Modernized pickling line at thyssenkrupp in Duisburg-Süd improves hot-rolled steel quality

The pickling line for hot-rolled steel at thyssenkrupp’s Duisburg-Hüttenheim site has been modernized to improve product quality and prolong the life of the facility. The unit went into operation 22 years ago. The pickling baths including ancillary equipment have been upgraded and are now all-plastic, with the result that the Duisburg-Süd works unit now has a state-of-the-art pickling facility.

The core project in the modernization program was the revamp of the pickling line located in the hot-rolled center (thickness spectrum from 1.5 to 6.5 millimeters, maximum strip width 1,650 millimeters). It included installing a new ventilation system, extending the extinguishing equipment in the building and replacing the facade. In addition an overarching process control system and diverse measurement and control systems were installed, as well as an automatic strap removal system in the entry section and a new sample removal station in the exit section of the line. “Due to changes to the product spectrum and increased customer requirements the quality standards expected of pickled hot-rolled strip have risen significantly and will continue to do so in the future,” explains Andy Rohe, CEO of the Cold Rolling business unit. “To meet these requirements, key activities previously carried out manually have been automated and additional quality control systems have been installed,” says Rohe. The steel division of thyssenkrupp has invested a total of around 17 million euros in this program for the Duisburg-Süd site (almost 1,300 employees) and in the product “high-quality pickled hot-rolled steel”.