Portuguese steelmaker Lusosider Aços Planos, a leading manufacturer of flat products, has contracted Fives, an international engineering group, to optimize zinc consumption at its Paio Pires facility in Portugal.
According to Fives, the production of coated products represents a serious challenge for steelmakers when it comes to achieving the highest quality and productivity and optimizing operational cost performance. Lusosider, it is claimed, wants to decrease the zinc consumption of its 275kt/yr continuous galvanizing line.
The project includes the installation of an air-knife model based on a performance contract. This digital solution developed by Fives' Steel Digital Factory fully automates the adjustment of wiping process conditions, optimizes zinc consumption and enhances surface quality. The digital model is then able to control the wiping parameters during transitions and steadily adjust the coating weight to limit overcoating and zinc consumption.
Rui Gonçalves, maintenance and investments manager at Lusosider Aços Planos, commented: “Lusosider plans to install an effective solution that will optimize the operation of the equipment in the zinc pot zone during transitional periods. This solution will significantly reduce zinc consumption and prevent quality issues."
“Lusosider plans to install an effective solution that will optimize the operation of the equipment in the zinc pot zone during transitional periods. This solution will significantly reduce zinc consumption and prevent quality issues."
Rui Gonçalves, maintenance and investments manager at Lusosider Aços Planos.
For Fives, Maxime Monnoyer, product line leader at the Steel Digital Factory, said: “The air-knife model is based on our metallurgical know-how and process expertise. This solution can be adapted to any strip processing line thanks to its plug-and-play system and can also be integrated with other digital systems to optimize the line's overall performance."
Fives claims that the line has already been modernized by the French plant builder in recent years to increase operational safety and facilitate maintenance. This latest project, says Fives, will improve the overall performance of the Portugues steelmaker's line by enabling automated zinc control and reducing production costs.