New generation of Kocks RSB at Georgsmarienhütte
Hilden/Germany (Kocks) – Georgsmarienhütte GmbH (GMH) is one of the leading European producers of Special Bar Quality (SBQ) for the automotive industry. The company will optimize the production process of their bar mill in Georgsmarienhütte / Germany; by doing so GMH will permanently improve the quality of their products according to the market requirements. GMH placed the order with the family-owned company Friedrich Kocks GmbH & Co KG, located in Hilden / Germany, to extensively modernize and extend the 3-roll Reducing & Sizing Block (RSB) that was commissioned in 2002. The order comprises the delivery and commissioning of a real-time closed-loop control system (Size Control System = SCS) – specifically developed for the RSB, which reaches the optimum operating state of the block as quickly as possible, and keeps the production quality of the rolled product on a constantly high, reproducible level. As another part of the project, the existing 5-stand 3-roll Reducing & Sizing Block will be extended from five to six stands positions and all stand positions will be modified to incorporate the newly developed 3-roll stands adjustable under load (AUL). The SCS controls the roll gap of these stands continuously to optimize the already very tight finished size tolerances. The upgrade to the new generation of the 3-roll Reducing & Sizing Block results from the many successful rolling tests under real rolling conditions, which have been carried out by Kocks in close cooperation and intensive support by GMH at the location Georgsmarienhütte. Prior to these rolling trials Kocks had carried out extensive research and development in the mechanical field as well as in the automation sector. When developing both components, Kocks focused particularly on the fact that Reducing & Sizing Blocks already in operation could be equipped with the SCS as well as with the new stand type AUL. The new stand AUL is based on the successful "Heavy Duty" stand with a nominal roll diameter of 370mm and has identical external dimensions as well as drive couplings. The combination of SCS and stand AUL will be the basis for the latest generation of the successful RSB. This design will both simplify the operation of the RSB and also guarantee the tightest tolerances over the whole length of each individual bar for the complete production range. Georgsmarienhütte is the first mill worldwide to implement this change and will further improve its already tight control of SBQ tolerances. The commissioning is planned for summer 2012.