Mechatronics in practice. Perfection in the casting process and innovations in the rolling process form the basis for excellent material surfaces and internal qualities as well as stable and flexible production of a broad range of steel grades. Make full use of these advantages in the most efficient way possible with our X-Pact^® electrics and automation solution. We are constantly improving our CSP^® process. To do this, we translate your requirements into plant and system designs that harmoniously mesh mechanics, electrics and automation. This holistic approach leads to “mechatronic” solutions for your CSP^® caster and the CSP^® rolling mill.

Versatility starts with the casting process. X-Pact^® offers you a holistic solution for your casting process that calculates and controls the exact material composition. Included here is our mold level control for an excellent material surface and internal quality. This is also supported by our hydraulic oscillation drive for the mold. Then there is our Mold Monitoring System that practically enables you to look inside the mold. It monitors the temperature distribution and provides early warning of possible strand shell sticking or breakouts. The narrow side of the mold is adjustable, so you can vary the width of the final product. Liquid Core Reduction gives you the option of varying the thin slab thickness in the caster to provide the required flexibility of strip thickness at an optimum throughput of the CSP^® plant. Finally, our IPQS^® (Integrated Product Quality System) documents all the process and product quality data and evaluates it for optimizations.

Innovations in the hot rolling process. Achieving rolling stability is an essential aim of our electric and automation systems. That applies not only to the production of special and high-strength steel grades or thin strip. It is also crucial for the material behavior in the mill stand as well as for the entry and exit processes and the strip travel. In addition, the automation reliability and the model and control accuracy impact on productivity and product quality. That’s why we devise integrated solutions comprising process models, technological controls, sequence controls and drives to meet the various requirements at a competitive price. Here are a few examples:

Our Pass Schedule Calculation (PSC^®) calculates load distribution and roll gap settings based on models of the mill stand and the shaping process. A new development, our Recrystallization Model, joins forces with the Material Data Base (MDB) to work out suitable load distributions so you can roll even high-strength steels without a hitch.

Next in line is our Profile, Contour and Flatness Control (PCFC^®) that combines with CVC^® plus technology to ensure a flat, accurate and constant strip profile, excellent flatness and a perfect contour – guaranteed to extend right up to the strip edges.

Also available as part of the package is our Observer-Based Automatic Gage Control. It keeps a close check on the behavior of the mill stand and the hydraulic actuators to quickly and accurately adjust the system to the various requirements during rolling. This ensures excellent strip thickness precision.

There are various control systems, such as Roll Alignment Control (RAC), Automatic Leveling Control (ALC) and special measuring devices for tension distribution, differential tension and tensiometer loopers that stabilize the strip flow even in difficult situations.

Cooling for specific strip properties. A complex thermo-physical process model combined with modern control technology provides the basic requirements for producing grades like dual-phase, TRIP and complex-phase materials. Hot strip cooling sections equipped with X-Pact^® automation and Edge Masking additionally ensure perfect cold strip flatness for the downstream cold strip production stages.

Perfect results, perfectly coiled. To guarantee coiling quality that does not damage the strip, our coiler wrapper rolls are fitted with latest-generation fully hydraulic pinch rolls. Our Step Control feature absorbs the impacts that can occur in the course of coiling due to the strip head and simultaneously ensures a perfect coiling result.