Acciaieria Arvedi SpA has issued the Final Acceptance Certificate (FAC) to Siemens VAI for its new Arvedi ESP (Endless Strip Production) line in Cremona. Arvedi issued the certificate following fulfillment of the equipment’s guaranteed performance figures.
Arvedi achieved several technological milestones with its new ESP line, including the casting of 80-mm thin strands at speeds in excess of six meters per minute and hot-strip rolling down to a thickness of 0.8 mm. Resultant strip dimensions meet the geometrical requirements for cold rolling, allowing elimination of the conventional cold-rolling process step for many industrial applications.
According to Giovanni Arvedi, inventor of the process, “Operation of the Arvedi ESP line at Acciaieria Arvedi has fully met expectations and overall product quality is excellent.”
Since the Arvedi ESP line’s start-up in early 2009 and the commencement of endless strip production in June of that year, the facility has achieved continuous operational improvements and reduction of strip thickness. The highly compact, 190-meter-long facility has rolled and coiled thin and ultra-thin strip with widths up to 1600 mm and weights up to 32 tonnes.
During routine operations, Arvedi has endlessly cast and rolled nine heats totaling 2250 tonnes of steel, of which 55% (1250 tonnes) was rolled at thicknesses of 1.0 to 1.2 mm, confirming stable and reliable process operations. Longer production sequences are planned in the near future. The facility has successfully processed a wide range of carbon- and HSLA steel grades to date, all of which has been sold commercially.
With Arvedi’s ESP technology, hot-rolled coils with ultra-thin strip gauges are produced directly from liquid steel in a streamlined thin-slab casting/rolling plant. The lines are capable of producing more than two million tons of hot-rolled coils per year in a continuous, uninterrupted manufacturing process, yielding products that are used in the automotive, appliance and building sectors, as well as for the production of tubes, profiles, machinery and mechanical equipment.
The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is a leading international supplier of environmentally friendly production, transportation, building and lighting technologies. The Sector comprises six divisions: Building Technologies, Drive Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility and Osram. With around 207,000 employees worldwide (September 30), Siemens Industry achieved in fiscal year 2009 total sales of approximately €35 billion.
The Siemens Industry Solutions Division (Erlangen, Germany) is one of the world's leading solution and service providers for industrial and infrastructure facilities comprising the business activities of Siemens VAI Metals Technologies, Water Technologies and Industrial Technologies. Activities include engineering and installation, operation and service for the entire life cycle. With around 31,000 employees worldwide (September 30), Siemens Industry Solutions posted sales of €6.8 billion in fiscal year 2009.