News

Newsletter November 2007

• Innovation Talks 2007 – Exchange between Experts
• SORM on EBT Surfaces
• First Results of the eMASS-System in CGL #1 of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG;
  New Orders for eMASS
• Less trimmer scrap with EMG – high precision strip guiding into hot strip side trimmer
• EMG strengthens Sales Organisation in Korea

• Newsletter: EMG-Newsletter_November_2007_L_E.pdf - [ PDF :: 655KB ]

Innovation Talks 2007 – Exchange between Experts

For the first time: EMG Innovation Talks themed "Quality Assurance in Practice"

Keynote speaker Machiel van Es, Corus

Keynote speaker, Machiel van Es opened the event with a presentation on "Total Production Control". Van Es, as Product Service Manager at Corus Strip Products in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, one of the most well-known experts on quality assurance in the world of steel, first described the challenges faced by the European steel industry. With high energy and resource costs, continuously growing customer requirements and competition from Asia, the only competitive steel producer, in his opinion, is one which provides its customers with excellent solutions and custom made products at market prices.

His solution: deployment of quality assurance systems to conduct online measurements while the line is operating, so the producer and customer have quality data to use.

Günter Schwanke, Team Leader of Technology at the cold rolling mill in the Technology IDS Department of ThyssenKrupp Steel, revealed, for the first time at the Innovation Talks, the results of the EMG-eMASS system, installed in August 2007 at the continuous galvanizing line #1 of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG in Duisburg. Schwanke focused on how the deployment of the automatic strip stabilization system has optimized the continuous galvanizing process. Results are pleasing. Strip oscillations decreased considerably, fluctuation in the desired zinc layer thickness decreased by up to 76 %. With the associated benefits in optimizing zinc use at current zinc prices (approximately 2000 /t) this is a promising result.

eMASS system in the EMG testlab

Visit at the historic furnace

Presentations given by EMG specialists about current system developments and a tour of the EMG test laboratory, including a demonstration of an eMASS system that was delivered to the customer the next day, rounded up the first day of the event. In the evening, participants visited the historic Wendener Hütte nearby EMG headquarters. The evening activity as well as numerous breaks provided the participants time to exchange experiences and know-how.

The second day started with a greeting from Jürgen Koch and Siegfried Koepp, CEO of EMG Automation GmbH. Following the opening, a detailed works visit to EMG's production facilities granted deep insights into EMG's production and quality requirements.

Peter Schwander, responsible for development of quality management systems at BREGAL GmbH in Bremen (ArcelorMittal), opened the customer course of presentations at the EMG Innovation Talks. He talked about his experiences with the EMG system SORM 3plus. This system measures the roughness of the steel strip online. One of the advantages for steel producers: roughness parameters can, if required, be communicated to the customer who can use this data in later processes (coating, painting, etc.).

The third EMG quality assurance system developed for the steel industry is IMPOC, which offers online measurements of mechanical properties (yield point, tensile strength) of the steel strip. Dr. Wilhelm Dürr, Senior Manager of the Development Department at ThyssenKrupp Steel AG, discussed his experiences with this EMG system. ThyssenKrupp is an EMG development partner and since 2001 has been using IMPOC in its continuous galvanizing lines #1 and #8. Three further systems are currently being put into operation by ThyssenKrupp. Participants had the chance to profit from ThyssenKrupp's long time experience with the system. Customer presentations were accompanied by contributions from EMG experts.

Dr.-Ing. Werner Düchting, professor emeritus at the University of Siegen, a distinguished expert in the area of industrial automation and mechatronics was chairman of the two day event. Both days exceeded participants' expectations. As a result, the EMG Innovation Talks will take place regularly from now on. There is no better summary of the EMG Innovation Talks 2007 than one of the many positive remarks via e-mail and phone that EMG received from participants: "A very worthwhile event."

Top

SORM on EBT Surfaces – First Experiences from the Application at BREGAL

SORM 3plus implemented at BREGAL 1 (upper side)

On the occasion of the EMG Innovation Talks in Wenden, Mr. Peter Schwander, BREGAL GmbH, gave a first overview on the company's experiences with the SORM 3plus system at BREGAL 1. EBT surfaces (Electron Beam Texturing) are featured by a so-called pseudo deterministic structure. Contrary to stochastic structures like EDT (Electric Discharge Texturing) or SBT (Shot Blasting Texturing) very regular "craters" with a diameter of 100­150 µm can be found. This special surface also makes the result of traditional stylus measurements dependent on the measurement angle in relation to the strip direction.

BREGAL 1: Display of roughness data for the operator of the finishing rack

The challenge of a contact-free measurement system like EMG-SORM 3plus consists in reliably measuring even this surface structure. After an easy installation of the system and quick implementation, first results of the automatic roughness measurement still showed a relatively high spread of measurement readings. Nevertheless, the expected correlation between rolling power and roughness was displayed from the start. By introducing a moving average, fluctuation was levelled and results have been used for production and process monitoring since the beginning of 2007. Implementation of the EMG system especially provides a longer lifespan for working coils.

A continuous roughness measurement on both sides with SORM 3plus is essential, which EMG successfully realised in October 2007.

At the moment, parameter sets are being developed that deliver such high accuracy with all steel types and texture characteristics that stylus measurements will only be used for controlling purposes and reduced to a minimum. Overall, the system and stylus measurements are already working with comparable accuracy. On the other hand, the statistic relevance of the on-line system data is considerably higher, and a continuous roughness measurement without SORM 3plus would not be possible.

In the future, the continuously available roughness data could be documented in certificates and transmitted to the steel purchasers. Steel producers and customers would have to agree on the evaluation of these parameters (for example, average coil length, standard deviation, etc.). Together with BREGAL, EMG will work on these future requirements at top speed.

Top

First Results of eMASS system in CGL #1 at ThyssenKrupp Steel AG – Recent Orders for eMASS

EMG-eMASS in CGL #1

In the last newsletter the commissioning of the strip stabilization eMASS system in the ThyssenKrupp Steel AG CGL1 (FBA1) was published. The line staff is convinced that using eMASS improves the quality of the zinc coat.

The graph shows the results of the stabilisation system between its sensors. The distribution of strip vibrations shows a strong decrease in the sigma (σ) of standard deviation. The value 6σ describes the area within 99.99 % of all measured values.

Graph: Results of the stabilization with eMASS

That means without stabilization 99.99 % of all strip positions were in between a window of 4.39 mm. When stabilisation was activated, 99.99 % of the strips stayed in a window of 1.28 mm, an improvement of 2/3! Moreover, the shifting of the centre of distribution demonstrates that the eMASS also is able to tear the strip into a defined base position.

In fact, this measurement can now show a direct relation to the strip behaviour between the air knives themselves. But the customers cold gauge measurement clearly demonstrates a more even profile of the zinc layers. EMG will try to get more details in this subject later.

In October, two successful in-house final acceptance tests were held by Korean and US customers. One system is now being installed, the other has just been shipped and will be installed at the end of November.

An actual overview is presented in the following reference list:

Should you be interested in further information and details (specifications, drawings, ROI, videos), please order the interactive eMASS-CD via email (sales@emg-automation.com). We will ship it to you immediately.

Top

Less trimmer scrap with EMG – high precision strip guiding into hot strip side trimmer

Strip guiding system at hot strip shear

Today carbon and stainless steel strips covering the thickness range from 1 to 16 mm are often run into hot strip side trimmers. For minimizing the trimmer scrap these strips have to be guided precisely and reliably into the trimmer heads. Especially for higher gauges there is the risk that the conventional strip centre guiding at a pay-off reel may not be trouble-free, as the last winding of the coil is not always moved with the mandrel and the remaining coil.

In case of short distances in the entry section the strip centre guiding system with movement of all machinery parts between pay-off reel and side trimmer has proved very worthwhile in many cases. With longer distances between pay-off reel and trimmer – i.e. when using a welding machine in between – the solution for precise and reliable guiding consists of two independent guiding systems, a rough steering system at the pay-off reel and a precision centre guide system in front of the side trimmer.

Due to the discontinuous operation of the line only steering systems without strip pass line changes can be applied. For strip thicknesses up to 5 mm a single steering pinch roll may be used. For higher strip thicknesses 3-roll steering units with proportional-integral steering behaviour have been used in the past. These steering units however need calibration and trial tests to adjust the correct depth of the middle roll for varying strip thicknesses.

EMG Automation GmbH has accepted this challenge and uses a double driven pinch roll design as shown in the layout which does not need further calibration and setting after initial start-up. The EMG innovation has meanwhile proved its worth in many installations. Another advantage of this concept: In former times a lateral side shifting of the strip caused damage to the trimmer knives. The integrated hold down roll now assures a stable strip run without too much side load to the knives.

Top

EMG strengthens Sales Organisation in Korea

EMG Automation GmbH restructured its Korean sales and service in October. Strip guiding and quality assurance systems are now represented by independent and self-contained business partners.

The division of strip guiding systems is represented by the two contact persons – Seong Yeon and S.K. Kim of EMG SSP Korea. For the division of quality ensurance systems (QS), Tae Wan Kim of Yuwon Trading has done a great job.

The expanding Korean market has made this new orientation in service and sales necessary. EMG ensures ideal service and competent contact persons for its customers in both divisions represented in Korea.

You can reach your local contact person at the following address:

Strip guiding systems

EMG SSP Korea
Sales & Service Partner in Korea
Mr. Seong Hwang Yeon / General manager
Room 404, Misung Hightech-vill No.1
253 Cheolsan 3-dong
Gwangmyeong-city
Gyeonggi-do
Korea
Phone: +82-(0) 2 - 6091 - 5131
Fax: +82-(0) 2 - 6091 - 5132
E-Mail: shyeon71@paran.com

QS systems

Current news | News archiveTop

•  Home
•  Servo-Technique
•  Thrusters
•  Company
•  Career
•  EMG-Group
•  Downloads / Service
• Servo-Technique
• Thrusters
• Publications
• User Reports
• Advertisements
• Press Releases
• Image Movie
• Newsletter
• News
•  Contact
•  Imprint

Deutsche Version