What is the purpose of the hot billet transfer system?
The hot billet transfer system automates the transport of billets from the steel mill to the rolling mill, offering advantages in terms of production efficiency, energy consumption, and safety. Billets exiting the continuous casting line are transported via rollers, levers, and transfer devices to the rolling mill furnace, optimizing production times and allowing for higher temperatures to be maintained. The new plant is integrated with the existing one, which was built for the steel mill.
The benefits of the new system
The primary benefit is undoubtedly the savings in natural gas: since the billets are already hot, less energy is required to reheat them to the temperature needed for subsequent processing. Consequently, burning less gas reduces emissions of CO2 and other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO). Considering that each cubic meter of natural gas produces about 2 kg of CO2, the potential for improvement is significant. Furthermore, by automating the process and eliminating the need for manual transport via overhead crane, safety and production times are improved.
Initial results
The average charging temperature has increased by about 25%, reducing natural gas consumption by more than 30% compared to the initial conditions. The new plant has already been designed with the future in mind, allowing for a transition from traditional rolling to direct rolling, which completely bypasses the furnace for certain types of steel.
