Products and solutions Jun 30, 2003 2:00 AM
ThyssenKrupp Nirosta starts up new cold strip line
ThyssenKrupp Nirosta GmbH, one of the world`s largest manufacturers of stainless steel strip and sheet, inaugurated a new cold strip line on June 27, 2003. The line is regarded as one of the most advanced of its kind in the world, above all in terms of quality, energy efficiency and environmental compatibility. It was completed two months earlier than originally planned.
Among the line`s high-tech components are the regenerative burners in the 60 meter long annealing furnace. Compared with conventional burners, in which furnace off-gases are extracted and passed through heat exchangers to preheat the fresh air needed by the gas burners, the technology used in this line offers up to 30 percent higher efficiency.
The reason: The furnace off-gases are directed onto ceramic blocks directly at the furnace`s 92 burners. The fresh air is also passed over the bricks, becomes heated and enters the combustion process at a much higher temperature than in the conventional process. As a result, much less natural gas is needed to produce the heat needed in the annealing furnace. To reduce harmful emissions, ThyssenKrupp Nirosta is also using the so-called FLOX® process, which prevents the flames from reaching temperatures of more than 1,600 to 1,700 degrees and releasing nitrous oxides.
The other statistics of cold strip line 3 also set new standards: The maximum processing speed is 100 meters per minute, corresponding to a cycle time of 35 minutes per stainless steel coil. The line produces NIROSTA® cold strip in thicknesses from 0.2 to 2.0 millimeters and widths from 600 to 1,380 millimeters. It produces 80 percent austenitic and 20 percent ferritic grades. An air cooling zone ensures excellent flatness even on very thin NIROSTA® strip. The entire line can be operated by five employees per shift. In the medium term it will increase the cold strip capacity of ThyssenKrupp Nirosta by roughly 120,000 tons per year.
Occupying around 6,000 square meters of floor space, the cold strip line, which combines annealing, pickling, skin-pass rolling and edge trimming equipment, is extremely compact. It was integrated into existing facilities and to optimize use of space is arranged on three levels. The investment totaled 56 million euros. ThyssenKrupp Nirosta`s partner in the construction of the new line was Sundwig GmbH, part of the Austrian Andritz Group. The electrical equipment was supplied by Alstom GmbH.
Contact:
ThyssenKrupp Steel
Erwin Schneider
Tel.: +49 203 52 - 2 56 90
Fax: +49 203 52 - 2 57 07
e-mail: erwin.schneider@tks.thyssenkrupp.com
Bernd Overmaat
Tel.: +49 203 52 - 45185
Fax: +49 203 52 - 2 57 07
e-mail: bernd.overmaat@tks.thyssenkrupp.com