Pickling and galvanizing of the first coil in September 2019, marked the production start of the new pickling and galvanizing line at Nucor Steel Gallatin in Ghent, Kentucky, in the U.S.A. SMS group delivered the whole line out of one hand as a system supplier and is responsible for engineering, process technology, furnace technology, pickling and galvanizing technology as well as electrical and automation systems. The “heat-to-coat” technology is characterized by the compact and operator-friendly U-shape design, the turbulence pickling system, the high-power inductive heating system, the FOEN^® galvanizing equipment and the Drever after-pot cooling system.

The line is designed to produce 500,000 tons of galvanized hot strip per year with a maximum capacity of 180 tons per hour and a large strip cross section (up to 6.35 millimeter thickness and up to 1,854 millimeter width), which sets a new standard in hot strip galvanizing. There is a broad area of applications for the material, especially in construction, transportation and in the automotive industry and it is possible to substitute galvanized cold strip with hot strip.

The “heat-to-coat” process based on SMS patented technology excels with its high profitability, as all processes take place in a single facility. The process permits the production of galvanized steel strip with durable corrosion protection, an appealing visual appearance, as well as an increased mechanical load-capacity while still maintaining low production and investment costs.

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