The Siemens Industrial Solutions and Services (I&S) Group recently received an order from the Corus Group to supply a new tandem cold mill and a new hot-dip galvanizing line for the company's plant in IJmuiden in The Netherlands. The new cold mill will be coupled with an existing pickling line.
The new four-stand, six-high tandem cold mill will be equipped with control elements such as hydraulic roll-gap control, intermediate-roll shifting units and work-roll-bending systems in addition to cooling and roll-gap lubrication. The new 550,000 tonne/year hot-dip galvanizing line is designed to produce various types of high-quality coated-steel materials.
Synchronous motors with cylindrical rotors, powered by DC link converters, will serve as the main drives for the tandem mill. Line drives for both the tandem mill and the hot-dip galvanizing line will utilize AC technology. Automation of the two lines includes the technological control systems and the complete process automation equipment.
Process control applications include gauge control according to the advanced mass flow concept, rolling-process set-up based on online analytical mathematical models, and a system for controlling the thickness of the zinc coating. This will reliably ensure adherence to very tight tolerances such as those demanded by customers in the automotive industry.
Due to the finely tuned interaction between accurate process models and high-speed control systems, it will also be possible to handle critical strip sections in the fully automatic mode with minimum time and material losses. This is an essential prerequisite for the cost-effective operation of such installations.
The equipment installations are based on the "Siroll" concept, which was specially developed for cold rolling mills and strip-processing lines. In addition to media supply, installation and commission, Siemens will provide training for the operator's personnel.
Corus and Siemens worked closely together to design the new plants, with Corus placing special demand on the reliable start-up of the new installations and long-term protection of its investment.
Corus will use the new installations to further expand its product range capabilities for the automotive and construction industries, including the production of Advanced High-Strength Steels (AHSS). The new plant is scheduled to start production in mid-2008.
At IJmuiden, The Netherlands, the Corus Group operates an integrated steelworks with an annual capacity of 6.9 million tonnes of liquid steel from which hot rolled, direct rolled, pickled and oiled, cold-rolled galvanized and organic-coated strip products are produced. 9,500 employees work at the IJmuiden site, which is located on the North Sea shore.