The FINANCIAL — Siemens Metals Technologies has been awarded an order from the Chinese Jinan Iron & Steel Co. to extend the automation of the 3.5 meter two stand plate mill in Jigang.
This project involves providing not only new automation equipment for the roughing stand but also the interface to the existing automation of the finishing stand. This new technology will further improve the quality, throughput and output of the plate mill. It is scheduled to come into operation by the end of 2009.
Jinan Iron & Steel Co. is the largest steel producer in Shandong Province, and one of the leading producers and exporters of heavy plate in China. The company's heavy plate products have been certified for international shipbuilding. The oil and gas industry is another important buyer, in particular of high-tensile X-70 steels. Siemens had previously equipped the finishing stand with main drives and automation equipment in 2000.
Within the scope of the current project, Siemens will now also be equipping the roughing stand with basic and process automation, following the proven Siroll-PM concept. This will facilitate fully automated, coordinated operation of the entire mill. It will also enable those logistics processes to be improved which are required for interconnected multiple-plate rolling – for materials that have to be thermomechanically treated – in order to be able to efficiently use the cooling times required by the process. The scope of supplies and services also includes upgrading the process models of the finishing mill to the state-of-the-art. Siemens will also be supervising the installation and commissioning of the equipment, and training the customer's employees to use it.
Siemens won this order not only because of its presence in China but also because Jinan Iron & Steel had been satisfied with the finishing mill equipment Siemens had previously supplied.
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