At the end of April, Siemens VAI Metals Technologies successfully started up a new 4.3-meter plate mill for Jinan Iron & Steel (Group) Co., Ltd. in Jigang.
The new plate mill comprises three heating furnaces, a two-stand rolling line, cooling beds, a shearing line, and a finishing shop. Siemens provided the mechanical equipment for the finishing stand, which is equipped with SmartCrown technology, the Mulpic intensive cooling system with ACDQ (accelerated cooling / direct quenching), a hot plate leveler, a double side trimmer and a cold plate leveler. The remaining mechanical components were provided by Jinan Iron & Steel.
Siemens' scope of supply also included all the process models for the heating furnaces and the rolling line, the entire automation and instrumentation equipment, and a system for tracking material from the furnace to transfer of the ready-to-ship plates to the dispatch center. Sinamics SM150 voltage-source DC link converters supply the three-phase synchronous motors that power the main drives on the roughing and finishing stands. The entire solution is based on the integrated Siroll PM concept for plate rolling mills.
The new line will enable the Chinese steelmaker to produce up to 1.8 million tonnes of plate every year at its Jigang Works, and thus increase its total annual capacity to over five million tonnes. It can roll products ranging from 6 to 120 mm thick and from 1500 to 4100 mm wide up to a maximum plate weight of approximately 22 tonnes. Such plates are used, for example, in shipbuilding and in the oil and gas industries.
By increasing its production capacity, Jinan Iron & Steel will become one of the largest heavy-plate producers in China.
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 207,000 employees worldwide (September 30), Siemens Industry achieved in fiscal year 2009 total sales of approximately €35 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 31,000 employees worldwide (September 30), Siemens Industry Solutions posted sales of €6.8 billion in fiscal year 2009.