Sydney-based LoRaWAN IoT solutions company Meshed has implemented LoRaWAN networks at Bluescope Steel facilities around the world.

The deployment is part of Bluescope Steel’s digital transformation efforts, which are aimed at helping the company remain competitive, improve customer experience and reduce its carbon footprint.

A significant component of this transformation is widespread deployment of IoT to provide highly granular, real-time data on many aspects of its operations for increased efficiency and to inform predictive maintenance and intelligent asset management systems.

The company originally commenced its IoT journey in its Port Kembla steelworks using WiFi for communication with its IoT devices, but this has been limited by the range allowed by WiFi.

Colin Robertson, Digital Transformation Manager – Asset Management with BlueScope ASP Manufacturing, said the size of the facility and the range of heights at which devices were located had combined to significantly limit the range and number of devices base stations could support.

The company then worked with the nearby University of Wollongong Smart Infrastructure Facility to explore alternative wireless technologies for IoT communications and determined LoRaWAN to be the most suitable.

It then sought out suitable vendors and engaged Meshed to supply and support LoRaWAN technology.

Meshed initially supplied four gateways for the Port Kembla steelworks and has now implemented LoRaWAN networks at Bluescope facilities around the world: at NZ Steel, NS Bluescope in Thailand and North Star Bluescope in North America as well as facilities at Western Port in Victoria and Erskine Park in Sydney.

“We have about 1,200 IoT devices in Port Kembla, about 50 in Western Port and we expect to add another 500 between Port Kembla and Western Port over the next six months,” Robertson said.

“Thailand would have a similar number to Western Port, and there would be about 50 in New Zealand, but we intend to grow that number as well.”

In addition to the plants already deploying LoRaWAN, there were another half dozen with potential for deployment around Australia and a similar number in North America, Robertson said.

Meshed has designed and implemented all the LoRaWAN networks and has an ongoing role in network expansion and IoT device supply.

“We didn't have an understanding of LoRaWAN, so we had to rely heavily on Meshed,” Robertson said. “And whenever we want to bring a device onto the network they preconfigure it and send it to us ready to connect. That's been a real benefit to us in terms of getting the acceptance of the technology. It almost becomes plug and play.”

Meshed also helps to keep the LoRaWAN networks operating optimally as they grow and as coverage problems arise.

He added, “We see LoRaWAN having huge potential for our business. It's been proven here at Port Kembla, and we’ve proved it works in Western Port as well. Our experienced maintenance and operations people always like to know more about their plants, and LoRaWAN has allowed us to fill some of these gaps.”

The LoRaWAN networks support a wide range of applications including vibration, temperature, level and pressure monitoring, trending and triggering of alerts and alarms.

“Based on the success of LoRaWAN our applications continue to grow,” Robertson said. We’re moving all our water meters around the Port Kembla site to LoRaWAN. So instead of someone, on a monthly basis, going around the site and taking readings, we've now got 130 water meters transmitting that data.

Article sponsored by Meshed.