Following the fulfillment of the guaranteed performance figures by the new Arvedi ESP (Endless Strip Production) line in Cremona, the Italian steel producer Acciaieria Arvedi S.p.A. issued the Final Acceptance Certificate (FAC) to Siemens VAI.
Several technological milestones were achieved, including the casting of 80 mm thin strands at speeds in excess of six meters per minute and hot-strip rolling down to a thickness of 0.8 mm. Strip dimensions meet the geometrical requirements for cold rolling, allowing the conventional cold-rolling process step to be dispensed with for many industrial applications. According to Giovanni Arvedi, inventor of the process, “Operation of the Arvedi ESP line at Acciaieria Arvedi has fully met expectations and overall product quality is excellent.”
First 0.8 mm thick coil produced on the Arvedi ESP line at Acciaieria Arvedi, Cremona, Italy.
Since the start-up of the Arvedi ESP line in early 2009 and the commencement of endless strip production in June 2009, continuous operational improvements and strip-thickness reductions have been achieved. Thin and ultra-thin strip with widths up to 1,600 mm have been rolled and coiled in weights up to 32 tons in this highly compact 190 m long production facility. During routine operations endless casting and rolling of nine heats totaling 2,250 tons of steel was achieved of which 55% (1,250 tons) was rolled at thicknesses of 1–1.2 mm. This confirms the stable and reliable process operations. Longer production sequences are planned in the near future. A wide range of carbon- and HSLA (high-strength, low alloy) steel grades were produced to date, all of which was commercially sold.
Arvedi ESP technology is characterized by the production of hot-rolled coils in a thin-slab casting/rolling plant directly from liquid steel in a continuous and uninterrupted manufacturing process. Arvedi ESP lines are capable of producing more than two million tons of hot-rolled coils per year. Products are used in the automotive, appliance and building sectors, as well as for the production of tubes, profiles, machinery and mechanical equipment. The proven ability of Arvedi ESP lines to roll ultra-thin strip gauges at maximum design widths and at full production capacity offers producers the possibility to exploit highly attractive market segments with lower-cost products.