Danieli's Advanced Roughing Mill Revolutionizes Steel Production at Kamaishi Plant
Nippon Steel has successfully upgraded its Kamaishi special steel plant with a state-of-the-art roughing mill from Danieli, featuring innovative shiftable stands designed for high-speed, twist-free rolling. This upgrade marks a significant milestone in the production of high-quality steel wirerod, addressing key needs for billet flexibility and operational efficiency. With the new roughing mill now operational, the plant can roll larger billets, enhancing its capacity to produce premium wire products for a variety of industries.
Tailor-Made Roughing Mill for Enhanced Efficiency
The newly installed roughing mill at the Kamaishi plant is engineered to handle billets ranging from 130 mm to 168 mm at a production rate of 130 metric tons per hour. This specialized equipment has been custom-designed to optimize billet processing in a compact space, making the plant more versatile and efficient. Previously, the mill could only handle 122-mm-square billets, but with the upgrade, it now accommodates a broader range of sizes, improving the flexibility and overall capacity of the operation.
The shiftable stands, a critical component of this system, are able to move individually, allowing for alternating feeding of billets to the three-strand wirerod mill. These stands are equipped with electric actuators that ensure precise control and smooth operation, significantly enhancing productivity and reducing downtime.
High-Quality Wirerod Production for Diverse Applications
The Kamaishi plant’s wirerod mill produces a wide variety of special steel wirerod products, including mild and hard steel wire, low-alloy steel, spring steel, special melt wire, and bearing steel grades. These products are critical for applications in automotive, construction, and various engineering sectors, where high-quality wire is essential for performance and durability.
With the new roughing mill, Nippon Steel’s Kamaishi facility is now better equipped to meet the growing demand for specialized steel products, increasing its ability to supply industries with diverse material requirements. This upgrade will also help the plant maintain its reputation for producing some of the finest quality steel wire products in the market.
Advanced Equipment and Roll-Changing Technology
To complement the roughing mill installation, Danieli also supplied several advanced components, including two mono-groove vertical and horizontal housingless stands. These stands are individually shiftable by electric actuators to efficiently manage the feeding of billets into the mill. The new setup also incorporates a dedicated three-strand pinch roll to ensure smooth billet entry into the mill, along with special steel grooved rolls, roller guides, and spare cartridge units.
The installation also includes an automatic roll cartridge extraction system, which transports the rolls to a nearby roll shop. At the roll shop, Danieli’s compact roll-changing robot and electric roll tilter facilitate quick and easy maintenance, minimizing downtime and increasing the operational efficiency of the plant.
