Amid the critical transformation period of the steel industry characterized by weak demand, overcapacity pressure, and intensifying homogeneous competition, a large-scale steel production line with an annual output of 6 million tons has achieved a leap from “multi-line decentralization” to “single-line versatility” through breakthrough integration and transformation of bar production lines. It not only addresses numerous pain points of traditional rolling processes but also provides the industry with a replicable and promotable practical model for cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and quality upgrading!
🌟 Core Innovation: Resolving Multiple Industry Dilemmas through Integration & Transformation
Facing common industry challenges such as market demand fluctuations, high manufacturing costs, single product structure, and defects of traditional multi-strand splitting rolling, we innovatively built an integrated composite production line of “high-speed bar + ordinary bar” and constructed a flexible production system covering full specifications:
- Process Reconstruction: Optimize the pass system design to realize shared rough and intermediate rolling passes for φ10-25mm specifications and shared first 8 passes for φ28mm+ specifications. Specification switching can be completed only by fine-tuning the roll gap, greatly reducing the difficulty of product changeover;
- Equipment Upgrade: Independently develop S-type dual-channel turning guide grooves, switchable steel splitting turnouts, and widened double-strand splitting flying shear frames to meet the needs of both double-strand splitting and single-strand rolling, ensuring stable transmission and precise shearing of rolled pieces;
- Full Specification Coverage: A single production line realizes the production of full-specification bars (including Q235/HPB300 series round bars) from φ10mm to φ65mm, completely solving the problems of specification segmentation and idle capacity of traditional production lines.
💡 Technological Highlights: Leading Industry Upgrade with Independent Intellectual Property Rights and System Optimization
✅ Fully Domestic Independent Innovation: The production line is fully designed and constructed by domestic enterprises. The core flexible pass system has obtained national invention patents, and key equipment has achieved domestic substitution. Compared with imported equipment, it saves a lot of construction and operation and maintenance costs, and the core performance indicators have reached the leading level in the industry;
✅ High-Efficiency and Energy-Saving System Transformation: Integrate the water circulation systems of high-speed bar and ordinary bar production lines, decommission redundant water pumps and cooling equipment, saving about 3.1 million kWh of electricity annually; Optimize the heating furnace process, reducing gas consumption per ton of steel by 140 cubic meters and burning loss rate by 0.25%-0.3%, realizing green and low-carbon production;
✅ Empowerment by Electrical Control Intelligent Upgrade: Upgrade the transmission systems of 6 finishing mills, 3 sets of flying shears and other key equipment from 6RA70 to 6RA80, adopt PROFINET network communication to improve transmission response speed and anti-interference ability, and cooperate with the upgrade of PLC control system to achieve precise control of the production process;
✅ Breakthrough in Controlled Rolling and Cooling Technology: Add water-through controlled cooling devices after intermediate rolling to accurately control the temperature of rolled pieces. Through processes such as low-temperature heavy reduction and rapid cooling after rolling, reduce the dependence on micro-alloying element addition and ensure the stable mechanical properties of products.
📈 Outstanding Results: Prominent Dual Economic and Social Benefits
• Significant Cost Optimization: The manufacturing cost per ton of steel is reduced by 77.2 yuan, including a reduction of 85.46 yuan/ton in raw material costs; The vanadium content of HRB400E grade rebar is reduced by 0.010%, and that of HRB500E grade rebar is reduced by 0.020%, with the alloy cost per ton of steel reduced by 20 yuan for both; The capital occupation of spare parts inventory is greatly reduced, and the pass processing and roll changing costs are significantly decreased;
• Substantial Improvement in Production Efficiency: The specification switching time is shortened from 20 minutes to 1 minute, and the operation rate is significantly improved; The yield rate is stable above 98%, the negative deviation control is stable at -5.1%/-4.1%, and the fixed length rate and production continuity are significantly improved;
• Comprehensive Upgrade of Product Quality: Adopt the design of cantilever mill + tungsten carbide roll ring to realize single-line non-twist micro-tension rolling. The finished products have high dimensional accuracy and excellent surface quality, meeting the requirements of 1/3 cold top test, and the mechanical properties are fully in line with national standards. They are widely used in key projects such as high-speed railways, nuclear power plants, cross-sea bridges, and large stadiums;
• Improved Lean Management Efficiency: Change from dual-line operation to single-line production, integrate and optimize more than 100 employees to achieve efficient allocation of human resources; Synchronously drive the efficiency improvement of upstream and downstream links such as steelmaking, warehousing, and logistics, forming a whole-industry-chain synergy effect.
🚀 Future Layout: Striding Forward to a New Journey of Intelligent Diversification and High-End Development
Based on the existing technical accumulation, we will continue to promote industrial upgrading and structural optimization:
- Development of High-Quality and Special Steel: Focus on the R&D of high-quality and special steel, and have successfully developed series products such as 30Mnsi, welding steel (H08A/H08MnA, etc.), cold heading steel (SWRCH22A), and HRB500E high-strength rebar. In the future, we will further improve the product matrix and enhance the competitiveness in the high-end market;
- Intelligent Manufacturing Construction: Targeting a full-process intelligent factory, build a three-level intelligent application system of “operation – control – management and control”, promote the implementation of digital scenarios such as steel-rolling coordination, fixed-weight steel feeding, machine vision tracking, and extreme energy consumption management, and realize production visualization, process intelligence, and management refinement;
- Synergistic Development of the Industrial Chain: Deepen cooperation with upstream and downstream enterprises and scientific research institutions, promote technological innovation and standard co-construction, and help the steel industry transform towards green, efficient, intelligent, and high-end development.
Adhering to the development concept driven by technological innovation, we address industry challenges with independent core technologies and improve comprehensive efficiency through system optimization. We sincerely invite partners from all walks of life to communicate and cooperate, explore new paths for the high-quality development of the steel industry, and build a sustainable future together!
