- Geprom Connecting Industries and Gefasoft GmbH have successfully completed the IoT4DigitalTwin project in collaboration with CELSA Group™, under the European IoT4Industry initiative within the Horizon 2020 program. This partnership enabled the implementation of a digital twin at one of CELSA’s primary plants, positioning the company as a leader in digital transformation within the industrial sector.
Geprom Connecting Industries y Gefasoft GmbH han finalizado con éxito el proyecto de innovación IoT4DigitalTwin en colaboración con CELSA Group™, dentro del marco de la iniciativa europea IoT4Industry del programa Horizonte 2020. Esta colaboración ha permitido implementar un gemelo digital en una de las principales plantas del grupo siderúrgico, posicionando a CELSA como un referente en la transformación digital del sector industrial.
Digital Transformation in the Steel Industry
European industry is undergoing a continuous modernization process, driven by enabling technologies such as IoT, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and cybersecurity. Within this context, the European Union promotes initiatives like IoT4Industry under its Horizon 2020 program, aiming to accelerate SMEs’ access to Industry 4.0 technologies, improving productivity, profitability, innovation capacity, and facilitating their entry into new markets.
The IoT4DigitalTwin project, funded by the EU under grant agreement 777455, aimed to digitize CELSA’s production processes through an advanced digital twin model, allowing for real-time monitoring, analysis, and decision-making using IoT tools.
What is a Digital Twin for a Smart Factory?
A Digital Twin is a virtual and dynamic representation of a factory, allowing for the simulation of its production processes, anticipating errors, and optimizing operational performance. This technology requires accurate and consolidated data from the production environment, along with a digital infrastructure that ensures connectivity and real-time control.
In the case of IoT4DigitalTwin, Geprom and Gefasoft developed a flexible and scalable model based on the MES Legato Sapient platform, which allows:
- Real-time monitoring of production processes
- Visualization of historical and current data
- Virtualization of operations to simulate and test without risk
- Optimization of logistics and production parameters
- Improving overall efficiency and productivity
- Reducing operational costs and printed documentation
- Enabling continuous improvement through custom KPIs
Results and Scalability of the IoT4DigitalTwin Project
Over the 13 months of the project, various pilot tests were conducted at CELSA’s facilities, creating a seamless interconnection between the physical and digital environments. Data from machines, orders, assets, and processes were collected in real-time using gateways and processed in the MES platform to feed the digital twin.
According to Marc Álvarez, Industry 4.0 Project Manager at Geprom:
“One of the most complex challenges we’ve overcome is making a digital twin platform available to SMEs capable of simulating any production process, regardless of size and activity. This model can be replicated in other production centers and sectors quickly and easily, generating a fast return on investment.”
On the other hand, Michael Stöger, Partner Manager at Gefasoft GmbH, adds:
“Thanks to the close collaboration within the consortium, we have validated a disruptive technology in the Smart Factory field. We’ve successfully integrated a digital twin into our MES, enhancing the product’s functionality and competitiveness.”
Boosting CELSA’s Competitiveness
The implementation of this technology strengthens CELSA’s commitment to innovation and sustainability. Anna Casals, Head of Innovation at CELSA Group™, states:
“IoT4DigitalTwin highlights that our commitment to incorporating the most advanced Industry 4.0 technologies is yielding results and represents a key step forward in boosting our competitiveness and efficiency.”
With this project, CELSA can now simulate production scenarios without affecting the real process, anticipate possible errors, and make strategic decisions based on reliable data, reinforcing its position as one of the most innovative companies in the European steel industry.
About the Participants in the IoT4DigitalTwin Project
Geprom Connecting Industries is an innovative engineering company dedicated to developing and integrating high-value technological solutions in Industry 4.0 and industrial automation, focusing on areas such as production, maintenance, logistics, and quality. Geprom has developed projects for top-10 clients in sectors like automotive, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals, among others.
Gefasoft GmbH is a leading German software company focused on the concept of “smart production.” Its solutions for industry aim to drive continuous innovation and cost reduction, having already been implemented internationally in industries such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, food, and energy.
CELSA Group is the largest Spanish private industrial group, employing nearly 33,000 direct and indirect workers. Operating in 11 countries, it includes six major companies in steel mills, rolling mills, transformation plants, distribution services, and recycling companies. With a global turnover exceeding €4.2 billion, CELSA operates mainly in sectors such as construction, naval, energy, and automotive. The company has consistently focused on innovation in its products and manufacturing processes, applying Industry 4.0 technologies to improve efficiency, sustainability, and the circular economy, with all its products being 100% recyclable at the end of their lifecycle.
This project has received funding from the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program of the European Union under grant agreement number 777455.
