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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 by Allor Manufacturing.
- 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
Our previous update introduced the EPS Version 2.3 Cell which increases EPS speeds by over 20%, lowers operating cost proportionately, and greatly simplifies and reduces maintenance.
That update focused on the Version 2.3 enhancements made to the EPS Turbine Chamber itself. Today, we share the enhancements to the terminal equipment and the balance of the EPS Cell that complete the picture by
- further increasing line speed,
- producing an even cleaner surface,
- reducing floor space required for the line,
- improving line efficiency through reduced setup and thread time, and
- reducing maintenance of the entire coil line by approximately 50%.
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 Hardware Upgrades Yield Big Speed Increase
A year ago we announced plans to host a new state-of-the-art EPS Coil Line at our processing center in Red Bud, Illinois (see New Features To Debut On The EPS Coil Line at TMW). This ‘combination’ working production line and demonstration/training line, which is currently being installed in one of our Red Bud plants, features many significant enhancements that will result in much faster speeds with lower operating costs, an even cleaner surface, and much less maintenance.
The list of enhancements to the EPS cell is so extensive we are designating this new level of EPS technology as Version 2.3. This month’s update focuses on the Version 2.3 enhancements made to the EPS Turbine Chamber itself. The many further speed and operating cost reduction enhancements that are external to the actual Turbine Chamber will be shared in next month’s newsletter.
SLURRY TURBINE ENHANCEMENT ACHIEVES 20+% SPEED INCREASE
We developed a modified turbine system that more effectively and efficiently directs slurry to the strip. The result: a 23% increase in EPS speeds. This speed increase will result in a proportionate reduction in EPS operating costs!
In addition, Slurry Turbine motor power has been increased from 150 HP to 190 HP which mitigates the effects of electrical supply quality problems that exist in some regions of the world. The vast majority of this additional horsepower will not be used for areas where electricity quality is good.
The First Version 2.3 EPS Cell In Final Assembly
MILL-DUTY TURBINE CHAMBER ENHANCEMENTS
A previous update (see Armour Plated EPS) described innovations that extend the service life of EPS Cell components and reduce maintenance. The Version 2.3 Cell incorporates the following additional enhancements that further extend the time between maintenance:
- Chamber liners: new AR500 liner plates replace rhino hide and increased use of magnetic liners significantly reduces maintenance and better protects the cabinet.
- Strip Guiding: larger cell entry and ‘bash bars’ lower the incidence of threading jams and the top pinch rolls and thread bars have been eliminated to reduce maintenance.
- Quick Change Components: the turbine motors and remaining rolls and thread bars have been made ‘quick change’ to shorten maintenance outages.
A Version 2.2 Turbine Chamber Interior New Version 2.3 Turbine Chamber Interior
SIMPLIFIED TURBINE CHAMBER TANK
This new version 2.3 eliminates the Skim Transfer section which has resulted in one less pump and a reduced footprint.
Next Month: EPS Coil Line Mill Duty Terminal Equipment that results in further increase of EPS speeds, lower maintenance and saves valuable plant space.
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.”
The TYASA installation will be the second EPS operation in Mexico. Steel Technologies De Mexico has operated a four-cell EPS Coil Line near Monterrey, Mexico since 2013.
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.
Armour Plated EPS: Continuous Improvements for Continuous Duty Operation
In prior EPS Updates we announced results of our Continuous Improvement program that led to breakthroughs in production speed and economics, as well as more modest upgrades that, collectively, enhance the value of EPS technology. Today, we describe innovations that extend the service life of EPS Cell components and reduce the frequency (and cost) of maintenance. We think of these upgrades as ‘armour plating’ that makes EPS even better suited to the demanding, ’24/7′ continuous duty operation required by mills and desired by many service center processors.
Where do the ideas for these innovations come from? Largely from monitoring and analyzing the maintenance data of operating EPS production lines. First, we examine areas that seem to involve higher-than-expected maintenance. Next, we research alternative designs or materials for these areas and test the alternatives on the EPS Sheet Line at TMW as well as at EPS Producers. Finally, we release the best innovations to the EPS Producers as retrofitable upgrades.
We’ve also held discussions with several large steel mills who are evaluating EPS technology, especially for running harder alloy steels that are difficult to descale by acid pickling. The mills provided guidance on duty cycles and outage restrictions, plus helpful suggestions for an EPS line’s terminal equipment to ensure it stands up to the mill operating environment.
Below are brief descriptions of some recent Continuous Improvement Program upgrades which have been released for retrofit to the EPS Producers and are being incorporated into all new EPS Cells:
MATERIAL IMPROVEMENTS TO EXTEND COMPONENT LIFE
- Eductor Motive Jets, which help control the flow of slurry to the Slurry Turbines, are now made from a harder, heat-treated material. This extends their service life from 600 to 8000 hours, so instead of being a monthly replacement item they are now an annual replacement item.
- Elbows in Slurry Delivery Piping are now made from a much harder cast material that extends their life from 1200 to 8000 hours. They also use a ‘quick release’ vitalic coupler that simplifies replacement.
- Thread Fingers used to guide the leading edge of a coil through the cell are now made of a harder material that extends their life by 25%. Their profile was also modified to reduce the risk of coil head jamming.
INNOVATIONS TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE MAINTENANCE
- An Exhaust Expansion Duct (EED) prevents grit from accumulating in or escaping from the EPS Turbine Chamber exhaust. The EED siphons off grit and moisture from exhaust air flow, returning them to the Turbine Chamber.
- New Turbine Chamber Liners. The replaceable RhinoHyde® liners meant to protect Turbine Chamber interior walls have now, themselves, been permanently replaced with abrasion resistant AR500 plate. In the areas most susceptible to erosion from slurry exposure, such as passline, thread bar and support bearings, an additional plate with an overlay of special magnets is inserted. The magnets capture and hold grit particles, building up a self-sustaining barrier to erosion.
- Magnetic ‘Flinger Rings’ are two-piece shaft collars with a magnetic face that fit around the passline and pinch rolls at the point where they penetrate the Turbine Chamber wall. Their magnet traps grit so it doesn’t reach the wall penetration and degrade the roll bearings, which greatly reduces maintenance frequency.
- Rinse Strainers are now placed in the Turbine Chamber rinse system piping to filter out debris that might otherwise clog the rinse nozzles.
- Elimination of Hydraulics. Hydraulically actuated control components like pinch rolls and width control have been replaced with electrically driven ones. This eliminates the hydraulic power unit and associated maintenance.
- The Internal Top Pinch Rolls are no longer needed and have been eliminated.
LESS DOWNTIME AND SIMPLER OPERATION
- Grit Supply Load Cells. Grit levels in the tank feeding the Slurry Turbines must be maintained within prescribed levels. Checking that level used to be a manual operation, but load cells have been added to the grit tank to sense its weight, providing real-time grit level feedback to the operator’s control station. Load cells have also been incorporated into the Automatic Grit Adder, which is the source of makeup grit to the EPS Cell.
- New Slurry Additive. An improved formulation of the EPS Slurry Additive has been developed that substantially reduces the ‘foaming’ of the slurry solution that can occur at low temperatures. No more foaming simplifies operation and eliminates the need to use defoaming additives.
FASTER SPEEDS / BETTER ECONOMICS
- A New Slurry Turbine Motor and accompanying variable frequency drive package is now available that takes full advantage of the higher grit flows made available by EPS Cell Version 2.2′s curved turbine blades and modified slurry spout design. This delivers up to 15% higher production speeds with no increase in operating cost.
EPS has the advantage over acid pickling of being ‘nimble’ . . . you can process a coil at a time and handle a wide range of materials without compromising its economic benefits. But mills and many picklers don’t necessarily want nimble. They want long, continuous runs of a product and near constant availability of their pickling line. The recent results from our Continuous Improvement Program make EPS even more of the of armour plated, bullet proof production system they are looking for.
New EPS Cell Version 5.2 for ‘Blast and Prime’ Plate
Shipbuilders and manufacturers of large machinery, bridge components and pressure vessels and tanks often order plate that has been shot blasted to remove mill scale and rust, then primed to prevent rusting during shipment and processing. This clean plate product not only alleviates users from having to perform post-processing cleaning and priming themselves, but it keeps their fabrication shops much cleaner and healthier.
EPS Cell Configuration version 5.2 has been developed to serve the growing need for large, clean plate. It utilizes EPS Slurry Blast technology, in a configuration different from other EPS Cell designs, to descale plate from 1800 mm to 4100 mm (71″ to 160″) wide and 8 mm to 100 mm (0.315″ to 4″) thick. Length is limited only by the conveying system used to transport the plate through the Version 5.2 Cell.
The image below shows how Cell Version 5.2 operates. Rather than feeding the plate lying flat as is done with coil, the plate is stood up on its side with the 8 Slurry Turbines (4 per side) arrayed vertically to cover the width of the plate. (Note that for processing of more narrow plate, the top turbines are shut off). This makes for a simple, compact cell design.
But rather than being just a replacement for shot blasting, Version 5.2 offers the inherent advantages Slurry Blasting has over shot blasting:
- More complete, consistent scale removal.
- No inclusions that entrap dust, oil or contaminants to the surface. A much cleaner surface overall.
- A surface finish that is optimized for paint performance.
In summary, while plate suppliers have increased their value added by providing a shot blasted & primed product, they can offer an even better product by using EPS Cell version 5.2 technology. In doing so, they would also find that an EPS processing line runs cleaner and more efficiently than a conventional shot blasting line.