thyssenkrupp Steel, a supplier of high-grade flat steel, recently upgraded with the modernization of a walking beam furnace installed at the company’s hot strip mill. The plant enhancement will improve production capability, increase quality of the electrical steel strip, and reduce specific consumption.
The modernized furnace is provided by Tenova Italimpianti, a Tenova division with technologies for reheating, heat treatment, strip processing, acid regeneration plants, and cold rolling mills. thyssenkrupp Steel‘s new overhauled system includes an improved refractory lining design and an optimized fixed and walking beam system, which lead to a more uniform temperature distribution along the entire slab length. This reduces temperature loss in the slab’s center and minimizes contact points (rails) between the slabs and the fixed and walking beam system, preventing surface defects.
“The modernization of this walking beam furnace supports our goals for efficiency and sustainability. Tenova has played a key role in this process,” said Viktor Schlecht, head of Hot Strip Mill 1, at thyssenkrupp Steel in Duisburg Bruckhausen, Germany. “We had already successfully collaborated on a new walking beam furnace at our Beeckerwerth Hot Strip Mill 2 in Duisburg, where Tenova’s contribution was crucial in helping us potentially reduce CO2 emissions by more than 20% through the use of hydrogen.”
“We are proud to have partnered with thyssenkrupp Steel for this project, which supports their forward-looking strategy,” said Alessandro Sicher, project engineer coordinator for Reheating Technologies at Tenova. “Our equipment ensures the maximum production of high-quality electrical steel strips while enhancing the sustainability of the heat treatment process.”
The upgrade includes new state-of-the-art UltraLowNOx burners for coke oven gas fuel application. The customized design, enhanced with a modern control system, ensures optimal heating distribution in the furnace with significantly reduced nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Additionally, a new automatic descaling concept was incorporated, reducing the cleaning intervals and optimizing heat treatment processes. The safety systems were upgraded to meet the latest standards for industrial furnaces.
Main image caption: thyssenkrupp Steel Bruckhausen plant, Duisburg, Germany
Press release is available in its original form here.
Heat Treat Today is partnering with two international publications: heat processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication that serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets, and Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication that primarily serves the English-speaking globe. Through these partnerships, we are sharing the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat.
In this installment, we look at updates on industry events around the globe, such as two celebrations, a brand new EAF, and a benchtop measurement predictor.
International Heat Treat and Metallurgy Company Sees Doubling Profits
Seco/Warwick announces positive figures for 2022. Source: Seco/Warwick
"The great results of the Group were influenced by several factors. The growth of production activities in China and dynamic market development in America. Furthermore the huge number of orders [are] related to the electromobility industry expansion. In the first three quarters of 2022, the company had over 100 % more profit than in the previous year. Sales revenues amounted to PLN 448.87 million in this period (PLN 335.09 million in 2021). . . . For Seco/Warwick, 2023 will be the year of American companies."
System aids in production of various steel grades. Source: Tenova
“Tenova, supplier of sustainable solutions for the metals industry, has recently completed the start-up of the new 70t EAF at the Valbruna ASW Inc. plant, located in Ontario, Canada. Valbruna ASW is a specialty steel producer that produces steel and stainless-steel, based in Ontario. Tenova’s latest generation EAF unit has replaced an older EAF vessel. The spout shape of the new furnace will provide an increase in melt shop productivity, says Tenova, as well as an improvement to the production reliability of manufacturing specific high-quality steel and stainless-steel grades.”
German blast furnace is 50. Source: Furnaces International
"A blast furnace in operation at thyssenkrupp Steel's Schwelgern steel mill in Germany, turned 50 years old on 6 February. Known officially as Schwelgern 1 – the Black Giant – the blast furnace is 110 meters in height and has a daily capacity of 10kt of pig iron; it is regarded as one of the biggest blast furnaces in the western world."
"The hot forged parts are picked up as they leave the press and directly placed into the measuring cell." Source: Nokra
“At METEC 2023, nokra will be showing for the first time its new alpha.hot3D system for 3D laser-based measurements of hot forging specimens. The system can predict the cold dimensions of a forged part in a matter of seconds after forging. This makes it possible to verify as early as the first few parts have been produced that the forming process is working without a hitch. If it is not, you can immediately take measures to adjust it.”
Dr.-Ing. Joachim G. Wünning President WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH
thyssenkrupp Steel, a steel manufacturer with North American locations, recently inaugurated its newest hot-dip galvanizing line 10 (FBA 10) in Dortmund, Germany. The plant has a total of three vertical strip-processing lines and is a location for annealing and surface finishing of steel strip.
thyssenkrupp Steel, by using modern regenerative burners from WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH (with Ohio, U.S., and Renningen, Germany locations) in double-P radiant tubes, will save between 15% and 30% fuel as compared with conventionally heated furnaces. The patented FLOX® combustion process helps achieve low NOx emission values. The heating system is set for a later switch to green fuels such as hydrogen.
"All continuously operated strip lines are . . . suited for a future with green combustion gases," says Dr.-Ing. Wünning, President of WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH.
Heat Treat Todayoffers News Chatter, a feature highlighting representative moves, transactions, and kudos from around the industry. Enjoy these 19 news bites that will help you stay up to date on all things heat treat.
Equipment Chatter
Global commodities group, Anglo American, and thyssenkrupp Steel have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on developing new pathways for the decarbonization of steelmaking. The collaboration will focus on joint research to accelerate the development of high-quality input stock for lower carbon steel production, using both conventional blast furnace and direct reduction iron.
SECO/WARWICK delivered additional CAB lines to SUZHOU RETEK in China.
Tenova was contracted by Sinova Global to supply the basic engineering of a new silicon metal plant in Tennessee. The site will be North America’s most modern and efficient silicon metal plant, a greenfield development for Sinova Global.
Collaborative R&D between Anglo American and thyssenkrupp Steel for greener steelmaking technologies
Two CAB lines for SUZHOU RETEK
Sinova Silicon Metal Plant from Tenova
Company and Personnel Chatter
Brighton Science and Hubbard-Hall partner to provide the Infinity Surface Cleaning Intelligence Program, which is designed to aid manufacturers to prepare surfaces and prevent problems.
Thermal-Vac Technology, Inc. announced the completion of a new microgrid from Verdant Microgrid, LLC. Collaboration with the following companies ensured the completion: Eos Energy Enterprises of Edison, NJ; Stronghold Engineering, Inc. of Perris, CA; and GridSwitch Asset Management Services of Moon, PA.
Bryan Stern has joined Gasbarre as the product development manager for Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems. Bryan’s experience, knowledge, and forward-thinking will allow him to support existing clients and advance the company’s growing footprint in the vacuum furnace market.
Ipsen recently launched a new website with the goal of providing a better user experience for customers worldwide. IpsenGlobal.com now incorporates all Ipsen locations, products, and services under one domain.
Furnaces North America 2022, the premier trade show and technical conference in the North American heat treating industry, attracted over 1,200 attendees from around the world. The show produced by the Metal Treating Institute in partnership with its media partner, Heat Treat Today.
Bryan Stern Product Development Manager Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems
New website: IpsenGlobal.com
FNA Technical Sessions, many exhibitors and attendees
Kudos Chatter
Doug Peters, CEO of Peters’ Heat Treating, received the Winslow Award, an honor that is given to an individual or business that has made valuable economic improvements.
A two chamber vacuum oil quench furnace has received Nadcap accreditation. Solar Manufacturing designed the furnace for Solar Atmospheres of Western PA.
Ayla Busch was honored with the German Leadership Award 2022. This award was presented at the annual alumni convention of the Collège des Ingénieurs and is an award for innovative corporate leadership in the German economy.
Texas Heat Treating, Inc. announces that both Round Rock and Texas Heat Treating Worth just completed ISO 17025 lab audits. The audits came back with no findings.
Representatives from TAV VACUUM gave a speech during the first day of the 27th IFHTSE Congress & European Conference on Heat Treatment 2022. The talk was about the heat treatment of titanium alloys, specifically, “Vacuum heat treatment of Ti6Al4V alloy produced via SLM additive manufacturing.”
RETECH, a SECO/WARWICK Group company, was acknowledged as “The Most Innovative Metallurgical Equipment Specialist in 2022 for the USA” by Acquisition International Magazine. Additionally, Earl Good, its managing director, has been honored by The Corporate Magazine in the “Top 20 Most Dynamic Business Leaders of 2022.″
Nitrex Metal, Inc. announced that it was selected for the “American Dream” series airing on Bloomberg and Amazon Prime. The series explores the entrepreneurial stories of men and women who founded and built incredible companies from the ground up.
Jim Oakes, president of Super Systems, has been awarded the first ever Furnaces North America (FNA) Industry Award at the trade show’s opening night kickoff reception.
At the recent 2022 MTI fall meeting held in Indianapolis, IN, the Metal Treating Institute recognized Roy Adkins, director of Corporate Quality, with the MTI Award of Industry Merit. This award is given in recognition of current and ongoing commitment to the betterment of the commercial heat treating industry with one or more significant accomplishments.
Hubbard-Hall has been awarded the Top Workplaces 2022 honor by HearstMedia Services in Connecticut. The award is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey that is administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC.
Pelican Wire Calibration Laboratory received “ISO/IEC 17025:2017” accreditation from ANSI National Accreditation Board.
Doug Peters Receives 53rd Annual Winslow Award
Lars Wagner, COO at MTU Aero Engines AG, presents Ayla Busch with the award.
Solar Atmospheres of Western PA’s Nadcap Accredited Furnace
RETECH company and managing director receive honors
Nitrex Metal, Inc. part of “American Dream” TV series
Industry Award to Jim Oakes, president of Super Systems
Roy Adkins (center) with past MTI Presidents, Jim Oakes (left) and Don Hendry (right)
Heat Treat Today is pleased to join in the announcements of growth and achievement throughout the industry by highlighting them here on our News Chatter page. Please send any information you feel may be of interest to manufacturers with in-house heat treat departments especially in the aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sectors to sarah@heattreattoday.com.
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Sometimes our editors find items that are not exactly "heat treat" but do deal with interesting developments in one of our key markets: aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, or general manufacturing. To celebrate getting to the "fringe" of the weekend, Heat Treat Today presents today’s Heat Treat Fringe Fridaypress article to prepare you for the global conversations you can expect at the international metallurgy trade fair quartet GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS, and NEWCAST. The theme? Foundry 4.0.
"From ArcelorMittal to Thyssenkrupp, digitization has arrived in the steel industry. Drivers are the desire to improve margins in existing business and increasingly the challenges of decarbonization. It is not disruptive new business models that are on the agenda of steel mills, but primarily improvements in earnings and an expansion of services. New digitalization solutions - from the transformation of the blast furnace to the vision of the autonomous steel mill, from digital melting operations to Foundry 4.0 - will be a focal theme at the upcoming metallurgy trade fairs GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST, to be held from June 12 - 16, 2023 in Düsseldorf, Germany."
This guest column was provided by Gerd Krause, Mediakonzept in Düsseldorf, Germany. HTT is a media partner for the THERMPROCESS quadrant of the show. Give it a read and then email editor@heattreattoday.com if you have an op-ed or guest column that you would like to submit to Heat Treat Today!
In the highly automated steel industry data have long played a pivotal role. Take ThyssenKrupp Steel, for example: the hot strip mill in Duisburg alone not only processes about 16,500 tons of steel slabs but also the data of more than 1.2 billion measurements. Terms like Big Data, Digital Twin and Machine Learning are today just as familiar to metallurgists as tapping and slab casting. Artificial intelligence (AI) specialists and App programmers join traditional workers such as blast-furnace and hot rolling mill operators. Digital twins map production from start to finish and can be used for all steps in the value chain of products, plants and services alongside the real steel mill. One key objective is to analyze product and machine data across various process steps. With the help of Data Analytics material characteristics such as thickness fluctuations, roughness or stiffness can be forecast precisely and tolerances can be adhered to more closely. To this end, thousands and thousands of sensors capture the quality and production data across the entire flat steel process chain. This data base forms the basis for controlling and analyzing manufacturing processes in real time. In ThyssenKrupp Steel’s No. 8 hot-dip coating line in Dortmund the data analytics results are used to generate mathematical models for controlling the skin pass mill. The data model controls the line in such a way that the aspired roughness values of the steel strips are reached and the operation mode can be re-adjusted online if needed. This opens up new service options for steel producers. Commenting on this Lothar Patberg, Head of Innovation at Thyssenkrupp Steel said: “In future, customers would be able to not only track the current status of their orders. They could also obtain selected quality data from manufacturing with a view to adjusting their own processes before the coil is delivered.”
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The technological shift to CO2-free production with hydrogen and renewable energies has provided added momentum to the uses of digital technologies. According to consultancy Accenture, in industrial manufacturing up to 61 megatons of CO2 could be saved by 2030 through digitalization. Metallurgy plant builders such as SMS, Primetals and Danieli have long identified this potential: to strengthen their own companies but above all to open up new lines of business.
SMS digital: The big players develop the market
A pioneer in digitalization exhibiting at METEC 2023 is the Düsseldorf-based SMS group. Automation technology has formed part of this metallurgy plant builder’s DNA for many years. Technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Digital Twins were used by their engineers in steel mill development long before Industry 4.0 hit the headlines. While in the past individual divisions like the rolling mill were automated, digitalization today connects the entire production line from the blast furnace to the finished product on all levels. SMS was among the first in this industry to identify the potential digitalization holds for developing new business lines and established the start-up SMS digital in 2017. What started with 10 members of staff in a backyard, is now the leading software provider for metallurgy: SMS Digital GmbH with more than 350 specialists employed worldwide. As Chief Digital Officer on the board of SMS group Katja Windt, a former university professor with a PhD in engineering, has been responsible for the key areas of digital transformation – at her own company and with customers. The SMS Chief Digital Officer views the 150 years of process know-how in the metallurgical sector as a key advantage over competitors, or potential new entrants such as the digital champions Google or Amazon that have long had their sights on the industry. Digitalization for process optimization and energy management also forms an essential part of the new business lines of the SMS group. As a global player for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and the circular economy the plant builder has successfully invested in decarbonization and recycling technologies – ranging from climate-neutral steel production based on hydrogen, battery recycling and urban-mining solutions for reclaiming precious metals from electrical scrap to plants for producing green syn-gas and synthetic fuels.
Big River Steel: Learning steel mills are just the beginning
Digitalization focuses on the steel industry. At METEC 2019, the International Metallurgical Trade Fair with Congresses, the plant builder was able to present the world’s first “learning steel mill” together with Big River Steel. The mill built by SMS in the U.S. and digitalized and fitted with artificial intelligence (AI) in cooperation with partner Noodle.ai , is operated in the most resource- and energy-efficient way possible today. The AI by Noodle.ai analyses historical data and in part high-frequency signal series captured by more than 50,000 sensors. In addition to the steel mill’s data the AI platform also uses external data sources that capture and predict manufacturing processes, and even propose corrective measures. This means artificial intelligence helps to maximize the yield, improve product quality and eliminate safety risks. Huge data volumes from which AI generates knowledge allowing BRS to produce high-quality steel products at a lower cost and faster. The learning steel mill in the USA is just the beginning. For Digital Director Windt, the objective is self-controlling production: a steel or aluminum mill that runs autonomously with the help of learning algorithms. The key product for digitalization in the SM digital building block is the so-called Data Factory that collects and edits sensor data. Depending on custom requirements and desired performance increase, a wide variety of applications can be hooked up to this software platform. In conventional production, finished products are inspected for defects. If the goods are defective, the search for the cause begins and the source of the defect must be eliminated. In Industry 4.0 logic, continuous monitoring of production prevents errors before they occur. This saves time and money.
Customers do not to necessarily need to buy new plant technology for the service. As a new business model SMS also offers “Equipment-as-a-Service.” “Customers conclude a service contract with us for a component, such as part of a rolling mill or a continuous casting line,” explains Windt. So the plant builder does not sell the equipment but the customer pays for its operation and the digital applications used.
The power of digitalization has become evident during the Covid pandemic if not before. With the help of its AR SMS was able to commission steel mills remotely, i.e. without service engineers being on site as was the case before.
Smart Steel Technology: Start-up ready to attack
Smart Steel Technology (SST) promises to reduce energy consumption and the emission of climate gases such as carbon dioxide in steel production by means of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) Established in 2017 by mathematician Dr. Falk-Florian Henrich in Berlin, this start-up has set out to optimize processes on all levels. To this end the steel industry is set to change from control-based production to AI-based manufacturing.
Steel producers transform conventional manufacturing processes towards higher energy savings and CO2 reductions. With a gradual changeover from coal to hydrogen as a reducing agent, carbon dioxide emissions are already reduced at the blast furnace. Add to this new process pathways such as direct reduction using natural gas initially and later hydrogen as part of the decarbonization route for steel production. This is why steel producers need solutions to assess and control the CO2-efficiency of all production routes as well as their carbon and energy footprints broken down for each individual steel product. The pressure to do so emanates not least from customers. In the automotive industry the carbon footprint is increasingly becoming a sourcing criterion for steel products. “Precise energy and CO2 data allow steel producers to charge for their conversion efforts and complete audits successfully. Automated CO2 and energy analyses with AI-based models are the key to this,” says Henrich. With SST’s AI-based software packages, he explains, it is possible to precisely document and trace back the energy consumption and CO2 emission for every flat or strip product. AI considers numerous factors impacting energy efficiency such as raw material quality, product mix and maintenance.
In addition to companies such as Feralpi and Vallourec, SST CEO Henrich was able to convince the world's largest steel producer ArcelorMittal of the strength of his AI solutions. Example Eisenhüttenstadt: here AI and ML methods managed to improve the surface quality of high-end steel grades for the automotive industry by more than 50%. The AI software is not only used to forecast the surface quality but also to prevent surface defects from forming. After the successful trial run in Eisenhüttenstadt ArcelorMittal has also installed software from the SST family at sites in Bremen, Hamburg and Duisburg.
Fero Labs: Changing raw material composition in real time
U.S. start-up Fero Labs also seeks to score points with decarbonization and green steel, as Head of Business Unit Europe Tim Eschert confirms. The AI software by Fero Labs makes it possible, he explains, to change the raw material batch composition in real time and thus significantly reduce the probability of rejects in the manufacturing process: “At the Brazilian steel producers Gerdau with a medium production volume we achieve some 9% savings a year.”
The international metallurgy trade fair quartet GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST are part of the “The Bright World of Metals” portfolio and will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany from June 12 – 16, 2023. www.tbwom.com
About the Author: Gerd Krause is the Mediakonzept for Düsseldorf, Germany
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European manufacturer thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG (tkSE) is revamping burner technology at their continuous galvanizing line located in Bochum, Germany. This modernization measure is an important cornerstone in enabling thyssenkrupp Steel to produce high-strength steels (AHSS) in Bochum in the highest quality and with increased production capacity for further use in the automotive industry.
thyssenkrupp FBA7 in Bochum, Germany
In order to meet market requirements and reduce both emissions and energy consumption, Tenova LOI Thermprocess will ensure that the furnace will be equipped with new burners that meet even highest requirements by targeting the lowest possible NOx-emission levels (lower than 140 mg/Nm³ (@3%O2 reference)) during production. In addition, the heating system will be upgraded in order to increase the target strip temperatures to > 900°C.
This is the third consecutive modernization order that this sister company to North American engineering company, Tenova Inc., received for the continuous galvanizing line in Bochum.
Plant in Bochum, Germany
With an annual production capacity of 540,000 t of high quality galvanized steel it is one of the core production lines of thyssenkrupp Steel Europe for the production of car body parts and AHSS-steels.
The line was commissioned in 1992, and since 2014 major parts have been upgraded with the latest technologies. In the first phase, the pre-heating and over-aging sections were modified to improve the annealing cycle in over-aging regarding larger heating capacity and improved temperature homogeneity. The energy recovery in the pre-heating section has nearly doubled and therefore the carbon footprint of the line was significantly reduced.
In 2017, a major step towards production of AHSS was realized through a substantial revamp of the fast cooling section. A new set of nozzle boxes, fans and heat exchangers were added to the existing equipment. The system is designed for highest heat transfer coefficients and lowest strip vibrations, even with enlarged strip length without roller support.
Sascha Bothen Head of Sales LOI Group
"The modernization step that is now pending is important in order to meet our customers' upcoming requirements for hot-dip galvanized materials," explained Dr. Carsten Groß, team leader of FBA7 at thyssenkrupp Steel. "We are also relying on Tenova LOI's experience and expertise in the field of burner technology for this project. The upgrade of our FBA7 is part of the modernization strategy at the Bochum site."
"Together with tkSE, we developed a well-defined modernization strategy with intense R&D effort in different steps," said Sascha Bothen, head of sales LOI Group. “This project proves that innovative revamping solutions can give an economic and technological benefit even for plants that have been in operation for a long time.”
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