Siemens VAI Metals Technologies has received an order from ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe to modernise its hot strip rolling mill No. 1 in Duisburg-Bruckhausen, Germany.

Modernisation mill is scheduled to be completed in August 2012. Siemens VAI had previously received an order at the beginning of the year from ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe to modernize its medium-strip mill at Hoesch Hohenlimburg in Hagen, Germany.

The Bruckhausen site produces more than 3Mt/y of cast steel slabs. The plant can also produce high-silicon electrical strip grades.

The plant has a compact hot strip mill and a wide hot strip mill. Roughing down takes place in hot-strip mill No 1 with the aid of a two-high reversing stand and a four-high intermediate stand. Siemens VAI will install a heavy edger on the reversing stand, as well as the hydraulic and lubricating systems.

The edger will enable a wider range of slab widths to be rolled, and will also improve the width tolerances of the roughing down. Apart from that, the roll separating force of the intermediate stand will be increased, and it will be equipped with long-stroke cylinders for hydraulic automatic gauge control (HAGC).

The finishing mill has seven, four-high rolling stands. In the course of the modernization, Siemens will supply the strippers – each consisting of a looper and side guides – for all the stands.

The entry guides on stand F0 will have driven rolls. Descaling and cooling stations will be installed downstream of stands F0 to F2, and stands F1 to F3 will be equipped with roll-gap lubrication and anti-peeling systems to safeguard the roll surfaces. The new equipment will reduce both the roll separating force required and the wear on the rolls.