New high-tech wheelset for Baosteel Zhanjiang

The wheel is designed to be one of the most powerful in the world, Primetals Technologies says, and will be installed at Baosteel’s factory in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province. It will produce boards up to 2,700 mm wide and 450 mm thick.

Primetals is responsible for engineering and implementation, as well as the delivery of mechanical equipment and level 2 automation.

It is claimed that the new equipment will enable Baosteel to produce sheet metal for heavy sectors such as shipbuilding and wind turbines. Typically, for products in these thicknesses, the preferred equipment is ingot casting machines or vertical sets. However, Primetals claims that both of these solutions are not as cost-effective or efficient as the new arc continuous billet caster.

The new Baosteel wheel will feature Single Roll DynaGap (SRD) segments from Primetals Technologies. As parameters affecting production change – such as steel grade, cooling method and pouring speed – the Level 2 Automation Package process models determine the best casting gap, allowing SRD segments to adjust individual gaps and rolling forces. The SRD segments of the casting machine can withstand a load of 5,000 kilonewtons per roll, enabling very large thickness reductions in the casting process, Primetals claims. It is claimed that this leads to excellent internal quality of the cast ingots and results in the production of defect-free, high-quality ultra-thick boards.

Primetals’ new method of establishing the ideal casting shaft geometry at the initial design stage reduces mold level fluctuations due to unstable bulge by 50%, enabling higher casting speeds and greater productivity. The software tool takes into account the target steel grade, cross-section size and casting speed when calculating the optimized geometry to determine the correct frequency spectrum for the rolls.

Primetals engineers say they have found a way to compensate for the mold’s high weight by using coil springs, which are claimed to “significantly” reduce energy consumption levels.

Smart Segments, the continuous bending and straightening concept developed by Primetals, combined with the dry casting machine design including Eco Star rollers, contribute to a significant improvement in the surface quality of the board. The internal cooling system is able to withstand the high temperatures needed to minimize surface defects during the dry casting process.