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EPS Direct and EPS Operating Costs – An Update
Sixteen months ago we announced the EPS Direct program – complete EPS Coil Lines, both EPS Cells and the terminal equipment – sold, serviced and guaranteed by TMW. EPS Direct takes the high-performance Generation 3 EPS Cell, matches it with optimized terminal equipment and introduces advanced controls and automation. This brings the entire EPS processing line to a higher level of throughput and lower operating costs. Another important goal of EPS Direct is to simplify operation and maintenance of this environmentally friendly pickling line to a level typical of a cut-to-length or slitting line.
The first installation of an EPS Direct line has been running for 12 months in the TMW Technology Center. We have carefully collected operation and performance data, tested the line’s new features and controls, and painstakingly analyzed its total costs of operation. This update is a summary report of that work.
EPS OPERATING COSTS
For quite some time the EPS Cost Calculator has been available to provide projected EPS Cell operation costs for different configurations and materials. It was recently updated to reflect the latest results from our Generation 3 Cell. However, the Cost Calculator, while very useful, tells only part of the story because it doesn’t include terminal equipment operating costs which, of course, will vary by manufacturer.
Our one-cell EPS Coil Line has run thousands of coils of a wide variety of sizes and grades, from low carbon to AHSS, stainless to silicon steel. Our production mix even includes EPS’ing high strength coils for acid picklers.
We generally run a single shift with a two man crew who operate and maintain the line 5 days a week. Each month, all variable costs of operation are captured and allocated over the tons processed that month. This approach captures the costs of the EPS Cell and the terminal equipment. Here’s what we found with the material we processed over the last several months:
- Average thickness: 0.130” (3.30 mm)
- Average coil width: 53” (1346 mm)
- Average $/ton revenue: $26.40/ton
- Average EPS Cell variable cost: $9.89/ton
- Average Terminal Equipment variable cost: $3.20/ton
- Total EPS Coil Line variable costs: $13.09/ton
These cost rollups, which reflect running a majority of low carbon steel coils, capture everything: grit, water, electricity (pretty expensive for us at $.12/kw-hr), labor – even maintenance, consumable parts and paper wrapping of finished coils. But beyond these numbers are some important developments that we want to share . . .
– EPS CELL COSTS –
While the Generation 3 EPS Cell does not (yet) process material any faster than its predecessor Generation 2 Cell, it does have enhancements that both reduce maintenance costs and extend the period between maintenance points (see “Armour-Plated EPS”).
In addition, we had upgraded the Slurry Turbine motors from 150 to 190 horsepower hoping it would allow us to use a smaller grit size and achieve a slightly better distribution across the strip width. However, there was no meaningful difference, and we are returning to the 150 horsepower motors in order to minimize electricity consumption.
Our Generation 3 EPS Coil Line features the simplified Filtration System that eliminated the magnetic separator section and all of the maintenance it entailed. We upgraded the filter media we use and now our rinse water is so clean that a $220,000 ‘Post Brush/Rinse’ at the end of the line is no longer needed. In another respect, the new filtration media works too well – it actually traps some of the slurry additive and carries it out with the scale sludge. However, we found a way to extract that additive from the filter media and keep it in the system, so there’s no net cost increase for additive.
The new filter media is more expensive than its predecessor and that is reflected in the updated EPS Cost Calculator. The good news is we believe we’ll be able to cycle the new filter media through the system twice, thereby achieving a net savings. (Note that the $13.09/ton total line operating cost includes the 150 horsepower turbine motors and conserving the additive, but does not include running the new filter media through twice).
– COIL LINE AUTOMATION –
Part of the EPS Direct package is a state-of-the art Siemens control and monitoring system that automates many tasks that were traditionally managed by line operators. This system has exceeded expectations: a level of automation has been achieved that it takes just two workers to run the line and they have time to perform the material handling chores and most of the regular maintenance inspections as well.
In fact, as one coil finishes and the next coil is staged on the coil car, the new control system performs entire coil change process in as little as 3 minutes with no operator involvement. The operators band and move coils in and out of inventory and check logs, while coils are loaded and processed nearly unattended. The coil more quickly ramps up to optimum speed and runs that optimum speed automatically. This all makes for higher net run time than was possible before which is reflected in the EPS Cost Calculator.
And to conserve energy, the new controls also power off virtually every pump and motor in the system any time there is not material moving through the cell.
SUMMARY
EPS Direct and the Generation 3 EPS Coil Line brought together ideas, equipment and automation to optimize performance of the entire EPS processing line. The last 12 months of operation have refined those factors and captured the actual operating costs of an entire Generation 3 EPS line. We’ve found that it continues to compare favorably with acid pickling costs, plus we see opportunities for further cost savings that we intend to share in future updates.
If you would like to schedule trial coils or a visit to watch our EPS Generation 3 Coil Line in operation, please contact Chris Liefer at 618 282-4200 ext. 103 or chris.liefer@thematerialworks.com.
New EPS Installations Around The World
The last months of 2017 and beginning of 2018 saw new EPS production lines begin operation, while orders were placed for additional systems that will bring worldwide EPS capacity to 4 million tonnes per year. A summary of the new capacity is provided below. To see all EPS installations visit the EPS web site.
NEW EPS PRODUCTION LINES ENTER OPERATION
The two-cell EPS Coil Line at the new Talleres y Aceros (TYASA) steel mill in Mexico completed commissioning in October 2017. This line can descale up to 350,000 tonnes annually, most of which is Castrip® produced on-site and poured from the world’s first Simetal EAF Quantum electric arc furnace.
Another two-cell EPS Coil Line entered operation just last month in Russia. This line has a capacity of 400,000 tonnes annually and descales product which is first cold reduced. After EPS processing, much of the product goes to different coil coating processes.
Xinyu Bishui Steel Strip Company, Ltd. of China is completing startup of their three-cell EPS Generation 3 Coil Line. This line features the first EPS Cells built by TMW-Jingu, our joint venture company in China. ‘Bishui’ uses acid pickling in their existing plants, but for this new toll processing facility, which also performs cold reduction, they wanted the economic and environmental benefits of EPS. This EPS line has a capacity of 550,000 tonnes annually.
The Xinyu Bishui EPS Coil Line in Final Stage of Startup
NEW EPS PRODUCTION LINE ORDERS
Kama Trade Tatarstan, LLC. is a Russian service center that serves the automotive, railroad, bridge and crane construction and shipbuilding industries. It has opened a new service center focused on EPS processed sheet and plate from 3 to 25mm thick. Their single-cell EPS sheet line, capable of 150,000 tonnes annually, is expected to be operational January 2019.
The Todoaceros Service Center division of Spain’s Network Steel Resources ordered a single Generation 3 EPS Cell which will be integrated into an existing coil processing line manufactured by Red Bud Industries. The line is unique in that the EPS processed material can be produced in either coil form or in sheet form by activating a downstream flying shear. The EPS cell, with capacity for 240,000 tonnes per year, is scheduled for operation in March 2019.
AND CLOSER TO HOME . . .
One year ago we started up the first Generation 3 EPS Cell in our EPS Coil Line at the TMW Technology Center in Red Bud, IL. Since then, hundreds of visitors from steel mills, processors and manufacturers have witnessed this line successfully descale many ‘hard-to-pickle’ grades that confound acid picklers. Recent examples include:
- martensitic AHSS,
- 6150, 4140, Ck75m2,
- grain oriented electrical steel,
- high nickel content alloy steel
We’ve also ‘recovered’ coils by processing them to remove surface issues (like onion skin), including one coil that was accidentally copper plated. And, of course, we have pickled thousands of tons per month of low carbon, high carbon, and HSLA used in every fabrication and manufacturing process you can name
The EPS Coil Line at TMW is the Answer for ‘Hard-to-Pickle” Steels
If you would like to schedule trial coils or a visit to watch our EPS Generation 3 Coil Line in operation, please contact Chris Liefer at 618 282-4200 ext. 103 or chris.liefer@thematerialworks.com.
Castrip is a registered trademark of Castrip LLC.
New Slitter Investment In Response To EPS Demand
Today, we are pleased to announce that we will be expanding our slitting capacity in 2018. A new, state-of-the-art Slitting Line from Red Bud Industries will be installed in TMW Plant #2, near the new Generation 3 EPS Pickling Line. The line will process material from 0.030” to 0.315” thick from master coils of up to 60,000 lbs. It is expected to be operational late 3Q 2018.
What’s notable about this Slitting Line investment is that the EPS Coil-to-Coil Line has been the primary catalyst for it. We are now EPS pickling a large number of coils and are on the way to becoming a sizable ‘pickling center’, receiving bargeloads of material from mills in the Midwest and Midsouth. Many of our EPS customers want their EPS product to come to them as slit coils ready to use without further processing. It became apparent that this demand would eventually outstrip our current slitting capacity, so the investment case for a new slitter was easily made.
This situation parallels one explained in an earlier EPS Update that prompted our decision to increase capacity of our Stretcher Leveler Cut-to-Length lines. That was done to meet the growing demand for EPS Unlimited sheet product. Although we had produced EPS Unlimited for over 3 years using our EPS Sheet Line, the much higher throughput of the EPS Coil Line foreshadowed a day when we would outstrip our Stretcher Leveling Cut-to-Length capacity. In that case, capacity increases to our two existing Stretcher Leveler CTL line was the stronger investment case than a completely new line.
But here’s the takeaway: investment in EPS production capacity should be considered based on two factors:
- The economics of the EPS line itself, based on providing its premium pickled product to your customers (see EPS Cost Calculator for estimates);
- The additional volume you stand to gain on your other processing lines as a result of offering EPS.
Growing EPS Unlimited Demand Drives Stretcher Leveler Upgrades
TMW has invested in new equipment to increase its Stretcher Leveling Cut-to-Length capacity to meet the growing demand for the EPS Unlimited product. The work is being carefully staged to be completed by July 2018 with no interruption in service to TMW customers.
We started up our Generation 3 EPS Coil Line in March, knowing there was immediate demand for EPS coils. However, the demand for EPS Unlimited – the Stretcher Leveled EPS sheet product – really took off at the same time. EPS Unlimited is our unique application of EPS Pickling and Stretcher Leveling to produce an ultra-clean, oil-free, ‘stay-flat’ sheet product for which we provide this guarantee:
EPS Unlimited will meet or exceed the performance of:
• Acid Pickled & Oiled • Acid Pickled Dry • Hot Roll Black
• Temper Passed • Roller Leveled
against these criteria:
• Paint Adhesion • Paint Corrosion
• Laser Cutting Speed • Flatness After Lasering
or we buy the steel under our money back guarantee.
With a wider EPS thickness range of 1.2 mm – 9.5 mm and flexibility to EPS in coil, demand is growing quickly..
To meet our increased demand, we are upgrading our heavy gauge Stretcher Leveler with a new roller leveler, shear, threading system, stretcher frames and PLC controls to increase its overall capacity. We will make similar upgrades to our lighter gauge Stretcher Leveler, both increasing its throughput and allowing it to stretch material up to 4.7 5mm”.
If you would like to discuss the advantages of EPS Unlimited, run trial quantities, or receive a processing quote, contact Chris Liefer at 618-282-4200 ext.103, or email Chris now.
EPS Generation 3 Technology Now In Operation
We are pleased to announce that on February 6, 2017, the most advanced EPS technology platform – the EPS Generation 3 Coil Line – processed its first coil at the TMW Technology Center in Red Bud, Illinois. This debut of the integrated, seamless new TMW-supplied EPS Coil line features:
The first coil to be run through the line is shown below. Click on the photo for larger view.
In previous updates, we provided details of how the Generation 3 Coil Line:
The line is now pickling production coils while the many new innovations are being ‘tuned’ for optimum production performance. We are now receiving trial coils and will be accepting visitors at the completion of the startup phase.
If you would like to schedule trial coils or a visit to watch the new EPS Generation 3 Coil Line in operation, please contact Chris Liefer at 618 282-4200 ext. 103 or chris.liefer@thematerialworks.com.
Announcing EPS-Direct – Complete EPS Lines Sold and Guaranteed by TMW
Effective today, The Material Works Ltd. (TMW) is offering complete EPS Coil Lines sold, serviced and guaranteed exclusively by TMW. We call this offering EPS-Direct and it will ensure that the customer gets the very best that EPS has to offer. The EPS-Direct process will also simplify and shorten the process of ordering, installing and commissioning environment-friendly EPS lines around the world.
Highlights of EPS-Direct are a single order placed for the entire EPS line, a single point of contact for startup/commissioning support plus ongoing service, a standard optimized configuration of line equipment and controls – the EPS Version 2.3 Coil Line – and a line performance guarantee by TMW.
Since implementing the first-ever EPS environment-friendly pickling line at TMW in 2007, EPS production line orders were placed with various manufacturers. During that time, TMW has recorded customer preferences, seen opportunities for innovation with terminal equipment and other components, and devised services to help make customers even more successful with EPS. EPS-Direct addresses these findings, plus it leverages our deep experience in operating our own EPS lines to deliver what we believe will be an unsurpassed value.
An EPS-Direct line consists of:
- Quick Setup terminal equipment by Red Bud Industries.
- Mill Duty Scale Breaker/Leveler unit with anti-crossbow station.
- Advanced water filtration system by Filtertech.
- EPS Cells manufactured by Red Bud Industries (except for China and Korea where EPS Cells are manufactured by our joint venture company, TMW Jingu Environmental Protection Equipment Manufacturing Company Limited).
- Seamless, advanced line controls by Applied Industrial Controls.
- Pre-Shipment Line Integration and verification at TMW’s Technology Center.
The advantages of EPS-Direct include:
- Streamlined commercial arrangements with one complete quotation, one contract for the entire line and a single point of contact for sales and project management.
- Critical spare parts – like EPS wear parts and spare scale breaker rolls – are always included.
- EPS Cell water system piping can be included to simplify ordering/installation.
- The option for a turn-key package that incorporates all installation services except facility civil/structural and utility supply work.
- A single point of contact for technical consultation and drawings, including power supply requirements, water quality requirements and component placement/protection that minimizes space and maximizes performance.
- A seamless, integrated control system for the entire line that incorporates performance monitoring and preventative maintenance notifications. The system can keep production logs, track consumables and send alerts ahead of time indicating when wear items will need to be replaced or maintenance performed. TMW will access the system remotely to assist in performance optimization or troubleshooting.
- Customer gets access to the line’s PLC code.
- Extensive pre-startup ‘hands-on’ training of personnel at TMW’s EPS Coil Line in Red Bud, IL.
- Integrated technical documentation – maintenance, operation and startup preparation – for the entire line, presented in a single set of manuals, continuously updated and available online for 24/7 access.
- A guarantee of line speeds and product quality at the completion of commissioning.
- A single point of contact for any warranty or service issues for any part of the EPS line.
We look forward to your inquiries about EPS-Direct and the opportunity to provide you with a competitive quotation for an optimized EPS production line.
Please contact Chris Liefer at 618 282-4200 ext. 103 or send an email to chris.liefer@thematerialworks.com for questions or if you would like to see the new Generation 3 EPS Coil Line in operation.
The EPS-Direct Implementation Team Leaders For Sales, Service and Engineering
EPS Version 2.3 Mill Duty Terminal Equipment + Auxiliaries Boost Performance
We had previously introduced the new EPS Version 2.3 Cell which lowers operating cost by simplifying and reducing maintenance. Today, we share the enhancements to the terminal equipment and the balance of the EPS Cell that complete the picture by
- ramping up to optimum speed more quickly,
- producing an even cleaner surface,
- reducing floor space required for the line,
- improving line efficiency through reduced setup and thread time, and
- reducing maintenance and maintenance checks.
The specific enhancements are detailed below. We are currently implementing them in the new EPS Coil Line at TMW, which will have a pickling capacity in excess of 20,000 monthly tons while occupying just 33 meters of line length. View our progress in this short video:
COIL PREP STATION AND THREADING
Efficiency improvement can begin before the coil is even threaded. The Coil Prep Station, shown below, is designed to let you remove bands, crop the coil head, measure thickness and width and position the coil right next to the uncoiler mandrel. It also includes a special instrument to quickly measure yield strength, eliminating the need to crop off a sample and go perform a conventional off-line yield test.
Once the coil is on the mandrel, improved threading and guiding enhancements allow you to easily feed the coil through the line and have it clamped in the recoiler within three minutes. Part of this is placing the uncoiler at a lower elevation so the material pays off ‘uphill’, which helps prevent occasional reverse bending of the coil head.
MILL DUTY SCALE BREAKER/ROLLER LEVELER
TMW EPS Coil Lines will incorporate a patent pending high-performance combination Scale Breaker and Roller Leveler combined into a single compact machine. This machine was designed specifically for EPS Coil line applications and AHSS grades by Allor Manufacturing, a highly regarded maker of steel mill equipment. It expands capacity up to 6 mm for scale breaking and 10 mm for roller leveling.
The Compact Scale Breaker/Leveler In The New EPS Coil Line At TMW’s Technology Center
It’s well known that a scale breaker placed ahead of the EPS Cell will increase line speed as much as 35% – 40% by removing the looser outer layers of scale. This new machine accomplishes that and brings added benefits of:
- expanding the maximum thickness for scale breaking from 3 mm to 6 mm,
- a space saving footprint versus separate scale breaker and roller leveler units,
- the capability to run thicker strip and AHSS grades,
- an anti-crossbow function that improves flatness, especially for thicknesses > 3mm,
- wet rinsing for cleaner removal of loosened scale,
- automated setup.
This last point provides big efficiency gains by eliminating guesswork and manual setup of the unit. Here’s how it works: the operator enters material thickness and width, but ordinarily would not know yield strength. No problem – the yield strength instrument at the Coil Prep Station measures yield and automatically sends the value to the Scale Breaker/Leveler over the line control. With this information, the Scale Breaker, Anti Cross Bow, and Roller Leveler stations on the unit are all set up and activated or deactivated as needed.
IMPROVED FILTRATION SYSTEM
The magnetic filter section of the EPS Cell Filtration System has been replaced by an expanded double vacuum filtration section. This provides better performance when pickling HSLA, stainless and silicon steel. This simpler system requires fewer pumps, less piping and it:
- filters scale from the new ‘wet’ Scale Breaker/Leveler, so a separate filtration system is not needed,
- ‘fine filters’ 100% of system water for a cleaner EPS surface and extended pump life,
- can be installed outside of the EPS line’s building to significantly reduce overall line space
- eliminates nearly all maintenance since the magnetic separator is no longer used.
The photo below shows this improved Filtration System being installed for the EPS Version 2.3 Coil Line at TMW’s Technology Center. Space has been saved inside the plant by locating the Filtration System in this exterior structure. Additional space saving is accomplished by also placing the line’s heat exchangers in this structure.
Installing The New EPS Version 2.3 Filtration System – click on image to enlarge
At TMW we have also chosen to place the main drive control cabinets in this exterior structure. That isolates them from the dirty, noisy processing plant environment, so they stay cleaner and are easier to access and work on. It’s also makes it easier to cool them, because we can maintain the exterior structure at a lower temperature than the main plant.
POST RINSE BRUSH UNIT
A single-stand high speed rotating roll brush is installed immediately after the final EPS Cell of a Version 2.3 Coil Line. Brushing can be disengaged (normal), set to a light brush to remove traces of smut on the surface, or set to deep brushing to actually reduce Ra for the rare occasions when a smoother surface is required. The post rinse wash is located after this brushing unit to produce an even cleaner EPS surface than before.
EPS VERSION 2.3 IS ALMOST HERE
Installation of these new enhancements on the EPS Version 2.3 Coil Line at TMW’s Technology Center are in their final stages, as shown in the photo below. The line will begin operational testing and commissioning within a month, then it will commence pickling of conventional grades, AHSS, silicon steel and stainless – all on the same line, with no downtime or changeover needed between these different products. Stay tuned for additional updates, including video footage, as progress continues.
EPS Recognized As An Industry ‘Best Process Innovation’
(Red Bud, IL – USA) – The Material Works, Ltd. (TMW) has been named the winner of American Metal Market’s 2016 Award for Steel Excellence in the category Best Process Innovation. This prestigious award recognizes the research, application testing and design refinements to TMW’s patented Eco Pickled Surface (EPS) technology that achieves much faster, more complete pickling of challenging grades of steel.
EPS technology received the AMM Award for Steel Excellence in the Environmental Responsibility and Stewardship category in 2011 to recognize how the new, environmentally benign EPS process replaces hazardous, environmentally deleterious acid pickling of flat rolled steel. Since that time, the TMW R&D Team has further enhanced EPS technology so it is even more efficient in pickling grades of steel that prove especially difficult for acid pickling – stainless steel, silicon steel and the new advanced high strength steels (AHSS). With demand for AHSS growing rapidly, EPS is proving to be a vital part of the steel value chain because it pickles AHSS at a significantly lower cost than acid pickling, while enhancing the steel’s surface.
The AMM Awards for Steel Excellence annually recognize advancements rooted in pioneering and implementing business improvements that deliver real change to the steel industry. AMM President Raju Daswani observed, “These (award winning) companies demonstrated both tenacity and excellence to distinguish themselves during this tough global market for steel. To be so honored, particularly during challenging times, is the mark of a world class company.”
In accepting the award at the June 14, 2016 recognition ceremony in New York City, TMW President Kevin Voges remarked, “This award is testament to the hard work and persistence of our Technology Development Team who have the unique character of being able to stick with a tough project, even when the tunnel seemed very long and the light at the end of it was dim. But ultimately, these blessings come not from us, but from the Lord who gives us the opportunity to discover what He has already created.”
Two Cell EPS Coil Line Tops Advanced Technology Minimill
Talleres y Aceros (TYASA) has ordered a two-cell EPS Coil Line to complete what is arguably the most advanced, environmentally-friendly minimill facility in the world. The EPS line, which will employ the latest Version 2.2 technology, will descale hot rolled strip up to 1.9 mm (0.075″) thick and 1830 mm (72″) wide in coils up to 33,100 kg (73,000 lbs.). Startup is projected for early 2017.
The TYASA steel campus at Ixtaczoquitlan in the state of Veracruz, Mexico was envisioned from the beginning as being a highly efficient, low emissions source of prime steel products for Mexico’s construction and manufacturing industries. The steelmaking itself takes place in the world’s first Simetal EAF Quantum electric arc furnace, designed and built by Siemens VAI Metals Technologies. This state-of-the-art meltshop has an annual capacity of 1.2 million tons.
The new TYASA Steelmaking Facility in Ixtaczoquitlan
Much of that capacity will supply a new Castrip® thin-strip casting facility, the first Castrip mill outside of Nucor. The new EPS line, built by Red Bud Industries, is specially configured to process this thin-strip product. The line consists of a Coil Staging/Loading System, Uncoiler, Peeler/Breaker, entry Crop Shear, Stitcher, the EPS Cells, Strip Dryer, Electrostatic Oiler (used for the occasional requests for oiled EPS), exit Crop Shear, Tension Stand, Recoiler and exit coil staging/packaging area.
Oscar Chahín Trueba, CEO of TYASA, commented on the decision to bring EPS technology to the Ixtaczoquitlan facility: “Since our beginning in 1985, we have focused on producing the highest quality steel products for our customers, with no compromises. The technologies we selected for this new facility continue that tradition, but allow us to do so in the most efficient, most sustainable way possible. EPS is the natural fit because it produces a much better surface finish than acid pickling, it is more efficient, and it has no wastes or negative impacts on the environment. And it is proven technology.”
Castrip is a registered trademark of Castrip LLC.
New Features To Debut On The EPS Coil Line at TMW
TMW will soon begin installing an advanced 10mm (0.375″) tension leveled EPS Coil Line at our toll processing center in Red Bud, Illinois. The line will be capable of pickling CQ, Higher Strength Grades, silicon steel, and stainless steels (it may be the world’s first ‘push-pull’ pickling line for stainless steel). The EPS Technology Team has been designing the line to incorporate enhancements in overall productivity, along with concepts that further reduce its space requirements. This blog entry summarizes those new features, many of which will become standard on future EPS production lines.
This one cell EPS line will use the ‘Armour Plated’ Version 2.2 Cell design with longer life components for reduced maintenance. It will be only 39 meters (128 feet) long, measured from uncoiler to recoiler. In addition to being a working production line, it will serve as a demonstration and training center where purchasers of EPS technology receive hands-on training in operation and service procedures prior to startup of their own lines. Consistent with that purpose, the line will have an important new feature: the ability to disconnect an entire cell and slide it out of position for off-line maintenance.
This new feature is a productivity boost for multi-cell EPS lines. It allows for the shut down of one cell at a time, pull it out of production for scheduled annual maintenance, and bridge across the gap so production can continue with the remaining cells, albeit at a reduced speed. It will take only 40 minutes to disconnect the cell from the line and pull it out for its annual maintenance. Owners of multi-cell lines will be able to have their staff trained on cell removal and reconnection on the new TMW line.
COMBINED WET SCALE BREAKER/LEVELER
While other EPS coil lines have incorporated wet scale breaking and leveling, this line will include both functions into a single unit. The advantages are:
- the scale breaker is effective for material up to 6.2 mm (0.245″) thick, which will boost production speed for a wider range of coils,
- reduction in line length,
- faster threading,
- the simplified design requires less maintenance than a conventional leveler.
SIMPLIFIED WATER FILTRATION
A new, simplified EPS water filtration/recirculation system has been designed and its first implementation will be on the TMW EPS Coil Line. The improvements include:
- the magnetic filter section has been replaced by an expanded vacuum filtration section,
- this expanded vacuum filter will also filter the scale breaker/level water, eliminating a separate filtration system,
- a section of the water tank beneath the Turbine Chamber has been eliminated, reducing cost and water volume,
- the EPS Cell’s water will be cleaner overall, and
- the new system will require less maintenance.
For its implementation at TMW, this system will be placed outside of the main building in a small adjacent structure. That will simplify cooling of the system while saving valuable floorspace in the main building. The line’s drive control cabinets will also be placed in this external building, as it will be easier to cool them and keep them clean.
ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS
- a brushing unit (with accompanying rinse) at the EPS Cell exit to provide a smoother Ra product in those rare cases where a lower Ra surface is needed,
- an off line ‘coil prep station’ for unbanding and cropping the head , so there’s no need to crop the head in line,
- faster coil setup/threading.
While most the above enhancements will become standard on new EPS Coil lines, we’re taking extra measures to make this line a ‘showcase’ that helps visitors see and appreciate EPS technology better. Cameras positioned around the line will ‘broadcast’ functions you otherwise couldn’t easily see. We’ll even have a below grade observation area adjacent to the Turbine Chamber tank pit, so visitors can view the ‘plumbing’ and grit handling portion of EPS technology.
In months to come we’ll provide progress updates on the line installation, culminating in the startup expected 4Q 2016.