Pilot production begins at China’s fastest stainless steel annealing and pickling lines

The first coil has been produced from new stainless steel annealing and pickling lines at Dingxin Plant in China’s Fujian Province.

The No.8 lines are now at the pilot production stage and optimisation has enabled the core process section to hit an operating speed of 100 metres a minute - the fastest ever for a line of this kind in China.

The lines mainly produce AISI-200, -300 and -400 stainless steel coils in specifications ranging from 2 to 6mm in thickness and 800 to 1,500mm in length.

To ensure fast, stable processing of hot-rolled feed coils with complicated profiles, CISDI supplied the following core equipment:

-      multi-stage collapsible drum de-coiler

-      entry deep bending roll

-      speed adaptable leveller

-      car-carried automatic steering system with a looper

-      automatic jaw drum re-coiler.

CISDI designed the lines and supplied the machinery and hydraulic and lubrication systems, also providing technical assistance for installation and individual testing.

“It took our team just eight months to fulfil all contractual tasks. There were challenges to be met, including a tight lead time, and the existing workshop building being of a difficult design and construction,” said a CISDI spokesperson.

The pandemic meant manufacture of some equipment had to be delayed by just over a month.

“Thanks to your strengths in cold rolling and processing technology and your relentless efforts during the pandemic, an on-schedule start up was achieved and hit all quality targets,” said a Dingxin representative.

Dingxin’s stainless steel annealing and pickling units discharged their first coil product are the fastest processing lines in China

CISDI team pictured with the first coil