ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali Terni in Italy has installed “S-6-high” rolling technology integrated on strip processing lines. Following installation at the beginning of the year and completion of the ramp-up phase, the new two-stand rolling mill is now running at full capacity. It is positioned in the entry zone to the hot strip annealing and pickling line (LAC 10) and, features small diameter, laterally supported work rolls. Thanks to the specific configuration of the stand, cold reductions up to 50% on the incoming black strip can be applied. The particular advantage of this method is that it combines several processing steps in the stainless steel production process and thus amounts the efficiency. Tandem cold rolling, hot strip annealing and pickling are normally carried out in separate processes: With the installation of the new rolling mill, these steps are now integrated in the existing LAC 10 line, eliminating the need for cost- and time-intensive intermediate annealing. In this way, ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali Terni has not only significantly consolidated the production process and boosted efficiency, it can now also market a product whose microstructure, mechanical properties and geometric tolerances are virtually the equal of a standard cold-rolled strip. This new product, called 2E-Finish (cold rolled, annealed, blasted, pickled, stretch leveled) represents for some applications an alternative to conventional 2D/2B (cold rolled, annealed, pickled / skin passed) finishes.
