Thickness and Width Upgrade for Nucor Steel–Berkeley's Push-Pull Pickle Line No. 2
(Room 307)
16 May 16
9:30 AM
-
10:00 AM
Tracks:
Pickling, Plant Upgrades & New Equipment Developments
Nucor Steel, Berkeley Division undertook a project in 2012 to upgrade the sheet mill to produce wider, thicker and stronger strip. One aspect of the project was to increase the capability of the No. 2 Push Pull Pickle Line. The thickness capacity was increased from 3/8" to 1/2" and the width capacity from 66" to 74". In addition, the higher yield strength of the new material required modification of various equipment to process 1/2" thick strip up to 70ksi, 3/8" thick strip up to 90ksi, and 1/4" thick strip up to 110ksi. Additional objectives of the project included improvement of entry end cycle time and enhanced equipment design to improve line reliability and reduce maintenance downtime.
New equipment and automation was provided by SMS. New equipment included a heavy gauge flattener, high speed crop shears, a tension stand, and a deflector pinch roll with the ability to shape the coil tail to conform to the OD of the finished coil to prevent strapping band breaks.
The pickle line upgrade project has enabled Nucor to enter new markets and improve productivity.