PHP Family, one of the biggest manufacturers of cold-rolled steel in Bangladesh, has contracted Belgium-based CMI (Cockerill Maintenance & Ingénierie) to build and install a high-capacity push pull pickling line (PPL), a fully automated 6-HI cold rolling mill plus a state-of-the-art continuous galvanising line (CGL) and two finishing lines for a new cold rolling mill facility.

The finishing lines will be supplied by an Indian affiliate of CMI.

The plant in question is based in Feni, a district of South Eastern Bangladesh, and will be operational by mid-2019.

PHP Integrated Steel Mills is the name of the new complex, which is being built to satisfy growing domestic steel demand and enable increased exports.

The PPL will be capable of processing up to 500kt/yr of steel strip with a width of 1,670mm and thicknesses ranging from 1.6mm to 4mm. The line’s maximum speed will be 150mpm and, says CMI, it will be equipped with double Unicoilers (for increased flexibility), a pre-wash and pre-rinse section and an edge trimmer.

The single stand 200kt/yr 6-HI cold rolling mill will, it is claimed, meet tight tolerances for strip quality, flatness and thickness and boast speeds of up to 1,400mpm. It will process strip widths of up to 1,370mm and will offer automated coil loading and threading. Other attributes include a customised inspection station with online x-ray gauge, automatic flatness control, air-oil lubrication of mill stand bearings, modular mill stand pipings and level 2 automation.

A 200kt/yr continuous galvanising line is designed to process galvanised and Al-Zn coated coils. It features a high-performance cleaning section, horizontal annealing furnace and an air wiping system equipped with a patented APC Blowstab cooling system, inline skin pass mill, tension leveller and chemical anti-finger roll-coater.

There will also be a rewinding line and tension levelling lines with edge trimming facilities.

PHP has worked with CMI before. It contracted the company to equip its first CRM complex in Chittagong, a coastal seaport and financial centre in the South East of Bangladesh.