March 2007 — Tangshan Guofeng Co. Ltd., China, has placed an order with Metals Technologies (MT), a division of the Siemens Group Industrial Solutions and Services (I&S), to equip its second hot-strip rolling mill at the Tangshan location with automation technology.

Siemens’ scope of supply comprises all basic and process automation plus the visualization system. Siemens will also supply a new strip-cooling model that will enable the efficient production of high-quality steels.

The Tangshan Guofeng production complex in Hebei Province is to double its capacity over the next few years from the current 4.4 million tonnes of crude steel to 8.8 million tonnes. A new rolling mill will be installed with a rolling capacity of up to three million tonnes of hot strip up to 1,430 mm thick per year.

Siemens will supply the basic and process automation for the reversing roughing stand, which will be equipped with a hydraulic edger, a coil box, a 7-stand finishing train with work-roll shifting and bending equipment, laminar-cooling section, and two coilers, including coil conveyor. The technological control systems and the process models for the individual mill sections are also included in Siemens’ scope of supply. Integrated HMI (human machine interface) systems with easy-to-use process and plant diagnostic functions will facilitate plant operation.

A central feature of the automation solution is Siemens’ new strip-cooling model, which is based on a physical description of the thermodynamic processes that occur during cooling. Calculation of temperature characteristic curves and phase components along the entire strip will be carried out in real time. The current data is sent to a model-predictive cooling-line control system, enabling precise monitoring of the entire strip cooling procedure over time. This will ensure both strip quality and the reliable achievement of the required metallurgical properties within tight tolerances, both of which are necessary for the efficient production of high-quality steel grades.

All of the components and systems to be used are part of Siemens’ integrated Siroll HM solution for hot-rolling mills, which is characterized by a high degree of standardization, helping to ensure rapid production start-up and high plant availability. Siemens is also responsible for installation of the supplied systems and supervision of the work and commissioning. Mechanical equipment and the drives for the hot-rolling mill—mainly Siemens components—will be provided by domestic Chinese companies.

Siemens supplied the complete automation system for the company's first hot-rolling mill, which started operations at the beginning of 2006. Commissioning of automation equipment for the new rolling mill is scheduled for January 2008, with the first coil is to be produced at the end of March 2008.