Ghent, Belgium – January 2026 – ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading steel and mining company, has successfully deployed ABB O4LE 1KHL015545R0001 PCB Card Modules to upgrade the control systems of 12 steel rolling mills at its Ghent production facility. The deployment, completed in Q4 2025 after a two-month pilot phase, addressed critical issues with legacy PCB components, including frequent system crashes, poor compatibility with modern automation controllers, and excessive maintenance requirements. Six months of post-implementation data shows a 62% reduction in unplanned downtime, a 45% decrease in maintenance costs, and a 18% improvement in rolling mill throughput—key milestones in the company’s digital transformation journey for smart steel production.
The Challenge: Legacy PCB Failures Disrupt Steel Production
ArcelorMittal’s Ghent plant operates 12 continuous steel rolling mills, producing over 5 million tons of flat steel annually for automotive and construction industries. These mills rely on precise synchronization between motor drives, pressure sensors, and temperature monitors to maintain product quality, with the PCB card serving as the core of the control system’s signal processing unit. Prior to the upgrade, the plant used legacy PCB cards installed in 2016, which suffered from component degradation due to high-temperature exposure (up to 60°C) and electrical interference from nearby high-voltage equipment.
These issues led to 28-32 unplanned downtime incidents per year, with each incident causing an average of 4 hours of production halt—resulting in a production loss of 120,000 tons annually and €4.8 million in revenue impact. Additionally, the legacy PCB cards were incompatible with the plant’s new ABB AC 800M DCS system, requiring custom interface adapters that failed 8-10 times per month. The outdated components also had a short service life of 3-4 years, leading to annual maintenance costs of €1.2 million for replacement and calibration.
“Steel rolling is a continuous process where even minor control system failures can cause significant production losses and quality issues,” said Pierre Dubois, Plant Operations Director at ArcelorMittal Ghent. “Our legacy PCB cards were a major bottleneck, unable to withstand the harsh industrial environment and integrate with our modern automation systems. We needed a robust, high-temperature-resistant PCB solution that could ensure reliable signal processing, seamless system integration, and long-term operational stability to support our smart factory initiatives.”
The Solution: ABB O4LE 1KHL015545R0001’s Robust Design and Compatibility
After a rigorous 10-week evaluation of PCB solutions from ABB, Siemens, and Schneider Electric, ArcelorMittal selected the ABB O4LE 1KHL015545R0001 PCB Card Module for its exceptional environmental resilience, broad compatibility, and long-term reliability. The deployment followed a phased approach to minimize production disruption: first, a pilot installation on 2 rolling mills during scheduled maintenance windows; second, training for 40 maintenance technicians on module calibration and troubleshooting; and finally, full-scale rollout across the remaining 10 mills over a three-month period, with ABB’s technical team providing on-site support.
Key features of the ABB O4LE 1KHL015545R0001 that addressed ArcelorMittal’s challenges include:
- High-Temperature and Anti-Interference Performance: The O4LE 1KHL015545R0001 is designed with high-grade ceramic substrates and heat-dissipating components, enabling stable operation in temperatures ranging from -40°C to +85°C. It also features dual-layer electromagnetic shielding, reducing interference from high-voltage equipment by 99.8% and ensuring accurate signal processing for mill control parameters.
- Seamless System Integration: The PCB card module supports PROFINET, MODBUS RTU, and Ethernet/IP protocols, enabling direct integration with ABB AC 800M DCS, Siemens S7-1500, and Rockwell ControlLogix systems. This eliminated the need for custom adapters, streamlining the plant’s automation ecosystem and reducing integration-related failures.
- Long-Term Reliability: With a mean time between failures (MTBF) of 20 years and IP65 protection class, the module withstands dust, vibration, and occasional moisture in steel mill environments. Its modular design allows for easy replacement of individual components, reducing maintenance time by 70% compared to legacy PCB cards.
- Enhanced Diagnostic Capabilities: The module is equipped with built-in self-diagnostic functions that monitor component health in real time, sending alerts for potential failures 2-3 weeks in advance. This enables predictive maintenance and further reduces unplanned downtime.
The Results: Improved Efficiency, Reduced Costs, and Stable Production
Six months after full deployment, the ABB O4LE 1KHL015545R0001 PCB Card Modules have delivered significant operational improvements for ArcelorMittal’s Ghent plant:
| Metric |
Before O4LE Deployment |
After O4LE Deployment |
Improvement |
| Annual Unplanned Downtime |
120+ Hours |
45 Hours |
62% Reduction (€2.016 Million in Saved Revenue) |
| Annual Maintenance Costs |
€1.2 Million |
€660,000 |
45% Cost Savings (€540,000) |
| Monthly Adapter Failure Incidents |
8-10 |
0 |
100% Elimination |
| Rolling Mill Throughput |
850 Tons/Shift |
1,003 Tons/Shift |
18% Increase |
| PCB Card Service Life |
3-4 Years |
20+ Years (Projected) |
400% Extension |
“The ABB O4LE 1KHL015545R0001 has transformed the reliability of our rolling mill control systems,” said Pierre Dubois. “The reduction in downtime and maintenance costs has directly improved our operational efficiency and profitability. The seamless integration with our DCS system has also accelerated our digital transformation, allowing us to leverage real-time data for process optimization. We plan to deploy this PCB card module across 15 more rolling mills in our European and North American facilities by 2028.”
Markus Weber, ABB’s Global Product Manager for Industrial Control Components, commented: “Steel mills operate in some of the harshest industrial environments, demanding control components that combine robustness, reliability, and compatibility. The O4LE 1KHL015545R0001 is engineered to meet these demands, with its high-temperature resistance, advanced anti-interference technology, and seamless integration capabilities. ArcelorMittal’s success demonstrates how this module can help heavy industry manufacturers improve operational stability, reduce costs, and advance their smart factory goals.”
