Siemens to modernize hot strip mill cooling for ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe in Duisburg-Bruckhausen
Linz, Austria, 2011-Sep-16
Siemens VAI Metals Technologies has been commissioned by ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG to upgrade the entire strip cooling system in its hot strip mill 1 at Duisburg-Bruckhausen in Germany to the latest state of the art. This involves the installation of a rough strip cooling system, an intensive “Power Cooling” section and a new laminar cooling unit. The value of the order is more than ten million euros and the project is due for completion by the end of 2013.
The Siemens strip cooling system for the hot strip mill in Duisburg-Bruckhausen comprises a rough strip cooling unit and a finished strip cooling unit, which consists of one intensive and one laminar cooling section. The rough strip cooling is installed behind the Z3 roughing stand in the area of the intermediate roller table. This ensures an even temperature over the entire length and width of the rough strip before it enters the finishing train. At the same time it enables the throughput of the entire rolling mill train to be increased.
At the exit of the finishing train, an intensive “Power Cooling” section is installed. A similar system has already been in operation in the hot strip mill 2 at ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe in Duisburg-Beeckerwerth since December 2010. The new cooling stretch in Duisburg-Bruckhausen is both powerful and extremely flexible. It can also be used for all materials that have to be cooled promptly. In order to reduce the temperature to a specific level, the flow rates of the adjustable-height spray headers can be regulated separately. A newly installed tank supplies the spray booms with water. At particularly high cooling rates, high-performance pumps can also be switched on. In this way, the cooling can be adapted to the type of steel produced in each case, and is both efficient and energy saving.
The laminar cooling section begins immediately after the intensive cooling and the two systems are usually operated together. The laminar cooling is designed for all varieties of steel, but particularly for multi-phase steels that require uninterrupted cooling. The spray booms are individually controlled and their flow rates regulated so that the optimum temperature can be monitored over the entire cooling process.
With this new cooling section, ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe now has one of the most modern plants of its kind in the world. In addition to the mechanical and electrical equipment, Siemens also supplies the necessary fluid systems and the automation technology, including a universal temperature control. This facilitates integrated control of the strip temperature from the roughing train through to the coiler. For a model-based forecast of the physical properties of the rolling mill products, the “Microstructure Monitor” is used.
For further information of solutions for steelworks, rolling mills and treatment lines, visit: https://new.siemens.com/global/en/markets/machinebuilding/metal-forming.html
