Ispat Unimetal, (France) has decided to instal a three-roll reducing & sizing Block [RSB] to be supplied by Friedrich Kocks GmbH & Co, Hilden, Germany. The four-stand 370mm RSB will replace the existing stands nos. 17 to 20 and will be used as finishing block for round products with a dimension range of 15,0 to 80,0 as well as for hexagons of 14.3 to 70.4 mm. An extended “free-size” range of up to ±1.5 mm from the nominal size permits rolling of a wide variety of sizes with tight tolerances by adjusting stands and guides only. Therefore, any size can be rolled by a minimum number of roll sets and stand changes. Furthermore, the RSB achieves one pass family rolling in the upstream mill. All of this leads to a considerable reduction of size changing times and thus to an improvement of mill availability. The RSB is equipped with the C-module drive system as well as remote control of stands and guides. Commissioning is scheduled for August 2002.
