Integration of measurement results using the industrial computer networks Viša Tasić * , Dragan R. Milivojević * , Marijana Pavlov * , Vladimir Despotović ** , Darko Brodić ** * The Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Bor, Industrial Informatics, Bor, Serbia ** University of Belgrade, Technical Faculty of Bor, Bor, Serbia e-mail: visa.tasic@irmbor.co.rs Abstract - Monitoring and management of technological processes in the complex production units requires interaction with the process. Timely transfer of information about the actual state of the process to the point of interaction is a key feature of any supervisory system. The paper describes the implementation of a subsystem for integration of measurement’s data of burden weight in the Copper Smelting Complex Bor. The described subsystem is part of distributed system for control of copper smelting and refining process. Some specific hardware and software solutions developed for this particular control system, as well as configuration and topology of industrial network are emphasized. I. INTRODUCTION The Municipality of Bor is located in the southeastern part of Serbia, close to the Bulgarian and Romanian borders. The area has been the major center for mining and processing of copper and precious metals. The Copper Smelter Plant within the RTB Bor Company (Copper Mining and Smelting Complex), which has been in operation for more than 100 years, use copper concentrates as a main row material. In addition to copper concentrate, the copper smelter as a feedstock uses coal, quartz sand and lime. Copper processing also requires many other raw materials in smaller amounts. As the most important final product of the pyrometallurgical copper smelting process, the copper cathode is obtained. Copper concentrates, and other feedstock are transported to the smelter using truck or rail. Final products are transported from the smelter in the same way. The measuring of the concentrates and other products is, of course, very important task in the process of copper production. The project of integration of burden weight measurements in the copper smelter was realized by the end of 2010. The main aim of this project was to redesign mechanical scales into electronical and to integrate the measurement data into the Company’s information system. This would enable the timely monitoring of input- output balance, as well as simplify the generation of required reports. The project included the modernization of four mechanical scales: two of which are used to measure the mass of trucks, one scale for weighing railway wagons, and remaining one can be used in two ways: to measure the mass of trucks or railway wagons. These scales are located at the entrance points of the Copper Smelter, with distances between them of several kilometers. Figure 1. Truck scale with the construction in a shallow pit II. HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE DESIGN The first step in this project was to assess the condition of mechanical scales. If necessary, appropriate actions were undertaken to replace worn out parts of the load receiver structure and measuring cells. The next step was to install new electronics for weighing on the scales. Each scale is attached to a personal computer that is equipped with software to communicate with electronic scales. In this way the conditions were met for the integration of all measuring points to a single system. A. Hardware Each truck/rail electronic scale consists of three basic elements: the load receiver, load cell, and electronic measuring devices (terminals). Load receiver bridge in truck weighing scales is a combination of concrete plates cast in steel frames which are also the formwork . Concrete plates are interconnected and form a single unit for load receiving. Bridge construction is placed in a shallow concrete pit or on a flat concrete surface, as shown in Fig.1. Load cell is a transducer that converts the mass of the force received by to a measurable electrical output. Load