Mar 3 2008
Siemens Metals Technologies has received orders to supply equipment to the steel producer Tonghua in the north-east of China. For new hot strip mill Siemens will supply the complete automation and for a cold mill the main drives and the automation. The two projects are scheduled for completion by end of 2009.
In Jilin province, the state-owned Tonghua Iron and Steel Group operates a production complex with an annual capacity of around four million metric tons of steel. Up to now, the company has mainly produced structural steel as well as special steels for a wide variety of applications. Within the framework of an investment program for expansion of the production range to include high-quality flat products, a new hot-galvanizing line is currently being built, for which Siemens is already supplying special equipment. In the course of the completion of the flat production chain, Tonghua is going to build a 1600mm hot strip mill with a scheduled capacity of 1.5. Mio tpy and a reversing two stand cold mill with 800.000 tpy capacity.
For the hot strip mill, Siemens will supply the automation ranging from the furnace exit side to the down coilers and include all technological controls and process models which are required for mill setup, short stroke and width control, profile and flatness control as well the accurate cooling of the steel strip to enable the production of modern steel grades.
For the cold mill, Siemens will supply the technology essential for operating of the 6-high mill stands as well as main drives and automation. A central feature will be the thickness control system based on an advanced mass-flow concept. This will ensure reaching the tight tolerances by customers, e. g. in the automotive and household industry. The online rolling process control feature of the process automation system calculates setpoints based on analytical mathematical models during ongoing production. These setpoints serve as the operating parameters of the rolling machine. Self-learning neuronal networks carry out fine adaptation of the models to the respective production conditions, thus enabling flexible production planning. Optimized interaction of exact process models and the fast-acting closed-loop control system are applied to roll in fully automatic mode with minimal loss of time and material. This is an essential prerequisite for the efficient operation of such plants.
Both mills will be equipped on the basis of the successful “Siroll” concept. Its modular design and the high degree of standardization ensures short start-up times and a safe and maintenance friendly operation. and will encompass technological control systems along with all the process automation, including a pickling model and the rolling process models. Siemens is also supervising assembly and installation of all the components, in addition to commissioning, and will train the customer's personnel. The mechanical and electrical equipment will be supplied by Chinese firms. Siemens components and systems will be widely used therein.
The primary reasons why the contract was awarded to Siemens were the good cooperation between Tonghua and Siemens in preceding projects, and the local presence of Siemens.