![]() ![]() These grades tend to create extreme hardness increases in the weld seam area. The rule, and not the exception, in a current steel plant is the production of modern high-strength grades with high contents of alloying elements. In a pickling line/tandem cold mill, the weld seam is bent numerous times with high tension (up to 65 tons), travels more than 1000m through the line at high speed (up to 1200m/min), and eventually gets rolled and significantly reduced in thickness with high forces in five mill stands (up to 1800 tons). The welding process takes place every 3 to 5 min. What changes is the material to be welded regarding steel quality, strip thickness, strip width, and thickness jump from one coil to the next. The entire process is fully automated and the sequences to join both strip ends successfully are always the same. The weld seam is only utilized for a few minutes-at the very end of the line, it will often be cut out, but weld seam requirements and a reliable welding process are very high. ![]() If coils are not joined properly, the whole process will stop: every strip break or machine stoppage has the potential to affect upstream and downstream operations, resulting in significant financial implications. The welding machine is not only a crucial technological piece of equipment in every strip processing line, but also an entry cycle time factor and one key component for utilized and maximized production. ![]() The X-Pro laser with an 8kW carbon dioxide laser source is the basis for a new order with a 10kW fiber laser to be integrated into SSAB's new entry section, which will provide high efficiency and availability as well as a safe, fast, and fully automated process, even for difficult-to-weld materials. Furthermore, its automatically controlled, reliable process and easy maintenance concept are beneficial features.įIGURE 1. The company is convinced on its pickling line's ability to weld high-strength materials within a short cycle time. Recently, SMS group received another order for its latest-generation X-Pro laser welder, as SSAB (Hämeenlinna, Finland) decided to revamp its pickling line to include a fiber laser welding machine ( FIGURE 1). The machine's documentation is digitally available and interlinked. Its features allow for reduced operating and maintenance staff to perform preventive maintenance with long-time archives that record all relevant data. The welding machine implements several digital solutions to operate in a simple manner. SMS group reacted to this process change and on the worldwide impact of digitization with a newly developed welding machine. Therefore, maintenance-friendly machines with high availabilities that operate automatically and adaptively with desired production results are required. In previous decades, more people were involved in operating and maintaining the equipment-but now, cost-control measures are reducing the number of involved personnel. Furthermore, welding machines in existing lines need to be replaced as spare parts and in-house expertise availability dwindle. ![]() Old flash butt welding machines or conventional laser welding machines are not able to weld modern steel grades in a reliable manner, as their high-alloying contents have an influence on the weldability of the materials. Staying competitive comes with the necessity to offer a broad product portfolio, which focuses on modern steel grades. Cost-reduction initiatives such as energy conservation, minimizing personnel, and spare-parts reduction come along with the need to increase the availability of equipment. The global steel market is under constant pressure. System can integrate fiber laser source CHRISTIAN DORNSCHEIDT, JENS ARTEL, and CAESAR SASSE ![]()
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