Acerinox Langenfeld

Machines changed during the first phase

The first phase focused on replacing the most problematic machines, maintaining the machine’s original production capacity, although the new machines were made ready for the change to maximum speed that would be achieved with the reforms in the second phase.

• Uncoiler:: The uncoiler, originally of the pneumatic brake type that had been modified to fit a motor and chain drive, was replaced with a gear drive uncoiler, with speed and torque regulation, as well as a pneumatic safety brake. The original paper recoiler was maintained.
  
• Crop shear: The crop shear was replaced with a new shear that includes a system to adjust the gap between knives for different thicknesses and a table tiltable with hydraulic cylinders, on the exit side.
• Pinch rolls for the shear: New PU-coated pinch rolls were fitted on the entry side of the mechanical shear. These rolls had to operate at 30 m/min in start-stop mode when installed, but after the second phase of retrofitting, with the installation of the rotary shear, they went on to operate at speeds of up to 90 m/min in continuous mode. The tension rolls included a paper uncoiler under the strip, a PVC uncoiler above it, and an electrostatic bar to ensure better sticking of the paper.
• Scrap balle: New scrap baller with speed and torque control equipment and capacity to ball at a maximum speed of 90 m/min.
• Electrical equipment: The line’s electrical equipment was refurbished, with a Siemens S7 PLC installed to control the new machines and plans to connect the machines to be replaced during the second phase of retrofitting to the same PLC.

Machines changed during the second phase

The second phase has led to a substantial improvement in both the machine’s production capacity (going from a maximum speed of 30 m/min to 90m/min and with automation of coil loading, banding and pallet removal) and the processing of the material (the bomb-door stacker was replaced by a belt vacuum stacker).

• Saddles and coil car: New unloading saddles and car were installed. The new saddles enabled two coils to be deposited on it and the field elements necessary were added (detectors and sonar) to make automatic coil loading possible. The new car has powered rolls to rotate the coil, which improves ergonomics and safety.
• Second leveller for thin material. Due to the problems the original leveller had to level smaller thicknesses (less than 1 mm), another leveller was fitted with 21 rolls of 40 mm in diameter and three heights between the existing leveller and the shear. This leveller includes a cassette removal cart, enabling the cassette to be changed automatically. This cassette can be the same roll diameter as the current one or bigger, being able to process with only one machine – but different cassettes – the whole range of thicknesses.
• Motor drive of original leveller: A new motor with its electronic control equipment was fitted on the existing leveller to make it possible for that machine to process material at 90 m/min. Original
• Rotary shear: the mechanical shear and the hump table to accumulate the material were substituted with a rotary shear. This meant that the pinch roll installed in the first phase went from operating in start-stop mode to doing so in continuous mode and the maximum line speed went from 30 m/min to 90m/min.
• Vacuum stacker with automatic run-out: The second phase of modernisation included a vacuum belt stacker with fully automated peripherals, which means significant improvements in both productivity and final product quality compared to the original bomb-door stacker. This stacker is capable of stacking all the material cut by the line at 90 m/min. The operators only have to take charge of loading the pallets and labelling the stacked bundles. The quality of the bundles is improved and the risk of damaging the material is considerably reduced.
• Electrical equipment: All the machines supplied in the second phase were integrated in the S7 PLC installed in the first phase, and the replacement of the control desks
  (also started during the first phase) was completed. The new cabinet modules included a telediagnostics teleservice modem that enables Fagor engineers to connect to the machine from their own facilities in the event of software problems, thereby greatly simplifying electronic maintenance of the line for the customer.
• Safety enclosure: Fagor has supplied and fitted a line perimeter enclosure that meets CE regulations and ensures that the operators can work on it in a much safer way.