Rizhao Iron & Steel

Rizhao Iron & Steel ordered three work roll grinders from Herkules. The machines, of type WS 450 x 6000 CNC, will support the new Endless Strip Production (ESP) lines in Rizhao, Shandong province, China.

After Arvedi in Italy, Rizhao is only the second producer to apply this technology. ESP, developed by Siemens VAI, combines casting and milling to produce hot rolled coiled coils from liquid steel in a continuous manufacturing process. Starting with a thin liquid strand, a multi-stage, uninterrupted process ultimately rolls out ultra-thin hot strip, with a reproducible thickness down to 0.8 mm. This technology requires rolls of extraordinarily high quality.

Rizhao opted for Herkules to get perfectly ground rolls. The Herkules machines guarantee consistent roughness over the entire barrel surface. This is essential in this demanding application. It minimizes slippage in the mill. Further factors favoring Herkules grinders were surface homogeneity and compliance with the tolerances, which apply to the entire length of strip. The roll grinders will grind the rolls in chocks. This drastically reduces inventory of rolls and chocks.

Equipped with HCC/KPM KP 10 controls and a fully integrated HCC/KPM C-frame measuring system the Herkules roll grinders will reliably supply first class rolls over the coming decades.