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Siemens Supplies Main Drives, New Process Automation for Cold Rolling Mill

11/20/2009 - Siemens receives order from Wuhan Iron and Steel to equip a coupled tandem pickling line in cold rolling mill no. 1 with energy-saving main drives. The Siroll CM process automation system will also be modernized.

Siemens has received an order from Chinese steelmaker Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Co. (Wisco) to equip a coupled tandem pickling line in cold rolling mill no. 1 with energy-saving main drives. The Siroll CM process automation system will also be modernized.
 
The improvements to the automation and drive systems of cold rolling mill no. 1 will enable Wisco to extend its product range to include high-strength steel grades with yield limits of up to 470 MPa, which can be used for high-quality applications such as those required in the automotive industry.
 
The project is scheduled for completion in September 2010. The order is worth several million euros.
 
The coupled tandem pickling line will be equipped with Simovert DC Master circulating-current-free drive systems, which will reportedly reduce energy consumption and increase the plant’s productivity. The faster response time of the new drive equipment will improve the gauge control using the mass flow concept. Additional control loops will reduce disturbances in the rolling process.
 
Modernization of the basic automation and the operator control and monitoring system only requires modification of some software modules, according to Siemens. The process automation will be fitted with a new operating system and additional process models. These include roll eccentricity compensation (REC) for stands 2 to 4, and a threading-in control system for ultra-thin, especially hard or sensitive types of steel.
 
Wisco and Siemens have teamed in recent years on a number of modernization and capacity expansion projects. Siemens and Voestalpine Industrieanlagenbau had previously modernized the cold rolling line in cold rolling mill no. 1 and coupled it to the pickling line in 2001.
 
Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Co. is located in Hubei Province in Central China. In 2008, it produced some 27 million tonnes of iron and steel, making it one of the country's largest producers.
 
The Siemens Industry Sector, Erlangen, Germany, is a leading international supplier of production, transportation, building and lighting technologies. The sector comprises six divisions: Building Technologies, Drive Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility, and Osram. With around 222,000 employees worldwide, Siemens Industry posted in fiscal year 2008 a profit of EUR 3.86 billion with revenues totaling EUR 38 billion.
 
With the business activities of Siemens VAI Metals Technologies (Linz, Austria), Siemens Water Technologies (Warrendale, Pa.), and Industrial Technologies (Erlangen, Germany), the Siemens Industry Solutions Division (Erlangen, Germany) is one of the world's leading solution and service providers for industrial and infrastructure facilities. Using its own products, systems, and process technologies, Industry Solutions develops and builds plants for end customers, commissions them, and provides support during their entire life cycle. With around 31,000 employees worldwide, Siemens Industry Solutions achieved an order intake of EUR 8.415 billon in fiscal year 2008.