W7/302E

Strip Processing Lines

Pickling lines
for carbon steel
and stainless steel
Pickling lines for carbon steel
and stainless steel
SMS Demag AG has been build-
ing pickling lines since the early
fifties. In this time SMS Demag
has designed all kinds of pick-
ling lines, taking account of all
decisive criteria, not only in the
mechanical but also in the
process sector.
Customers and plant operators
alike benefit from the fact that
SMS Demag supplies, from one
source, both the mechanical
and the process-technological
equipment for pickling lines,
thus ensuring comprehensive
and continuous know-how.
Generally speaking, pickling
lines comprise a multitude of dif-
ferent applications, line
concepts and variations, which
mainly depend on the steel
grades, the production quantity
required and on the product
dimensions.
For the production and
treatment of carbon steel and
stainless steel strip, totally dif-
ferent procedures and process-
es are required, resulting in
different plant concepts.
Innovative design and develop-
ment solutions for pickling lines
have made us a pioneer of new
technologies, both in the
mechanical and in the process-
technological sector. Some
examples of these are:
2 3
■ With our Turbulence Pickling
Line we have developed in the
process-technological sector
the most effective pickling
technology world-wide.
Turbulence Pickling is a
further development of an
improvement on the shallow
tank pickling process of the
1980s, itself developed also
by SMS Demag from the
earlier deep tank pickling
system.
■ SMS Demag was the first to
offer, in 1979, the endless
cold rolling process i.e. with
the pickling line linked to the
tandem cold rolling mill. Only
three years passed before
this concept was
commissioned for the first
time in the world. Today one
can say that "endless cold
rolling" has asserted itself
world-wide.
On-going further developments
meet the ever-increasing
demands of the plant operators
for:
■ Improved product quality
■ Increased plant capacity
■ Reduction of the production
costs
■ Better environmental pro-
tection
■ Lower energy consumption
Different line configurations to meet different requirements
... for carbon steel

When taking into account the Moreover, SMS Demag offers

different possibilities to different line concepts to suit

ice
conceive pickling lines for flat market conditions, customer

m dev
tri ing l
er ol
d

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n

an
n
carbon steel products, the pro- demands and quality

e
io
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an

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nc she
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ee

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rip p
r

se

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ye
so

duction quantity required is first requirements:

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io
fr

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ing

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dr

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lin
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oc

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ak
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lin
ck

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of all the most important factor
y

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Pa

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Lo

Br
Pr

St

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Di

Di
Ri
Pi

Pi

Pi
determining plant type and the ■ Push-pull pickling lines
individual line components. mainly applied for small and
medium production
capacities, e.g. in mini mills
Push-pull pickling lines or service centers or as a
supplementary production
facility in cold rolling mills. In
■ Continuous pickling lines
for medium to high
production rates and thin to
medium strip gauges. In
these lines the individual coils
are welded together by a
welding machine to form an

ro e
these lines the strip lengths endless strip. It is of greater

h ic
nc ev
ll
pi d
d
n
(preferred gauges > 1.5 mm) advantage here to use larger

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m
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Di sor

are not welded or stitched production lots. The use of

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itc l

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pi urb

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dr

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in
of

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h

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vid

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rip
together to form an endless loop accumulator systems
oc

ak
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de
nc

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lin
ns
y

Ins
Pa

Te
Br
Pr

St

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Di
Si
Ri
Pi

Pi

Pi
strip, but are pushed or
pulled through the line strip
by strip. This allows small lots
to be processed also, which
Entry loop pit Exit loop pit
in turn means more flexible
Semi-continuous pickling lines production planning.
allows a constant and conti-
nuous mode of operation in
the process section and con-
sequently highest, consistent
product qualities and
improved yield.

■ Semi-continuous pickling ■ Endless cold rolling mills

it ng

d
un di
rs

n
es s

lines (continuous pickling line linked

rs

an
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io
g en

g ce
oc el
so

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ea

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pr re

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llin b

lin n
se
sh

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ck ule

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ve ch

ye

for small and medium produc- to tandem cold rolling mill)

th ff

io
wi ay o

ing

d
pi urb
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dr

ct
ing

id an
it
pe
vid

un
rip

s
T

er
tion capacities. Typically - equivalent to the criteria ap-
S

ns
P

br n st

e
br it

el
Ins

vic
try un

le

m
St
Di

Ri

re
g

r
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id

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rin

Ex ctio

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En ing

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applied downstream of plied to the continuous pick-
tri
r

sh

io
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de

g
r

pe

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ee

de

lin
St

it

it
el

Ins

Te
Ex
St

Oi
Si
continuous hot strip produc- ling line, resulting, however,
W

Exit looper
tion plants with their tendency
towards thin and ultra-thin
Entry looper
strip gauges. In principle,
their design is similar to that
Continuous pickling lines of push-pull pickling lines. The
difference, however, is that
thinner strips (< 3 mm) are
it ng
in improved yield and pro-
ductivity, as well as in large
savings in operational costs
such as roll consumption,
energy consumption and
personnel costs.

d
un di

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rs

an
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es s

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oc el
so

connected by welder or
ea

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ill
se
sh

ck ule

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se
ve ch

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ye
th ff

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wi ay o

stitcher to form an endless

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ing

er

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ld

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it
dr

de unit

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un

co

io s
m
pe

tin

sh
vid

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at in
T

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rip
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ns
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g
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ta
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em

strip in the entry section.

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tri

rin
br nit

rin

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i
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try u

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vid
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it

it
id
En ring

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Thus it becomes possible to

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Si

Di
St r
de
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el

pull these thin strips through

W

Intermediate looper
the line as in continuous
Exit looper
pickling, therefore avoiding a
Entry looper
threading process.

Endless cold rolling mills (continuous pickling line linked to tandem cold rolling mill)

4 5
… for stainless steel

The market for stainless steel ■ Hot strip annealing and

strip is constantly growing. pickling lines

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g ce

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de ear

r
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arranged downstream of the

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lin n
lin n

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sin ad
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sh

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pi urb
In stainless steel strip process- hot mill, for annealing and

co
ing

ing

n
pi urb
fu nne

br

dr
e

bl
r

io
of

h
ale

ns
T
vid

vid
rip

rip
ot

us
T
A
y

el

Sc

Sh
Pa

Te
ing, SMS Demag has the know- descaling the hot strip

Br
St

St
Di

Di
W

how required for all types of material.

lines. Its new concepts for inte-
grated lines are milestones in ■ Cold strip annealing and

Entry looper Exit looper

the history of stainless steel
strip production.
Hot strip annealing and pickling lines
In the case of annealing and
pickling lines, our innovative
technologies have repeatedly
led the way into new and
se tion
pickling lines
arranged downstream of the
cold mill, for annealing and
descaling the cold-rolled
strips.
■ Combined hot/cold strip

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Br ng s tic

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ill
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El ing

ec
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io

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sin ad
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ee

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sh

sh
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extreme dimensions for annealing and pickling

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ck ro

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pi ct
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pi urb
co
ing

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dr

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tri
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of

lines

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vid

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rip
us

de
in
A
y

Creep looper
el

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Pa

Te
St

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Strip gauges up to 12.5 mm as an alternative to the above

Strip widths up to 2,100 mm hot, respectively cold strip

r
lle
Process annealing and pickling lines,

ve
le
speeds up to 150 m/min combined hot/cold strip

n
io
ns
Entry looper Exit looper annealing and pickling lines

Te
Cold strip annealing and pickling lines Due to the wide range of market can be used.
conditions and customer
requirements, the following line ■ In-line rolling, annealing
concepts are offered: and pickling lines – IRAPL
se tion

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Br g s tic

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El ters

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ing

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sin ad
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cost-effective production of
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pi ct
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pi urb
co
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br

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cold strip in one line. The cold

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vid

vid
rip

rip
ot

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Creep looper
Sc

Sh

Sk
Pa

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rolling stands are integrated

into this line.

r
lle
ve
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n
io
ns
Entry looper Exit looper
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Combined hot/cold strip annealing and pickling lines

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ill

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se tion

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sin ad
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ng
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rin asc

rin asc
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pi lect
fr

pi urb

pi urb

pi urb
em

co
ing

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dr

dr

pa
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tri

tri
ali
r

io
of

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C
nd

ne

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vid

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in
y

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An

Te
Ta
Br

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Creep looper
Di

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Cl
Si

Si
W

r
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io
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Entry looper Mill looper Intermediate looper Exit looper

Te
In-line rolling, annealing and pickling lines – IRAPL

6 7
The pickling process … for carbon steel … for stainless steel

The primary function of pickling
lines is to remove the oxide or
scale forming on the hot strip
during the hot rolling process.
The centrepiece of all lines is
the SMS Demag Turbulence
Pickling Line. Today this type of
line is operating successfully in
many different plants world-
wide, be it as an individual plant
for carbon steel, in annealing
and pickling lines for stainless
steel, in endless cold rolling
mills or in future plants for the
continuous production of stain-
less steel strip.
A very flat pickling channel is
formed due to the horizontal
strip feed and the patented im-
mersion covers. Spray headers
inject the heated acid into the
pickling channel along which the
strip is passing. The high level
of turbulence thus generated in
the sealed pickling channel en-
sures that fresh acid constantly
comes in contact with the strip
surface and that the acid can
penetrate quickly into the
cracks and pores in the surface
of the scale.
Moreover, the turbulence The strip surface is oxidized For descaling of cold strip,
results in quicker heating of the during annealing. In the process normally only electromechanical
strip due to improved heat chrome diffuses out of the base and chemical processes are
transfer. material and into the scale to used.
produce a chromium-depleted In the electrolytic pickling sec-
The patented immersion cover layer of material in the basis tion current voltage is applied to
forms the top surface of the material. This chromium-deplet- increase the pickling potential
pickling channel and seals the ed layer of material and the lay- and thus the pickling effect. The
open surface of the acid bath, er of oxide have to be removed strip passes through an
thus reducing evaporation of the in a downstream descaling electrolyte, e.g. sodium
acid. This in turn means consid- process. sulphate, which provides the
erable saving of heat and when electrical contact between strip
cleaning the acid vapours. Both mechanical and chemical and electrodes.
processes are used as process
The above advantages of the stages for hot strip, with the
turbulence pickling line mean mechanical processes being
that the length of the pickling used for preliminary descaling.
section and/or the temperature
of the acid can be reduced. The
use of turbulence pickling line
technology can, therefore,
reduce both the investment and
the operational costs.

Hydrochloric acid as pickling
medium (with an approx.
concentration of 200 g/ l and a
temperature of around 80° C)
has become the norm. It gives
the steel surface a brighter
appearance than sulphuric acid
does. The large differences in
pickling time, energy consump-
tion and quality can therefore be
traced back solely to the type of
plant technology used.
A pickling cascade with three or
four stages is normal. The acid
is fed through the cascade in
the opposite direction to strip
travel direction. This means that
the steel strip in the final pick-
ling tank is treated with the
cleanest acid. The acid cascade
is designed to ensure optimum
acid utilization combined with an
excellent pickling effect.
In the electrolytic pickling sec-
tion, the alloy components in
the scale, which are otherwise
difficult to pickle are oxidized to
higher valency. For example,
trivalent chromium which is diffi-
cult to pickle can be oxidized to
hexavalent chromium which can
then be readily pickled.
The final descaling takes place
in a turbulence pickling line. Ni-
trating acids with a nitric and hy-
drofluoric acid base are in the
main used as pickling medium.
Acid type and composition vary
according to application and to
the material to be pickled.

8 9 10
 Process model for optimization of the pickling process Individual plant components combined to successful systems

The model-based process Apart from the actual cleaning The stretch bending leveller
control system allows precise process, i.e. the descaling of developed by SMS Demag has
control of the chemical process the strip surface, pickling lines been designed so that it can be
and its reproducibility. The have more and more often to used both for improving strip
differing material grades meet exacting demands in geometry and also for improv-
and the preceding hot strip pro- respect of improved strip geom- ing the pickling effect with a
duction process used are the etry and ecological optimization high degree of success.
decisive factors influencing the of plant operation. We meet
setting of the pickling para- these demands with our detail In the stretch bending levelling
meters such as: the pickling and concept solutions process, bending stresses are
bath temperature required, developed and designed with superimposed on the tension
nozzle pressure and pickling great care and with the knowl- stresses in the material, for ex-
speed. edge of the properties of the ample by deflecting it around a
material to be pickled. roll with a relatively small
Process model
diameter. The strip is bent on
both sides alternately by two
suitably arranged rolls and the
The results are: The pay-off unit, be it of single- The coil preparation station in The loop accumulators are The patented SMS Demag edge fibres are stretched to
entry or double-entry design, in- the hot coil conveying system is used to guarantee constant and immersion cover – also such an extent that permanent
■ No underpickling of the strips cludes not only the threading normally located immediately in continuous operation in the referred to as energy-saving deformation is obtained.
■ Reduction in overpickling pinch roll and the levelling unit front of the pickling line. Here process section. Different cover – considerably reduces To improve the pickling effect,
■ Saving of energy but also an anti-coil break sys- the coil is opened and the strip designs may be used for the the hitherto high energy the stretch bending leveller is
[%] ■ Longer service life of the tem, which is used to prevent head end cut off or levelled for loop cars, the looper drive and consumption. It minimizes the used for mechanical pre-descal-
100%
90% plant sections subjected to any coil breaks which may oth- easier threading into the the looper gates, depending on free acid surface, with the result ing to create suitable cracks in
80%
70%
acid and temperature erwise occur during the hot pickling line. This results in a re- the application and on the line that practically no evapo- the scale layer. The acid can
60% Overpickling ■ Reduced maintenance and strip pay-off process. duction in the important entry speed. For high loop car ration of acid takes then reach the base material
50%
40%
Pickling time repair work downtime and precludes any speeds, it is advantageous to place in the actual faster through these cracks,
30%
20% ■ Reduced acid consumption threading problems. use a captive loop car drive sys- pickling channel. thus reducing the chemical pick-
10% Heat requirement
0% ■ Increased yield tem in which the loop car is ling process time.
Deep type Shallow Turbulence Turbulence
type type type with ■ Improved strip surface quality fixed on both sides by the trac-
process control
tion or retaining rope.

Endless cold rolling brings together the

pickling and rolling treatment steps to
form one process. The pickling line is
linked to the cold strip tandem mill, thus
eliminating intermediate storage
between the two lines.

Endless cold rolling mill

11 12 13

The SMS Demag double
turret-type side trimmer is
normally arranged in the "end-
less" section of the processing
line and is therefore not driven
in the case of hot strip material,
i.e. the knives are dragged. For
cold strip material, the knives of
the side trimmer are driven.
The machine is equipped with
an automatic knife gap adjust-
ment, thus eliminating any
manual adjustment work and
therfore preventing adjustment
errors for different strip gauges
and materials.
To speed up knife change, the
side trimmer is equipped with
two rotary shear housings, each
provided with two circular knife
sets. No tools are needed for
knife change.
14
The strip trimmings are fed
through adjustable chutes to the
scrap chopper which is
arranged directly behind the
side trimmer. The scrap chop-
per divides the side scrap into
scrap pieces of equal length,
irrespective of the strip speed.
In order to increase the service
life of the scrap chopper blades
also, the knife gap is also
adjusted by an automatic knife
gap adjustment system.
Coil reeling unit with deflector
roll, threading table and belt
wrapper for the strip head end.
Mandrel outboard bearing and
strip position control ensure an
accurately wound coil.
Position of paper unwinders for
interleaved paper to protect the
strip surface.
Horizontal loop accummu-
lators with strip support trolleys
for excellent strip surface pro-
tection due to long support
rollers over the entire strip
width. The trolleys are pulled by
the looper car via a rope or a
belt-type system. The strip
length is supported by the
trolleys over an equal distance.
Annealing and pickling line for stainless steel
15
References world-wide

16 17
 3000/02/2000 A · Printed in Germany

SMS Demag Aktiengesellschaft

Postfach 23 02 29 · D-40088 Düsseldorf
Tel. (++ 49-211) 8 81-0 · Fax (++ 49-211) 8 81 49 02
Internet: http://www.sms-demag.de