L’INNOVAZIONE A quindici anni dall’avviamento stabile della prima tecnologia, dopo intense fasi di studio e ricerca applicata condotte all’interno dell’Acciaieria Arvedi, è stata sviluppata la nuova tecnologia denominata ESP (Endless Strip Production) che realizza appieno l’idea originale del processo continuo e rappresenta un importante e definitivo progresso tecnologico. Il nuovo processo ESP in soli 180 metri ed in 5 minuti trasforma il liquido in coils di acciaio di spessore fino a 0,8 mm tramite una linea di laminazione composta da 3 gabbie di sbozzatura e da 5 gabbie di finitura. Il grande passo evolutivo si è concretizzato con l’avviamento della linea ESP avvenuto nel 2009, che esalta e porta a compimento i punti di forza della tecnologia da cui deriva. Primo, fra tutti, quello della laminazione ad alta temperatura che riduce notevolmente i consumi energetici. Rispetto alla linea ISP la produttività è più che raddoppiata e grazie alle velocità di colata più elevate il processo diviene pienamente continuo. Il forno di riscaldo ad induzione può essere così dimensionato con criteri e potenze ridotte. La tecnologia ESP, endless, riduce ulteriormente i consumi energetici con prestazioni più elevate: gli spessori ultrasottili sono facilmente realizzabili, la qualità è più omogenea, le tolleranze dimensionali sono simili a quelle del freddo, i costi e l’impatto ambientale sono ulteriormente ridotti. THE ORIGINAL IDEA The idea, which became reality in 1992 at the Cremona works, was to produce large volumes of hot rolled thin gauge products through a process line which transforms the steel, produced in an electric furnace (or converter) in a continuous and single, extremely compact cycle, into quality steel coils that conventional plants and other thin slab technologies were unable to produce or produced at non-competitive costs. With the ISP (In-line Strip Production) line, the transformation of the liquid steel into quality coils is achieved directly in only 180 metres and about 15 minutes, exploiting the energy content of the liquid steel and its high plasticity at high temperatures. The pre-rolled strip is heated in the induction heater, accumulated in the Cremona Furnace and subsequently rolled to the final thickness. Thanks to this innovation, realised for the first time in the world within the Arvedi Group, the end product has excellent qualities, energy consumption is very low and large volumes of ultrathin hot rolled steel in all steel grades can be produced. INNOVATION Fifteen years after stable start-up of the initial technology, after intense phases of study and applied research conducted within Acciaieria Arvedi, a new technology was developed called ESP (Endless Strip Production) which fully realises the original idea of the continuous process and represents important and definitive technological progress. The new ESP process, in only 180 metres and in 5 minutes, transforms the liquid steel into coils with gauges down to 0.8 mm through a rolling line composed of 3 roughing stands and 5 finishing stands. This great leap forward in development was made concrete in 2009 with the start-up of the ESP line which enhances and takes to completion the strong points of the technology from which it derives. The first of these is the high temperature rolling which considerably reduces energy consumption. Compared with the ISP line productivity is more than doubled and thanks to the higher casting speed the process is fully continuous and the induction heater can be dimensioned with reduced criteria and power. ESP endless technology further reduces energy consumption with higher performances: ultrathin gauges are easily obtainable, quality is more homogeneous, dimensional tolerances are similar to those of cold rolled products and costs and environmental impact are further reduced. ESP TECHNOLOGY ESP technology, developed at the end of the 1980s starting from original ideas of the Chairman, Giovanni Arvedi, was defined in the first patent which was applied for in 1988, and sums up the whole technological process which is based on the casting of a thin steel slab rolled in-line and continuously to produce a steel coil. ESP technology is now covered by 460 patents covering the most important industrialised countries. Two coil production lines are successfully operating at Acciaieria Arvedi and are the concrete realisation of the principles presented in the patents. Since 2013 ten plants have been sold based on the ESP technology in operation at the master plant in Cremona. Thanks to the contribution of Arvedi know-how, within eighteen months the plants started operation, fully achieving quality and productivity expectations. “l’acciaio tecnologico” How “technological steel” came into being
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