SMS group offers perfect concepts for all treatment stages of stainless steel strip characterized by efficient furnace and descaling technology, sophisticated production models and powerful environmental technology. All this leads to low production costs, high energy efficiency and outstanding environmental compatibility. Another advantage: SMS group supplies the complete lines from one single source with integrated electrical and automation systems.
SMS supplies all significant line types for stainless steel strip processing from annealing and pickling lines for hot or cold strip to integrated rolling, annealing and pickling lines as well as continuous tandem cold mills and bright annealing lines.
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Hot-strip annealing and pickling line
After hot-rolling, the strip is annealed and descaled and then wound into a coil and finally rolled in a cold rolling mill.
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Layout of a hot-strip annealing and pickling line -
Cold-strip annealing and pickling line
The cold-rolled strip is annealed and pickled once more-though now under different process conditions.
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Layout of a cold-strip annealing and pickling line -
Bright annealing line
In the bright annealing line, the strip first runs through the cleaning area to remove the rolling oil from the strip. This step is followed by recrystallization annealing in an oxygen-free shield-gas atmosphere with a high hydrogen content of up to 90%.
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Layout of a bright annealing line
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Furnace technology
High-speed, eco-friendly production
The Drever furnaces are designed to optimize energy utilization and environmental compatibility. The strip is pre-heated in a radiation zone which operates with the exhaust gases from the downstream heating furnaces. To increase the thermal efficiency, the combustion air is preheated in a recuperator using exhaust gas. The process parameters are set and controlled by a mathematical model over the entire annealing cycle, which is also combined with the pickling model to match up and optimize both processes. More than 40 Drever furnaces for stainless steel strip processing have been ordered since the year 2000 worldwide.
We also combine this model with a pickling model to coordinate both processes. There are even more extras, such as the carousel-type support rolls designed for easy maintenance. Finally, roll changing takes just 15 minutes without interrupting operation.
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Drever annealing furnace -
Cooling technology
Efficient cooling for top qualities
Our Drever furnace offers you two different cooling methods for stainless steel . That ensures you achieve outstanding results with water cooling for hot-strip and mist cooling for cold-strip.
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Water cooling for hot stripIn hot-strip processing, special water cooling technology ensures better strip quality due to faster cooling and better control of the last heating zone. The efficient system results in a shorter cooling section and massive electrical savings. Furthermore, the impact on the environment is minimized because there are no dust emissions and no vibrations or noise.
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Mist cooling for cold stripThe mist cooling technology reduces the length of the energy-consuming air-cooling section and eliminates the final cooling performed by water, since this can generate cooling buckles. In total, 17 annealing and pickling lines have been equipped with mist cooling sections. Electrical energy is saved thanks to reduced blower motor power and exhaust motor power. Moreover, water consumption can be reduced drastically. This adds up to annual operational savings which significantly reduce production costs.
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Pickling technology
High surface quality and lower energy consumption
The pickling process stands for high surface quality with minimized energy and acid consumption. The acid concentration in the pickling tanks is continuously adapted to the type of material handled. A pickling and dosing model ensures a consistent pickling quality and minimizes acid consumption. To reduce energy consumption to the lowest possible level, the model is coupled with the furnace control model.
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X-Roll® laser welder
Fast, safe, and successful welding of challenging steel grades
The X-Roll® laser welder is designed to join hard-to-weld strip material. The laser welder comes with a patented, inductive heat treatment system including automatic welding parameter calculation system, a quality assurance system, and an exchangeable laser source. The laser welder has been installed in new plants as well as in modernization projects.
The X-Roll® laser welder is controlled by X-Pact® automation. The control system is designed as a package unit with its own basic automation and X-Pact® Vision HMI system.
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Process control
X-Pact® automation for stainless steel lines
What do our control solutions mean for you? Quite simply, excellent technology and functionality that ensure you achieve your target values by means of hydraulic and electrical control elements.
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X-Pact® Strip Process Optimizer
A key to increasing the efficiency of modern processing lines
X-Pact® Strip Process Optimizer is a key to increase the efficiency of modern processing lines. It is integrated into all activities regarding engineering, commissioning or research and development of strip processing lines. In addition to its role as a data hub, improving product quality and increasing production volume and flexibility are the main tasks of our Level 2 solution, which is partly based on mathematical and physical process models. X-Pact® Strip Process Optimizer guarantees maximum reliability, increases process stability, reduces downtimes and enables a high degree of independence in production.
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