China's major steelmaker Anshan Iron and Steel Group Co Ltd, commonly known as Ansteel, has propelled into the fast lane of intelligent manufacturing by establishing benchmark demonstration projects such as intelligent mining, dark factory and 5G plus smart steelmaking.

Regarded as the birthplace of China's steel industry, Ansteel stands as the first iron and steel giant established after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

At the dark factory of grinding and magnetic separation in Guanbaoshan mining company, a digital management platform displayed on a large screen showcases real-time operational parameters of various equipment.

With the help of patrol robots and other intelligent equipment, the separation can operate almost unmanned, making the factory smarter and safer.

In the smart factory of the color coating area of Ansteel's cold rolling mill, not a single worker can be seen along the entire production line. Staff predominantly engage in data monitoring, enabling the workshop to function seamlessly even in dark and in the absence of human presence.

Thanks to Ansteel's substantial investment in developing a big data application platform for smart iron making in recent years, the operational data of six blast furnaces are continuously updated in the iron making central control center.

Workers said that while previously relying on operators' experience to assess the blast furnaces' operational status, current advancements have made all furnace indicators readily visible. It enables timely adjustments based on data, significantly enhancing the stability and efficiency of blast furnace operations.