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Siemens Starts up 5-Meter Plate Mill at Xiangtan Iron & Steel

01/06/2011 - Siemens VAI Metals Technologies recently started up the finishing stand for Chinese steelmaker Xiangtan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd.’s new plate rolling mill.

Siemens VAI Metals Technologies recently started up the finishing stand in the new plate rolling mill for the Chinese steelmaker Xiangtan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd.
 
Siemens supplied a fully integrated mechanical, electrical and automation solution for the new plant, which will produce up to 2.0 million tonnes per year at maximum finished width of 4.8 meters. The two-stand hot mill is designed to produce traditional plate grades, high strength plate grades such as X80 and ultra-thick plate (350 mm) from heavy ingots.
 
Siemens engineered and supplied all key process technologies for the new plate mill, including mechanical equipment for the roughing mill stand and finishing stand with Smart Crown rolls, a Mulpic® intensive cooling section, hot and cold plate levelers, and one shear line with double side, slitting and dividing shears. Siemens’ scope of supply also included instrumentation and automation technology, including all process models, such as the microstructure monitor, which enables prediction of the steel’s mechanical properties in advance of final testing. This was the first application of the microstructure monitor — which was originally developed by Siemens for strip rolling mills — in a plate rolling mill.
 
The complete solution for the entire rolling line was based on the integrated Siroll PM concept for plate rolling mills. The main drives on the finishing stand are equipped with three-phase synchronous motors, which are supplied with Sinamics SM150 DC link converters. The line also incorporates variable speed drives on the high-pressure pumps for the descaling sprays, which save energy and reduce water consumption. Siemens was also responsible for supervising the construction and commissioning, and providing training.
 
The Xiangtan Plate Mill represents the ninth plate mill Siemens have started up in five years.
 
Mulpic® is exclusively licensed by CRM to Siemens VAI; SmartCrown is a registered trademark of Siemens VAI Metals Technologies GmbH.
 
Xiangtan Iron & Steel Co. is located in Xiangtan, in the Hunan Province, and is a subsidiary company of the Hunan Valin Iron & Steel Group. The group produces per annum some eleven million tonnes of crude steel and ten million tonnes of steel products, including tubes, bar and wire steels, and profiles. Hot-rolled sheet metal is another of its main products.
 
The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is a leading international supplier of environmentally friendly production, transportation, building and lighting technologies. The Sector comprises six divisions: Building Technologies, Drive Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility and Osram. With around 204,000 employees worldwide (September 30), Siemens Industry achieved in fiscal year 2010 total sales of approximately €34.9 billion.
 
The Siemens Industry Solutions Division (Erlangen, Germany) is one of the world's leading solution and service providers for industrial and infrastructure facilities comprising the business activities of Siemens VAI Metals Technologies, Water Technologies and Industrial Technologies. Activities include engineering and installation, operation and service for the entire life cycle. With around 29,000 employees worldwide (September 30), Siemens Industry Solutions posted sales of €6.0 billion in fiscal year 2010.