Thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel (tkES) has awarded SMS group the contract to upgrade the automation system at its cold rolling mill in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
The project aims to improve automation and safety in the reversing mill while also integrating innovative technologies to ensure maximum plant availability.
The mill was originally built in 1974 by SMS and specialises in the reduction of strips made from grain-oriented silicon steel (GO Si-Steel).
Philipp Geisler, solutions flat products at SMS, said: “Our process knowledge and integrated solutions in design, research and development, and automation, make us the ideal partner for tkES’s modernisation goals.
“Together, we can develop tailored solutions for electrical steel production to boost the availability and safety of the reversing cold rolling mill for years to come.”
The project involves upgrading the existing X-Pact electrical and automation equipment, with new technologies, including the X-Pact Embedded controller and a high-speed EtherCAT I/O system.
A new automation system will also be introduced, featuring a level one and a model-based, level two system specialised for GO Si-Steel production, providing Thyssenkrupp with the comprehensive tools for system maintenance, and troubleshooting.
The partnership between the two companies has spanned decades, with SMS conducting successful revamps of the cold rolling mill in 2000 and 2011.
The project is scheduled for completion in two phases in 2027.
