Initial collaboration: Upgrade of the laminar cooling system
To expand the product range and improve product performance constrained by the existing laminar cooling section, Ningbo Steel signed a contract with SMS group in 2018 to upgrade the whole system. The scope of supply from SMS group covered the mechanical and electrical portions of the entire laminar cooling section, including spray headers, pumps, valves, and X-Pact® Process Control models. This project aimed to enhance cooling efficiency and apply necessary cooling strategies for different steel grades. After modernization, the plant could produce hot strips with appropriate mechanical properties. This collaboration not only strengthened Ningbo Steel's market competitiveness but also laid a solid foundation for subsequent technological improvements in the coming years.
Continued collaboration: Modernization of the CVC® roll bending and shifting system
To reduce the plant maintenance workload, further improve product quality, and achieve better cost efficiency, in September 2022, Ningbo Steel placed an order with SMS group again to upgrade the CVC® blocks of its F1-F7 finishing mill. This project marked the first complete 7-stand CVC® upgrade contract for SMS group in China, reflecting the client's full trust in SMS group’s technology and equipment to control strip flatness and profile in a more efficient and effective way. The hot strip mill stopped operation on December 5, 2023, and SMS group completed the upgrade in just 13 days, together with the construction company, setting a domestic record for similar projects and demonstrating SMS group’s exceptional technical capability and project management skills. The estimated cost savings amount to approximately 30 million RMB per year. This modernization remarkably enhanced the performance of the line, further cementing Ningbo Steel's position in the hot strip market.
Deepened collaboration: Cooling model services
Based on trust in SMS group's electrics and automation capabilities and a history of successful cooperation, Ningbo Steel and SMS group signed a contract for laminar cooling model services again in 2024 with the purpose of securing its ability to produce high-strength steel grades. This collaboration not only optimized the production process of the cooling section but also improved product quality and yield. Upon completion of the service, Ningbo Steel's hot strip mill ultimately gained the capability to smoothly produce dual-phase steel DP800. SMS group's professional services helped Ningbo Steel achieve new breakthroughs in production efficiency and product quality.
A series of successful collaborations have made Ningbo Steel more determined to maintain a full lifecycle partnership with SMS group. To further enhance the performance of the plant, Ningbo Steel is now asking SMS group to continuously optimize the plant, even though it was not initially provided by the latter as the OEM supplier. This relationship will maintain a high operational standard of the hot strip mill throughout its lifecycle in the future.