Siemens has received an order from Chinese steelmaker Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Co. (Wisco) to equip a coupled tandem pickling line in cold rolling mill no. 1 with energy-saving main drives. The Siroll CM process automation system will also be modernized.
The improvements to the automation and drive systems of cold rolling mill no. 1 will enable Wisco to extend its product range to include high-strength steel grades with yield limits of up to 470 MPa, which can be used for high-quality applications such as those required in the automotive industry.
The project is scheduled for completion in September 2010. The order is worth several million euros.
The coupled tandem pickling line will be equipped with Simovert DC Master circulating-current-free drive systems, which will reportedly reduce energy consumption and increase the plant’s productivity. The faster response time of the new drive equipment will improve the gauge control using the mass flow concept. Additional control loops will reduce disturbances in the rolling process.
Modernization of the basic automation and the operator control and monitoring system only requires modification of some software modules, according to Siemens. The process automation will be fitted with a new operating system and additional process models. These include roll eccentricity compensation (REC) for stands 2 to 4, and a threading-in control system for ultra-thin, especially hard or sensitive types of steel.
Wisco and Siemens have teamed in recent years on a number of modernization and capacity expansion projects. Siemens and Voestalpine Industrieanlagenbau had previously modernized the cold rolling line in cold rolling mill no. 1 and coupled it to the pickling line in 2001.
