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This Position reports to:
R&D Team Lead

This thesis project is embedded within ABB's Strategic Thrust-an ambitious initiative focused on advancing electromagnetic force and dimension sensors. As part of this effort, ABB is seeking innovative minds to tackle complex challenges at the heart of its product development. You will contribute to the evolution of ABB's hydraulic control systems used in thickness measurement of metal strips and get support from the control system experts in the Force Measurement business line (BL). By improving the performance of proportional hydraulic valves and developing new control algorithms, your work will directly improve customer value and measurement precision in demanding industrial environments.

What will you do

Within the Force Measurement BL, this thesis focuses on dimension sensors, specifically the functioning of a proportional hydraulic valve in maintaining the distance between a metal strip and the sensor. The primary goal of this work is to upgrade the existing proportional hydraulic valve system by replacing the existing valve with a more sophisticated one, designing a new hydraulic regulation algorithm together with a new calibration routine. This improvement aims to achieve faster response times and improved control performance, contributing to more precise and efficient thickness measurement.

Proportional hydraulic valves are essential components in maintaining the vertical distance between a metal strip and the sensor which is critical for accurate thickness measurement. These valves regulate the flow direction and magnitude, ensuring precise positioning of the gauge holder under varying operational conditions such as abrupt changes in strip position and oscillations of the metal strip. While the current system meets basic functional requirements, there is a significant potential for improvement. By upgrading the hydraulic regulation algorithm, real-time spool position data can be extracted from the system. This improvement would enable faster response times and improved stability during critical situations.

Objectives/Content

The objective of this thesis is to evaluate and develop control strategies for a new proportional hydraulic valve to enhance the response time of the gauge holder system. ABB Force Measurement currently utilizes a PID controller; however, the aim is to design a new control algorithm tailored for the upgraded proportional hydraulic valve and prepare it for implementation in the final product.

• Develop a modular control algorithm, including calibration, using microcontrollers such as Raspberry Pi.
• Integrate and test the control logic with the sensor system.
• Evaluate and compare the performance of the new control strategy against the existing system, focusing on response time and stability under dynamic conditions.

Your background

• This topic is suitable for an M.Sc. Thesis project (30 ECTS) for one student.
• The ideal candidate should have a strong foundation in control theory and mathematical modelling.
• Experience in computer programming is expected, along with an interest in hydraulic systems and embedded control development.

More about us

Recruiting manager Istvan Zoltan Jenei, +46722074110, will answer your questions about the position. We kindly decline direct contact with staffing and recruitment agencies as well as sellers of additional job advertisements. We look forward to receiving your application (PDF document submitted in English are appreciated).

ABB Measurement & Analytics is a global leader in smart instrumentation and analysers, serving industrial and energy sectors with cutting-edge measurement solutions. With thousands of experts worldwide and a strong foundation in high-performance digital technologies, ABB is committed to helping customers operate more efficiently and profitably through precise and reliable data.

ABB is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. The Process Automation (PA) business area, automates, electrifies and digitalizes some of the most complex industrial infrastructures on this planet. Through its five divisions, it serves customers in the energy, process and hybrid industries - from hydrocarbons, chemicals, water, mining, minerals, pulp & paper to marine and ports, and many more. PA stands at the heart of some of the most important shifts in society, helping the energyintense industries to safer, smarter and more sustainable operations to enable a prosperous, low carbon society. For more information on PA, refer to https://new.abb.com/about/our-businesses/process-automation

If you want to discover more about ABB, take another look at our website www.abb.com.

A Future Opportunity
Please note that this position is part of our talent pipeline and not an active job opening at this time. By applying, you express your interest in future career opportunities with ABB.

We value people from different backgrounds. Could this be your story? Apply today or visit www.abb.com to learn more about us and see the impact of our work across the globe.