Aluminum hot strip for demanding applications

In its Oinofyta plant near Athens, Greece, ElvalHalcor S.A. has successfully rolled the first aluminum hot strip coil on its new finishing mill supplied by SMS group. (www.sms-group.com).   

The new, four-stand finishing mill was installed downstream an existing reversing mill. With the new plant, ElvalHalcor S.A can produce hot-rolled aluminum strip in thicknesses from 1.8 to 12.7 millimeters and up to a width of 2.6 meters for a wide range of industrial applications.    

Plant flexibility and the high quality of the rolled products are ensured by the advanced rolling technology of SMS group in connection with the X-Pact® automation. In addition to CVC®plus (Continuously Variable Crown) in all four mill stands, the profile and flatness system and the thickness control should be mentioned here. Also, the finishing mill is provided with an advanced roll and strip cooling system. It includes transfer bar cooling in the entry section and cooling devices in the interstand section. Profile and flatness control is ensured by the interaction of CVC®plus, work roll bending and work roll cooling systems while thickness control is accomplished via hydraulic adjustment systems.

Within the scope of this project, AMOVA, a company of SMS group, supplied the complete coil transport system comprising four coil cars, two turntables, two cradle roller stations, one lifting table, two coil deposits and a fully automatic strapping machine for the circumference as well as a fully automatic combined machine for circumference strapping including weighing and marking.  

Caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, ElvalHalcor S.A and SMS group had to face particular challenges in the assembly and commissioning phase. These concerned, among other things, restrictions in travelling and ensuring staff protection on site. But despite strong external limitations, SMS group managed to successfully finish final assembly and cold commissioning. This is primarily due to the exceptionally high commitment of the teams of ElvalHalcor S.A and SMS group. Creative problem solutions on site were in demand just as modern online-based communication and cooperation with SMS group colleagues from all over the world. It is exactly this experience from the successful commissioning projects SMS group has implemented in several countries during this period that will have a lasting impact on its future commissioning strategy.  

In the weeks to come, the experts from ElvalHalcor S.A and SMS group will jointly focus on further optimizing process and product quality.

Source and photo: SMS group