Primetals Technologies, engineering, plant-building and lifecycle partner for the metals industry, has successfully realized the modernization of an annealing and pickling line of Aperam Genk in Belgium. The objectives of the project were to upgrade the drive technology and optimize the strip tension control. Under the turnkey project, Primetals Technologies has been responsible for engineering, procurement and supply as well as construction work and commissioning.
Aperam operates six production locations in Europe and Brazil, with an annual capacity of 2.5 million metric tons of stainless flat products for a wide range of applications. The company is quoted on the stock exchanges in Amsterdam, Paris and Luxembourg. The most important European production sites for stainless steels are Châtelet and Genk in Belgium, and Gueugnon and Isbergues in France. In Genk, Aperam produces hot and cold rolled AISI grades 300 and 400 in coils weighing up to 45 metric tons.
For the upgrade, Primetals Technologies supplied new electrical equipment, such as automation material, motors and drive for the annealing and pickling line. It also improved the strip tension control and strip stabilization on the line by modifying the plant layout. Furthermore, the plant was equipped with a new strip tension measuring system required for strip tension control.