Casting-rolling plant produces 1.7 million metric tons of high-quality, ultra-thin hot strip

At the Chinese steel producer Rizhao Steel Co., Ltd. (Rizhao Steel), the fourth Arvedi ESP (Endless Strip Production) plant supplied by Primetals Technologies was started up in April 2018. The casting and rolling plant will produce 1.7 million metric tons of high-quality, ultra-thin hot strip with thicknesses of down to 0.8 millimetres and widths of up to 1,300 millimetres. The product portfolio ranges from carbon steel to HSLA (high-strength low alloyed) grades. To cater to capacity shifts of Rizhao´s crude steel production and a change in plant setup, the Arvedi ESP plant was re-engineered for the use of larger ladles as well as for decreased space availability during the ongoing project. The plant features a Through-Process Optimization solution (TPO) and Industry 4.0. The order was placed with Primetals Technologies in 2014.

Arvedi ESP Plant was adapted to changes in crude steel production and space availability during the ongoing project

Rizhao Steel Co., Ltd. (Rizhao Steel), a company of the Rizhao Steel Holding Group, is located around 30 kilometres outside of the port of Rizhao in the south of Shandong province. The company has a production capacity of approximately 15 million metric tons of crude steel. Rizhao Steel’s product portfolio includes hot-rolled coils, wire, rods and small-dimensioned I-beams, which are mainly sold to Chinese customers. The new Arvedi ESP plants enable Rizhao Steel to further expand its production capacities for high-grade thin strip products and production of cold-rolled substitutes.

Plant features Through-Process Optimization solution (TPO) and Industry 4.0

Primetals Technologies was responsible for the engineering of the Arvedi ESP plant and supplied the mechanical equipment, the media systems, technology packages and the automation technology. The casting and rolling lines are controlled with the aid of consistent and integrated basic (level 1) and process automation (level 2). This ensures a finely coordinated interaction of the casting and rolling process. The installed Through-Process Optimization solution (TPO) compromises of the intelligent Through-Process Quality Control System (TPQC), a newly developed Industry 4.0 IT system and Through-Process Know-How (TPKH) modules. The TPO system will continuously monitor and manage product quality by recording all process parameters as well as measured production and product data, starting from the liquid phase up to the final processing lines.

The Arvedi ESP system produces hot strip directly from liquid steel in a continuous and uninterrupted production process in a linked casting and rolling plant. In this type of plant, the power consumption and the related costs are up to 45 percent less than in the case of a conventional plant with separate casting and rolling processes. It also means a significant reduction of CO2 emissions. Furthermore, with a length of only 155 meters, the dimensions of these plants are clearly more compact than those of conventional casting and rolling plants.

Shaking hands in front of the first coil produced on the fourth Arvedi ESP line at Rizhao Steel: Yu Yao, Plant Manager ESP lines, Rizhao Steel; Harald Monn-Weiss, Site Manager Primetals Technologies; Xie Jibiao, Overall Plant Manager ESP Melt shop, Rizhao Steel (from left to right).

Primetals Technologies, Limited

Primetals Technologies, Limited headquartered in London, United Kingdom is a worldwide leading engineering, plant-building and lifecycle services partner for the metals industry. The company offers a complete technology, product and service portfolio that includes integrated electrics, automation and environmental solutions. This covers every step of the iron and steel production chain, extending from the raw materials to the finished product – in addition to the latest rolling solutions for the nonferrous metals sector. Primetals Technologies is a joint venture of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Siemens. Mitsubishi-Hitachi Metals Machinery (MHMM) – an MHI consolidated group company with equity participation by Hitachi, Ltd. and the IHI Corporation – holds a 51% stake and Siemens a 49% stake in the joint venture. The company employs around 7,000 employees worldwide.