Posted on 23 Oct 2015
SMS group to supply complete flat steel complex including high-performance quality assurance system and operation know-how to Shandong
Shandong Iron and Steel Rizhao, China, has contracted the SMS group to
supply a complete flat steel complex including a newly developed quality
assurance system and operation know-how in the Shandong province on the
Chinese east coast. A special feature of this project will be the
supply of cross-process know-how while simultaneously monitoring,
documenting and securing the product characteristics. The flat steel
complex will comprise a hot strip mill, a pickling tandem mill, a
hot-dip galvanizing line and two annealing lines. The SMS group will
supply the electrical and automation systems for the entire equipment.
Thanks to this investment in high-quality equipment technology combined
with extensive know-how and innovative quality assurance, Shandong will
have one of the most up-to-date plants worldwide. In addition to the
production of tube grades and cold strip for the construction and
household appliances industries, the focus will lie on sophisticated
steel grades for the automotive industry. The equipment is scheduled to
commence operation in 2017. With the new equipment, Shandong Iron and
Steel Rizhao will be able to produce almost five million tons of hot
strip and two million tons of surface-finished cold strip per year.
A central part of this project will be the implementation of a PQA
system (Product Quality Analyzer) which has the task to monitor,
document and secure the process and the products right up to the
surface-finished cold strip. For this purpose, all relevant production
data will be recorded and analyzed in a continuous manner. Based on
pre-defined rules, the system will issue instructions for action, so
that possible irregularities in the production process can be responded
to in due time so as to ensure high yield at optimal quality.
Furthermore, the manufactured products will be assessed with regard to
their suitability for various applications. The main benefits for
Shandong are the immediate identification and elimination of quality
issues, high process stability combined with increased yield and a
higher acceptance on the part of the end customer thanks to complete
documentation of the entire production process.
The scope of supply will also comprise a comprehensive know-how package
which makes it possible to produce different material grades at high
quality in a short period of time. For all hot and cold strip grades,
material, process and operating parameters will be pre-defined for the
entire production route in order to obtain the required mechanical
properties. Furthermore, the production will be supervised and the
process optimized continuously.
The hot wide strip mill is designed for an annual capacity of 4.8
million tons and produces strips in widths of up to 1,900 millimeters.
The slab sizing press allows width reductions of up to 350 millimeters
and therefore ensures great flexibility as regards casting and strip
widths. With two high-performance roughing stands, hydraulic adjustment
systems on all millstands, the CVC? plus (Continuous Variable Crown) system and PCFC?
automation (Profile Contur and Flatness Control), the plant is
optimally equipped for the flexible production of hot strip in narrow
geometrical tolerances.
A major part of the hot strip produced will be processed in the pickling
tandem mill with an annual capacity of two million tons to obtain
high-quality cold strip. Highlights of the plant are the environmentally
friendly design of the pickling plant including an efficient turbulence
tank pickling system and the five-stand tandem mill with the new
combined CVC? plus/ESS technology (Enhanced Shifting System) for flexible optimization of the roll gap.
Two annealing lines and a hot-dip galvanizing line provide a finish to
the cold strip to obtain a high-quality product. All lines feature
high-performance Drever radiant tube furnaces equipped with ultra-fast
cooling systems to ensure high cooling rates. These furnaces allow the
production of high-strength grades for the automotive industry. The
hot-dip galvanizing line comprises FOEN wipe-off nozzles which ensure
that the extremely high demands placed on surface quality by the
automotive industry can be achieved. The two annealing lines have an
annual production capacity of 950,000 and 650,000 tons, while the
hot-dip galvanizing line has a production capacity of 400,000 tons.
The total of two million tons of surface-finished cold strip comes in
widths between 900 and 1,850 millimeters and final gauges of 0.3 to 2.5
millimeters. Production comprises the material grades CQ, DQ, DDQ, EDDQ,
SEDDQ, BH, HSLA, HSS, DP, TRIP, achieving tensile strength values of up
to 1,000 MPa.
The scope of supply for the electrical and automation systems comprises a
plug & work test before commissioning to ensure the functionality
of all systems and provide for intensive training and familiarization of
the customer staff on the equipment.