For today's investments, quick pay-back is becoming more important than
ever before. The market increasingly demands the shortest possible delivery times
and correspondingly greater flexibility of production. Minimal shutdown times as well
as a fast start-up curve during start-up or restarting of the plant have become an
absolute necessity today. A new plant concept is illustrated by the extension project
of an existing Steckel mill with three finishing stands in tandem arrangement to increase
its annual production. Furthermore, the quality of the products will be clearly enhanced
thanks to the modified process and the selected technology. In order to implement all
this with the highest possible commercial benefit, a revolutionary revamping concept,
which reduces the mill shutdown period to a minimum, is introduced to the market.
The so-called “add on products” have been developed to generate the highest possible
benefit in existing facilities with limited expense and effort. Highlights include
the differential tension looper and the tensiometer looper, the compact cooling system,
edge masking as well as the on-line polisher.