Ma'aden Aluminum is a recent joint venture project in the Middle East between the Saudi Arabian government and Alcoa. The OSIsoft PI System was deployed in the aluminum smelter as part of the construction project completed in 2013. The PI System 'information infrastructure' was used extensively during the startup and commissioning of the plant, and continues to be used today as the foundation for continuous improvement at the operations. In this presentation, Ma'aden will outline several uses of the PI System from across the facility and discuss the current benefits and future potential for their aluminum smelting business.
Speaker
Geff Wood
GEOFFREY (GEFF) J. WOOD, PE is Director GPM IPS Manufacturing & Process Control Systems and Automation in Alcoa Global Primary Metals, Warrick, IN, USA.
Wood began his career at Alcoa in 1987 when he joined Warrick Operations as an Electrical Engineer with primary accountability for process control systems at the cold rolling mills. Through his early years of engineering experience, Wood held a number of positions both within and outside of Alcoa where he provided automation and process control services to both brownfield operations and greenfield projects. In one of his most significant technical accomplishments, Wood worked as part of a global team to design and develop a common Alcoa Pot Control system for deployment across all primary metals operating locations.
In recent years, Wood has taken a leadership role within Alcoa Global Primary Products as Director of Manufacturing / Process Control Systems and Automation for the Global Primary Metals division. This role is part of a combined IT and OT organization model that services all of the control and information needs of the business. As part of this assignment, Wood also participates as a member of both the Global Primary Products CIO, and Technology and Innovation Center of Excellence Lead Teams.
Wood earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1987. In 1995 he was granted an Indiana Professional Electrical Engineering license which is still active today.