Nov 7 2008
Siemens VAI Metals Technologies has received an order from Tianjin Tiantie Metallurgical Group Steel Plate Ltd. Co. (TTMG) in China to provide the turnkey process equipment for a new continuous annealing line. The business is worth an amount well into the two-digit million euro range. The annealing line forms part of a cold rolling mill for the production of high-grade strip for the automotive industry, and is scheduled to commence operation in August 2010.
Located in Hebei Province, TTMG is currently changing over its manufacturing from long to flat products. Steel production is also being expanded, with the setting up of new hot and cold rolling mills. For a new cold rolling mill in Tianjin, Siemens VAI received back in 2006 an order for the drives and the entire automation system of a pickling tandem line with a capacity of around 1.5 million tonnes per year. The new continuous annealing line will likewise be constructed at Tianjin and is designed to treat 735,000 tonnes of steel strip of widths between 700 and 1600 millimeters and thicknesses from 0.25 to two millimeters.
Siemens VAI is responsible for the complete engineering and design of the mechanical and electrical equipment, and will also supply special items of crucial significance to product quality, including an ML21H laser welding system, a tension leveller and a skin pass mill stand. The furnace will come from another vendor. The automation equipment for the entire line, including the furnace, likewise forms part of the Siemens scope of supply. The solution concept is based on the Siroll PL platform, specially developed for processing lines. Siemens VAI will also attend to installation supervision and commissioning, and will hand over the continuous annealing line on a turnkey basis.