Multi-Mode Hot-Rolling Plant With Liquid Core Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current steel production methods face challenges in achieving high-quality hot-rolled strips and plates with lower energy consumption, increased flexibility, and reduced production costs while minimizing environmental impact, as they often require high investment, result in temperature losses, and lack optimal cooling systems for plates.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a plant design that includes a 'kiss pass' stand for crystalline structure optimization, a narrow face vertical rolling stand for edge recrystallization, an interconnecting roller hearth furnace for production flexibility, and a dedicated cooling system for improved plate quality, allowing for 'endless', 'batch', or 'combined' production modes with reduced energy consumption and increased productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a roughing mill is used to reduce slab thickness, then intermediate product is achieved for further processing, but temperature decreases by about 230°C requiring energy-consuming induction heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs thickness reduction in advance during continuous casting through liquid core reduction, achieving 40-70% reduction before the slab leaves the caster. This preliminary action eliminates the need for subsequent roughing mills and induction heating, directly resolving the contradiction between thickness reduction and energy consumption.
2Loss of energy
If continuous casting is directly connected with rolling step, then temperature losses are limited, but no controlled cooling system is available for quality plate production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into the continuous casting process: liquid core reduction for thickness control, inherent controlled cooling for temperature management, and the ability to produce both strips and plates. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate roughing mills and dedicated cooling systems, resolving the contradiction between minimizing temperature losses and providing cooling flexibility.
3Reliability
If emergency extraction of rough-rolled plates is implemented, then continuous casting process is protected from interruption, but plates must be reduced to scrap due to lack of quality control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of emergency extraction into a benefit by implementing liquid core reduction during continuous casting. This process inherently produces high-quality intermediate products with controlled microstructure and properties, transforming what would be scrap material into sellable products, thus eliminating material waste while maintaining production continuity.
4Manufacturing precision
If two separate rolling steps (roughing and finishing) are used, then thickness reduction is achieved, but plant complexity and investment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of continuous casting, liquid core reduction, controlled cooling, and finishing rolling into an integrated process. The liquid core reduction during casting replaces the need for separate roughing and finishing mills, significantly simplifying plant configuration and reducing investment costs while maintaining precise thickness control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the quality and flexibility of steel production, reduces energy consumption, and increases productivity by optimizing crystalline structure, edge quality, and cooling processes, enabling the production of high-quality strips and plates with reduced waste and improved environmental sustainability.
Implementation Method 1
a heating phase in an induction heater
Implementation Method 2
using the same cooling system used for coils
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A plant for the endless or batch production of strips and plates of hot-rolled steel, with thickness from 0,6 mm to 50 mm, comprises a continuous caster (1) of thin slabs with liquid core reduction, followed by an induction heater (2), with a first shear (3) therebetween, and then a rolling mill (4) followed by a second shear (5) and a run out table with a cooling device (6) and a pusher/piler (7) for plates and then a third shear (8) and a plurality of coilers (9), and it further includes a minimum-reduction rolling stand (10) arranged between the continuous caster (1) and the first shear (3), said minimum- reduction rolling stand (10) being designed to perform a slab thickness reduction of only about 10% and in any case not more than 20%.