Rolling larger slabs in Sweden
Upgrades by Metalock Engineering to a 1500mm Swedish hot mill has allowed it to roll 10-tonne slabs instead of 6-tonners, giving a significant rise in output
Completion of a series of complex in-situ machining operations by Metalock Engineering UK for SAPA Heat Transfer at Finspong in Sweden means that their 1500mm wide hot mill is now capable of rolling slabs that are 60% larger than previously.
It can now cope with 10-tonne billets instead of the 6 tonnes the mill was designed for and enable a significant increase in output.
It is quicker to roll a 10-slab than two of the smaller ones.
To permit these increases the mill had to be significantly upgraded to accept new equipment and in particular, the mill window height extended to accommodate the thicker slabs.
Work was also needed to allow new screwsets to be installed.
Project managers for the job were VAI Industries (UK) which selected Metalock to undertake the in-situ machining work due to previous experience of working with them on several other projects.
The alternative of removing the housings for modification was unacceptable because of the time that it would take.
The Metalock team, made up of engineers from Coventry and colleagues from Sweden, machined outside and inside faces on the mill windows for new equipment to be fitted.
Having upgraded steel rolling mills all over the world Metalock used their specially designed in situ machining bed equipped with a dual milling head.
This allows both sides of the mill window to be machined simultaneously, substantially reducing the time taken on each housing.
External faces of the operator and drive side housings were machined and the wear plate height increased by 200mm on all four posts.
In addition, 60mm deep pockets were milled on the inside faces of the housing to accommodate new components.
To extend the mill window height by 30mm and retain large stress raising radiuses in the corners Metalock designed and built a separate milling machine that could be used while the sides of the mill window were being milled.
To increase the diameter and deepen the bores for the new screwdown equipment, Metalock used a purpose designed boring attachment and another for drilling and tapping new holes for the screwdowns.
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