Henan Yirui starts production on the new aluminum hot rolling mill supplied by SMS group
Summary
- Production starts two months earlier than agreed
- Hot strip mill extended by a further three finishing mill stands
Two months ahead of the contractually agreed date, the first aluminum coil was successfully rolled on the new hot mill at Henan Yirui New Material Technology Co., Ltd.
The new hot mill is an essential element of the strategic expansion project of Henan Yirui, a subsidiary of the Henan Mingtai group, which is located in the city of Gongyi, Henan Province, China. This underlines Henan Yirui's trust in the expertise and experience of SMS group and its many successful references in the aluminum industry.
SMS group developed a solution to refurbish and integrate components from a secondhand 1+1 hot rolling mill, comprising a roughing mill and a single-stand finishing mill, into the 1+4 hot strip mill at the Gongyi site. SMS supplied the mechanical equipment, fluid systems, and X-Pact® electrical equipment and process automation. Three new finishing mill stands feature the cutting-edge CVC® technology for superior strip quality. The mill exit area includes a side-trimming shear of novel design, a down coiler unit, and an offline strip surface inspection station. The new hot strip mill can produce trimmed strips up to 2,150 millimeters wide.
Rolling of the first coil was originally scheduled for the first quarter of 2024. However, installation and commissioning times were significantly shortened thanks to the superior technology and the outstanding efforts, dedication and commitment of Henan Yirui and SMS group.
„A particular challenge was the seamless integration of secondhand equipment into a most modern four-stand tandem mill. We at Henan Yirui were convinced by SMS’ solution and ultimately impressed by its smooth implementation. The new SMS X-Pact® Level 2 process model controls the re-used roughing mill and the new finishing mill, thereby creating a fully integrated 1+4 aluminum hot strip mill,” says Liu Jie, General Manager of Henan Mingtai Aluminium.
The Chinese aluminum manufacturer is thus continuing its successful collaboration with SMS group, which began with the order for a six-high cold rolling mill and an AMOVA high-bay coil storage system.
SMS group is renowned worldwide for its future-oriented technologies and outstanding service for the metals industry. The company applies its 150 years of experience and its digital know-how to provide the industry continuously with innovative products and processes – even beyond its core business – and generates worldwide sales of around 3.1 billion euros. SMS is the right partner for challenging projects, and supports its customers throughout the lifecycle of their plants, enabling profitable and resource-efficient value creation chains. Paving the way for a carbon-neutral and sustainable metals industry is the company’s stated goal. As a global player with German roots, SMS takes responsibility for its 14,400 employees.