DaehanSteel Co. Ltd., South Korea, awarded SMS group an order to modernize its existing VCC® (Vertical Compact Coiler) of the rolling mill in its Pyeongtaek plant, which is located in the Seoul area.
The plant produces 450,000 tons per year of compact coils in diameters from 10 to 25 millimeters which is internally processed in the own cut-and-bend facilities or exported to the Far East market.
The modernization project foresees the installation of a new welder at the furnace exit side of the existing rolling mill which will be used to join billets 130 x 130 millimeters or 150 x 150 millimeters to generate an endless feedstock that will be rolled on the existing mill to make a tailor-made coil weight of up to five tons.
The intermediate rolling mill line will be also modified with a relocation of the existing crop shear used for head stock cutting, while a new dividing shear will operate to define the coil weight by cutting endless bar. The modification of the existing water quenching / soft cooling line is foreseen as well to fulfill the requirements of the new process.
The existing VCC® system will be modified to handle the new coil weight of up to five tons by replacing the two coilers and some modifications at the coil handling located downstream. The VCC® line produces compact coils directly coiled in vertical position. Plant operators can therefore eliminate the need for turning manipulators and, at the same time, reduce the process cycle time as all coils are formed in the final position. The coils are ready to be stored immediately once coiling has been completed and the coils have cooled down. Reduced handling also minimizes the overall risk of damaging the coil surface.
SMS group, with deep knowledge of the existing plant, will minimize the modification at the existing equipment to reduce the shutdown time of the plant for the erection.
The main target of the modernization is the production of heavier coils which will reduce the downtimes in the cut-and-bend facilities leading to a reduction in production costs.
DaehanSteel places the second order in a row with SMS group, trusting in SMS group's modernization expertise and strengthening the long-term partnership between both companies.
