COMPETITIVE IN THE LONG TERM

Transcription

1 THE MAGAZINE OF THE SMS GROUP ISSUE 02 / 2015 COMPETITIVE IN THE LONG TERM With their experience and know-how, the technicians and engineers of the SMS group secure the success of plant operators to be experienced at METEC 2015.

2 THE MAGAZINE OF THE SMS GROUP ISSUE 02 / 2015 With their experience and know-how, the technicians and engineers of the SMS group secure the success of plant operators to be experienced at METEC Contents sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Contents 08 The SMS group in The SMS group at METEC, GIFA and THERMPROCESS trade fairs. In Focus METEC In brief 123 Events 123 Imprint The SMS group -app is now available in the App Store and at Google Play. 12 SMS AT METECc With two booths the SMS group will present solutions and know-how. 14 MANUFACTURING COMPETENCE Investments in its manufacturing facilities help the SMS group shorten delivery times. 18 AHEAD IN PERFORMANCE New concepts for electric steel plants make production even more efficient. 20 HIGH-TECH FOR ROLLING The MEERdrive concept of the SMS group improves roll ring utilization and reduces maintenance. 22 ECO-FRIENDLY The INBA and DSC processes for slag granulation combine efficiency with environment protection. 24 IMPROVED QUALITY The PERFECT arc of PWS reduces energy costs and improves pipe quality. COMPETITIVE IN THE LONG TERM Cover photo: SMS group. 2

3 Contents 34 Aluminum grades from SMS. 72 Good cooperation roll PSM. MARKETS PROJECTS Service 38 MADE TO BE TOUGH Inductive hardening to meet exacting demands on drive components. 40 GROWTH MARKET High-strength steel grades are gaining more and more importance. 42 TRAINS RUNNING ON TIME The SMS group is the expert in wheel rolling lines for rail vehicles. 50 Paul Wurth 52 Metallurgical technology 56 Steel refining 61 Continuous casters 64 Hot rolling mills 67 Cold rolling mills 76 Aluminum plants 80 Strip processing lines 86 Furnace technology 89 Tube & pipe plants 98 Long products plants 99 Forging plants 103 NF metals 103 Heat treatment technology 112 TRACK RECORD CONTINUED NLMK and the SMS group conclude a comprehensive maintenance contract. E C O P L A N T S 121 Innovative Dedusting System China-based Shougang Qian An will employ the SMS group s new fine-dust extraction system at its steel works. 3

4 sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 in brief SMS group, Düsseldorf Malaysia in focus SMS group, Seoul New service office in Seoul On January 1, 2015, the SMS group service opened a new office in Seoul, South Korea, to further expand its global network. By setting up this office, the foundation is laid for active At the end of 2014, the B-to-B initiative German-Malaysian Round Table (GMRT) staged a seminar in Düsseldorf, Germany, which was titled Business Opportunities in Malaysia. Host was Datuk Sri Mustapa Mohamad, Malaysian Minister for International Trade and Industry. Guido Kleinschmidt, Member of the Managing Board of the SMS group, followed the invitation along with about 180 other guests. service marketing in the Korean region. A team of three employees is responsible for supporting local customers and their facilities. Two thereof are long-term employees of Paul Wurth and able to serve this company s portfolio, too. The office provides a comprehensive range of services. Patrick Oppermann patrick.oppermann@sms-group.com DUMA-BANDZINK Relocation By January 1, 2015, DUMA-BANDZINK moved to the SMS Business Park in Mönchengladbach, Germany. The previous locations in Duisburg and Langenfeld were closed and all operations, including own manufacturing capacities, combined at the new site. The company is part of the SMS group and offers equipment for galvanizing and aluminizing as well as key components and modernizations for strip processing lines and cold rolling mills. The product portfolio furthermore comprises a wide range of services. In August 2012, DUMA-BANDZINK emerged from DUMA GmbH and BAND-ZINK GmbH. 4

5 in brief Paul Wurth Awards for innovation At the ceremony of the European Business Awards for the Environment, which took place in December 2014, Paul Wurth was recognized as runner-up in the category process for its Dry BF slag granulation process with energy recovery. Also in December 2014, the same dry granulation process was recognized as Technological innovation of the year at the 10th Global Slag Conference in Aachen, Germany. SMS Mevac New Head of Sales Jochen Schlüter, Manager of Sales SMS Mevac SMS Elotherm New Board member Since March 1, 2015, Johann Rinnhofer has been a new member of the Board of Management of SMS Elotherm. Johann Rinnhofer, aged 52, acts as the Spokesman of the Board. With his vast experience in thermal process technology and the engineering of related plants, his main areas of responsibility will be Technology and Sales. He succeeds Andreas Seitzer, who left SMS Elotherm effective April 30, 2015 after acting as member of the Managing Board for twelve years. Johann Rinnhofer, member of the Board of Management of SMS Elotherm On February 1, 2015, Jochen Schlüter started as the new Manager of Sales at SMS Mevac. In this position, he coordinates all sales activities of the company, which is specialized in secondary and tertiary metallurgy as well as hot metal pretreatment. He is supported by a team of experienced sales and project planning engineers. Prior to his new assignment, Jochen Schlüter, a graduate metallurgist, was Vice President Special Technologies at SMS Siemag for nine years. Jochen Schlüter jochen.schlueter@sms-mevac.com Paul Wurth Young talent award Paul Wurth for the first time presented the Paul Wurth Master Thesis Award to students for outstanding Master s theses on energy and environment-related topics. The aim of the award is to foster engineering and science students from Luxembourg, who are doing scientific research in the fields of environmental technology or energy/energy recovery. On January 15, 2015, Georges Rassel, CEO of Paul Wurth, recognized the two students Roberto Palumbo and Eric Gonderinger in the name of the company for their Master s theses. The prize winning students received the awards from Georges Rassel, CEO (right), in the presence of representatives of the HR department. 5

6 IN FOCUS sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 MOVING THE WORLD with INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS At the METEC, GIFA and THERMPROCESS trade fairs, the SMS group will present technologies covering the entire metallurgical process chain that move the steel and non-ferrous metals industries toward more economic efficiency and higher productivity. 6

7 IN FOCUs Metec 2015 OVERVIEW The SMS group in The countdown has started The SMS group at METEC 12 Know-how from one source Investments 14 Quality by SMS made in a global network Innovative crude steel production 18 Taking the lead with new concepts Less energy consumption 20 High-tech: The MEERdrive technology Economic slag processing 22 For the sake of the environment Energy-cutting miracle 24 One step ahead with PERFECT arc Modernization of older plants 26 Old becomes new

8 In FOcUS sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 The solutions provided by the SMS group move the world. Numerous end products contain a part which has been processed in a plant made by the SMS group. 8

9 In FOcUS METEC 2015 The countdown has started Burkhard Dahmen, Chairman of the Managing Board of the SMS group, on the importance of the corporate mission, the international development of the group and the high-tech plants the group will have on display at METEC. All this with permanent focus on customer intimacy. Photos: top: Gallery Stock/Benedict Redgrove; left bottom: Sabine Vielmo; right bottom: NTB scanpix; alle plainpicture Steel and non-ferrous ments are harmonized in metals move the world. order for our customers to These materials have be able to produce competitively in the long run. Flexi- paved the way for achievements like safe airplanes, energy-efficient cars and wind turbines for sustainable energy production. The foundations for the specific properties of these materials are laid at the very beginning of their production chain namely, by the plants and equipment built by the SMS group. Our metallurgical plants and rolling mills give these materials their broad range of functionalities and the high quality which aircraft manufacturers, car makers and many Burkhard Dahmen, Chairman of the Managing Board of the SMS group bility, efficiency and a clear focus on our customers individual expectations. This is what we, the SMS group, stand for, be it that the customer is interested in a new plant, is planning a revamp or needs a spare part. This is illustrated, for example, by our extensive network of workshops and sales offices, which spans the whole world and allows us to act quickly and flexibly. Meanwhile, we are present other companies demand. Our innovative solutions move the world. To the benefit of the end user, and above all to the benefit of our customers. As systems providers for the entire metallurgical process chain, we offer a broad portfolio of future-oriented solutions from a single source, covering everything from consultation and planning, mechanical and electrical equipment including automation systems, through to a full range of service offers. All eleat more than 60 locations worldwide. We are expanding our workshop capacities to be able to offer cost-efficient products catering to the specific needs of local markets. The most recent example is the manufacturing and service workshop which we opened at the end of 2014 in Bhubaneswar, India, at a short distance from many Indian steel producers. The new workshop, which covers an area of 21,000 square meters, has been designed to supply 9

10 In FOcUS sms group newsletter 02 / 2015»Steel and non-ferrous metals move the world. Our technicians and engineers develop and design the high-tech plants that produce and process these materials. It is their experience, know-how and passion that give plant operators a competitive edge.«burkhard Dahmen, Chairman of the Managing Board of the SMS group. 140 million Euros is the sum the SMS group has invested worldwide in new machinery and manufacturing sites in recent years. steelworks equipment and provide services tailored to the growth market India. However, customer intimacy alone is not sufficient. More than ever, steel, aluminum and NFmetals producing companies are setting great store by the economic efficiency of their operations, a competent and flexible service and, to a growing extent, environmental aspects. Here, we are the partners of choice, who understand our customers requirements and know how to fulfill them. We comply with strict environmental standards by providing intelligent solutions, as, for example, in our current project for Big River Steel the construction of a complete steel mill complex on the Mississippi River in Arkansas. Once completed, this steel complex will be one of the cleanest steelworks in the U.S.A., last but not least thanks to our gas cleaning technology which we will implement there. Quick return on investment However, ecology must also pay off. This is the maxim of any new development because plant operators require a quick return on their investment. This we ensure with our pre-project calculations. It is not always the best choice to invest in the construction of a brand new plant. Often, the revamp of an existing plant may leverage the same effect at lower investment costs. These days, there are many requests for plant modernizations and also for these we are the partners knowing how to develop intelligent concepts capable of making machines as old as 50 years fit for the 10

11 In FOcUS METEC 2015 Being a systems provider the SMS group offers a portfolio comprising plants and machinery throughout the entire metallurgical process chain. future. Plant operators benefit from our one-stop-shopping solutions, our longstanding experience, the knowhow of our teams and our high-tech equipment. These are the elements of successful cooperation based on mutual trust. Environmental technologies, plant modernizations and new workshops are only a part of our activities. Through the promotion of development activities, we have gained a worldwide technological leadership position. This is impressively illustrated by the joint Horizontal Belt Casting of Steel project, conducted together with Salzgitter Flachstahl AG and the Technical University of Clausthal. This development was one of three developments put forward for the German President s 2014 Award for Innovation in Science and Technology. Moving ahead means progress. Highest manufacturing standards for best quality Our objective is to continue to be one of the leading suppliers of technology for the metallurgical and rolling mill industry. To achieve this objective, we apply highest manufacturing standards. In order for our customers to always receive top-quality plants, we have invested more than 140 million Euros in new machine tools and machining centers at our various manufacturing locations. Quality-critical core components will be continued to be manufactured in Germany, where we build on the expertise that our employees have accumulated over several decades. Our interna- tional workshops will primarily focus on products which are specifically geared to the respective local markets and which we can manufacture there at a close distance to the customers. Steel and non-ferrous metals move the world. Our technicians and engineers develop and design the hightech plants that produce and process these materials. It is their experience, know-how and passion that give plant operators a competitive edge. Allow yourself to be convinced of the quality of our products on the SMS group booth in hall 5 during METEC from June 16 to 20, 2015 and beyond. Burkhard Dahmen burkhard.dahmen@sms-group.com i SMS group The SMS group convinces with efficient plants, intelligent solutions and flexible service. The company continuously invests in new machinery and manufacturing sites to maintain its technological leadership also in the future.. 11

12 IN Focus sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Know-how from one source From June 16 to 20, 2015, experts from metallurgical technology, foundry technology, furnace technology and precision casting will meet at the metallurgical trade fairs METEC, GIFA, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST in Düsseldorf. The SMS group will be present with two booths, one at METEC and one at GIFA/THERMPROCESS. The SMS group s METEC booth in hall 5 (booth 5E22). 12

13 IN Focus METEC 2015 More information about other exciting topics awaiting visitors to the SMS group booth is available via the METEC App and our Microsite at com/metec/en At the two trade fair booths, METEC in hall 5 (booth 5E22) and GIFA/THERMPROCESS in hall 10 (booth 10H41), the SMS group will present its solutions for the steel and nonferrous metals industry. For us, this worldwide leading metallurgical trade show is by far the most important trade fair event of all, says Dieter Rosenthal, member of the Managing Board of SMS group. Under the title The Bright World of Metals, the event is expected to draw almost 2,000 exhibitors and approximately 80,000 visitors. As the world-leading plant and mechanical engineering company for the steel and NF metals industry, the SMS group will be presenting its whole range of products. Plants built by the SMS group pave the way for achievements like fuel-saving cars, safe airplanes and reliably rotating wind turbines. Control room of the future The thematic focus will be on plants offered by the SMS group to successfully deal with the future challenges of the steel and NF-metals industry. These include new technologies, solutions for plant revamps, innovative Ecoplants concepts, customized service and manufacturing excellence, to mention just a few. The SMS group illustrates its solutions by a wide selection of highly informative exhibits. The centerpiece of the booth will be the Control Room of the Future, a control facility complete with an operating pulpit, the discussion desk DAVID and a rolling mill simulator. The ergonomically designed control room serves as workplace, control center and as a central meeting place in a plant for the exchange of information. With the rolling mill simulator, visitors can gain hands-on experience with the SMS operating philosophy. Other highlights of the SMS group booth will be two exhibits to experience live new developments in continuous casting technology for flat products: the HD mold and HD LASr. Examples demonstrating the manufacturing competence of the SMS group will be the SIEFLEX-HT highperformance spindle and PQSC piercer plugs. Applied know-how The second SMS booth in hall 10 will link the two trade shows GIFA and THERMPROCESS, addressing both foundry and thermal process technology experts. Also here, the SMS group will demonstrate with exhibits how the group implements its technological know-how in practice. Both booths provide an inviting setting for talks with the experts of the SMS group. Short technical papers presented on the fair booth will feature key trends and outstanding new developments of the SMS group. Concurrently with METEC, from June 15 to 19, 2015, the 2nd European Steel Technology and Application Days (ESTAD) will be staged at the Congress Center on the Düsseldorf fair ground. Experts of the SMS group will contribute to this conference with about 50 technical papers. The event will provide the participants a forum to obtain in-depth information on latest developments in steel technology. 13

14 In FOcUS sms group newsletter 02 / Thanks to the improved workshop processes, the processing times have in many cases decreased by more than 40 percent, to the benefit of the customers. 14

15 IN Focus METEC 2015 Quality BY SMS Made in a global network The SMS group is setting new standards with investments in its manufacturing facilities. Shorter lead times, higher productivity and the highest technological standards are the resulting advantages for companies of the steel and NF metals industry. Adouble strategy for success: While being committed to Germany as engineering and production location, the SMS group also fosters the expansion of manufacturing assets at international locations in order to come up to the challenges of the global market for metallurgical plant and machinery. A key element is our closely interlinked global network of manufacturing facilities and workshops, says Burkhard Dahmen, Chairman of the Managing Board of the SMS group. We will continue producing the sophisticated machine and plant components at our German sites at the highest technological standards and with a know-how grown over several decades. Expanding our international workshops enables us to offer products specifically tailored to the needs of local markets. With its local presence, the SMS group also guarantees its customers a swift and straightforward service. CLOSELY NETWORKED PERSONNEL AND PROCESSES At its two major German workshops, the SMS group has invested in new machinery and buildings, has improved processes and has trained far more than 1,000 employees. At the Hilchenbach location, new buildings and workshops covering an area of more than 10,000 square meters have been set up during the last few years, accommodating new facilities for welding and tube production, a painting shop, a warehouse and manufacturing shops for gears and hydraulic equipment. SMS also purchased several new machines. The last hall was completed in It accommodates a modern dispatch and surface-finishing center. Also the Mönchengladbach workshop has seen major changes. In addition to building a new heavy-duty workshop with an area of 4,000 square meters and a crane capacity of 180 tons, in the existing machining shop 15 new machining tools have been installed. Altogether, 75 percent of the machinery has been replaced here. However, purchasing new machinery and building modern workshops is not enough. At least not if you design and build high-tech equipment, as the SMS group. We have analyzed our production processes and introduced major changes in certain areas, such as the establishment of manufacturing cells, says Jens Overberg, Head of Production of the SMS group. The process organization has been realigned to ensure a smooth flow of material. This provides a better overview, accelerates processes and makes the final products better. Compared to the situation before the modernization, more than 40 percent of time is saved. A big advantage to the benefit of our customers. An example in this context is the new horizontal turning and milling center for coiler parts in Hilchenbach. This machine combines the formerly separate processes of turning, milling and gear cutting in one unit. Machining of a coiler mandrel can now be accomplished in fewer process steps. However, not only in terms of the material flow 15

16 In FOcUS sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 The HD mold is one of the core components manufactured in the Hilchenbach workshop. In Mönchengladbach, Germany, the SMS group manufactures PQSC piercer plugs. processes are well interlinked. A key advantage of the workshops in Mönchengladbach and Hilchenbach is the close cooperation between development, engineering and production. Our engineers can easily and quickly clarify whether an idea is feasible. All they need to do is walk over to the colleagues in the workshop, adds Heinz-Joachim Gietmann, Head of Production of the SMS group in Mönchengladbach. A plus compared to many competitors. CUSTOMER INTIMACY AND WORLDWIDE SMS QUALITY While the quality-critical core components, such as the SIEFLEX HT high-performance spindles for hot strip mills or PQSC piercer plugs for an improved internal surface quality of tubes, are manufactured in Germany, the SMS group manufactures series parts in workshops outside Germany. Throughout the world, we can guarantee that the increasingly demanded locally produced equipment and locally provided services are of the SMS quality our customers have got used to, says Dahmen. To be closer to, and within easy reach of, the customer, new workshops have recently been opened in China and India. Alone in China, the SMS group has more than 1,000 employees. In India, the number is about same. We guarantee our high quality standards by closely interlinking our workshops. For example, we have common training programs for our workshop staff, explains Dahmen. ASSURING QUALITY Additionally, the high quality of the manufactured components is guaranteed by a dedicated team of quality assurance experts. Our NDT personnel is certified according to EN 473. We also use internal manufacturing specifications and product-related standards, which are more exacting than the general standard, says Olaf Thamke, Head of the Product Quality Department of the SMS group. In the workshop, everyone inspects the parts he or she is working on. For this, our employees receive regular training. These inspections are complemented by tests conducted by our quality assurance personnel, partly by means of measuring devices. Investments 16

17 In Focus METEC 2015 At its two major German workshops, the SMS group has invested in new machinery, has improved processes and has trained far more than 1,000 employees. have also been made in machines for quality-relevant measurements, as, for example, a teeth measuring machine that neutrally checks the geometry of the gear wheels. This machine can also be used to detect local overheating due to grinding. As soon as any thermal defects are found on the wheels, these wheels will not be shipped to the customer. The machine can handle gear wheel diameters up to 5,500 millimeters with a vertical measuring range of 2,200 millimeters and wheel weights of up to 40 tons. Definitely a competitive edge, says quality expert Thamke. SMS deals exclusively with suppliers who have an own quality managements system in place. In this respect, we are without compromise. We do not water down our standards for specific countries, continues Thamke. For German suppliers and, let s say, Chinese i The workshops Facts + Figures Hilchenbach (Germany): 40,000 square meters, machining shop, workshop assembly, welding shop, test field, training workshop Mönchengladbach (Germany): 42,000 square meters, machining shop, workshop assembly, welding shop, test field, training workshop Zhangjiagang (China): 12,780 square meters Shanghai (China): 17,000 square meters Tianjin (China): 4,640 square meters Bhubaneswar (India): 21,000 square meters suppliers, the same high standards apply. Our auditors visit the companies on a regular basis in order to check and document their quality standards. All these elements ensure the high quality of the individual components and eventually high-performance production plants. Steel plant and rolling mill operators benefit in various respects from these quality standards applied by the SMS group. Their plants operate at the highest productivity levels, require little maintenance and make products of excellent quality. Plant operators may convince themselves of the quality of technology from the SMS group at METEC Selected high-tech components will be presented on the SMS group booth in hall 5, for example, the SIEFLEX HT high-performance spindle for hot strip mills, PQSC piercer plugs for an improved internal surface quality of tubes and the intelligent HD mold for continuous casting plants. Download the new brochure to get a full view of the SMS group s manufacturing competence. Learn more about the individual workshops, the machinery and the persons to contact. qr/manufacturing 17

18 In FOcUS sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 The SHARC in action at the operator and cooperation partner HLV. 18

19 In Focus METEC 2015 Taking the lead with new concepts High efficiency, low energy consumption, flexible use of raw materials: This is what steelmakers demand from crude steel production. The SMS group offers new steelworks concepts that fulfill these targets exactly. The SHARC (Shaft Arc) furnace in operation at Hellenic Halyvourgia (HLV) in Velestino, Greece, is a 95- ton DC electric arc furnace with two preheating shafts, in which the scrap is dried and preheated. Scrap preheating in the SHARC is highly efficient. When being charged from the shaft into the furnace, the scrap mix has a mean temperature of more than 700 degrees Celsius. Energy consumption per ton is not more than 280 kwh. In the SHARC, extremely low-density scrap can be used without any additional conditioning. The operator has the highest flexibility in terms of the mix of charge materials, while benefiting from low production costs. The furnace cross-section over the complete height of the two shafts is available as a preheating surface for the energy transfer in addition to a longer dwell time of the high-temperature off-gases. This is facilitated by the symmetrical shape of the hearth equipped with DC high-voltage technology. At the end of 2014, the operator, Hellenic Halyvourgia, and the SMS group signed a cooperation agreement with the aim to combine the Shaft Arc Furnace (formerly Circoarc) know-how available on both sides. From now on, visits of the site can be arranged for customers interested in the furnace. Customers buying the SHARC will receive on-site training. A cost-effective and continuous process When energy and production costs are rising, innovative plant technology is required to keep production profitable. The ARCCESS steady EAF (S/EAF ) developed by SMS allows continuous operation for a duration of one week. This technology originates from SMS s long-standing experience in the fields of submerged-arc furnaces (SAF), electric arc furnaces (EAF) and CONARC technology. Owing to its reliable continuous process, the S/EAF yields 30 percent higher productivity with lower energy consumption. The S/ EAF is a stationary electric arc furnace designed for the use of HBI, DRI, hot metal and steel scrap. A key component ensuring continuous operation is the electrode holding and slipping device. It allows the S/EAF to operate continuously with energy consumption reduced to a minimum. Benefits for liquid steel production The PEM (Primary Energy Melter) is a shaft furnace that uses primary energy to melt scrap. The technology is costefficient and eco-friendly because there are no transformation costs and no losses due to the transport of electricity, as would typically arise in coal-based electricity generation. To control the oxidation of the iron, the shaft furnace is sub-stoichiometrically fired from the bottom with gas/oxygen burners. Then the gas is combusted in the upper levels of the shaft furnace. The use of primary energy cuts CO 2 emissions, reduces the production costs and improves the energy balance. A PEM can be used, for example, to boost the production of the BOF shop in situations where the blast furnace capacity is insufficient. At METEC 2015, visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about the innovative steelworks concepts offered by the SMS group, for example, in the short technical papers presented at the booth. Thomas Germershausen thomas.germershausen@sms-group.com 19

20 IM FOKUS sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Convincing: MEERdrive is manufactured in the workshop of the SMS group in Mönchengladbach, Germany. HIGH-TECH: MEERdrive TECHNOLOGY Flexible and efficient: The MEERdrive concept simplifies roll ring management, creates greater flexibility in roll pass design and minimizes maintenance efforts. The efficient individual motors help to improve roll ring utilization and to reduce energy consumption. The MEERdrive concept enables customers to select pass reductions according to their requirements. Roll pass designs can be customized with regard to the finished size and the steel grade considering the varying spreading behavior. Consequently, wire rod manufacturers do not have to stick to standard sizes only. Different cross-sectional reductions allow rolling any intermediate sizes that exactly meet the customer s demands. MEERdrive PLUS is a variant, which represents a separate 4- stand sizing block for final rolling, allowing conventional as well as thermomechanical rolling. All finished sizes are rolled in this rolling block from a one-family roll pass design. MEERdrive PLUS blocks roll-typical diameter ranges from 5.0 millimeters up to 26 millimeters at speeds up to 120 meters per second. Because of the great speed range in this block for rolling speeds between ten meters and 120 meters per second, SMS combines compact switch gears with individual motors. Reduced roll ring stock reduces costs In a conventional wire rod block the reductions and thus also the roll ring diameters are fixed (roll ring family). If a roll ring is worn, either a second or even a third identical roll ring diameter is required or the whole roll ring family has to be replaced. This is not the case with MEERdrive as every roll ring pair is driven by an individual motor. Variable roll ring diameters can be used on individual block 20

21 IN Focus METEC 2015 Saving operating costs A comparison of operating costs on different blocks -31 % Δ Roll ring management Δ Electric energy Maintenance Redressing Roll rings in operation Drive train of a MEERdrive wire rod block. Conventional MEERdrive positions and the required reduction ratio will be adjusted by relevant speed settings of the individual motors. As a result, the stock of roll rings can be reduced by approx. 60 percent. The huge medium-voltage motor of the wire rod block is replaced by numerous small, low-voltage motors. This also has advantages for spare parts, as no similarly huge motor with a long delivery time is required as a spare. Furthermore, the individual drive concept replaces a vast amount of mechanical gear equipment, which is subject to wear and maintenance. Thus, wear of the equipment is reduced significantly in comparison with any conventional solution. Electrics and automation The advanced electrics and automation technology enables a reliable and stable synchronization of the individual drives and motors for speeds higher than 120 meters per second. The heart of this system is the control logic, which is incorporated in a standard highly dynamic modularly designed PLC. Since 2006, the highly flexible MEERdrive technology has already been realized successfully in AC and DC applications and it can be combined with any existing mill automation system. The MEERdrive system is modularly constructed and can be applied to any wire rod block or combination of blocks, independent of the number of stands. Thus, MEERdrive blocks can be integrated into existing rolling mills without any problems. to a conventional wire rod block, the MEERdrive allows for operating cost savings of approx. 31 percent. During METEC 2015, interested visitors can find out on the stand of the SMS group which further advantages MEERdrive has for wire rod manufacturers and how precisely the system operates. Günther Schnell guenther.schnell@sms-group.com i Service The worldwide service network of the SMS group with 60 locations ensures quick and safe service not only for wire rod manufacturers. With remote maintenance, warehousing solutions and local support, SMS experts ensure maximum plant availability. Since 1950, SMS has installed more than 250 wire rod mills. Lower operating costs With MEERdrive, the operating costs of wire rod blocks can be substantially reduced due to simplified roll ring management, including redressing effort, lower electrical power consumption and reduced maintenance. Compared 21

22 IN FOCUS sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 For the sake of the Environment For many years, Paul Wurth s INBA slag granulation process has been recognized as the Best Available Technology. It contributes to cost-efficient furnace operations, while protecting the environment. Visitors to METEC will have the opportunity to also inform themselves about latest developments in this field. The INBA slag granulation and dewatering system is a proven route for converting molten slag into a value-added product for the cement industry. With more than 265 references worldwide, this technology today is the most common granulation system. The INBA system comprises two main components: the granulation unit with a granulation tank and an integrated blowing box, and the INBA dewatering drum. Operation of the system is largely independent of blast furnace operations. As it is a dynamic system, even extremely long tap times do not affect or limit the granulation and dewatering processes. We offer the INBA dewatering drums in different sizes, says Horst Kappes, Head of Department, Energy & By-Products at Paul Wurth, Luxembourg. This allows us to customize the INBA system to the given furnace slag flow rates. belt inside the drum ensures the continuous discharge of the dewatered slag sand. All wear parts are easy to dismantle and the conveyor belt can be removed from the drum to ensure easy maintenance. The water separated from the slag is collected in a conical tank below the drum and pumped back to the system. Convincing features of the system offered by Paul Wurth are the compact, modular design, little maintenance requirements and low need of makeup water. The slag flow is continuously mea- i Paul Wurth On the SMS group booth at METEC 2015, experts from Paul Wurth will explain the DSG and INBA processes and the benefits for blast furnace operators. Efficient granulation process The granulation process is based on quenching the liquid slag with hot or cold water under pressure. Inside the granulation tank, heat exchange between the slag droplets and the water creates glassy sand particles, which can be used as a clinker substitute in the cement industry. The slag sand-water mixture can leave the granulation tank either by gravity or by slurry pumping. Steam produced by the quenching process is vented into the atmosphere through a chimney. Optionally, a condensation tower can be installed on top of the granulation tank. Here, nozzles spray water into the vapor to condense the steam and reduce the H 2 S and SO 2 output. In the dewatering station, the slag-water mixture is regularly repartitioned on the entire length of the drum. A conveyor INBA granulation tank Blowing box Water level Hot runner Internal hood (for stream condensation) Wear-resistant concrete 22

23 IN FoCus METEC 2015 sured, providing important information for optimizing the control of the blast furnace process. The Paul Wurth dry slag granulation process (DSG) is a new development, which combines the advantages of wet granulation with energy recovery. This saves natural resources and reduces the CO 2 emissions by 900 kilograms per ton of slag. Moreover, in dry slag granulation, no water is consumed and the heat contained in the blast furnace slag can be recovered a respectable 1,800 MJ from one ton of slag. The process also reduces sulfurous emissions. As a result, the customers save the costs of building a condensation tower. Pilot plant in Dillingen In 2013, in a first phase, Paul Wurth commissioned a pilot plant for dry slag granulation operated at blast furnace No. 4 in Dillinger Hütte, Germany. The pilot plant has a proven capacity of up to eight tons per minute, which is the peak slag flow rate of blast furnace 4. Pilot plant for dry slag granulation in Dillingen. Horst Kappes horst.kappes@paulwurth.com Marc Schweitzer marc.schweitzer@paulwurth.com INBA slag granulation and dewatering plant. 23

24 IN FOCUS sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 one step ahead With PERFECT arc Achieving energy savings of 30 percent and attaining a better weld seam for spiral- and longitudinally seam-welded pipes, this exactly ensures PERFECT arc of PWS, thus providing an improved pipe quality. i Short lectures Ecoplants technologies will be a main focus of short lectures during the exhibition on the METEC stand of the SMS group. More information on the talks can be found from early June at com/metec. PERFECT arc is intended for both arc and submerged-arc welding. The advantages are that as compared to conventional welding procedures, PER- FECT arc is 50 percent faster in tack-welding and 20 percent faster in submerged-arc welding. Consequently, the productivity of welded pipes in spiral pipe mills or plants for longitudinally seam-welded pipes can be doubled or tripled depending on the design. In addition, there are substantial energy savings. Compared to conventional welding, energy costs for each individual welding wire can e.g. be considerably reduced with the aid of the digital current source by controlling the power supply precisely when multi-wire submergedarc welding is applied. Growing market requirements Spiral- and longitudinally seam-welded pipes are among others used as gas and oil pipelines, or applied in shipbuilding and for wind power plants particularly offshore installations. To meet the growing demands of these sectors, for example in terms of high pressures or improved resistance to corrosion or under arctic temperature, the pipes are increasingly manufactured from higher-strength steel grades. This means increased quality requirements with regard to the weld seams and at the same time, a reduction of heat input into the steel to ensure that the strength of high-strength steels is not again lost due to termperature influences in the welding process. Without the use of digital current sources the welding requirements of high-strength pipeline steels would be difficult to implement. PERFECT arc now provides a solution that, on the one hand, ensures high-quality weld seams even for higher-strength materials, and, on the other hand, is characterized by high profitability. At the heart of PERFECT arc is a purely digital power source, characterized by superfast control intervention frequency and thus enabling control and adaptation of the welding arc within microseconds. In this way, the energy supply in the welding process is among others regulated with pinpoint precision. Processes are controlled and regulated with high precision using PERFECT control. PERFECT arc achieves an energy efficiency of about 90 percent. For plant operators this means that energy costs are reduced by up to 30 percent compared to conventional welding systems. The welding machine reach- 90 percent or more of welding efficiency, as confirmed by the test of PERFECT arc under practical conditions. 24

25 In Focus METEC 2015 With PERFECT arc, productivity in spiral pipe mills is doubled. And it can even be tripled depending on the design. es an unparalleled capacity of 1,500 A at 44 V and a duty cycle of 100 percent. For each arc or submerged-arc welding operation requiring a welding capacity between 1,000 A and 1,500 A, just one PERFECT arc welder will be sufficient (instead of two units with a nominal capacity of 1,000 A). Operational and investment cost savings will be realized immediately from lower electrical connection load and lower energy consumption during welding. In terms of capital and overheads, half the number of welding machines simply means lower investment costs in equipment and less maintenance costs. Faster welding, less defects Due to the ultra-precise closed-loop control and superfast control speed, PERFECT arc is able to weld faster in either arc or submerged-arc welding, and with fewer defects. PERFECT control and its true closed-loop circuit, coupled with extremely high control speed, are able to adjust the welding parameters ideally to the respective conditions from one millisecond to the other. This results in less welding spatters during tack-welding (in MAG welding mode), and submerged-arc weld seams are achieved with excellent profile geometry. Thanks to the technology of PERFECT arc, pipe producers attain higher production volumes of welded pipes with minimal weld defects in the pipes, at the same time having the effect that production is increased, costs for repairing defects are reduced and loss of yield is decreased. PERFECT arc has already confirmed its high productivity and energy savings under practical conditions: the Chinese pipe producer Shandong Shengli Steel Pipe Co. Ltd. in Rizhao City has equipped its new spiral pipe mill from PWS with this technology. The operating results are convincing, with energy savings of 30 percent. PERFECT arc is therefore one of the Ecoplants technologies that are in the focus of the SMS group at METEC Interested visitors are able to learn more on the latest Ecoplants solutions at the exhibition booth 5E22 in hall 5. Michael Stark m.stark@sms-pws.com Frank Lichtenthäler f.lichtenthaeler@sms-pws.com For additional information on energysaving equipment of the SMS group please go to www. sms-ecoplants.com 25

26 IN FOCUS sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 With high-tech components, old plants become competitive again. 26

27 IN FoCus METEC 2015 OLD BECOMES NEW In times of ever-shorter innovation cycles and ever-faster changing markets, it is important to have a reliable partner at one s side. By upgrading older plants, the SMS group ensures that its customers remain successful and competitive market players over decades. It is a good feeling to see an old plant run at a new performance level, says Klaus Lazzaro of the SMS group. Over decades, the plant and mechanical engineering company has accumulated the know-how to take old plants which may be more than 50 years old to new performance levels. Lazzaro personifies this expertise. As the Head of the Drives/Drive Components Department in Hilchenbach, he is one of many experts who know which solutions and components are needed to make older plants fit again. For example, a main drive, a pinion gear and SIEFLEX HT gear-type self-aligning spindles have recently been supplied to ArcelorMittal Gent, in Belgium, for stand F1 of the hot rolling mill. Thanks to the modernization, the drive train can now transmit much higher rolling torques. These are necessary in order to be able to roll hot strip made of high-strength steels, says Lazzaro. The implemented measures have increased the productivity and flexibility of the ArcelorMittal Gent plant. 500 During the last ten years, the SMS group has modernized more than 500 plants. More than 500 plants upgraded A plant upgrade is often less expensive than a new investment, especially as an upgrade may be implemented in various stages and with little lead time - adapted to current needs. With the right modernization measures implemented, also older machines will be able to remain competitive. ArcelorMittal Gent is only one out of many examples. As plant and machinery builders for the steel and NF-metals industry, the SMS group are experts not only in the construction of brand new plants, but particularly also in upgrading existing plants. During the last ten years, the SMS group has successfully completed more than 500 modernization projects. This is experience on which the plant operators can rely. For certain plant types, we have developed complete modernization modules. These are practice-proven solutions characterized by high economic efficiency and individual adaptability. The plant operators benefit in various respects, says Guido Kleinschmidt, member of the Managing Board of the SMS group. In any case, a plant upgrade is more than the mere replacement of parts. Four points are critical to a successful plant modernization: a detailed analysis of the present plant status, an intelligent modernization strategy, good planning and top technologies aligned to the specific requirements of each individual customer. Our experts have all these four points in mind, adds Kleinschmidt. Every project starts with the identification of the plant components to be upgraded. First, the SMS engineers analyze the existing plant in great detail and SMS group we modernize any plant type. Watch our video on modernizations via the following link or scan the QR code below. com/qr/modernization 27

28 IN FOCUS sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 review the areas subject to a renewal. The starting point for a successful modernization project is to determine the current status of the plant, says Kleinschmidt. We analyze the equipment, the product range and the technological processes with a view to future requirements. Quite often, we are able to reveal hidden potentials as early as in this first phase. Following this survey, SMS will draw up a concept taking into account the specific plant parameters and customer wishes. Any required plant downtime during the reconstruction phase will be planned with utmost scrutiny together with the customer. For this like for new plant projects the SMS group uses Virtual Engineering. Individual measures become visually perceptible to all parties involved and complex processes can be assessed so as to be able to fulfill the requirements of the customer. SHORT DOWNTIME, HIGH PERFORMANCE One central objective always is to keep downtimes as short as possible. Plant downtimes always mean a big loss, says Kleinschmidt. We minimize downtimes by using preassembled units and preparing the new plants components alongside the running production line. This allows us to accomplish the actual conversion in a very short time. This approach was successfully implemented, for example, at Outokumpu VDM GmbH in Siegen, Germany, in The rolling mill upgrade by SMS included a new four-high mill stand with X-Pact electrical and automation equipment, furnace charging and discharging equipment down to the crop shear as well as a new descaler. SMS implemented the plate mill upgrade during a five-week downtime. The entire automation systems were set up in the test field in Hilchenbach and tested according to the proven Plug & Work concept, allowing the production process to be simulated and the automation functions to be optimized together with the customers under near-reality conditions prior to the installation on-site. Today, Outokumpu VDM is in a position to supply products with tighter geometric tolerances and higher unit weights. LEVERAGING POTENTIAL THROUGH AUTOMATION Especially in older plants, major potential can be tapped from an upgrade of the automation equipment. In metallurgical plants, modern electrical and automation systems make production safe and reliable and ensure high product quality, says Detlef Ehlert, Executive Vice President, E & A Division of SMS group. SMS also offers pure automation solutions for plant expansions. From the meltshop through to the caster, from the rolling mill through to the strip processing line, under our X-Pact brand, customers are provided with solutions that all come from a single source, continues Ehlert. We also retrofit plants designed by third-party suppliers with our automation solutions. Also small modules have an effect. Although the Energy Advisor is a small tool, it is a good example of the great positive impact modernization activities have. This tool allows us to monitor the energy balance of the production processes and derive concrete measures to make existing plants more eco-friendly and reduce their energy consumption, explains Ehlert. Less energy consumption means less costs and an improvement of our customers competitiveness. TRUSTFUL COLLABORATION Modernization solutions developed by the SMS group help plant operators to prolong the life cycles of their equipment. Customers benefit from solutions coming from a single supplier. Expertise, know-how, high-tech equipment and constructive and trustful collaboration are the keys to success, says Kleinschmidt. Thanks to our expertise, old plants become young again. i Short papers Modernization competence of the SMS group and successful references will be a main topic of the short technical papers presented at the METEC booth of the SMS group. More information on the papers will be available from the beginning of June at com/metec 28

29 In Focus METEC 2015 Prior to the installation on-site, the complete automation system is tested in the test field. This cuts commissioning times. 29

30 sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Highlights Party on fair booth Get-together at the trade fair booth ESTAD technical papers Concurrently with METEC/GIFA and THERMPROCESS, the Steel Institute VDEh is organizing the 2nd European Steel Technology and Application Days (ESTAD) at Congress Centrum Düsseldorf (CCD) from June 15 to 19, In around 60 technical papers, the SMS group will be presenting new developments and successful reference projects from the last few years at ESTAD Those interested in more details about the topics and the timetable are invited to visit com/metec/en The METEC/GIFA/THERMPROCESS trade fair is the key event for the steel and nonferrous metals industry. This event is not only a venue for intensive discussions and the exchange of professional information, but also for socializing in a relaxed atmosphere. Join us for a party at our trade fair booth on Friday, June 19, 2015, starting 5.30 p.m. Come and have a good time with us. METEC, hall 5, booth 5E22 Mold for copper High casting capacities Nowadays, horizontal continuous casting of extruded billets is the most economic way of producing starting material for the extrusion of tubes, rods, bars and sections from brass alloys. The exhibit shows a mold with hot changing frame for attachment to an inductively heated pressurecontrolled holding furnace. Owing to an improved water flow inside the cooler and fully automated cooling- water control, high casting capacities at constant quality can be achieved during casting campaigns lasting several weeks. GIFA/THERMPROCESS, hall 10, booth 10H41 30

31 IN FOCUS METEC 2015 PQSC piercer plugs Economical HD mold Reliable Due to a special ceramic coating and higher service life, PQSC piercer plugs (Premium Quality Surface Coating) ensure that enhanced internal pipe surfaces are attained. They are used during the first step of seamless tube production. PQSC piercer plugs from SMS withstand extreme thermal and mechanical stresses for a particularly long time. In this way, pipe producers are able to reduce tooling costs and raise productivity of their plants. In addition, PQSC piercer plugs meet high standards in terms of production reliability, freedom from errors and dimensional accuracy, and thus ensure the quality of the product. METEC, hall 5, booth 5E22 The HD mold is an intelligent copper plate with an integrated fiber-opticbased temperature gage. It provides measured data of high quality and reliability. Temperature measurement is up to three-times faster and non-sensitive to electromagnetic effects. With only one third of the wiring effort found in the conventional solution, the number of measuring points can be tripled. A special feature of the HD mold is that it provides more information about the casting process than any system of the past. The fact that the breakout rate is reduced thanks to the unambiguous detection of stickers and of longitudinal cracking, and the marked reduction of operating costs, are further important advantages of the HD mold. METEC, hall 5, booth 5E22 HD LASr Perfectly aligned Short presentations Trends and solutions How can sustainability and economic growth be brought in unison? Which innovative concepts for steel production and processing have emerged? How can revamps make existing plants fit for the requirements of the future? How can services offered by SMS support you in the operation of your plants? And: Which new solutions are suitable to further develop steel as a material? These and other topics will be covered by a series of papers presented on our trade booth. Detailed information about the topics of the presentations and the timetable will be available from the beginning of June on our microsite: METEC, hall 5, booth 5E22 HD LASr facilitates the exact alignment of the containment zone. Even small misalignments may result in poor quality or lead to disruptions in operation. It only requires a short familiarization time to be able to perform all measuring tasks with the plant assistant HD LASr, which features a three-dimensional laser gage and an intuitive operating concept. HD LASr is the most intelligent solution on the market. The high quality of the measurements, its precise and reliable logging function and the meaningful assessment of the measured objects make it a system of unparalleled performance features. 31

32 Markets sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 MATERIALS PUSH MOBILITY Vehicles are expected to be light, safe and environmentally friendly. The demands on materials keep on growing, be it steel or aluminum. The equipment offered by the SMS group lays the foundation for sustainable and future-oriented mobility. 32

33 Markets MOBILity OVERVIEW Growth market 34 Technologies for car body shells Inductive hardening for drive components 38 Fully automated hardening process High-strength automotive steel grades 40 Steel the material in our vehicles Trains running on time 42 Getting driving forces safely onto rail tracks

34 Markets sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 For further information on the SMS group s solutions for the automotive sector please refer to the link below and the QR code. com/qr/automotive SMS group technologies help automotive manufacturers use aluminum as lightweight material. 34

35 Markets mobility TECHNOLOGIES FOR CAR BODY SHELLS Less greenhouse gas despite more traffic. A challenging target to automobile manufacturers. One important element to achieve this goal is the use of weight-saving materials. And this is where aluminum is playing a key role. With its new model F1-150, America s best-selling pick-up, the U.S. car manufacturer Ford is setting new benchmarks in the application of aluminum in In future, the entire car body will be made of the lightweight and durable metal. The result is a weight reduction of 320 kilograms per vehicle. For 2016, Ford is planning to realize its full annual capacity of 850,000 units of the F-150 model. This means the company will have a demand of 350,000 tons of aluminum strip per year. We are seeing motion on the market, not only at Ford, says Michael Schäfer, Executive Vice President Flat Rolling Plants Division of the SMS group. Forecasts predicting a triplication of the demand for rolled aluminum products in the automotive industry within the next two or three years may be deemed quite realistic. Aluminum is mainly used for structural components and car body exposed outer parts. Aluminum producers are responding to the looming bottleneck in the market for high-quality strip. To be able to satisfy the demand for new grades with specific strip properties, plant operators are already investing in rolling mills and heat treatment facilities. In addition to new facilities, existing rolling mills are increasingly being modernized to meet the requirements imposed by automotive grades. Here, the SMS group offers an array of technologies for aluminum rolling mills satisfying the growing process- and product-quality requirements. ROLLING MILLS WITH EDT TECHNOlOGY Electro Discharge Texturing (EDT) is a process to remove small particles from the roll surface by means of electronic discharging. The resulting rough roll surface transfers its crater-like texture to the strip during the last pass at low rolling force. The automotive industry counts on this isotropic roughness of the strip surface. Excellent formability during pressing and a perfect surface appearance after painting, irrespective of the starting material, are crucial demands on aluminum strips to be used for car body shells. Aluminum strips produced with EDT rolls deliver all the characteristics needed for this application. 850,000 is the envisaged number of F-150 vehicles Ford wants to make in For this, the company will need 350,000 tons of aluminum strip. Rolling mills with integrated EDT technology for aluminum strip rolling are much asked for. Single-purpose mills in conventional two-high or four-high design can be arranged as standalone units or be integrated in continuous heat and chemical processing lines. The suitable stand configuration depends on the necessary degree of flexibility and the material mix the plant operator wants to produce. While stand-alone four-high mills offer high flexibility, in-line two-high mill stands score due to their lower investment and operating costs. Today, many new aluminum cold rolling mills must be conceived with a flexibility permitting high reduction in the rolling pro- 35

36 Markets sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 cess, but also EDT passes with low rolling forces. Both operating modes should afford effective performance without having to accept compromises in terms of strip quality. Therefore, the combined mills for reducing and EDT rolling as offered by the SMS group are equipped with CVC plus technology and EBS (Extended Bending System). These two technologies ensure a multitude of rolling conditions can be satisfied. Contrary to conventional rolling with defined reductions, the final EDT pass is done with low rolling force. As comparable experience is already available from steel production, the SMS group has developed the EBS technology to retain the highest accuracy during an EDT pass in aluminum rolling operations and advanced it for combined rolling and reducing mills. In the EBS mode, the upper backup roll is raised and the required low rolling force transmitted by additional bending cylinders. The extended bending system substantially improves the control of the rolling process through reduced friction. Aluminum rolling mills equipped with EBS cover a wide range of rolling forces from the lowest to the highest ones, and they are characterized by dynamic behavior and high performance. ADVANTAGE FLATNESS MEASURING ROLL Maximum robustness, low maintenance, easy adaptation and the highest possible technological performance are frequently named demands on state-of-the-art automation systems. Being part of the X-Pact automation packages of the SMS group, AluControl is tailored to meet the specific requirements involved in the hot and cold rolling of aluminum. It includes both control strategies for conventional reduction passes as well as specialized controls for EDT roll passes. The X-Shape flatness measuring roll is fitted at the rolling mill exit side and supports, over the full strip width, the uniform transfer of roll roughness to the strip. The flatness measuring roll measures the distribution of strip tension over the strip width. The readings are used by the X-Pact AluControl to adjust the roll gap by tilting via the EBS and work roll bending system. Measurements made by the X-Shape flatness measuring rolls are based on the BFI principle, with force sensors being Core components One or two payoff reels Stitcher Side trimmer (optional) Pre-cleaning section (optional) Entry looper Furnace Tension leveler Cleaning section Chemical treatment Exit looper Side trimmer (optional) Inspection Pre-aging oven Oiling machine (optional) Dividing shear One or two tension reels Entry section Process section Exit section Typical arrangement of the components in a heat treatment and chemical coating line. integrated in the measuring roll body. Supersensitive Piezo sensors detect even the smallest differences in the strip elongation. The in-roll signal amplification is adjusted to the actual process needs allowing for an appropriate and high resolution of the measurement. Optionally, an online strip roughness measurement can be added to the exit side of the mill. The flatness measuring roll developed by the SMS group. Fast and EFFECTIVE COOLING For numerous automotive applications, the cold rolled aluminum strip must be subjected to a heat treatment process combining annealing with fast cooling to attain the necessary formability and the needed material strengths. A flotation-type annealing furnace and the downstream cooling section make sure the material properties demanded by the automotive industry are achieved. This means the flotation-type annealing furnace and the downstream cooling system are the relevant process components that determine the high quality of the finished material. As mentioned above, the cooling system arranged downstream of the annealing furnace has a major influ- 36

37 Markets mobility The material aluminum offers numerous benefits for vehicle manufacturing. High strength High strength and energy absorption Weight reduction Up to 40% weight reduction in key automotive components possible Recyclability Nearly 90 % of auto aluminum is recovered and recyclable Excellent formability First-class surface quality, sharp design Resistance to corrosion Aluminum oxide coating prevents corrosion Aluminum sheets Extruded aluminum profiles Vacuum-cast structural parts (aluminum) High-strength steel plates ence on the flatness of the strip. Pure air cooling achieves average cooling rates of up to 30 Kelvins per second and millimeter and hence an excellent flatness. Depending on the type of alloy demanded by the transport industry, however, higher cooling rates of up to 400 Kelvins per second and millimeter are needed. For this purpose, the SMS group offers combined high-performance water-cooling equipment with subsequent air cooler. The strip is uniformly cooled by means of several spraying beams fed with de-mineralized water. Another important process is chemical coating of the strips to prepare them for transport and further processing. Being a systems supplier, the SMS group is able to deliver complete heat and chemical treatment lines, and can present references from reputed aluminum producers covering all sectors. A unique selling point of the SMS group is its ability to supply the modular lines completely from one source, including process components, highperformance and energy-efficient furnace technology, reliable mechanical equipment as well as electrical and automation systems. Hence, there are no interface problems between the various plant sections, and all processes, including electrical and automation systems, are perfectly harmonized right from the start of the project. Prior to commissioning, a Plug & Work integration test is made comprising a software check plus training of the customer s staff. The SMS group solutions help operators of aluminum rolling mills satisfy the rising demand and growing requirements of the automotive industry and not only for the F Surface structure of a strip rolled with EDT. 37

38 Markets sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 FULLY AUTOMATED HARDENING PROCESS Drive components in vehicles must withstand the usual wear and tear, on the one hand, and convey the sensitivity for road surface and driving dynamics to the driver, on the other hand, through precise mechanical characteristics. Here, induction hardening is of particular importance. With the hardening systems EloFlex customers are well prepared for today s and future requirements. That is to say for complex and also simple components. To find out more about induction solutions from Elotherm, click on the following QR code and link: www. sms-elotherm.com/ de/news-medien-v/ fachberichte.html 38

39 Markets Mobility The global mobilization of large sections of the population, even in countries such as China and India and the necessity for lower-emission technologies lead to the growing importance of advanced drive train concepts. Their miniaturization results in increasingly more compact engine, steering and gearbox components. The loads on the components of drive train and modern steering systems are constantly on the rise. With the solutions of SMS Elotherm, these components withstand the increased demands. This includes for example Elo- Crank and EloFlex. The EloCrank series is designed for hardening crankshafts. EloFlex is constructed for axle and gearbox components and many other workpieces. With our modular induction systems for hardening automotive components, plant operators are well prepared for today s and future demands, says Dirk Schibisch, Vice President, Sales and Marketing at SMS Elotherm. 120 CRANKSHAFTS PER HOUR EloCrank is the system solution for surface hardening of car crankshafts. A distinction is made between Elo- Crank with single station and Elo- Crank with double station. The single-station solution is mainly suited for medium and small series focusing on hardening different crankshaft types, whereas the double-station system is particularly required for large series and thus for hardening with high throughput, especially in the automotive industry. In continuous industrial operation the machine with double station is capable of producing up to 120 crankshafts. Both machines can be expanded individually by various optional packages and may be easily retrofitted to, for example, other shaft geometries. By hardening of up to 1,500-millimeter-long crankshafts, the EloCrank L system opens up a broad range of applications, for example in the trucks sector and for other large vehicles. The system can be equipped with up to 13 transformer inductor suspensions. In this way, a short cycle time is reached even for large crankshafts. FULLY AUTOMATED HARDENING PROCESS Apart from classical car engines, such of rail-bound vehicles and marine engines requiring large crankshafts are increasingly manufactured. In this case, the components are exposed to even higher loads. With EloCrank XL the giants among the crankshafts can be hardened highly precisely and above all economically. Depending on the application, crankshafts may be up to twelve meters long, says Sales Director Schibisch. Here, rotational hardening with rotating crankshaft and locally hardened bearing locations is of particular significance. The hardening process is fully automatic, i.e., it is carried out in the same way as for smaller machines. The inductors are monitored by means of coding. This ensures that expensive damage due to mixed-up clamping positions is prevented, Schibisch adds. The EloFlex series on the contrary is designed predominantly for axle and gearbox components and many other workpieces. EloFlex Inline is characterized by fully automated operation with short cycle times and is seamlessly integrated in the existing production lines. As the hardening system is provided with fully automated workpiece handling and the hardening process takes place in a program-controlled way, manpower requirement is reduced and process reliability and yield are enhanced. Consequently, uninterruptable, profitable continuous duty of EloFlex is ensured by the fact that off-size parts are independently identified and discharged by a quality-monitoring system. With modular induction systems supplied by Elotherm the automobile manufacturers and suppliers are ready for any requirement. Dirk Schibisch d.schibisch@sms-elotherm.com i SMS Elotherm is part of the SMS group. With its solutions the company sets standards in induction technology. As a system partner of the automobile and components industry as well as the steel, rolling and tube industries, SMS Elotherm has over 75 years of experience. Induction hardening is also a topic on the exhibition stand of the SMS group at GIFA/ THERMPROCESS (hall 10, booth 10H41). Crankshafts must always withstand increasingly higher loads. 39

40 Markets sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 From right to bottom: The quality of the strip surface is controlled in the inspection stand. On average 60 percent of an automobile consists of steel. There is an increasing demand for highest-strength steels ensuring comfort, safety and environmental compatibility. To learn more about strip processing lines for automotive grades as offered by the SMS group follow the link below or the QR code. com/strip-processing-lines 40

41 Markets Mobility STEEL THE MATERIAL IN OUR VEHICLES Steel continues to be one of the most important structural materials in automobiles. Competing with other materials, the share of high-strength steel grades keeps growing and so do the demands for producing robust and, at the same time, lightweight steels. Cold strip processing lines from the SMS group meet these demands. Fast, fuel-efficient and safe that is how consumers want their cars to be. Newly developed steel grades with optimized property combinations permit lightweight and also safe cars to be manufactured. Multiphase steels, for example, are easy to form and come with high strength, too. However, to produce such steels, strip processing lines are needed that are designed for high material strengths and perfect surfaces. From mechanical and process technological components to furnace and air-knife systems and further to electrical and automation equipment plus control and measuring systems the SMS group bundles all required products and services. Automotive lines from the SMS group convince by their flexibility, efficiency and innovative technologies characteristics needed by steel producers to meet the high demands of the automotive industry. In addition to pure hot-dip galvanizing lines and continuous annealing lines, the portfolio comprises so-called multipurpose lines such as the universal annealing line with gas and water cooling, the universal annealing and hot-dip galvanizing line and the allpurpose line. These lines feature increased flexibility, permitting the customer to adjust their production to the actual market demands with a view to the highest-possible degree of efficiency. To attain excellent material strengths along with high elasticity, efficient annealing and cooling strategies are demanded. Strip cooling can either be accomplished by the efficient method of injecting hydrogen in the ultrafast cooling system or by intensive cooling with de-mineralized water. FLEXIBLE AND EFFICIENT Fritz Brühl, Executive Vice President Strip Processing Lines and Furnace Technology, comments: A flexible heat treatment offers the advantage of producing several steel grades with high strengths. We want to accompany our customers in their materials development and consider the resulting requirements in our line concepts. We link the IMPOC measurement system from EMG, which examines material tensile strength and yield point, to the automation system, for instance, to be able to make adjustments online in the process. Thanks to sophisticated airknife systems it is possible to produce C-surface strips (highest surface quality) used for car body shells. Moreover, this helps save zinc and reduce production costs. Since the year 2000, SMS has established a total of 36 cold strip lines for the production of automotive grades. A good portion of the leading steel producers of automotive grades produces on facilities supplied by the SMS group, supplements Michael Cottin, Executive Vice President Strip Processing Lines and Furnace Technology. Generally, the lines produce high-strength grades up to DP980 or TRIP980. But owing to state-of-the-art cooling technologies the product range includes newly developed, highstrength dual- and complex-phase steels as well as martensitic grades with tensile strengths of over 1,500 MPa. These steels permit the car manufacturers to make fast, fuel-efficient and safe vehicles as requested by the customer. strip.processing@sms-group.com 41

42 Markets sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 High-speed railway networks will be heavily expanded over the next ten years. 42

43 Markets Mobility Getting driving forces safely onto rail tracks Trains are an old form of transport they already exist for some 200 years. At the same time, they are ultramodern. In fact, always new variations are developed, design and comfort is improved. And in terms of speed (almost) no limits are set for travelers. Photo left: Robin MacDougall/gettyimages According to Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union, 1,484 travelers use a train in Europe every minute, which is 7.8 billion Europeans per year making use of this means of transportation. Naturally, global proportion is many times higher. In Japan alone, the East Japan Railway Company, as the largest railroad company worldwide, stated that it transports 5.8 billion passengers per year. Meanwhile, many of them are also traveling in so-called high-speed trains. These trains are able to run at speeds of at least 250 km/h on specially built rail networks. Since the 60s, high-speed networks have been constantly expanded. Until 2025, the International Union of Railways (UIC) expects an expansion of high-speed networks of more than 40,000 kilometers worldwide. HIGH-TECH FOR HIGH-SPEED The SMS group provides companies from the steel industry with special plants used to produce forged wheels for high-speed trains. It is a high-tech product, where very special steels are employed. Otherwise, speeds at which an ICE, a TGV, the Chinese CRH or the Japanese Shinkansen is driving would not be possible without taking a risk. Highly customized machines and plants of the company allow for cost-efficient and faultless manufacture of necessary components on different routes worldwide. Wheel rolling lines from the SMS group are used for the production of solid wheels and wheel discs from pressed blanks. The wheels are installed, for example, in locomotives, railway wagons, trams or underground railways, and 40,000 km, that s how long the high-speed railway networks are intended to be in the next ten years worldwide, says the UIC. have to withstand enormous stresses. Wheel rolling lines from SMS produce precisely and economically. The machines are designed in a highly rigid manner such that the blank is rolled in a vertical position. Two web rolls process the wheel web and the inside of the wheel tread simultaneously. In this way, the machines function precisely and achieve a long service life. They produce a wheel profile that already comes very close to the desired final contour, saving time and reducing costs in further processing. The necessary forming forces are exerted as close as possible to the shaping tools. Each web roll has its own variable-speed drive. Tool For further information on wheel rolling lines of the SMS group please also go to com/news-media/ publications 43

44 Markets sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 After rolling, the wheels cool down before they are further processed. Here, a railway wheel is produced for a high-speed train. These wheels are able to roll at speeds of at least 250 km/h. changing cassettes permit very short tool-changing times. Specialized presses for manufacturing the necessary wheel blanks and for dishing and piercing the wheels after rolling complete the offer from SMS. Thanks to the advanced automation with its own control panel, the process parameters can be set quickly. Since 1920, the SMS group has gained experience in the production of wheel rolling machines. On wheel rolling machines and plants from SMS, radial as well as axial wheel profiles are possible even wheels with webs offset to the hub or the wheel flange. The railway wheels produced correspond to international and customer- specific standards and are measured with laser measuring devices. By using special retooling and upgrading possibilities of the machines, even older models may be adapted cost-efficiently to current requirements to create measurable benefits for the customers in their demanding markets. The wheel rolling machine from SMS produces highly sensitive wheels. 44

45 Markets Mobility Interview Number one to contact Martin J. Kunz, Vice President and General Manager Sales at Forging Plants Product Unit, explains which challenges manufacturers of wheel rolling machines are facing. i Forging plants Specialized presses for manufacturing wheel blanks as well as for dishing and piercing of wheels after rolling complete the competence of SMS. The result: Fully automatically operating complete systems with all machine components synchronized with each other. Mr. Kunz, what requirements must be met by your plants to ensure that the high quality standards of the wheels demanded in a high-speed train are achieved? When rolling the wheels it is a question of reaching a longlasting stable quality in the shortest possible time with the number of wheel rejects kept to a minimum. That our plants have been world leaders in this sector for many years is not least illustrated by the fact that all wheel rolling plants that have been taken into operation over the last 20 years come from our company. How and where does the SMS group benefit from the expansion of high-speed networks? In China, an enormous network for high-speed connections was created in recent years and SMS supplied the rolling mills required for the wheels, but also for drive shafts and rails as well as the presses for the external aluminum skin of the trains. In Russia, network setup is in full swing and in India initial efforts are beginning to take effect. In this context, the worldwide annual demand in forged wheels is approx. five million units. We are currently developing new economically interesting plant solutions for setting fresh impulses in the market. That is to say? The trend is definitely towards niche products with special requirements for example the production of smaller quantities for special applications. Otherwise, wheel rolling plants need again and again technical upgrading and modernizations to be able to exist economically over the long term in the harsh competition. In this regard, too, we are the number one to contact. Martin J. Kunz Vice President and General Manager Sales, Forging Plants Product Unit Martin J. Kunz martinj.kunz@sms-group.com 45

46 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 WEIGHTY All around the globe, the SMS group is implementing numerous big projects including a new metallurgical plant and rolling mill for Siderúrgica Nacional, in Venezuela. The mill housing weighing 303 tons (see photo) was manufactured in the Hilchenbach workshop. 46

47 Projects OVERVIEW Paul Wurth 50 Metallurgical technology 52 Steel refining 56 Continuous casting plants 61 Hot rolling mills 64 Cold rolling mills 67 Aluminum plants 76 Strip processing lines 80 Furnace technology 86 Tube & pipe plants 89 Long products plants 98 Forging plants 99 NF metals 103 Heat treatment technology 103

48 sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 in brief Dr. Erich Hovestädt, SMS group, hands over a copper plate bearing the commissioning date to K. H. Wu., President of Fujian Fuxin Special Steel Corporation. Aleris, Germany Fuxin Special Steel, Taiwan FAC received SMS to supply cold mill Fuxin Special Steel Co. Ltd., Taiwan, has issued to SMS the final acceptance certificate for the supplied steelworks. Built at the Zhangzhou site in the Chinese province of Fujian, the steelworks is used for the production of special steel slabs. It is the first special steel plant in the world to exploit the waste heat from the AOD converter and the electric arc furnace. Fuxin Special Steel benefits from this solution in the form of a 60,000 tons per year reduction of CO 2 emissions. stand six-high aluminum cold rolling mill as key equipment for a major expansion of the facilities at its U.S. site in Lewisport, Kentucky. The new mill will be designed to produce up to 2,350-millimeter-wide prime-quality coil, enabling Aleris to cater to the expected growing demand of the North American automotive industry for car body sheet made of aluminum. All major components of the cuttingedge CVC plus six-high cold mill will be manufactured in the modern workshops of the SMS group. NSSMC, Japan Follow-up order secured Following the construction and commissioning of coke oven battery 1E at Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal (NSSMC) in Japan in 2011, the Paul Wurth group has now received the order to design and supply all mechanical components for the new coke oven battery 1F of NSSMC in Kashima. The battery, based on Paul Wurth technology, will consist of 33 ovens and be designed for an annual production capacity of 405,000 tons. Aleris, a world-leading aluminum coil manufacturer, has placed an order with SMS for the supply of a singlewww.aleris.com 48

49 In brief Mahle Engine Systems, United Kingdom Scrap marker for inspection line Following a previous order, Parkegate, a company of the SMS group, was again selected by Mahle Engine Systems to supply a new scrap marker for an inspection line. With its custom-tailored Parke- gate design, the marker is able to mark five individual zones over the entire strip width and will replace the existing singlezone system. As soon as the marker will have been installed behind the inspection unit, the marking zones can be activated manually or automatically upon feedback by the inspection unit. EVRAZ ZSMK, Novokuznetsk, Russia FAC in Western Siberia EVRAZ ZSMK in Novokuznetsk, Russia, has issued the Final Acceptance Certificate to Paul Wurth for the pulverized coal injection plant designed and supplied by the Luxembourg-based plant builder. Two coal grinding and drying plants of identical design, with a capacity of 88 tons per hour each, feed pulverized coal to the individual injection plants of the three blast furnaces at the Zapsib site. The furnaces have a total hot metal capacity of 18,700 tons per day. As early as in 2012/13, EVRAZ NTMK at Nizhnij Tagil started up the first industrialscale PCI plant in Russia also in cooperation with Paul Wurth. Coilers are pre-assembled in the manufacturing shop of SMS. Shougang Iron & Steel, China First coil Hoa Sen Group, Vietnam Hoa Sen rolls first strip Esmech Equipment Pvt. Ltd., the Indian joint venture partner of the SMS group, supplied a single-stand Reversing Cold Mill (RCM) to its Vietnamese customer Hoa Sen Group. The six-high RCM with CVC plus re- cently rolled its first strip. The strip had a width of 930 millimeters and a starting thickness of 2.0 millimeters and was rolled down to a final thickness of 0.63 millimeters in four passes. The objective of the revamp was to extend the range of products of Shougang Iron & Steel in the field of highstrength and pipe steel grades. After the modification of the No. 3 coiler, pipe grades of the strength category X100 with a thickness of up to 22 millimeters can be coiled today. We are very satisfied with the new UNI plus-coiler performance and the wider production range will help us to strengthen our market position in China, says the project manager in charge at Jingtang, Wang Wenzhong. Ralf Setzer ralf.setzer@sms-group.com 49

50 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Interview A RELIABLE PARTNER In this interview, Georges Rassel gives insights into current projects. Effective January 1, 2015, Georges Rassel assumed the position of CEO at Paul Wurth S.A. In his previous position as Chief Operations Officer of the company, he had been closely linked with the operative business. In his new function, he continues to give highest priority to close customer contacts. He sees potentials above all in the fields of plant modernization and services. An especially great number of projects are presently underway at plants of ArcelorMittal. Most of the new orders and the commissionings in business year 2014 were for modernization projects. Is this trend likely to continue? Georges Rassel: In view of the difficult market environment and the global overcapacities, I don t expect much building of new production plants in the near future, maybe with the exception of India and southeast Asia. Nevertheless, steelmakers will have to continue to foster investments in the revamping of existing facilities. In Western Europe, where the works are already state of the art, efforts will be dedicated to keeping the plants fit with as little repair work as possible. However, further east, there is a real need for modernization in the existing works, especially with a view to productivity and compliance with environmental standards. Paul Wurth s business area is technology for ironmaking. In the production chain, this is far away from the final product. Therefore, our customers do not see the need to build new plants that can make new types of products. In other areas of the SMS group, this is different. A strikingly great number of projects are currently being implemented with companies of the ArcelorMittal group. It seems that customer confidence is exceptionally high here? The relationship between ArcelorMittal and Paul Wurth is characterized by many years of trustful cooperation. We have jointly drawn up concepts about how to modernize a blast furnace with minimum production loss and maximum efficiency, for example in 2003 the relining of blast furnace A at Sidmar in Belgium. We naturally utilize this know-how in our current projects at ArcelorMittal Poland, Galati, Temirtau, Kryviy Rih, Ostrava and, last but not least, in Newcastle, South Africa. We usually support the customer in the first phase of a project with an engineering concept. In a second phase, this engineering concept is elaborated, especially regarding the supply of key components by Paul Wurth, for which we may offer services in the long run. Which are the biggest projects Paul Wurth is currently handling for ArcelorMittal? After the relining of ArcelorMittal s blast furnace No. 2 in Temirtau, Kazakhstan, also blast furnace No. 3 was brought back into operation in 2012 after a comprehensive revamp by Paul Wurth. After these two reference projects, in 2014 we received the order to modernize blast furnace No. 4. The order encompasses the engineering, the supply of key components and construction site services. At Temirtau, Paul Wurth is without doubt valued as a reliable partner for modernization projects. The order awarded to Paul Wurth by ArcelorMittal Algeria in Annaba for relining its blast furnace No. 2 50

51 Projects Paul Wurth»Our modernization concepts include solutions to improve energy efficiency, reduce the environmental footprint and optimize the process control by means of automation and expert systems.«georges Rassel, CEO of Paul Wurth S.A has a similar scope. Under discussion is also a contract for the repair of the Annaba sinter plant. Both projects, the one in Kazakhstan and the one in Algeria, are extremely challenging in terms of logistics and considering the conditions on-site. Which added value does the customer draw from modernization projects implemented by Paul Wurth? The measures that we adopt to recondition the plants are not limited to mere repairs. If requested by the customer, our modernization concepts also include solutions to improve energy efficiency, reduce the environmental footprint and optimize the process control by means of automation and expert systems. These projects may range from small-scale revamps to obtain functional improvements in certain areas, through to complete relinings. Thanks to our long-standing experience, we equally bear in mind the costs and ways to minimize downtimes. We also break fresh ground, as for example by performing hot repairs on coke oven batteries. We are committed to serving our customers as life cycle partners. In the follow-up of plant revamps, we therefore offer a full range of services customized to local requirements, on call and of the highest quality. Georges Rassel paulwurth@paulwurth.com Georges Rassel, is the new CEO of Paul Wurth S.A. 51

52 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Clean steelworks At IISCO Steel Plant (ISP), India, SMS has successfully commissioned an X-Melt BOF steelmaking shop for the production of quality steels. The new steelmaking shop has been designed for an annual production of 2.6 million tons of liquid steel. It currently comprises two 150-ton converters, two stirring stations, two ladle furnaces and the primary and secondary gas cleaning systems. The SMS s supply scope included the basic and detail engineering for the mechanical core components, the complete X-Pact electrical and automation systems, delivery, installation, commissioning, supervision of commissioning and training for the operation personnel. The BOFs are equipped with the maintenance-free lamella-type vessel suspension system developed by SMS, bottom stirring systems for combined blowing and converter tilt drives manufactured in the SMS workshop in Hilchenbach, Germany. Also included in the supply package were the oxygen blowing lance equipment, the additives handling system and the systems for ladle lining repair, as well as the rail-bound ladle transfer cars. The primary gas collecting system uses the proven SMS adjustable skirts for recovering the energyrich CO gas. SMS supplied the off-gas cooling plant, the wet-type scrubbers, the gas switching and export stations as well as a gas holder for a volume of 50,000 Nm 3 of converter gas. Converter gas as energy source Thanks to this technology, a total amount of 200 million Nm 3 of converter gas will be available every year to replace other fossil fuels in energy generation. This dramatically reduces energy costs and CO 2 emissions. The secondary gas is cleaned by low-maintenance drytype electro-static precipitators ( ESP ), which are designed for a capacity of more than 1,870,000 Nm 3 per hour. In addition to the technological control systems (level 1), the X-Pact electrical and automation systems encompass the metallurgical process models (level 2) to guarantee both an economic production and a high steel quality. An RH-TOP vacuum recirculation degasser from SMS Mevac and the converter-gas recovery plant will be commissioned shortly. Jan Bader jan.bader@sms-group.com The BOF shop at IISCO Steel Plant has been designed for 2.6 million tons per year of liquid steel. 52

53 Projects metallurgical technology Powerful tilt drives Tata Steel IJmuiden B.V., the Netherlands, has placed an order with SMS for the modernization of the two 350-ton converters Nos. 21 and 22 in their IJmuiden works. Each of the converters will be equipped with a tilt drive, water-cooled trunnion rings and the lamella-type vessel suspension system developed by SMS, a maintenance-free solution that allows the converter vessel to be suspended in the trunnion ring in an unrestricted manner. Commissioning is planned to take place in the middle of High-capacity converters Featuring a tilting torque of 7,500 knm, the new tilt drives will be the most powerful converter drives ever built by SMS in their Hilchenbach workshop in Germany. The spur gears, which will have a diameter of approximately 4.40 meters, will receive a gearing made of case-hardened steel. The same type of tilt gear had been installed in converter No. 23. The supply scope will comprise two new converter vessels with cooling systems for the upper cone, slag skirts and bottom purging systems with piping, as well as the tilt drives with disc brakes and torque support. The electrical part of the supply package will include the electric drives and the control system complete with the operator panels. The SMS group will also provide the structural steelwork and foundations and disassemble the existing and install the new converters. As during the project for converter No. 23, also this time the project managers will be able The most powerful converter tilt gear ever manufactured in the workshop of SMS. to examine the modernization measures and the new components in a three-dimensional planning model, allowing for detailed planning of the equipment design and the reconstruction situation well in advance. Tata Steel IJmuiden B.V. operates three SMS converters at its oxygen steel plant. The upgrade of converter No. 23 was completed in Jan Bader jan.bader@sms-group.com i Innovative The lamella system is a tried-and-tested solution ensuring that the converter vessel is suspended in the trunnion ring in an unrestricted manner. 53

54 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 TYPICAL GERMAN STYLE Professional, reliable and on time: These words characterize the cooperation between POSCO SNNC and the SMS group during the commissioning of the world s largest submerged arc furnace for ferronickel production. The first slag tapping from the furnace in South Korea took place in November 2014, the first metal tapping in January Ramp-up of the furnace to full capacity is planned for the second half of With the new furnace, POSCO SNNC will boost its annual production capacity from currently 30,000 to 54,000 tons of nickel. The furnace was supplied by SMS. OPTIMIZED Air COOLING The power rating of the rectangular FeNi smelter is 135 MVA, the nominal power input 100 MW. To implement these performance values, furnace dimensions of 40 by 15 meters are required, making this new SAF currently the largest of its kind in the world. The order scope comprised the complete engineering and all supervisory services, the supply of the furnace and the X-Pact electrical and automation systems. This project is a new milestone in large-scale FeNi production. The new SAF features numerous technological innovations, says Dr. Rolf Degel, Senior Divisional Specialist at SMS. The design of the SAF includes a special sidewall cooling system for the slag line level. Here, the required cooling rate is moderate, which improves both the thermal efficiency and the productivity of the furnace. The SAF is equipped with thyristors, allowing for flexible furnace operation and maxi- mum productivity. The project was implemented in less than two years. I would characterize the work with SMS as being typical German style: professional, on time and reliable, says G.Y. Lim, Deputy Managing Director of POSCO SNNC. The furnace control system works very well. Rolf Degel rolf.degel@sms-group.com First tapping in November

55 Projects metallurgical technology Mario Kratz, CEO of SAB GmbH, and Georges Rassel, CEO of Paul Wurth (in front from left). Blast furnaces H and I at Tata Steel are among the largest blast furnaces in India. SMS Mevac has received an order for four new TOP lances from Shougang. Center of competence Paul Wurth and SAB join forces. Spare parts for Tata Steel Master contract with Paul Wurth. New TOP lances Order from Shougang Jingtang. On November 21, 2014, Paul Wurth S.A. and SAB GmbH signed an agreement for setting up an equally owned joint venture company called VCL Valve Competence Luxembourg. Paul Wurth, as a leading technology provider for the primary stage of integrated steelmaking, and SAB, an engineering and manufacturing company particularly specialized in mechanical components for blast furnaces, decided to join forces by creating a Luxembourg-based competence center for all types of valves related to the blast furnace, such as stoves valves, goggle valves, equalizing valves and bleeder valves. The activities will be limited to the European market and cover engineering, manufacturing, assembly and commissioning, as well as after-sales and repair services. In February 2015, Paul Wurth S.A. and Tata Steel signed a master spare parts supply agreement covering all blast furnaces ( A - F, G, H, I ) at the Jamshedpur works in India, where Tata Steel currently produces 9.7 million tons of crude steel per year. This agreement will further strengthen the longstanding and trustful cooperation between Paul Wurth and the Indian steelmaker also in the service and spare parts business. For Tata Steel, this agreement will provide the benefit of a reduced administrative effort. In Jamshedpur, India, Tata Steel operates an integrated iron and steelworks with a total annual capacity of more than ten million tons of high-grade flat and long steel products. China Shougang International Trade and Eng. Corp., located in Beijing, awarded SMS Mevac a contract for the supply of four TOP lances for two existing Duplex-RH-TOP fast vessel exchange units operated by Shougang Jingtang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. at its Caofeidian steel plant in the province of Hebei. The two RH units were originally supplied by a Chinese competitor. The TOP lances will be designed for oxygen blowing under vacuum conditions during metallurgical treatment as well as for heating the refractory lining of the RH vessel by the gas/oxygen burner function. A special feature is the TOP lance camera system, which allows the observation of the metallurgical processes during treatment as well as vessel refractory inspection in between treatments

56 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 More stainless steel for China For the Chinese flat steel producer Fujian Fuxin Special Steel, SMS Mevac has supplied a new twin tank VOD unit. The unit is an extension to the existing stainless steel production line. Graphic representation of the twin tank VOD unit at Fuxin, China. 56

57 Projects steel refining With the new VOD unit, Fujian Fuxin will be able to increase the production flexibility and expand their product portfolio to include super ferritic steel grades. The heat size for the new VOD unit is up to 150 tons depending on the required ladle freeboard for the respective metallurgical treatment targets. The plant at Fujian Fuxin underlines the Chinese strategy to consistently increase the stainless steel production capacity in mainland China. While China has increased its stainless steel production capacity from 2008 to 2013 by around 150 percent, from 7 million tons p.a. to 18 million tons p.a., other steel producers did not exhibit any significant changes in this period. Worldwide, the stainless steel production capacity is approaching to nearly 40 Mt/a. New Triplex process route The VOD process generally consists of the vacuum treatment steps, pump-down, oxygen blowing, boiling out, slag reduction and final trimming. At Fujian Fuxin, SMS Mevac has replaced the existing EAF-AOD plant with the new twin tank VOD unit to form a so-called Triplex process route, which combines the advantages and metallurgical capacities of an AOD converter with those of a VOD unit. Considering the increasing price of nickel during the last ten years, ferritic and also super ferritic stainless steels without nickel are coming more and more in the focus of the stainless steel customers. With the Triplex process route, Fujian Fuxin is able to produce a considerable share of super ferritic Number of VOD installations for Triplex route from Number of AOD installations Number of VOD installations (extended to Triplex) Number of VOD installations (Triplex planned) Number of AOD installations Number of VOD installations (extended to Triplex) Number of VOD installations (Triplex planned) stainless steel grades. Furthermore, in this way production can be optimized by reducing the process time and the argon consumption of the AOD converter. To be able to follow the tap-to-tap time of the AOD-L converter, the VOD unit was designed as a twin tank unit with two vacuum tanks. The tanks are equipped with two manual argon couplings to high-temperature-resistant hoses intended for supplying the inserted ladle with bottom-stirring gas. Both tanks are connected to a vacuum pump system via a movable bend by means of which the connection can be changed from one tank to the other. The facility is provided with two mobile vacuum covers with centrally positioned oxygen lances as well as equipment for semiautomatic sampling and temperature measurement at atmospheric pressure. The covers are lifted and lowered hydraulically. The covers are equipped with vacuum locks by means of which additives like ferro-alloys and slag formers can be fed also during vacuum treatment. On each cover, there is one two-track wire-feeding system for the feeding of metallurgical wires after the vacuum treatment. In addition to the two vacuum covers, there is a third movable atmospheric trimming cover, which mainly serves for the addition of gaseous nitrogen via an immersion lance for steel grades with defined nitrogen content. Conclusion: Fujian Fuxin Special Steel has extended the existing stainless steel process line by a VOD unit and thus laid the foundations for the production of selected steel grades. Dieter Tembergen dieter.tembergen@sms-mevac.com To learn more about the twin tank VOD plant from SMS Mevac at Fujian Fuxin Special Steel, please follow this link or use your phone to scan the QR code. com/qr/vodanlage-fuxin 57

58 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Confidence in secondary metallurgy plants China Steel Corporation (CSC) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, has been operating its first 270-ton twin-ladle furnace (LF No. 3) since The plant was supplied and successfully commissioned by SMS Mevac. The ladle metallurgy know-how of the SMS Mevac experts is highly appreciated. CSC operates six RH plants and two ladle furnaces for the treatment of liquid steel. All plants were supplied and/or modernized by SMS Mevac. In the picture: the commissioning team. 58

59 Projects Steel refining A special technological feature is the housing of the twin-ladle furnace, which minimizes noise and dust emissions in the furnace area. Facts and figures Heat weight Treatment time Capacity Heating rate 225 to 229 tons max. 40 min 1.9 million tons/year = > 4,5 C/min In addition to the engineering, installation and commissioning, SMS Mevac was responsible for the electrical and automation systems and provided onsite training to the personnel. In the picture: the control room. The electrodes of twin-ladle furnace No. 3. The combined annual capacity of CSC s basic oxygen steelworks Nos. 1 (long products) and 2 (flat products) amounts to approximately ten million tons. 59

60 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Focusing on micro-alloyed and high-strength steels SMS has successfully commissioned the continuous slab caster at Puyang Steel. As systems provider, SMS was also responsible for the electrical and automation systems. SMS Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd, China, has successfully put a continuous caster for medium-sized slabs into operation at the Wuan City works of Hebei Puyang Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. (Puyang Steel). Puyang Steel is extending its slab production to include above all high grades, such as peritectic micro-alloyed and high-strength steels, highcarbon and boron-alloyed steels, highquality steels and pipeline grades. HIGH SURFACE QUALITY The single-strand continuous slab caster is designed for a yearly production of 1.2 million tons of slabs with thicknesses between 150 and 180 millimeters and widths between 1,000 and 2,300 millimeters. The caster has been prepared for a future retrofit to twin-strand casting (two narrow slabs simultaneously in one strand). The supply package for the continuous casting plant includes the complete plant and process equipment as well as the X-Pact electrical and automation systems complete with the technological process models (level 2). The caster is equipped with the technological process models Mold Monitoring System (MMS), Hydraulic Mold Oscillator (HMO), Remote Adjustable Mold (RAM) and dynamic soft reduction. The technology packages make it possible to cast the large variety of steel grades and ensure the production of slabs with high surface and internal quality. The caster was installed in an existing building (brownfield), retaining the existing crane systems. Due to the building situation, SMS did not plan a ladle turret, but instead developed a tailor-made ladle car concept. The containment zone has a very small main radius of only 6.5 meters. The good cooperation with the customer was characterized by straight- forwardness, few interfaces and efficient communication. All this resulted in a steep start-up curve. Already on the fifth production day, 50 heats were cast in one sequence. The cooperation with SMS was very positive. The technical know-how impressed us. This was a very good basis for implementing our wishes and demands - in a highly flexible and above all economical way, says Dr. Cao Liguo, Vice President of Puyang Steel. Puyang Steel is one of China s leading private steel producers. Jan Strupat jan.strupat@sms-group.com 60

61 Projects Steel refining / cc technology (long product mills) The continuous caster at Hebei Puyang produces 1.2 million tons of slabs. At Hebei Puyang, SMS successfully commissioned a continuous casting plant. 61

62 ProjeCTS sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Caster elements at TimkenSteel: Casting platform with ladle turret for 125- ton ladles, tundish car with stopper control equipment for controlled flow of steel and tundish pre-heating stations Roller apron with four-plate mold assembly, electromagnetic mold stirrer, hydraulic oscillation, segment 1 and segment 2 with internally cooled CONCOR rollers Pinch roll units and modules for MSR (Mechanical Soft Reduction Discharge area part 1 in vertical line with torch cutting machine, bloom elevator, inclined and dummy bar cars Discharge area part 2 with longitudinal pusher, discharge roller tables, torch cutting machines for sample and end cutting, cross transfer and cooling bed with labeler TimkenSteel s new caster produces rectangular blooms. 62

63 Projects Steel refining / cc technology (long product mills) TIMKEN STEELS ITSELF SUCCESSFULLY SMS Concast has designed, manufactured and delivered a three-(four-) strand vertical caster for the production of rectangular blooms with an annual production capacity of one million tons of steel at TimkenSteel Corporation in Canton, Ohio/U.S.A. After completion of the engineering by end of 2012 the equipment parts were gradually delivered to the site allowing the start of the installation of the machinery parallel to completing the building and infrastructure. In May 2014, the caster was ready for cold commissioning and on October 21, 2014, the first heat was successfully performed. The steel grades produced on this vertical continuous casting machine cover a wide range of different steel grades including normal and high-strength low-alloyed carbon steels, Mo-, Cr- and Ni-alloyed tool steels or high-demanding bearing steels. The vertical caster is the heart of a quarter-billion-dollar investment of TimkenSteel in the existing Faircrest Steel Plant. The so-called Jumbo bloom vertical caster with an overall total height of 80 meters (top of ladle turret to the bottom of the equipment in the basement) is designed for the production of two bloom sizes: a big one with a dimension of 460 x 610 millimeters and a weight of 2.2 tons per meter and a small one with a dimension of 280 x 430 millimeters and a weight of 0.95 tons per meter. When casting big bloom sizes, the total weight that has to be vertically suspended respectively slowed down in the cooling chamber to a casting speed of 0.40 m/min. to 0.85 m/min. to make sure that dropping down into the basement, which is 25 meters below ground level, is prevented is approximately 40 tons. That is the weight of a fully loaded truck. The unique and extremely challenging design requirements and process features demanded unprecedented and very close collaboration of the multicultural project teams of TimkenSteel and SMS Concast from the first project meeting throughout the overall project execution time. During the joint worldwide inspection tours to the workshops for the purpose of assuring the quality of the equipment prior to arrival on-site a total of approx. 4,000 tons of equipment supplied by SMS Concast was inspected. Hot commissioning is currently ongoing in close collaboration with the technological teams of TimkenSteel and SMS Concast. The target is to gradually ramp up production to 60 percent by the end of i Timken Company Timken provides innovative products and services in the fields of friction management and power transmission. With a turnover of US$ 5.2 billion in 2011 and almost 21,000 employees in 30 countries, TimkenSteel strives for achieving a better performance of its customers. 63

64 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 MODERN MILL STANDS FOR NEW STEEL GRADES ArcelorMittal has awarded the SMS group an order to further upgrade its hot strip mill in Ghent, Belgium. The order comprises the installation of new finishing stands F1 and F2 as well as modifications to increase the rolling force of mill stands F3 and F4. The project continues the close partnership with Arcelor- Mittal Gent. From 2012 to 2014, the SMS group already upgraded the drive trains of mill stands F1 to F3. They were equipped with more powerful main and mill pinion gear units and SIEFLEX HT (high-performance) spindles. In 2014, SMS also supplied a new profile, contour and flatness control system (PCFC) for the finishing mill. A major reason to continue the successful partnership and award the comprehensive modernization project had been, apart from the already implemented improvements, the convincing revamp concept of the SMS group with just minor impacts on the running production and leaving adjacent equipment almost unaffected. Additionally, the SMS group will support ArcelorMittal in optimizing the rolling process for its thirdgeneration UHSS and AHSS. With the new equipment, modern actuators and higher rolling forces, the customer can keep on improving product quality and expand its portfolio in the field of high-strength i measures Upgrade phase /F3 and F4: F1 F2 Adaptation of top pressure plate shifting unit Mechanical screwdown Axial thrust bearings/bellows Hydraulic screwdown Oil film bearings New loopers F3 F6 Pipelines Connecting pipes Preparation of main modification phase in

65 Projects hot rolling mills grades and multi-phase steels. At its location in Ghent, ArcelorMittal is going to produce miscellaneous products of its newly developed Fortiform series. It is a series of new steel grades for the automotive industry said to have a considerably lower weight and simultaneously providing improved safety. In addition, ArcelorMittal strives to attain higher flexibility in production to be able to increase its hot strip capacity at the Ghent site, if so required. The upcoming modification work will be carried out in two steps. The first shutdown will take place this year and comprise mainly the activities at mill stands F3 and F4. They will increase the rolling force to 45 MN by means of new hydraulic and mechanical screwdown systems. Another aim is to install new loopers from finishing stand F3 to F6 already at that time. The main modernization phase is scheduled for the end of 2016 when the work at mill stands F3 and F4 will be finished. However, the focus will be on the installation of the two new mill stands F1 and F2 including the new interstand area. The new mill stands come with efficient actuators like hydraulic screwdowns and a CVC plus system with work roll shifting and bending systems. These actuators can be integrated into the existing PCFC model and permit the strip parameters to be influenced right from the first finishing stand. Due to the high rolling force of 50 MN per mill stand it will be possible, even when rolling high-strength steels, to achieve the high reductions that are so important for the process in the first mill stands. In order to ensure minimum shutdown times and fast ramp-up, both new mill stands will be pre-assembled in the SMS workshop in Hilchenbach. Here, all functions of the equipment and the hydraulic system will be tested for smooth operation. METICULOUSLY PLANNED FINAL INSTALLATION During the shutdown, existing mill stands F1 and F2 will be dismounted and the new pre-assembled stands be shifted into the finishing mill to replace the old ones. They will be installed with the aim of keeping changes to the surrounding equipment as little as possible and reusing many existing components such as for instance the media systems. The new mill stands will be carried to their final position by means of a special slide system. Installation work and in particular the short shutdown period will place high demands on the know-how and project competence of our engineers in all sectors, says Markus Wagener, Project Manager of the SMS group. Thanks to pre-assembly of the mill stands in the workshop and on the customer s site, it will be ensured that the final installation can be done without time-consuming remachining work within the short modification period. The first strip is scheduled to be rolled at the end of Markus Wagener markus.wagener@sms-group.com Improved product quality and expanded product portfolio thanks to new finishing stands. 65

66 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Installation of the new wheel set. Efficient components The targeted modernization of decisive components enhances efficiency, improves product quality and reduces operating and maintenance costs of the CSP plant of SDI in Columbus, U.S.A. In October 2014, the SMS group modernized the CSP plant at SDI in Columbus, state of Mississippi, U.S.A. (formerly Severstal Columbus). Due to the revamp, the facility is now able to The new main gear unit for F1 had been completely pre-assembled and preset in the SMS workshop in Hilchenbach. attain better product quality and can be operated at lower production and maintenance costs. The modernization covered the entry section of the CSP mill, the drive of mill stand F1 and the laminar cooling system. In mill stand F1 SMS renewed the drive train. Thanks to the new main gear drive with improved transmission, SDI will be able to increase the rolling torque and to roll new grades and sizes. The old single-stage main gear unit was replaced by a two-stage unit. As the input and output axles remained unchanged it was not necessary to adjust the motor. This solution permitted the revamp to be implemented within a period of merely ten days. The old gear unit is kept for standby and can be refitted with minimum effort. NEW CONTROL CONCEPT In the entry section, SMS installed an additional newly developed slab centering system. The existing and the new entry guide system can be set even more precisely thanks to a new control concept, thus ensuring optimized entry of the thin slab into the finishing mill and improved strip travel. This, in turn, results in higher process stability. Additionally, the side guides in the first rolling mill stands were modified, which leads to better product guidance during the rolling process and finally to improved product quality as wear at the guides and material abrasion are distinctly reduced. In the laminar cooling system, SMS replaced the first four cooling groups and installed a new X-Pact cooling model. Operating results show that SDI can now achieve higher strength values for nearly all grades thanks to the higher cooling rates in the first four of totally ten cooling groups. 66

67 Projects hot rolling mills and cold rolling Mills 3D presentation of the SQM unit that Parkegate will supply to Alcoa, U.S.A. Cold plate leveler No. 1 in the 4.2-m mill. Starcore s combined reducing and skin-passing mill with CVC plus. Clear view Surface inspection unit for cold rolling mill. Leveler number 10 New order from Baosteel. Additional capacity Skin-passing mill for Starcore. For the new cold rolling mill of Alcoa, Tennessee, which was supplied by the SMS group, Parkegate will provide housings, pneumatic controls and a cooling system for a Surface Quality Measurement (SQM) system. The SQM system will be integrated in the deflector roll unit. For maintenance purposes the group can be retracted from the line. The equipment includes several features specifically designed to cope with the difficult ambient conditions of the system. The top and bottom housings, accommodating cameras and light sources, are made from stainless steel to ensure the ambience is cooled and impervious to fluids. Pneumatically controlled wipers keep the windows made of hardened glass clean to permit the cameras a clear view to the strip. Baosteel Zhanjiang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., China, again selected the SMS group to supply a cold plate leveler with pertaining X-Pact automation. The cold plate leveler comes with high leveling force and a big roll diameter, and is designed for thicker plates with high strengths. The machine is capable of leveling plates between 8 and 50 millimeters gage, up to 4,100 millimeters width and strengths of maximum 1,400 N/mm². In addition to the hydraulic main screwdown, the machine is equipped with separate hydraulic single-roll adjustment and single-roll drive. In co-action with the X-Pact electrical and automation system, it is thus possible to set the correct curvature for each individual plate. In 2014, the Thai company Starcore Co. Ltd. awarded an order to Esmech Equipment Pvt. Ltd. to supply a fourhigh skin-passing mill for wet operation. Again, Starcore relies on the competence of the Indian joint venture partner of SMS. Esmech had already supplied a reversing cold mill to Starcore, which has been operating since Starcore needs the additional skin-passing capacity of about 260,000 tons to boost the capacity of the existing rolling and skin-passing facility. The mill stand will roll strips with widths of up to 1,250 millimeters and gauges between 0.25 and 1.6 millimeters at a maximum elongation of up to three percent. The new equipment includes entry- and exit-side tension rolls, devices for quick roll change, semiautomatic coil feed and coil removal systems

68 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 BRILLIANT RESULTS WITH NEW TANDEM MILLS Future-proof are the SMS group solutions for stainless steel rolling mills. A particularly innovative feature is the efficient 18-high design. To make their operational processes fit for competition, an increasing number of stainless steel producers rely on continuous operating modes with highly productive tandem mills of 18-high design. About ten years ago, the SMS group launched this mill stand concept in the market and until now has established a number of facilities of that type, including the tandem mills of POSCO in South Korea and TISCO in China. ROLL SET OF 18-HIGH DESIGN The 18-high mill stand design emerged from a technology combination of sixhigh and 20-roll mill stands. Equipped with thin work rolls the new type of mill is predestined to roll high-strength material grades down to thin final thicknesses. To withstand the high load during the rolling operation, the thin work rolls are stabilized by a laterally arranged supporting mechanism. Another advantage of the 18-high design is its proven technological equipment comprising, for example, CVC plus, intermediate roll bending or strip-edge-oriented intermediate roll shifting systems. These technologies i FACTS + FIGURES ensure the quality of the finished product will meet all requirements of the processing industry. Easy and fast work roll changes support the high productivity of the facility. Since 2009, the South Korean steel producer Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., (POSCO) has been operating a Technical feature CTCM POSCO CTCM TISCO Material AISI AISI Mill stands 4x 18-high 5x 18-high Strip width max. 1,350 mm max. 1,650 mm Strip thickness max. 4.0 mm (entry side) max. 6.0 mm (entry side) min. 0.4 mm (exit side) min. 0.6 mm (exit side) Rolling speed max. 400 m/min. max. 370 m/min. 68

69 Projects cold rolling mills POSCO operates the first tandem mill with 18-high mill stands worldwide that is used to exclusively roll stainless steel grades. Set-up of a continuous 18-high tandem cold mill. four-stand Continuous Tandem Cold Mill (CTCM) equipped with 18-high mill stands from the SMS group. It is the first plant of this type, worldwide, that has been used to exclusively roll stainless steel strip. Another tandem mill was put on stream at the Chinese company Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Corporation (TISCO) in Comprising five mill stands of 18-high design, it is a world novelty, too, and the heart of a continuous production line that combines rolling, annealing and pickling. An annual capacity of more than half a million tons of stainless-steel cold strip is now available to both plant operators. Continuous tandem mills with 18-high mill stands are able to roll a wide range of products in terms of strip width and final thicknesses in a particularly efficient manner. Moreover, operating results of both facilities during the ramp-up phase showed that off-gage lengths are extremely short. The surface quality of the rolled strips is excellent and ensures the material can be processed without any problems. 69

70 ProjeCts sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 IMPROVED QUALITY IN STRIP THICKNESS AND FLATNESS In 2014, Tinplate Company awarded SMS an order covering the modernization of a reversing cold mill that is now 20 years old. The RCM that had been supplied and commissioned by SMS in 1995, is located on the site of TCIL close to Jamshedpur, India. The old plant, originally designed for 120,000 tons, is of six-high design including CVC and stands out due to its very high availability and productivity. But after this long period of continuous operation, TCIL decided to subject the RCM to a fundamental overhaul. The top priority of the modernization is to improve strip thickness and flatness tolerances and hence the strip quality. COMPREHENSIVE MODERNiZATION The SMS group will supply all required mechanical and electrical equipment including the X-Pact automation system. SMS India is also involved in the contract with partial deliveries. The mechanical scope of supplies focuses on the renewal of those mill stand components that have a crucial influence on strip quality, such as hydraulic screwdown, wedge adjustment and the roll bending system. For top flatness results, one multi-zone cooling system each Facts + figures Material Strip width Strip width 650 1,270 mm Strip thickness mm (entry section) mm (exit section) Annual production 200,000 tons will be installed in the entry and exit sections. The emulsion system will be modernized, too, and equipped with backwash filters. The emulsion tank will be fitted with a disc-type skimmer. These measures will increase the quality and purity of the emulsion and thus improve product quality. The supply package will furthermore comprise a level-1 automation system, control platform equipment and systems for process data acquisition. Markus Gümpel, Manager Product Area Reversing Mills (RCM and CCM ), says: The new equipment will be installed in the course of two plant shutdowns of totally 21 days. The modernized RCM is scheduled to start production at the beginning of 2016, and its performance will definitely bear comparison with a new plant. i Tinplate Company The Tinplate Company of India Ltd. (TCIL) is an Indian enterprise with a market share of about 50 percent in the field of tinplate products. TCIL was founded in 1920, with 70 percent now being owned by Tata Steel. Aiming at improved quality in strip thickness and flatness. Markus Gümpel markus.guempel@sms-group.com 70

71 Projects cold rolling mills Reliable tech nology partner Esmech has received an order covering a hot-dip galvanizing line for zinc and aluminum/zinc coatings from Nam Kim Steel Joint Stock Company, Vietnam. The line is configured to produce 300,000 t.p.a. of coated steel for the European and American markets. Ho Minh Quang, Chairman of Nam Kim Steel, said: Nam Kim is poised to become the most significant steel company in Vietnam, and is now looking at serving the international market. The new line will be a first step in this direction. In Esmech, we have found a reliable technology partner able to deliver a line which fulfills all our high requirements. Vijay Joshi, Managing Director of Esmech, stated: We are grateful to Nam Kim Steel for the confidence they have placed in us. Esmech shall supply a line with efficient technology, equipped with modern features. By consistently producing flawless products with high availability, the line will meet the high expectations that Nam Kim has on Esmech, an SMS group company. Higher Furnace efficiency The highlights of the line are a furnace with a capacity of 52 tons per hour, which will be supplied by SMS India, with technology by Drever International, a direct-fired non-ox section for higher furnace efficiency and an induction-heated two-zinc-pot system (one for zinc and one for aluminum/ zinc coating). The scope of supplies furthermore comprises a V-Jet air-knife system with slewing automatic positioning, lip cleaning, special knife lip coating and a magnetic stabilization system (EMG emass ) to ensure smooth strip running in the air-knife area. Additionally, Esmech will supply skin-passing mill and tension leveling sections, separate coaters for chrome and anti-fingerprint coatings, an induction oven for curing the anti-fingerprint coat, fully automatic coil loading and unloading equipment in the entry and exit sections, the electrical control systems with state-of-the-art data acquisition and storage systems, as well as a mash seam welding machine with planishing rolls for coil joining. The line is scheduled to start operation in April From left: Ho Minh Quang, Chairman of Nam Kim Steel, and Vijay Joshi, Managing Director of Esmech, on signing the contract. 71

72 Projects 350,000 tons is the annual production capacity available to the Turkish steel company in Karasu to produce cold strip. From top to left: The strips are finished on a skin-passing mill supplied by the SMS group. The pickling line concept with two small horizontal loopers makes sure the process can permanently be operated at minimum speed. Gazi Metal s new cold strip mill. 72

73 Projects cold rolling mills COLD ROLLING MILLS FROM ONE SOURCE The new cold rolling mill of Gazi Metal Mamülleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S. (Gazi Metal), Turkey, recently rolled the first strip. The Reversing Cold Mill (RCM) plays a key role in Gazi Metal s new production complex in Karasu. A pickling line had already been commissioned in the middle of At the Karasu site, an annual production capacity of 350,000 tons of cold strip is available to the Turkish steel producer. The SMS group supplied all crucial production facilities, including mechanical equipment, electrical and automation systems with model-based pass schedule calculation and visualization, as well as auxiliary equipment and media systems, and provided for a future extension of the production site right from the start. The equipment consists of a semi-continuous pickling line, an acid regeneration sys- Facts and figures semi-continuous pickling line and RCM Annual capacity 350,000 t Strip width 600 1,550 mm Strip thickness mm Automation X-Pact level 0 level 2 Process speed 100 m/min. Products CQ, DQ, DDQ, EDDQ, HSLA, low-carbon steel grades, T1-T4, NGO silicon steel tem, a single-stand reversing cold mill and a skin-passing mill. With this project, Gazi Metal relied on the longstanding experience of the SMS group in the field of rolling silicon steels. SEMI-CONTINUOUS PICKLING LINE Gazi Metal decided in favor of a semicontinuous pickling line, a concept permitting the present line to be refitted to a continuous pickling line of double capacity by just a few measures to meet future production increase. Henner Schultz henner.schultz@sms-group.com i Cold rolling mills Since the year 2000, the SMS group has installed 29 reversing cold mills. The number of pickling lines commissioned by the equipment manufacturer totals 48. Steel producers get the know-how from one source. Stand type Further technological actuators Six-high CVC plus Hydraulic screwdown Wedge adjustment Positive and negative work and intermediate roll bending EDC preparation Multi-zone cooling DS system Automation X-Pact level 0 level 2 Rolling force max. 18 MN Rolling speed 1,200 m/min. Thorsten Noffke, Site Manager SMS group, and Gokhan Cetin, Gaazi Metal. 73

74 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Interview Experienced in the flat steel market Mehmet Gazioglu, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Gazi Metal Mamülleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S. commenting on the company. Mr. Gazioglu, considering that a few years ago these new production facilities only existed as an idea, are you proud of what you created? Well, the idea had matured quite some time ago, but there is no doubt that we take pride in the implementation of the project. If you look at the cold mill complex as a whole you will see that a big job has been realized. Many employees, engineers, technicians and others are working to produce an important product for the industry. What does this mean to your family-owned company? We are a very old player in the flat steel market and have been in the business for more than 50 years. But now, Gazi Metal has opened a new chapter in its history book. We have already a successful brand identity and are now planning to create high-value-added jobs and products with the aim of expanding this to high in future. Which industrial sectors are provided with cold strip produced by Gazi Metal? We supply to producers of white goods and heating appliances, to the automotive sector and its sub-industries, to producers of radiators and HVAC equipment, pipe profiles, metal goods, electric appliances and machine manufacturers, to give you some examples. Mehmet Gazioglu Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Gazi Metal What was crucial for your decision to select the SMS group as supplier of the core equipment of your new production facility? It is well known that SMS, as one of the biggest machine and plant manufacturer, is a reliable and experienced supplier. 74

75 Projekte Projects cold rolling mills The new 20-roll cold mill of Ningbo Xingye Xintai New Metal Materials Co., Ltd. The first strip is precisely coiled, supervised by the critical eye of Partha Velappanaicken, Site Manager of both cold mills. FIRST COPPER STRIP PRODUCED The new 20-roll cold mill of Ningbo Xingye, China, rolled its first strip. The reversing mill is of split block design and rolls particularly thin copper strips. Ningbo Xingye Xintai New Metal Materials Co., Ltd. is part of Xingye Copper International Group Ltd., a leading producer of high-quality copper strip and copper products in China. SMS supplied a 20-roll cold mill, type SB23-26", including X-Pact electrical and automation systems to the Chinese copper producer. On January 29, 2015, the cold mill specializing in particularly thin strips was put on stream. It offers Ningbo Xingye an annual production capacity of up to 55,000 tons. ALL QUALITY DEMANDS SATISFIED The company uses the mill to produce a very broad and, at the same time, specific product range of copper and copper alloys for applications in the field of electronics. The strips have a maximum width of 660 millimeters and are rolled down to final thicknesses of minimum 0.05 millimeters. Equipped with the actuators hydraulic screwdown, roll crown adjustment of axes A to D and intermediate roll shifting system, the mill is able to meet all demands on rolled product quality. The reversing reels in the entry and exit sections are equipped with belt and paper wrappers to permit the sensitive finished strip to be gently coiled on sleeves. Sophisticated technological controls and state-of-the-art drive concepts had to be installed to meet the high requirements on the strip grades to be produced. Since the Chinese company is attributing increasing importance to sustained and resourcesaving production, SMS equipped the cold rolling mill with a Multi-Plate filter, type MPF Its micron mesh size ensures environmentally compatible cleaning of the rolling oil. Mehmet Caglayan mehmet.caglayan@sms-group.com i Cold rolling mills For perfect pass schedule calculation, the 20-roll stand of Ningbo Xingye s new cold mill is equipped with a physically based level-2 offline model. 75

76 Projects Facts + figures 1st coil, cold mill Material Aluminum alloy AA3104 Strip width 1,860 mm Strip thickness 2.20 mm (entry section) 1.80 mm (exit section) From top to bottom: The first coil rolled on Shandong Nanshan s new cold mill. Successful commissioning of the finishing mill in the hot rolling line 76

77 Projects Aluminum plants SHANDONG NANSHAN STARTED PRODUCTION ON SCHEDULE Several aluminum rolling facilities supplied by the SMS group were recently put on stream at Shandong Nanshan Aluminum in China. The products are mainly used in the automotive and aviation industries. The new aluminum hot rolling line of Shandong Nanshan Aluminium Co., Ltd. at the site of Longkou comprises a reversing plate stand and a five-stand finishing mill. After the first plate had been rolled with good results on December 30, 2014, the finishing mill, too, was commissioned on February 12, The hot rolling line had been completely supplied by SMS. The products cover a width range of up to maximum 3,800 millimeters for plates and of maximum 2,800 millimeters for strips. The final gauges of the hot rolled strip are between 1.8 and 16 millimeters. The products are predominantly used in the packaging, the automotive and aviation industries. LATEST TECHNOLOGY To be able to produce the quality required for the demanding applications of the aluminum plates and strips, SMS equipped the hot rolling mill with CVC plus as well as further actuators and technological control systems. All quality-determining components were manufactured in our Hilchenbach workshop. So, Shandong Nanshan can be sure to operate equipment of the high quality needed for sophisticated rolled and final products, says Matthias Pischel, Senior Departmental Specialist in the Design Aluminum Rolling Mills Department. Jiang Wenjun, Project Manager Shandong Nanshan, supplements: On both technologically advanced facilities, plate and roughing stands as well as the finishing mill, we made production tests ahead of schedule with good results. This was possible thanks to the sustained effort, by day and night, of the project team, local and external experts and commissioning staff. I want to express my gratitude to all persons involved for their solidarity and cooperation. The first coil produced on the 1+5 hot rolling line symbolizes the successful start of production at Nanshan and is an important milestone for our company. On December 18, 2014, the first coil was produced on the Chinese aluminum producer s new cold rolling mill ahead of schedule. This cold mill is already the fourth one Shandong Nanshan has purchased from the SMS group. It was supplied including all ancillary equipment such as Multi-Plate filter and Airwash waste-air cleaning system. Nevertheless, this plant is an absolute novelty on the Chinese market, as it incorporates rolling technologies specifically developed to roll aluminum plates for automotive applications. Another consumer of the high-quality strips is the aviation industry. WIDE STRIPS The six-high cold mill is able to roll extremely wide strips of up to 2,650 millimeters down to final thicknesses of 0.2 millimeters. It is equipped with high-class components such as CVC plus, work and intermediate roll bending, multi-zone cooling, HES (Hot Edge Spray) and DS (Dry Strip) systems. To meet special material demands, the last pass can be used for skin-passing. Frank Lettau, Project Manager of the SMS group, comments: Thanks to our vast experience and the good cooperation, it was possible to implement the project very efficiently within the scheduled cost and time frame. Frank Lettau frank.lettau@sms-group.com Matthias Pischel matthias.pischel@sms-group.com 77

78 Projects From top to left: The edger was pre-assembled in the Hilchenbach workshop. The project leaders of both companies, ALU- NORF and SMS, may take pride in their common achievement (from left: Sebastian Böcking, Design Department SMS group; Michael Grziwa, Project Team ALUNORF; Karsten Gieseler, Design Department SMS group; Markus Neuhausen, Project Manager ALUNORF; Guido Fick, Project Manager SMS group). ALUNORF s new edger shortens the reversing distances in the roughing mill. 78

79 Projects Aluminum Plants NEW EDGER BOOSTS CAPACITY The world s biggest integrated aluminum rolling and remelt plant, Aluminium Norf GmbH, is implementing a comprehensive modernization project for Hot Mill 1 at its Neuss, Germany, location. Now, a further milestone has been reached. One year after the modernization of the roughing stand, which had been successfully completed at the beginning of 2014, the roughing mill edger was renewed in the second project stage. In autumn 2014, the new edger had been manufactured in the Hilchenbach workshop of the SMS group and pre-assembled prior to shipment to Neuss. NEW EDGER The old edger was demounted within just four days, from December 18 to 22, Parallel to these activities, the SMS group adapted the foundations to receive the new edger. On December 25, 2014, the extensive work was completed and the new pre-assembled edger could immediately be positioned in its new location at the roughing stand by means of a heavyload lifting frame. Guido Fick, Project Manager of SMS, comments: The new edger is now directly flanged to the roughing stand and hence much closer than its predecessor that had been positioned eleven meters away. This substantially shortens the reversing distances and significantly boosts capacity. The installation work was carried out during the regular downtime during the Christmas break to reduce impairment of ALU- NORF s operational processes to a minimum. The supply package included the new edger with entry-side roller table and side guides, plus the extension of the media systems. Much to ALUNORF s satisfaction, the new edger started production on the dot on January 8, But this is not the end of the aluminum producer s challenging modernization project. In a third stage it is planned to increase the capacity and performance of the finishing mill. The comprehensive modernization measures are scheduled to be completed at the beginning of The efficiency of ALUNORF s 50-year-old hot rolling mill will then be able to bear every comparison with a new plant. Guido Fick guido.fick@sms-group.com i Edger The edger serves to control the rolling stock width between the individual passes and to improve strip edge quality. It is particularly the higher strip edge quality that boosts the output of the entire rolling line as hot strip coils need less side trimming. 79

80 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Tosyali Toyo decided in favor of a line with soluble anodes due to its economic, ecological and process technological benefits. TINNING LINE FROM ONE SOURCE Tosyali Toyo Ltd., the Turkish-Japanese Joint Venture between Tosyali Holding and Toyo Kohan selected SMS to supply an electrolytic tinning line. i Staff training To make sure the staff is familiar with the plant control system by the time of commissioning, it is trained by SMS within the frame of plant simulation. The line will be a key element of the new steelworks for the production of packaging materials to be constructed in Osmaniye, southern Turkey. From late 2016, 255,000 tons of very thin steel sheet per year will be coated with a fine layer of tin. The highquality tinplate will then be used as packaging material for foodstuffs or aerosols. Tosyali Toyo decided in favor of SMS because the line, comprising numerous high-performance components including mechanical equipment and process technology as well as X-Pact electrical and automation systems, will be supplied from one single source. Ancillary units such as the evaporation system and anode caster will also be provided by the SMS group. Besides equipment design and manufacture, the scope of supply will include erection and commissioning assistance. CONVINCING ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY Tosyali Toyo will use soluble tin anodes in the line. Being the market leader in this technology, SMS has verified the economical, ecological and process technological advantages in a number of tinning lines established in the past. This technology ensures a reduction in tin consumption, stable conditions during the tinning process to attain top product quality and precise process control. At a process 80

81 Projects Strip processing lines speed of up to 450 meters per minute, the T1 to T5 and DR6 to DR10 materials will be coated with tin layers ranging from 1.0 to 11.2 g/m². The strip widths will vary from 700 to 1,270 millimeters and the strip thicknesses from 0.12 to 0.6 millimeters. The line features a great number of equipment units, which impress with their environmental compatibility and economic efficiency as well as their reliability in operation, flexibility and product quality. A trimming shear with edge-scrap wrapper is integrated in the entry section of the line. Prior to tinning, the strip is prepared in a cleaning section, a tension leveler and a pickling section. The tinning unit consists of one preparation and six tinning cells. After the tin layer has been applied, it is treated in a fully inductive heating system to improve the surface quality. Finally, the strip is passivated and dried. ECO-FRIENDLY EVAPORATION SYSTEM A large number of measuring units is installed all over the tinning line to ensure permanent process monitoring and control. In co-action with the tin layer measurement system, the bestpossible results in terms of product quality and production efficiency can thus be attained. Rinsing water contaminated in the tinning and passivation processes is reconditioned in a state-of-the-art evaporation system. This helps save operating costs. The anodes are cast at constant temperature in a separate anode caster without losing tin. Perfectly shaped and high-purity tin anodes are produced from the anode remnants and tin bars in a fully automatic casting process. For the Plug & Work integration test, the complete control and automation equipment is installed in a test field and subjected to a plant simulation prior to commissioning. In this procedure, the control and automation systems are tested and optimized under true-to-life conditions. On that occasion, the future operating staff will be trained to make it familiar with the control system and to achieve a steep ramp-up curve upon actual commissioning. Stefan Klose stefan.klose@sms-group.com From top to bottom: The rinsing water contaminated in the tin-plating and passivation processes will be reconditioned in an advanced evaporation system. The anode caster will also be supplied by SMS. 81

82 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 From top to bottom: The new line will be used to pickle 1.3 million tons per year of hot strip as a preparation for its future application in the building sector. The turbulence pickling line achieves optimum descaling results with low consumption of energy and pickling fluid, while keeping maintenance and operating costs low. 82

83 Projects Strip processing lines EFFICIENT HOT STRIP PICKLING The Turkish steel service center Tezcan has placed an order with SMS for the supply of a continuous pickling to boost its productivity and economic efficiency. Tezcan will install the line at its Kartepe location near Izmir, Turkey, to improve the economy of its hot strip pickling operations and achieve an increase in output. Especially the high efficiency of the equipment was reason for Tezcan to decide in favor of a continuous pickling line and the turbulence pickling process from SMS, complete with a connected acid regeneration plant. Starting in the second half of 2015, the line will pickle a yearly throughput of 1.3 million tons of hot strip, as a preparatory treatment for the downstream cold rolling and coating processes. Most of the material will be used in the construction industry as galvanized and/or color-coated cold strip. SMS will supply the line and its numerous high-capacity components all from a single source, including the mechanical equipment, the process technology as well as the electrical and automation systems. In addition to the design and manufacture of the plant equipment, the supply will also include support during installation and commissioning. This comprehensive service package was a decisive reason for Tezcan to choose SMS as supplier. LOWER ENERGY AND ACID CONSUMPTION The turbulence pickling technology provides a high-quality descaling result without over-pickling. The process is characterized by low energy and acid consumption, low maintenance and operating costs, and long service life of the equipment. Hot-rolled low-carbon steel strips will be processed at speeds of up to 220 meters per minute. Strip thicknesses will range between 600 and 1,550 millimeters, strip widths between 1.5 and 5.0 millimeters. The line will incorporate numerous high-capacity components with convincing performance features in terms of eco-friendliness, economic efficiency, process reliability, flexibility and product quality. A stretch leveler will prepare the strip for the pickling operation in the three downstream pickling tanks. The tanks will be made of plastic materials, facilitating a lightweight design. Each tank will have its own circulation system. A side trimmer with integrated scrap chopper will adjust the desired strip width and straighten the strip edges. In a DUMA-BANDZINK oiling machine, an oil film will be applied to the strip surface in an electrostatic process. A total of two horizontal strip loopers will be integrated into the line in order to guarantee a continuous strip run. CLOSED ACID CIRCUIT The pickling acid will be directly processed in the fluidized-bed-type acid regeneration plant supplied by SMS. The plant will have a capacity to regenerate 7,500 liters hydrochloric acid per hour, enough to cover the line s complete turnover of pickling fluid. Within a closed circuit, the regenerated medium will be directly returned to the process and reused for pickling. Additionally, iron oxide will arise as a valuable by-product. With these technical solutions to Tezcan s pickling line, the SMS group demonstrates that ecology and economy do not exclude each other. Markus Jaenecke markus.jaenecke@sms-group.com i The final product Due to their high corrosion protection, galvanized steel strips are frequently used in the building industry. Galvanized steel strip is found, for example, in supporting elements for constructing industrial halls, in snow guards, highbay structures and in doors. 83

84 ProjeCts sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Reliable connections SMS was awarded two new orders for one X-Pro laser welder each from Wuppermann Group in Hungary and Big River Steel in the U.S.A. At the Hungarian site of Gyó r-gönyú, the SMS group is establishing a new hot strip galvanizing line for Wuppermann Group. The new strip processing line will be commissioned in 2016 and process about 500,000 tons of steel strip annually, which is welded together in the entry section by an X-Pro laser welder. Strips of one to six millimeters thickness are safely connected and prepared for continuous running through the various processing units such as scale breaker, turbulence pickling section, galvanizing section, skin-pass stand and tension leveler. The X-Pro laser welder for the new pickling line/tandem mill of Big River Steel in Osceola, in the state of Arkansas, will weld almost 1.5 million tons of steel strips as from Thereafter, the material including the welded joints will not only be pickled, but also rolled in a five-stand, fourhigh tandem mill. This means, the 1.4 to 5.0-millimeter- thick strip will be reduced to a final gage between 0.27 and 1.4 millimeters. Even steels with high silicon content can be reliably connected by the laser welder. RELIABLY WELDED SILICON STEELS An outstanding advantage of the X-Pro laser welder is its ability to continuously join difficult-to-weld steel grades. In the pickling line / tandem mill of Hyundai Hysco in South Korea, for instance, martensitic steel grades such as MS-W1200 were successfully connected and rolled at 45 percent reduction. Also, strips with a silicon content of 1.2 percent were processed without problems, even higher silicon contents being possible. Since the welding source is freely selectable, the carbon dioxide laser used so far can be exchanged. A solid-state laser, for example, may save process gas (e.g., helium) and considerably reduce maintenance. Markus Jaenecke markus.jaenecke@sms-group.com i Advantages The X-Pro laser welder convinces by its short cycle time of less than 60 seconds, inductive preand post-treatment of the weld seam, automatic weld seam inspection integrated in a closedloop system and automatic adaptation of the welding parameters according to a material melt analysis. The X-Pro laser welder is particularly distinguished by its ability to connect difficult-to-weld steel grades (like those with high carbon or silicon contents). 84

85 Projects Strip processing lines JUMBO LINE 40 YEARS OF SERVICE Heavy shear line inaugurated at Tata Steel s new location, the Feijen Service Center in Maastricht. On January 15, 2015, in the presence of more than 150 guests, Tata Steel s so-called Jumbo Line was inaugurated in the Feijen Service Center in Maastricht, Netherlands. In 1974 already, Schloemann-Siemag (now SMS group) had established and commissioned the Jumbo Line in the Netherlands. At that time, the heavy shear line was the first one able to pay off strips up to a thickness of 25 millimeters, cut them into long plates and then level them to leave just little residual stress. After the Service Center Namascor had been closed in March 2013, the line was re-established and put on stream at the new location. PRODUCTION OF JUMBO COILS With an annual capacity of 250,000 tons, the line can cut hot-rolled jumbo coils of different steel grades with thicknesses between six and 25 millimeters and widths of up to 2,600 millimeters to plates of a maximum 18 meters in length. The key equipment of this shear line includes, in addition to two eleven-roll levelers, a trimming shear and a flying cross-cut shear dividing the strip into the respective plate lengths. Ulf Jaeckel ulf.jaeckel@sms-group.com Karl-Heinz Hagemann, Project Manager SMS group (left), and Alfred Philipi, member of the Managing Board of Tata Steel (right), on the occasion of handing over the present. 85

86 Projects i Big River Steel In the first stage, the new complex of Big River Steel in Osceola, in the state of Arkansas, U.S.A., will produce 1.5 million tons of hot strip. Part thereof will be refined in-house to high-strength cold strip for automotive applications. Top down: Drever furnace with horizontal and vertical sections in a hot-dip galvanizing line. Glowing slab in front of a CSP furnace. 86

87 Projects furnace technology KEY FACTOR FURNACE TECHNOLOGY For the new steelworks of Big River Steel, U.S.A., the SMS group will supply all thermal processing equipment. Thus, the complete know-how for heating and cooling throughout the whole processing chain is supplied from one source and ensures high material quality is attained. In the CSP plant, the roller hearth furnace is the kinematic and technological link between continuous caster and rolling mill. The first zone of the more than 1,000 degrees Celsius hot furnace serves to set the thin slab temperature required for the rolling process. This is achieved by using environmentally friendly ultra-low NOx burners. In order to save energy, the combustion air is preheated by waste heat from the furnace via recuperators. The downstream homogenizing zone keeps the temperature at a constant level and harmonizes it over the cross-section and length of the slab to achieve a homogenous temperature distribution. This promotes the rolling process and makes sure the finished product is of high quality. INCREASED ENERGY EFFICIENCY To transport the thin slabs through the furnace, special water-cooled rollers are used. They ensure little heat is dissipated and thus increase the energy efficiency of the furnace. A newly developed calculation module minimizes the contact pressure between roller support rings and slab to satisfy the high demands on the final product surface quality. The universal annealing and hot-dip galvanizing line is designed to permit flexible production of two different products: annealed and hot-dip galvanized cold strip. Due to a Drever furnace with high cooling rates, it is possible to produce high-strength dual-phase grades up to DP 800. At first, the strip is heated in the furnace in a vertical preheating zone. This is followed by a vertical direct-fired zone that heats the strip by naked flames in a reduced atmosphere and, at the same time, accomplishes thermo-chemical cleaning. Then, the strip is heated up to the required recrystallization temperature in a horizontal radiant-tube furnace where the strip temperature is held over a defined period of time. A special feature to be mentioned is the subsequent fast cooling process in a vertical ultrafast cooling zone. There, the strip is cooled at extremely high cooling rates, thus enabling the production of high-strength grades for automotive applications. The preheating zone uses the hot emissions of the burners to heat the strip, while the energy of the exhaust air from burners and radiant tubes is used to heat the combustion air. In addition, an in- tegrated special NOx treatment contributes to meeting the specified low emission values. LATEST BATCH ANNEALING FURNACES Besides the annealing and hot-dip galvanizing line, the SMS group will establish batch annealing furnaces for cold strip treatment at Big River Steel s mill complex. These furnaces serve to anneal and cool cold strip coils in the batch mode. They are able to process several coils simultaneously with a maximum batch height of 6.4 meters, a maximum batch weight of 140 tons and a maximum coil outer diameter of 2,000 millimeters. The treatment takes between 42 and 55 hours. In total, 24 bases with 13 heating hoods and 11 cooling hoods will be installed to achieve a throughput capacity of 413,000 tons of steel per annum. Fritz Brühl fritz.bruehl@sms-group.com 87

88 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Advanced quench and temper facility TimkenSteel has placed an order with SMS to design, construct and install a complete new heat treatment plant for TimkenSteel at the company s Gambrinus complex in Canton, Ohio, U.S.A. The heat treatment line, an AQTF (Advanced Quench and Temper Facility), will set new performance standards among existing comparable facilities. TimkenSteel and SMS have jointly developed the AQTF. The line combines induction preheaters and heating furnaces for both the austenitizing and tempering processes. It will be capable of processing up to 10 tons per hour of tubes and bars, ranging from 4 to 13 inches in diameter and a variety of different steel grades of TimkenSteel s portfolio. The heart of the AQTF line will be the brand new Quenching Shell, an advanced water spray system that can be used flexibly for different products and it is characterized by its adaptability to changing process conditions. QUENCHING SHELL IS BECOMING THE STANDARD SMS is continuously developing its products further through research and development projects and the Quenching Shell although a concept for meeting the requirements of this special project is the result of intensive research and development work promising to become the next generation s standard for similar applications. SMS will take the plant into operation in Ohio in the second quarter of With a time period of one-and-a-half years from new construction to production, very tight targets are to be implemented. Erection and commissioning at TimkenSteel in the area of heat treatment are included in the order for the first time. SMS and TimkenSteel have been engaged in a long-lasting cooperation. TimkenSteel manufactures customized steel products and provides services for demanding applications. The company is the leader in North America in large alloy steel bars (six inches plus) and seamless mechanical tubes made of special bar steel grades billion US$ turnover was achieved by TimkenSteel in The company manufactures customized steel products. Model of the water spray system Quenching Shell which is the heart of the new facility at TimkenSteel. 88

89 Projects Tube & pipe plants The newly developed PERFECT arc welding current sources are used for the welding machinery. During pipe production, CARTA records all quality-relevant data for each single shell and pipe. Beisteel s new JCO pipe forming press is equipped with a variable-speed pump (VSP) control system. Energy saving Convincing spiral pipe plant from PWS. Material saving CARTA technology is convincing. New press concept Beisteel expands its product spectrum. Zhejiang Kingland Pipe Industry, based in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, has successfully commissioned a spiral pipe plant supplied by PWS. With its use of PERFECT arc, the plant meets Ecoplants criteria in terms of sustainability and offers energy savings of up to 30 percent compared to competitor plants. What s more, productivity is increased by up to 20 percent. The plant comprises a spiral pipe forming and tack-welding machine for forming and pre-welding hot rolled steel strip as well as three downstream offline finish-welding stands. It has a capacity of 200,000 tons per year. Zhejiang Kingland is able to extend the spiral pipe welding plant by a fourth finish-welding stand and thus increase capacity to 260,000 tons per year. Železiarne Podbrezová has commissioned the SMS group to upgrade the existing technology system of the stretch-reducing mill (SRM) at the Podbrezová location, Slovakia. SMS will replace the existing complete CARTA system (computer-aided rolling technology application) by a new CARTA SRM version. This will enable Železiarne to expand its analysis potential. The measured wall thickness eccentricity values of the shell are transmitted by the new CARTA system and are then integrated into the calculations in terms of wall thickness control and length of the thickened ends. Process and pipe quality are examined and controlled automatically and online by comparison between actual and target values. Quality problems may be identified and eliminated immediately. As a result, the plant equipped with the CARTA system saves more material. Beisteel Group, China, has placed an order with SMS for the supply of a JCO pipe forming press. With this machine, the company will be able to expand its product spectrum to include longitudinally welded large-diameter pipes (LSAW) with a length of up to 18 meters. The annual capacity is approx. 250,000 tons. The press produces the pipes in wall thicknesses up to 65 millimeters and steel grades up to X100. The pipe diameters range from 16 to 64 inches. The new machine offers the advantage that the JCO forming process can be quickly changed to other pipe dimensions. This allows even small lot sizes to be produced cost-efficiently. The new modular frame design will be used on this press for the first time, enabling overall height and foundation depth to be minimized and flexible press lengths to be created

90 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Interview Strategic partner of tube producers In an interview, Norbert Theelen and Frank Lüth, Heads of Tube & Pipe Plants Product Unit at SMS, talk about current challenges in tube & pipe business. Falling prices in the oil and gas sector, overcapacities, a slowdown in growth in China, geopolitical tensions by the Ukrainian crisis and delays with major projects lead to a decreasing demand for pipeline and OCTG tubes. How should tube and pipe producers react to this? In the following interview, Norbert Theelen and Frank Lüth answer these and other questions. Norbert Theelen, member of Management Tube & Pipe Plants Product Unit at the SMS group. The market for tubes and pipes is currently in a critical situation. How will the market evolve from your point of view? Lüth: OCTG and pipeline tubes are in demand as seamless and as welded tubes. But in both cases, the demand for tubes is always directly related to the oil and gas price and falling energy prices will be a temporary stumbling block in the demand for tubes. In the past, we have however experienced similar cycles and are convinced that oil and gas extraction will also be expanded in the medium and long term due to an increasing need for energy. We see other growth impulses for a demand in tubes additionally in the fact that more and more and better and better tubes are required for exploration to ensure a constant extraction volume. The keywords are: deep sea, shale gas, sour gas, production sites in Arctic regions and the combination of vertical and horizontal exploitation of the fields. With these extreme exploration conditions, the demand for quality and safety standards of the tubes is rising. This is where we see, today and above all in the future, the greatest opportunities for premium tubes. As a life cycle partner of our customers we offer economic production possibilities for higher tube grades and premium products. 90

91 Projects TUBE & PIPE PLANTS How does SMS support the tube manufacturers in the current difficult market environment? Theelen: Our motto is solutions for success. There are many examples of how this might look like in practice. Nowadays, only a few major projects exist, which are, however, implemented from a purely strategic point of view. For tube and pipe producers, it is becoming increasingly important to establish decentralized production opportunities for tube manufacture and/or tube finishing with smaller capacities directly in the markets. As a full-liner, we are able to accompany our customers comprehensively from the entire metallurgical value-added chain via technological services and support up to after-sales services. In the tubes sector, we offer our customers a comprehensive range of products including all manufacturing processes and quality-determining finishing lines. In a market with overcapacities it is certainly no longer just essential to boost production, but product optimizations and improving quality are likewise important. In this respect, we are highly effective as life cycle partner for our customers, to increase their competitiveness even with existing plants sustainably. New technical concepts are developed by us in close coordination with our customers. What do strategic partnerships mean to SMS and are there project examples? Frank Lüth, Member of Management Tube & Pipe Plants Product Unit at the SMS group. Theelen: We see our customers as cooperation partners with whom good relations are fostered for the mutual benefit on a long-term basis. How this partnership works is demonstrated by Tenaris in the U.S.A. To satisfy the rising demand for highstrength precision tubes used for extracting shale gas, an adequate plant solution was required. SMS supplies not only the plant equipment but also cooperates closely with Tenaris in technology. After contract conclusion at the end of 2013, an intense design phase began to configure the new technologies optimally also in terms of maintenance and service. All equipment is currently being built or assembled and the first parts have even already been delivered. Through close cooperation and coordination, the respective knowledge and experience of tube producer and plant manufacturer is incorporated in the tube mill to be newly erected. I believe that the future belongs to this trustful and open form of strategic partnerships. On which major projects are you currently working on? Lüth: At present we are working on a number of projects in the seamless tubes sector in southeast Asia where the above-described market development has led to serious investment projects. In addition to that, we are pursuing projects for seamless tube plants and large-diameter pipe mills on the Arabian Peninsula. Just a few days ago, we were awarded the contract for the supply of a twelve-meter JCO pipe forming press. This will enable our customer to manufacture tubes in diameters of 18 to 56 inches with wall thicknesses of up to 44.5 millimeters. The annual output of highgrade longitudinally welded tubes should be approx. 240,000 tons. Norbert Theelen norbert.theelen@sms-group.com Frank Lüth frank.lueth@sms-group.com 91

92 Projects Thanks to inline and offline quick-change systems, a roll change is realized much faster. The CSS Quicksetting system (Computerized Setting System) allows for exactly automated roll positioning after changing. 92

93 Projects TUBE & PIPE PLANTS Higher productivity of up to 30 percent With the tube welding line of the RD 140HF type, including finishing equipment, Arvedi commissioned the SMS group to supply already the third welding facility. After only 21 months, the 5 ½" line was put into service in Salto, Brazil. In 2012, Arvedi had deliberately opted for the SMS group as the full-range supplier of the entire line, which is designed for an annual capacity of 150,000 tons of tubes. The dimensional range includes tube diameters from 33.4 to millimeters with wall thicknesses from 1.5 to eight millimeters. Tube lengths may be between 5.0 and 12.6 meters. Top: Strip edges of the calibrated openseam tube are precisely compressed in the welding scaffold and welded by means of the inductive HF process. 150,000 Bottom: All rolls are individually driven, saving complex gearboxes and increasing the flexibility of the rolling process at the same time. tons of tubes per year is the capacity of the line which SMS has installed for Arvedi in Salto, Brazil, as the full-range supplier. 93

94 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 With the new welding line, Arvedi Metalfer do Brasil is now able to produce premium-quality, thick-walled tubes with round, square and rectangular cross-sections. The tubes meet the demanding standards, such as EN 10219, API 5L, EN 10208, API 5CT, ASTM A513, EN Top: To make sure that the line is permanently replenished, a rotating double coiler is employed. The new coil is already opened and prepositioned during ongoing production, thus minimizing downtimes in strip preparation. Bottom: SMS supplied the complete finishing line. This includes also all longitudinal and cross transportation ensuring automated logistics between the individual processing stations. 94

95 Projects TUBE & PIPE PLANTS The traveling tube cut-off machine: The cut-off unit may be converted from friction to cold cutting by means of an exchangeable cutting device. The saw blade diameter of 700 millimeters ensures the high service life of the saw blades. Consequently, downtimes for saw blade changes are reduced significantly. The fully automated spiral strip accumulator ensures continuous operation of the line. 95

96 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Interview WIDeLY USED IN MOST APPLICATIONS: STEEL An interview with Athanasios Tazedakis, Deputy Plant Director at Corinth. By investing in a new L-SAW pipe mill, Corinth Pipeworks is expanding its product range to satisfy growing global demand for high-strength pipes for the exploitation and transportation of oil and gas. In the following interview, Athanasios Tazedakis, Deputy Plant Director at Corinth Pipeworks, explains the company s motives to invest in the new JCOE large-diameter pipe mill and why he relies on the plants of SMS group. Mr. Tazedakis in your professional career, have you always worked in the field of steel? Most of the time, certainly for the last 16 years I have had the honor of holding several positions in our company, Corinth Pipeworks. As quality director, as mill director and now as deputy plant director responsible for the engineering and technology aspects of our company. Additionally, for the last two years I had the honor of participating in the Board of our Joint Venture with TMK in Seversky, Russia. So what is it about steel that fascinates you? It is part of my life now (laughs). There are many things that fascinate me, although it is hardly surprising that steel holds such a fascination. If you consider it historically, we are still living in the steel age. Despite the introduction of other more modern materials, the one that is still most widely used in most applications is steel. And although it might not have been expected, you can see that the use of steel is continuing to expand. The steel industry is evolving. Steel, as one of the most ancient materials, is becoming better and better, serving even more critical applications. So this development of an ancient material with a very long history is really very challenging. How has your company developed in recent years? Despite the problems the Greek state has faced in recent years, the company has developed remarkably well, even extremely well in some cases. The reason for that is that we have a very strong financial and technical background as well as very good relations with major clients who showed their trust in our capabilities even in difficult times. Corinth has therefore managed to make really good progress in recent years with the continuous support of our mother company, VIOHALCO, which is the major Greek industrial group. Nevertheless, we still have to plan for the future on this sound basis, and that is one of the reasons why we are continuing to expand, creating new innovative products and making further investments. What plants does Corinth Pipeworks have from SMS? Actually all our pipe production facilities come from SMS. Additionally, we are nowadays making a very big investment with a brand new 56-inch JCO large-diameter pipe plant. We believe that it will be one of the most productive and efficient large-diameter pipe plants in the world, if not the most efficient one especially, when it 96

97 Projects Tube & pipe plants»sms is our main supplier. We have a long-standing relationship that has always been based on partnership. That makes us feel really comfortable, makes us feel that we have a real friend who will always be there to support us in any difficulty and to contribute to our success.«athanasios Tazedakis of Corinth Pipeworks comes to difficult thickness, grade and diameter combinations. This mill will be capable of producing 16-inch and 18-inch heavy-wall high-grade pipes that not many other mills can produce. So this big investment is currently taking place in our works, and in addition we are further investing in a 24-meter hydrostatic pipe tester that will enable us to expand the product range of our HFI facilities to 24 meters as well again in cooperation with SMS. Although we aim at one, there is never a perfect relationship, that s true (laughs). Living in a very, very competitive and challenging world, we would like SMS to adapt to lower price levels without compromising its efficiency and quality. In view of the engineering and cooperation excellence, however, SMS certainly deserves to get a premium for what they are doing and the way they are doing it. What would you say is special about your cooperation with SMS? The fact that the whole Thisvi infrastructure is being built by SMS is a clear indication of our cooperation level. SMS is our main supplier. We have a long-standing relationship that has always been based on partnership. That makes us feel really comfortable, makes us feel that we have a real friend who will always be there to support us in any difficulty and to contribute to our success. At the same time, we also feel that from our perspective we can pass our expertise on certain small areas to SMS, so that together we can further expand into the pipe industry. In any friendship there are things that can be improved. What is it with SMS? Athanasios Tazedakis of Corinth Pipeworks during the interview 97

98 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Rabigh Steel orders Rebar ROLLING mill Rabigh steel from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has ordered a rolling mill from the SMS group, with diameters from 10 to 36 millimeters. The rolling mill consists of a pusher-type furnace with a capacity of 62 tons per hour, twelve housingless stands in horizontal and vertical configuration, an 8-stand finishing block in V-configuration, a thermoprocessing system, HSD system (High-Speed Delivery), cooling bed and finishing end. The water treatment plant is also a part of the supply. Straight bars are produced by the HSD system of SMS, which ensures that bar steel safely arrives on the cooling bed even at high speeds. The HSD system offers several advantages compared to the slitting process, like higher metallic yield, higher mill utilization, reduction of losses and better quality of products. EFFICIENT PLANT CONCEPT The rolling mill will be installed in the Rabigh industrial area. Commissioning is scheduled for the first quarter of This plant concept enables high efficiency, reducing the cost of the initial investment. From 2016, the rebar rolling mill supplied by SMS will be producing 300,000 tons of rebars per year at Rabigh Steel. 98

99 Projects Long Products plants and Forging plants The team of Kardemir and SMS when signing the contract. R. Düser, Sales Ring and Wheel Rolling Machines at SMS, (left) and G. Bonvicini, President of Forgia del Frignano. SMS supplied a ring rolling machine to UMZ in Yekaterinburg. Quick cutting Kardemir orders shear for rolling mill. Compact dimensions Forgia del Frignano orders ring rolling plant. Diameters up to 3,000 mm Ring rolling machine at UMZ in operation. For the wire rod outlet of its new wire rod and bar mill Kardemir A.S., Turkey, has ordered a high-speed shear. The scope of supply includes a pinch roll unit, the high-speed shear with control, engineering for scrap removal, motors and converters, integration into electrics and automation as well as supervision of erection and commissioning. In 2008, a rail and section mill from the SMS group had already been successfully put on stream, and in 2013, Kardemir A.S. ordered a wire rod and bar mill for 700,000 tons of quality steel per year. We are convinced that the highspeed shear from SMS is the best solution for cutting safely and repeatably even at the highest rolling speeds, says Ragip Parlak, Continuous Rolling Mill Manager of Kardemir A.S. Forgia del Frignano from Pavullo nel Frignano, Modena Province, Italy, has placed an order with SMS for the supply of a radial-axial ring rolling machine, type RAW 40(50)/32(40)- 1000/210 EM. The machine produces rings with a rectangular cross-section and profile rings up to an external diameter of 1,000 millimeters and a height of 210 millimeters. Instead of using complex power hydraulics for this machine type, SMS employs electromechanical drives for the rolling and motion axes. The machine convinces with compact dimensions and low costs. Forgia del Frignano uses the radialaxial ring rolling machine as part of an automatic production line with a mechanical closed-die forging press and industrial robots. It will be put on stream in the second quarter of Metallurgical Plant Electrostal from Elektrostal (Moscow Region), has successfully commissioned a radial-axial ring rolling machine, a ring expander and a radial forging machine from the SMS group. This enables Electrostal to produce rings and stepped shafts. The commissioned radial-axial ring rolling machine of the RAW 400 (500)/200(250)-3000/600 DM type is also able to roll stainless steel rings and nickel-base and titanium alloys which are difficult to form. The new radial-axial ring rolling machine, type RAW 160(200)/160(200)-3000/630, including ring swivel-out manipulator and pawl-type skid were put into service at Ural Metallurgical Plant in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The machine produces finished rings up to 3,000 millimeters in diameter, 630 millimeters in height and 4,000 kilograms in weight

100 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Saarstahl relies on SMS Technology For its Völklingen, Burbach and Neunkirchen plants, Saarstahl AG, Germany, has placed three upgrading orders with the SMS group in recent months. The aim of all these measures is to be able to react to the needs of Saarstahl customers more quickly and flexibly. Model of continuous wire rod mill with seven stands to be installed at the Völklingen site. 100

101 Projects Long Products plants The Völklingen site is provided with a seven-stand continuous wire rod mill replacing an existing blooming stand. For the Burbach site, two stands, a shear, a four-strand switch and a fourstrand pinch roll unit were ordered. In this way, the roughing train of the wire rod mill in Burbach is expanded. For the wire rod mill in Neunkirchen, a new wire rod outlet is supplied where the existing wire rod block will continue to be used. The aim is to be able to offer various qualities, dimensions and tolerances in response to the demands when rolling wire rod and bars. PRODUCTION CONTINUES Construction work in Völklingen will take place in summer 2015 during ongoing production. An additional roller table will be installed ensuring that production continues during the construction and commissioning phases. The continuous wire rod mill for the Völklingen site consists of seven mill stands in CS (Compact Stand) design and vertical/horizontal arrangement. This stand design is dimensioned for high loads and large formats and is characterized by compact construction, and higher stand rigidity compared to conventional housingless stands. The last two stands are equipped with a quick-change device. The new continuous wire rod mill rolls different initial sections from several bloom sizes for the down-line intermediate train. With the expansion of the onestrand roughing mill in Burbach, dif- Hot wire rod in an outlet section of a wire rod mill. ferent leading pass sections may be employed without conversion measures. The final section from the roughing mill is the same for all input sections and will then be distributed to all four strands of the wire rod mill by means of the new switch. In this way, quality and plant availability of this already high-performance train will be further improved. Commissioning is scheduled for the summer of BETTER ROLLING TOLERANCES The new wire rod outlet in Neunkirchen will be installed downstream of the four CL (cantilever) stands parallel to the existing rolling line. The key objectives of this conversion are quality improvements, better rolling tolerances and shorter construction times thanks to a MEERdrive PLUS block with quickchange devices. The existing ten-stand finishing block will be relocated after commissioning of the new installation and taken into operation in January When the new facilities are put into service a guide trough will be placed into the location provided for the finishing block for bridging. Commissioning of the LOOP is scheduled for January The remaining new facilities will go on stream in August i Service Equipment to be installed in Neunkirchen Loop cooling line and cooling line downstream of ten-stand finishing block Shear upstream of four-stand MEERdrive PLUS block Four-stand MEERdrive PLUS block with quick-change devices Cooling line downstream of fourstand MEERDrive PLUS block Pinch roll units and loop laying head, loop cooling conveyor including three-fan system and coil station with dividing shear and pallet transport system 101

102 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Closed-die forging press with MEERtorque SMS is increasingly turning to torque motors as drives for presses. Their advantage is their high torque at low speeds. In Remscheid, Germany, the first press started production with MEERtorque drive. SONA BLW Präzisionsschmiede GmbH has put its new closed-die forging press on stream at its Remscheid location. The eccentric forging press of the MT 630 type, delivered by SMS in 2014, is part of a fully automated forg- ing line on which precision gear parts for passenger cars are produced ready for installation. The line also includes an induction heating system for billets, EloForge TM from SMS Elotherm. Since commissioning at the end of 2014 the plant has already produced more than one million parts. The closed-die forging press by SMS is the first of its kind worldwide with a MEERtorque drive. This sustainable concept has been developed to combine the advantages of advanced torque motor technology with the demand to shorten the pressure dwell times prevailing in massive forming as much as possible during the forming process and, at the same time, allow for the greatest-possible time window for tool transfer and die maintenance. As a result, a longer plant lifetime through reduced die wear, higher productivity and savings on emissions, energy and media consumption can be achieved. For SONA, this means lower unit costs. Due to the elimination of friction and compressed air for coupling brake energy is saved. The intention is that energy usage is reduced in the double-digit percentage range. 30 STROKES PER MINUTE The MEERtorque concept for forging presses is based on the idea to separate the pure press movement from the provision of energy. The energy necessary for forming is stored in a flywheel rotating by up to 110 rotations per minute. Upon stroke installation, the eccentric shaft and the ram are accelerated to flywheel speed by means of a torque motor and are only then coupled to the flywheel in a slip-free manner without energy losses. SONA received the first closed-die forging press with MEERtorque drive allowing up to 30 strokes per minute. With other torque motors on an eccentric shaft and flywheel, rates of up to 40 strokes per minute and more may even be reached. MT-630 with MEERtorque during commissioning in Mönchengladbach. Klaus Merkens klaus.merkens@sms-group.com 102

103 Projects NF Metals and thermal technology A similar batch homogenizing plant of Hertwich Engineering EloForge TM L with emptying system and extracting tongs. 15 percent more capacity is generated by the ingot caster at TRIMET Aluminium, Germany. Shorter heating time Order for a batch homogenizing plant. Heated economically Successful commissioning at STP. 15 percent more capacity TRIMET orders ingot caster. Dubai Aluminium from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has ordered a batch homogenizing plant from Hertwich Engineering. This is the fourth plant of its kind that Hertwich is to supply to the company. The batch homogenizing plant is designed for very short heating times. A reversing air concept and regulation by flaps accelerates the heating by an estimated 20 percent and achieves improved temperature uniformity. The plant is fully automated, with heating being controlled by measurement of the air and metal temperatures. The furnace has a capacity of 55 tons for billet diameters between 152 and 406 millimeters. Start of production is scheduled for the third quarter of The automotive supplier Schmiedetechnik Plettenberg (STP), Germany, has taken a new assembly line into operation for the production of ringshaped components. The fully automated line consists of an induction heating system, a 10,000-kN forging press, a ring rolling machine, a 6,300- kn sizing press and five robots. The multi-mandrel radial ring rolling machine is from SMS. SMS Elotherm supplied the inductive billet heating machine, type EloForge TM L. Special features here are the automatic emptying system and the extraction tongs with breaking and repulsion function. Frank Mandera, Plant Manager at STP: The extracting tongs ensure that process disturbances or interruptions due to adhering parts are prevented. We truly appreciate the appropriate advice and support by expert staff from SMS. TRIMET Aluminium from Essen, Germany, has ordered a horizontal continuous caster (HCC) for ingots from Hertwich Engineering. In this way, the company is able to produce high-grade alloyed ingots. The annual capacity of the plant is approx. 60,000 tons. The HCC operates with an ingot format of approx. 2.0 x 3.5 inches and is therefore about 15 percent more efficient than the plants producing in the standard ingot format (2.0 x 3.0 inches). The casting capacity is approx. nine to 13 tons per hour depending on the casting alloy. Hertwich s scope of supply includes the casting system consisting of casting tundish and molds, a casting machine as well as the cooling-water control system. Also included are a flying saw with chip extraction and an automatic packaging and stacking system. A weighing machine and a storage roller table for ingot stacks complement the supply package

104 Projects sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 TWO MORE CONTIROD LINES FOR AMER GROUP The Amer International Group, China, commissioned the SMS group with the supply of two CONTIROD lines CR The two new lines are to be mounted this year at Goawei Copper plant in YingKou Municipality, Liaoning Province, and at Amer Gansu plant, Gansu Province. At the Amer Tongling plant, the parent company Amer International has been operating a CONTIROD CR 3500 already for many years. With the two new lines having a capacity of 35 tons per hour each, Amer plans to triple its production capacity and rise to be the number one in China s wire rod production. The lines produce ETP copper SMS has installed more than 45 CONTIROD lines worldwide. wire rod (Electrolytic Tough Pitch) serving as semifinished products for the manufacture of electrical conductors. Efficiency in the focus The scope of supply of the two CON- TIROD lines includes a shaft melting furnace, a twin-belt caster, a rolling mill, a deoxidation and cooling section, as well as a wire coiling station and an automatic strapping unit and a foil packaging line each. With its lambda control and improved cathode distribution, the shaft melting furnace is characterized by minimized consumption of natural gas and high product quality. The caster permits a symmetrical cast structure and a large casting cross-section of 6,300 mm². In the twelve mill stands with individual drives, a fine-grained structure is generated in the wire rod by high cross-sectional reduction creating excellent preconditions for the drawing process. In this way, high-quality and sophisticated products such as enameled and multi-fine wire can be manufactured in the down-line processes. Through the final deoxidation and water cooling, the wire rod achieves top surface quality. After gentle winding in the coiling station, the coils are strapped automatically and protected against damage by the packaging film. Thanks to high energy efficiency and resource-friendly material input, the CONTIROD lines CR 3500 fulfill the strict sustainability criteria for Ecoplants of SMS

105 Projects The contracting parties of Yasuda Metals and SMS after the sale of the HybrEx. SMS Elotherm upgrades a heating system at ThyssenKrupp Gerlach in Homburg. Heat treatment plant with billet manipulators and auxiliary equipment. Supply to Japan HybrEx extrusion press for Yasuda Metal Industries. Lower unit costs Heating system upgraded. Flexible and efficient New induction unit for Western Energy. Yasuda Metal Industries, based in Osaka, Japan, has placed an order with the SMS group for an extrusion press of type HybrEx 14. Yasuda intends to use the press, which can attain a maximum force of 14.5 MN, to produce light-metal sections for windows and facades. It is capable of processing billets of up to 800 millimeters in length and has a capacity of around 5,000 tons per year. Thanks to the drive technology used in the HybrEx 14, energy savings of up to 55 percent can be achieved compared to conventional presses. The HybrEx press has been developed by SMS. Compared to the drives used in conventional presses, its drive systems can reach twice the speed, i.e., 1,000 millimeters per second. A reduced non-productive time of just one second means production can be increased by up to 100 tons per year. ThyssenKrupp Gerlach from Homburg, Germany, has placed an order with SMS Elotherm for the modernization of a heating installation. The equipment achieves an hourly output of 14 tons. The induction system ordered by ThyssenKrupp Gerlach operates as a dual line, increases the energy efficiency thanks to izone technology and minimizes CO 2 emissions. Owing to this technology, unit manufacturing costs are also diminished particularly in the case of partial throughputs. izone enables the coil section to be adapted flexibly to the desired partial throughputs. For each heating task an individual process is available with high energy efficiency. Loading and unloading of the installation takes place by means of fully automated robot systems. The heating system is scheduled to come on stream in the third quarter of Western Energy Materials Technologies Co. Ltd., China, has placed an order with IAS for the supply of a vertical induction system for heating billets from titanium, zirconium and special materials. The unit consists of two heating stations with state-ofthe-art transistor technology offering high flexibility regarding billet sizes and process temperatures. The scope of supply includes also the complete auxiliary equipment and materials handling system for the 45-MN extrusion press of SMS, on which the billets are processed. Electrical efficiency may be 82 percent depending on the billet size and alloy. Thermal efficiency and homogenous heating quality for this application are considerably higher than with conventional systems. forging-plants

106 Service Innovations Ecoplants sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 SERVICE INNOVATIONs ECOPLANTS 60 locations worldwide make sure the SMS group is close to its customers. Their plants are kept competitive with innovative solutions provided by the service experts. 106

107 Service OVERVIEW Service activities in Brazil 108 Scoring with experience Service assignment in the U.S.A. 110 Superior Tube puts its trust in SMS expertise Service assignment in Russia 112 Service concepts offered by SMS group continue track record Service assignment in the Netherlands 116 As good as new: SMS group overhauls forging machine at van Beest Modernization in the U.S.A. 118 Centerpiece: Innovative 3-roll PSM

108 Service Close to the customer everywhere in the world: the SMS group service experts. SMS overhauled gear units at ArcelorMittal. 108

109 Service SCORING WITH EXPERIENCE Recent activities at ArcelorMittal Tubarão in Vitoria, Brazil, once again emphasize the importance of experience, know-how and organization in selecting a service consultant. In addition to overhauling measures for its gear units, the customer benefits from valuable recommendations of the SMS group experts. Many years of experience with damage symptoms, numerous cause studies and solutions result in a knowledge that cannot be bought for money. ArcelorMittal Tubarão benefitted from that knowledge just recently when it was confronted with problems arising from the first finishing stand. A gear unit damage marked the starting point of a successful cooperation. No part was replaced by a new one without SMS having considered alternative solutions. Gear units were moved from one mill stand to another. Toothed components with generally long delivery times were shipped quickly. Selected transport means were scrutinized and changed wherever necessary. Pre-assembly work was carried out on-site. Further measures included the use of dummies, short-term modification of pass schedules and adaptation of production planning. Throughout the whole period, the economic efficiency of all measures was our top priority, says Claus Wilk, Technical Service of the SMS group. Besides the repair of the mill pinion and spur gear units, SMS investigated possible measures for damage prevention. ArcelorMittal Tubarão ap- proved the installation of a test unit monitoring the vibrations of mill stand F4. Compared to the existing measuring system from another producer, the Genius CM Condition Monitoring System made by SMS showed clear deflections indicating a tooth defect. A tooth breakout being four centimeters in size was discovered. Tailored to the requirements of the plant, SMS adapted the tooth system contours of the mill pinion gear unit with the result of a 25-percent increase in torque and a longer service life. HIGH TORQUE AMPLIFICATION FACTOR Based on its production data and measured values, ArcelorMittal Tubarão identified an extremely high Torque Amplification Factor (TAF). The values found surpassed anything measured before, says Wilk. For that reason we recommended to examine the reliability of the data and initiate suitable measures. These are now being implemented. In addition to the required rolling torque, there are further factors burdening the drive train. The torque amplification factor (TAF) describes the relation of the maximum torque Tmax to the static torque Tstat. When design- ing drive components, SMS considers them in the associated models according to the planned use. That includes influences from the rolling process. An unplanned high TAF increases the wear of the mechanical drive components. The plant operator may control such burdens by adapting the respective process conditions. Reliable lubrication as a preventive maintenance measure, for example, ensures symmetrical conditions at the rolls. Uniform cooling of strip top and bottom sides helps provide adequate edge temperatures. This includes sufficient slab heating in the furnace to prevent cold strip heads. SMS supports its customers in determining the actual TAF by a current-state analysis based on temporary measurements. Another useful tool is the ability to run simulations, helping the engineers of SMS identify potentials for improvement. Claus Wilk claus.wilk@sms-group.com 109

110 Service sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 So that all speak the same language: The theory at SMS is also an integral part of the training measures. Superior Tube puts its trust in SMS expertise Superior Tube in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., placed an order for a maintenance audit and training course with the service experts from the SMS group. Alongside an independent assessment of its processes, Superior Tube benefited from a customized training course for improving its maintenance strategy. 110

111 Service What s more, Superior Tube is faced with the challenge of rapidly changing products, i.e., supplying tubes of varying diameters and materials on time, every time. Expertise of our local team: The experts of SMS know your plants and offer you sound advice. The experts from SMS first took a detailed look at the company s maintenance processes. The efficiency of existing processes in the maintenance and production departments was examined and evaluated. SMS staff members assessed areas including seamless tube production, welded pipe manufacturing, maintenance workshops and spare parts stores. SMS maintenance audits can be used so far to identify any untapped potential, thereby enabling companies to increase both their efficiency and plant availability. The auditors, Matthias Burrichter and Oleg Michael Vilents, are active in the MEERconsult department where they are responsible for sales and marketing and the implementation of maintenance audits. Audits are part of the standard product portfolio of MEERconsult and can last anything from three to ten days, depending on the size of the plant. The analysis and assessment of the core processes at Superior Tube lasted about three days. The company was able to benefit from the expertise as an OEM manufacturer with up-to-date maintenance systems and procedures and an independent opinion about companyinternal core processes. Superior Tube operates a cold pilger mill supplied in the 1970s by SMS, as well as several small welded tube plants and cold drawing machines. These are used to produce both seamless and welded tubes with smaller diameters. With tubes like these the focus is predominantly on quality. Material costs are comparatively high, and their use customers are among others the aerospace industry, in medicine, in the oil and gas industries as well as in chemical processes only permits very close tolerances. INDIVIDUALLY TAILORED TRAINING COURSES In addition to examining and assessing maintenance processes, SMS also developed a customized training course for Superior Tube. The MEERcoach ME-RCM training course is aimed at adapting the company s maintenance strategy to different circumstances and conditions. This includes, for example, evaluating the risks of failure of all machine components, and tailoring resources such as parts or tools to actual requirements identified in advance. The ME-RCM method for defining critical components and associated maintenance measures is an approach developed specially by SMS. It is based on methods such as RCM (Reliability Centered Maintenance) and FMECA (Failure Modes and Effects Criticality Analysis). As part of the training course the SMS experts first explained the fundamental principles to their colleagues at Superior Tube, who were then able to apply them to the analysis of the maintenance quality of the cold pilger mill in the next step. Superior Tube intends to use the knowledge it has gained and applied for a full analysis of its production site, with the aim of developing a maintenance strategy for the whole plant that is geared towards cost efficiency and plant availability. Matthias Burrichter matthias.burrichter@sms-group.com i Service Just as important as keeping machines and equipment up to date it is to providing the respective know-how to staff members. SMS renders services of practical and theoretical training courses, startup support and production assistance. 111

112 Service sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Service concepts offered by SMS group continue track record The Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk Iron & Steel Corp (NLMK) has entrusted the SMS group with the performance of active maintenance and repair services on key plant assets, starting in February As a permanent partner, the Technical Service Division of the SMS group is thus assuming part of the responsibility for achieving the production target of 12.5 tons of steel per year envisaged by Novolipetsk Iron & Steel for the Lipetsk site. Starting in February 2015, an SMS team will be available at the newly established Russian service workshop to support the maintenance processes with a service staff of up to 300. Building on extensive technological know-how and comprehensive expertise in all process chains of the steel industry, the SMS group team is well qualified to sustainably optimize the customer s maintenance processes. Successful references for example, the services rendered to the continuous casting plant of MMK (Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works OJSC) show that the SMS group not only relieves the operators of steelmaking plants from some of their workload, but may also give positive impetus to their plants development. ONline AND OFFLINE MAINTENANCE As early as in 2014, NLMK decided to benefit from the knowhow of the SMS group s service experts. The SMS group will, from now on, perform the maintenance activities on the SMS Mevac-supplied RH plants and ladle furnaces, both online and offline. A team of specialists will perform offline maintenance for the nine continuous casting plants in operation and overhaul critical components such as oscillation systems, molds and segments of the continuous casters. The team will have to cope with the challenge of having to deal with casters built during a period ranging from 1967 through By transferring maintenance management tasks to the SMS group, plant operators benefit from increased planning security in addition to economic and organizational improvements. Personnel planning plays a key role in this context. In the present case, the SMS group experts will team up with customer s core personnel to integrate their expertise in the maintenance activities. In the process, the operator s staff will be trained by the SMS experts on a high technological level to enhance their skills in dealing with specialist maintenance processes. Efficient maintenance must be based on well-founded strategies and diligently planned measures. MANAGEMENT OF THE SPARE PARTS As part of the Integrated Maintenance Management System (IMMS ) concept, SMS carried out a detailed ME-RCM analysis (Maintenance Engineering-Reliability Centered Maintenance) at NLMK. The empirical data obtained from this analysis will be integrated into the SAP system in place at NLMK. NLMK also entrusted the SMS group with the management of the spare parts inventory of the continuous casting plants and the secondary-metallurgy facilities. The SMS group now stocks the daily requirements of parts in a warehouse on the works premises. Through outsourcing, the operator thus ensures access to spare parts whenever necessary, while reducing costs. Through the worldwide service network of the SMS group, NLMK benefits in various other respects from the cooperation with the systems supplier SMS, for example, through the state-of-the-art coating facilities for mold plates and segment rollers in the SMS service workshop in Chelyabinsk, Russia. 112

113 Sitting from left to right: Pino Tesè Executive Vice President Technical Service Division, SMS group, S. Filatov Managing Director, NLMK Standing from left to right: Sergey Baladin Deputy Chief Engineer Maintenance, NLMK; Bogdan Ryskulov Project Director Maintenance Services, SMS; Alexey Vasilyevich Popov Director of Repair Complex, NLMK; David Jeffrey Regional Vice President Russia & CIS; SMS. A good cooperation is the basis for success, also in maintenance. This is already shown at MMK. 113

114 Service sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Oil film bearings from SMS are reliable, safe and efficient. WearComp bearing bushes ensure perfect spindle true running. Four-stroke valves for combustion engines. Saving costs Modern oil film bearings for Tata Steel. Longer service life WearComp revolutionizes maintenance. Press overhauled Märkisches Werk commissions SMS group. Since the installation of hot rolling mill 2 in 1968, there has been strong cooperation between Tata Steel Europe, domiciled in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, and SMS. Service experts from SMS examined the more than 45-year-old bearing systems with the objective of making sure the bearings operate without trouble and of reducing operating expenses. Since 2012, the bearings have been revamped with the modifications including changes to the design of the bearing seals, the bearing and neck bushes as well as the axial positioning elements. In addition, the backup roll chocks were repaired in the Hilchenbach workshops. These measures were supported by training courses held by SMS experts. The result: Oil losses reduced by 70 percent, water penetration to a specified volume and bearing damage minimized considerably. WearComp composites generate fantastic properties. They are selflubricating and have superior strength and dimensional stability. By their longer service life as compared to conventional materials they revolutionize maintenance. Constant lubrication is needed where steel moves on steel. Otherwise, the consequence will be permanent damage influencing process accuracy. That happened to the roll changing system at Voestalpine, Austria. The spindle centering ring was in need of a 100-percent precise, wear-free and reliable bearing bush even under thermal expansion of the roll. The bearing bush developed by SMS and HyComp, U.S.A., comes with WearComp fibers pressed in steel and offers stable centering and hence perfect spindle true running. MWH, Märkisches Werk Halver, Germany, has commissioned SMS to overhaul a purchased second-hand closed-die forging press completely. Beforehand, service experts from SMS had inspected the friction screw press together with the customer, defining the future capacity specification. On the basis of this comprehensive status analysis, a general overhaul was performed at the SMS workshop in Mönchengladbach. The friction screw press from 1982 of the Hasenclever FRP N500 type with a pressing force of 2,500 MN was equipped with a new screw and screw nut including new hydraulic and electrical systems. The swivel frame was likewise renewed, enabling loading and unloading of long valves. With the press, Märkisches Werk will produce valves for large engines. service-siemag-en service-siemag-en service-meer-en 114

115 Service The availability of the spare parts at Hoesch Spundwand und Profil GmbH shall be improved. Paul Wurth offers services to customers in India via its workshop at the SMS group s facilities in Bhubaneswar. After modernization Montbard achieves a higher extrusion force. Less is more Paul Wurth in India Increased force Availability of spare parts improved. Opening of service workshop. Order from Salzgitter Mannesmann. Photo left: HSP Hoesch Spundwand and Profil GmbH, 2015 For HSP Hoesch Spundwand und Profil GmbH, a Salzgitter AG company, SMS performed a process analysis for optimizing the availability of spare parts for the heavy section mill. After service experts of SMS had analyzed previous processes a plan of action was developed together with the customer for optimizing the stock of spare parts to make the procurement system more efficient and faster. In addition to that, allocation and searchability were to be simplified. Based on this process analysis, the customer has now placed the order with SMS Service to render support in implementing this plan of action. service-meer-en Concurrently with the inauguration of the SMS group s manufacturing facilities in Bhubaneswar, in India, on November 27, 2014, the Paul Wurth group opened its new service workshop at the same location. Within the SMS facilities, Paul Wurth operates a workshop covering a space of 3,000 square meters and equipped with advanced high-performance machinery suitable to do repairs and overhauls on almost all Paul Wurth components. The strategic proximity to its key customers in India and the joint SMS/Paul Wurth workshop with its modern equipment will allow Paul Wurth to markedly expand its service business in India through repair, spare parts and other services performed at the new workshop. The SMS group has been awarded a contract by Salzgitter Mannesmann Stainless Tubes to modernize an extrusion press in the Montbard plant, France. Owing to the upgrade, the extrusion force of the plant will be increased from 34 to 40 MN. The diameter of the billet container and the maximum billet length are also enlarged. The additional increase of the extrusion force to 40 MN enables SMST France to expand its product range. The old plant control system will be replaced by a new one, allowing for optimal control of individual process steps. By upgrading and partially modifying the construction of the components, the company achieves higher availability and maintenance is simplified. The plant will be put into operation in the fourth quarter of

116 Service U-shaped shackles have to withstand enormous loads. Convincing cooperation: Bas Schiereck, Project Manager of VAN BEEST, Gerard Prot, Production Manager at VAN BEEST, Siegfried Mindykowski and Filipe Martins Ferreira, SMS group (from left to right). When ships are loaded or unloaded shackles of various sizes play a decisive role. 116

117 Service As good as new: SMS GROUP overhauls forging machine at VAN BEEST With its OEM knowledge, the SMS group has overhauled a Hasenclever WSHK 800 in Sliedrecht, in the Netherlands. The result is convincing. They are small and inconspicuous, however, everything depends on their load capacity: shackles. U-shaped shackles are the connections between cable ropes or chains and fixed components or transported material carrying enormous loads. One of the leading manufacturers worldwide of shackles and fittings for chain and cable rope suspensions is the Dutch VAN BEEST B.V., in Sliedrecht. Shackles from VAN BEEST are employed on offshore oil and gas platforms, in ports, in the shipping industry or in materials handling technology. The horizontal forging machine from 1978 with which VAN BEEST produces shackles has caused a great number of rejects lately due to worn machinery parts. With the know-how as plant manufacturer, SMS has performed a general overhaul of the forging machine of the Hasenclever WSHK 800 series in only three months. The result: The product quality of the shackles is now even higher and the number of rejects was reduced to almost zero. The old forging machine has now been updated to a near-new installation. The general overhaul by SMS has a model character for the conversion of an old horizontal forging machine to an efficient and futureproof installation. Comprehensive general overhaul For modernizations and general overhauls, downtimes are the number one priority for SMS, which is also true in the case of VAN BEEST. Based on an equipment check when components with high levels of wear and such in critical condition were localized by expert staff from SMS, the specialists developed a comprehensive plan for the general overhaul of the horizontal forge focusing on the availability of special components of the Hasenclever WSHK 800 series. In addition to wear parts stored in the warehouse, such parts also had to be considered that are only available with long lead times. Some of those parts were made-to-measure by SMS manufacturing staff, other parts were first manufactured as blanks with an allowance of five to ten millimeters and then adapted precisely to the machine during general overhaul. This procedure requires knowledge of all plant details. Before plant downtime, VAN BEEST had increased the stock of the shackles accordingly and was able to bridge the overhaul time in this way. Based on the precise preparations, disassembly, overhaul, reassembly and commissioning were concluded on time in only three months. Productivity and quality We are highly satisfied with the general overhaul by SMS, Bas Schiereck, the responsible project manager at VAN BEEST, summarizes. The deadline was met. We have enhanced product quality significantly and are now producing almost without any rejects. It is really amazing how the old horizontal forging machine is performing after the overhaul

118 Innovations sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 CENTERPIECE: innovative 3-roll PSM The SMS group has successfully upgraded the existing bar mill at Steel Dynamics (SDI) in the USA. This modernization has enabled SDI to increase its production capacity by 50 percent and expand its product portfolio with high-quality bars of SBQ (Special Bar Quality) grade. SDI now has two production routes. The old line (16" mill) produces rounds with diameters ranging between one and nine inches ( millimeters). The new line produces high-precision SBQ bars within the one to 3 ½ inches diameter range ( millimeters). Together, their annual production capacity is 850,000 tons, including 500,000 tons of SBQ bars. The SMS group s scope of supply for the new bar mill included a descaler, a two-high reversing rougher, eight housingless roll stands in an H/V arrangement, a 90-degree roller table, PSM precision sizing block, shearing lines, handling and bundling equipment, as well as the roll shop, technology system and measuring technology including MEERgauge. The new equipment was integrated into the existing finishing train. The old finishing stands can be incorporated into the process, depending on the desired cross-section of the bars. 3-roll PSM precision sizing block The quality-critical PSM is the centerpiece of the new bar mill. PSM stands for Precision Sizing Mill. Preparations for its installation were made while production was still ongoing at Steel Dynamics. This meant that the required shutdown period was kept to a minimum. The rolling stock is enclosed in four cassettes comprising three rolls each. The PSM is the key element in SBQ production. One outstanding feature is its ability to position each roll under load fully automatically and in real time. The advanced design of the 3-roll cassette in conjunction with three hydraulic cylinders is what makes adjustment under load possible. This allows the bar to be optimized under load during the rolling process, while balancing out fluctuations in the temperature and size of the incoming bar. The hydraulic cylinders are used for precise adjustment of all three rolls concentrically or of each individual roll within fractions of a second. As a result, both symmetrical and asymmetrical adjustments to the position of the individual rolls under load can be made. This fine adjustment during ongoing production guarantees high output with consistently high quality. The MEERgauge installed at the exit end of the PSM is a laser measuring device used to measure the cross-section. Four sensors conduct non-contact measurements over the entire cross-section of the bar. And since the system operates without any moving or vibrating parts, it is virtually maintenance-free. The MEERgauge precision measuring device takes 500 scans per second of the hot bar and calculates the deviation from the ideal contour in real time. The values taken from the individual measurements are transmitted via a direct process field bus link, also in real time, to the TCS (Technological Control System) of the PSM. Based on this data, the TCS levels out size fluctuations dynamically using closedloop control circuits. The entire crosssection is captured during this process. Reliable, maintenance-friendly cassette changes The roll shop set up by the SMS group enables the rolls in the cassettes to be replaced quickly and easily. Calibration is assisted by optical measuring devices and fully automatic measurement of the roll positions on the monitor. The setting data are transmitted to the automation system, thereby creating the ideal conditions for hydraulic roll gap adjustment directly after a cassette change. 118

119 Ecoplants i 3-roll PSM PSM stands for Precision Sizing Mill and was further improved by integrating the cross-section measuring device MEERgauge. In addition to greater precision, material and energy costs can be significantly reduced, which means saving up to ten euros per ton of steel. 119

120 Innovations sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 From top to bottom: The centerpiece of the plant the 3-roll PSM. Good cooperation between SDI and SMS. The picture shows Tim Pettigrew, SDI, and Maxin Kruschinski, SMS group. MEERgauge cross-section measurements on the hot bar. Operating errors are thus avoided. The fully automatic cassette changer is just as fast and easy. A mere five minutes after the new cassette is pushed in and the stands are closed, the plant is ready for operation again. By operating the PSM in combination with the MEERgauge, TCS and monitor control system, tolerance values of up to DIN EN can be achieved. With its SQB bars, Steel Dynamics has opened up new and lucrative sales markets, for example the aerospace industry, automotive industry as well as the transport and energy sectors. Since 2006, already eleven customers have decided in favor of the new PSM with hydraulic roll gap adjustment from the SMS group

121 Ecoplants Innovative dedusting system China-based Shougang Qian An will employ the SMS group s new fine-dust extraction system at its steelworks. This will markedly reduce dust emissions. Shougang Qian An Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. has placed an order with the SMS group to retrofit their steelworks with three hydro-hybrid filter systems. The steelworks is located in the city of Qian An in the northeast of the Chinese Hebei Province. With this Ecoplants technology, Shougang will be able to significantly reduce dust emissions. This order from China is also the first to include the installation of the newly developed SMS filter system. Commissioning of the first unit is scheduled to take place before the end of this year. The SMS group is setting new standards in China with a filter system. The modernization of the primary dedusting systems of the three BOF converters will include the installation of hydro-hybrid filter systems and their integration into the exhaust duct downstream of the existing wet scrubbers. The scope of equipment to be supplied by SMS China covers the complete wet-type filter system (from inlet to outlet, including the steel structures), electrics and automation system as well as assembly. This concept minimizes the time required for the reconstruction work. Thanks to the innovative solution of combining the existing wet scrubber and the electrostatic precipitators, clean-gas dust contents down to 10 mg/nm 3 can be achieved. While the main dust load will be separated in the existing wet scrubber, removal of the fine dust, which has not taken place in the past, will from now on be handled by the new unit. The separation of fine dust particles from the off-gas is based on the principle of electrostatic precipitation. Compliance with what are probably the most stringent environmental standards in terms of clean-gas dust content will make Shougang a shining example for competitors all over the world. According to the Ecoplants principle, this technology is not only a solution of how to cope with ecological challenges but will also provide an economic return. While reducing the pressure loss, the hydro-hybrid filter system provides the possibility of reducing electricity consumption by up to 45 percent. i Ecoplants The Ecoplants trademark characterizes SMS group technologies that offer the customers both ecological and economic benefits. In line with the SMS group s commitment to environmental responsibility, the Ecoplants technologies fulfill or even exceed current environmental regulations while providing costefficient sustainability. With the hydro-hybrid filter system, a further technology covered by this trademark has successfully taken the step from innovation to market maturity

122 Events sms group newsletter 02 / 2015 Harald Rackel, member of the Managing Board SMS group, at the CIELFFA symposium. One highlight at the Aluminium China: the SMS group s HybrEx. Rüdiger Holz, SMS group, was one of the speakers in Mumbai. European symposium Cold strip producers met in November. Trade fair in Shanghai Focus on HybrEx extrusion press. Technology Day Mumbai Event premiered last year. On the occasion of their annual meeting on November 27 and 28, 2014, the participants of the European Federation of the National Associations of Cold Rolled Narrow Steel Strip Producers CIELFFA (Comité International d Etude du Laminage à Froid du Feuillard d Acier) learned more on how cold strip can be produced with particular economic efficiency. Harald Rackel, member of the Managing Board SMS group, welcomed the guests and informed them in his lecture titled Cost efficient, flexible and advanced cold strip production SMS group solution for the future market on future-oriented, efficient technologies for cold strip production. The SMS group stands by cold strip producers all around the globe as a strategic partner and accompanies them in the advancement of their production facilities and technologies. X-Roll 2.0 rolling mills come with particular efficiency. Aluminium China is Asia s leading trade fair for the entire aluminum industry. From July 8 to 10, 2015, 550 exhibitors from 30 countries will showcase their technologies and innovations. The portfolio covers the complete production chain from aluminum raw materials to semi-finished and finished products. Also, producers of aluminum processing equipment will be represented there. The SMS group will again participate in the event and present, among others, equipment made by Hertwich Engineering and extrusion press HybrEx the new development by SMS. The hybrid drive concept of the HybrEx reduces energy consumption and, at the same time, boosts productivity. Visitors will find the stand of the SMS group in hall N1, booth 1C10. On November 21, 2014, Steelgroup. co.in held its first Cold Rolling & Processing Technology Day in Mumbai. One of the participants there was the SMS group. Steelgroup.co.in is a network of delegates from the Indian steel industry representing steel producers as well as equipment and technology suppliers, and serves this trade as an information and competence center. The Cold Rolling & Processing Technology Day was well attended counting 290 participants from 13 countries. The SMS group presented several lectures and appreciated the importance of the steel market on the Indian subcontinent. Due to the positive development of the automotive sector, plant concepts for the production of advanced automotive grades are increasingly sought after

123 Events i EVENTS 2015 Imprint SMS group Newsletter Issue 02 /2015 Publisher SMS group Corporate Communications, Eduard- Schloemann-Straße Düsseldorf, Germany Phone communications@ sms-group.com Printing and prepress processes Druckhaus Kay GmbH Hagener Straße Kreuztal, Germany Published on May 6, 2015 / SMS group / Circulation in German 6,600, in English 14,000 / Printed in Germany PowderMet San Diego, U.S.A SEAISI 2015 Manila, Philippines Metalloobrabotka Moscow, Russia Infacon 2015 Kiev, Ukraine Tube Russia Moscow, Russia METEC, GIFA, THERMPROCESS Düsseldorf, Germany IMU Hagen, Germany Aluminium China Shanghai, China Innoprom Yekaterinburg, Russia The information provided in this magazine contains a general description of the performance characteristics of the products concerned. The actual products may not always have the characteristics described and, in particular, these may change as a result of further developments of the products. The provision of this information is not intended to have, and will not have, legal effect. An obligation to deliver products having particular characteristics shall only exist if expressly agreed in the terms of the contract Tube & Pipe Osaka 2015 Osaka, Japan ABM Week 2015 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Aachener Stahl Kolloquium Aachen, Germany ChinaForge Shanghai, China metalform China Shanghai, China Euro PM Congress & Exhibition Reims, France AluExpo Istanbul, Turkey Alacero-56 Buenos Aires, Argentina Metal Expo 2015 Moscow, Russia Learn more about upcoming events at: com/en/conferences. php Aluminum USA Detroit, U.S.A Stahltag Düsseldorf, Germany th Middle East Iron and Steel Conference (MEISC) Dubai, UAE 123

124 We transform... the world of metals. The whole world of metals... from one source What connects the world originates with us. We plan, design, and construct plants worldwide for producing and processing steel, aluminum, and copper. The result: Quality products that stand up to top strains ensure sustainable quality of life around the globe. And that brings us closer together. SMS group Eduard-Schloemann-Strasse 4 Phone: communications@sms-group.com Düsseldorf, Germany Fax: Internet: