The new hydraulic down coiler differs from the existing ones in the shop in a number of important technical characteristics, such as the operation with strips up to 16 mm thick, up to 1,600 mm wide and maximum yield strength of 400 MPa at a coiling temperature. Also, the design provides an order of magnitude higher tightness of coils, an increase in their outer diameter up to 2,060 mm and in their weight up to 32 tons. The assembled unit can demonstrate a coiling speed of up to 20 m/s, and its capacity is up to 2.5 million tons of coils per year.
It was originally planned to invest $ 18 million in the project. Metinvest Group made a decision on additional funding to make the industrial complex as modern and practical as possible from the perspective of the staff working at it. All customers' requirements in relation to the product quality were also taken into account.
Besides the installation of the down coiler itself, a control room, a hydraulic pump station room, an oil cellar room and a booster pump station room were additionally built to provide the unit with the water of required pressure, and where all auxiliary systems of hydraulics, lubrication and power supply were placed. The electrical equipment was installed in the overhauled room of the motor room No. 2. Fire alarms and safety guards were installed, as well as new networks and structures for water supply, sewerage, heat and gas supply. Additionally, electric power and auxiliary equipment was installed, as well as equipment for plate finishing. The company's total investment amounted to $ 30 million.
The general contractor of the project is Metinvest Engineering.
The representatives of the manufacturing company Primetals provided training for hydraulic technicians, mechanical engineers, process engineers, operators and control personnel of the down coiler. Amid COVID-19 pandemic, it was held remotely in the format of skype conferences.
At the moment, the specialists have already begun hot commissioning and adjustment of the down coiler parameters for various product ranges of the 1700 Hot Strip Mill.
“The implementation of this stage of modernization of the 1700 Mill completes an extensive set of works aimed at increasing the competitiveness of our rolled coils. The new down coiler will make it possible to overcome the “bottlenecks” in the production process and expand the range of products in terms of thickness and strength class with the quality parameters of the hot-rolled coil required for the customer. In addition, we will be able to increase the maximum coiled coil weight in the range from 20 to 32 tons, depending on the strip width", said Taras Shevchenko, General Director of Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol.
As a reminder, in April 2020, Metinvest Group raised a credit line for the amount of EUR 9.8 million to finance this project. The credit line is covered by an export guarantee of the Republic of Austria issued by Oesterreichische Kontrollbank Aktiengesellschaft (OeKB), which acted as the export credit agency. It was granted by Raiffeisen Bank International, which acted as the sole lender.