameras using the multi-spectrum concept can identify different families of steel and measure temperature independently of emissivity, as they are able to model it. This feature is particularly useful for identifying potential tracking faults and measuring temperature more accurately.

International partners

The project is a collaboration between international partners such as Epic, Iris, AIMEN, AirOptic, MonoM, Photonfocus, Senorics, Imec and Abraia, among others.

Russula has led the steel use case, being responsible for the definition of specifications and the integration of these new technologies within the industrial environment. Prototypes of both solutions are currently being tested in the rolling mill of another project partner, Laminoirs des Landes.

“The experience has been positive. We have learned a lot and had the opportunity to discover new solutions and partners on an international level. The technology that has been developed is valid and adds value to the process. The prototypes are already working at Laminoirs des Landes and are already generating data,” explains Luciano Guerra, the project coordinator at Russula.

MULTIPLE has already been presented to the EU in Brussels. Now the challenge is to scale up this equipment to a commercial level and transform it into a useful, viable and profitable solution for steel producers.