Plate Mills

Plate mills deliver geometric accuracy, flatness, and enhanced mechanical properties for a wide range of products. The plate-rolling process affords great flexibility in terms of achieving final structure property relationships through a combination of alloying, material working, and accelerated cooling strategies. Accurate microstructure control is underpinned by expert knowledge of the process. Primetals Technologies has combined this knowledge into its process automation system and mechanical equipment to deliver exacting through-process performance.

Primetals Technologies has completed over 70 plate mill projects since 2000, including new full lines, mechatronic packages, and significant modernizations. Primetals Technologies recognizes the importance of delivering enhanced productivity and mechanical property performance from a stable and consistent process. The company collaborates closely with customers to develop the most cost-effective plate mill solutions tailored to their specific needs. Modernization packages are tailored to meet customer objectives, ranging from process studies to full mechatronic upgrades. Reducing processing costs, minimizing environmental impacts, and improving sustainability are key drivers embedded in our solutions for both new and modernized plate mills.

Plate Mill Equipment from Primetals Technologies Consists of

• Primary and plate mill stand descaling systems
• Roughing and finishing plate mill stand (according to throughput)
• Vertical edger (according to the process requirements)
• Intermediate plate cooling to improve productivity
• Pre-leveller
• MULPIC® accelerated cooling and direct quenching
• Hot plate leveller
• Hydraulic hot divide shear (optional)
• Cooling beds (mechanical or fully hydraulic)
• Rolling cut double side trimming shear(s)
• Rolling cut slitting shear(s)
• Rolling cut cropping and dividing shear(s)
• Cold leveller, specifically designed for operational flexibility in terms of gauge and strength combinations.
• Plate heat treatment lines (normalizing, quench & temper)

Plate Mill Descaling System

The surface quality of rolled plate is an increasingly important demand from plate mill customers. Primetals Technologies supplies descaling systems that deliver industry-leading surface quality, utilizing sustainable and maintenance-friendly solutions. An optimized header design and automatic height adjustment enable the target impact pressure while reducing both energy and water consumption. Variable-speed pump drives drastically reduce energy consumption and improve equipment longevity.

Plate Mill Stand

Robust single or multi-piece plate mill housings are selected to meet the needs of each unique project. A multi-piece "bolted" housing is typically used to enhance logistical solutions and reduce the capital costs associated with installation. A single-piece housing is often more favorable for mill modernization projects.

The bottom-mounted hydraulic automatic gauge control (HAGC) provides plan view pattern control (PVPC) to maximize plate rectangularity, thereby increasing yield. Accurate hydraulic automatic gauge control (HAGC) enables taper rolling for longitudinal plate profile control, aiming for a final near-net shape in specific plate applications.

SmartCrown work roll shifting seamlessly integrates with work roll bending to enhance plate profile accuracy and improve plate flatness. Higher reductions per pass enhance productivity and improve the quality of thin plates by avoiding low final rolling temperatures. This equipment features a robust mechanical design, ensuring that actuators are isolated from the forces generated during rolling.

A high-torque drive train using either universal joint spindle solution for standard  applications or for the most demanding processes, a unique design of slipper spindle. This design enables the use of a solid and robust single-piece shaft, while all joints are equipped with recirculating lubrication, ensuring a "no-loss" and environmentally friendly system.

An attached outgoing vertical edger with short stroke control provides enhanced width tolerances and yield, which is especially beneficial for mill-edge plate products. For ingot rolling, Primetals Technologies can supply an edger with an increased edging load.

A direct backup roll transfer to the roll shop reduces the capital cost associated with cranes and building infrastructure.

Accelerated Plate Cooling

MULPIC® (Multi-Purpose Interrupted Cooling) is the world-leading plate cooling technology. Its extensive flow control range (20:1) enables a wide variety of cooling strategies, from direct quench (DQ) abrasion-resistant grades to lower strength grades. This capability allows for the achievement of "near-net mechanical properties" directly after hot rolling, providing a cost-effective means to enhance the final quality and product range of a plate mill. The cooling header design, combined with actuators that control cooling along the plate's length and width, yields reduced residual stress and improved flatness compared to conventional spray and laminar systems. High cooling rates lead to alloy cost savings, as well as enhanced toughness and weldability.

Pre-Leveller, Hot Leveller, Warm Leveller, and Cold Leveller

Fully hydraulic plate levellers cover pre-levelling through to the cold levelling of high-strength and heat-treated plates. Machine features can include individual torque control, direct application of leveling loads, bending actuation provided by differential positioning, and dual-cassette machines to extend the leveling range.

Crop, Double Side Trim, Slitting, and Divide Shears

Rolling cut plate shears provide minimal blade overlap, allowing for the achievement of optimal plate edge quality and geometry. Crop shears used in conjunction with the Plate Shape System optimize yield. High-throughput double-sided trim shears (DSTS) can achieve up to 30 cuts per minute. Slitting shears increase mill yield and throughput via double-width rolling, while the divide shear equipment includes a test piece system.