The new Cold Mill at Sparrows Point has a production capacity of over 1.5 million tons per year of high-quality cold rolled
| 1. Coils are welded, resulting in weld seams that are virtually undetectable and rollable. |
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2. An entry-end horizontal accumulator, coupled with a dual pass line entry end, holds enough strip at process speed to ensure continuous operation through both the pickler and tandem mill. |
| 3. A tension leveler/scale breaker loosens oxide prior to acid pickling, providing sufficient elongation to improve strip flatness. |
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4. Hydrochloric (HCl) acid pickling vs. sulfuric acid pickling imparts a brighter pickled surface. The recirculated, deionized water system guards against the formation of speckled rust caused by residual chemical salts. |
| 5. State-of-the-art side turret trimming and steering equipment allow width control to half-standard tolerance. |
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6. The five-stand, four-high tandem mill utilizes state-of-the-art shape and gauge control systems that provide for world-class product characteristics. The closed loop shape system uses feedback from two shape measurement rolls to control roll bending, roll shifting, roll tilt and zone cooling to produce outstanding flatness. The gauge control system, with its hydraulic gauge control cylinders, four x-ray gauges and four laser speed measurement devices, is capable of producing strip with half-standard gauge tolerances. |
Hydrogen Batch Annealing 7. 100% hydrogen atmosphere combined with high-volume circulating fans and rapid water spray cooling allow for rapid, efficient anneal cycles. The result is a coil with a smut-free surface and uniform properties. |
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Skin Pass (Temper Mill) and Tension Leveler 8. A single-stand temper mill features closed loop shape control, precise elongation control, and fully automatic strip handling functions. This unit offers the flexibility of temper passing only or processing directly through the in-line tension leveler for "table top" flatness. The mill is also equipped with electrostatic oiling for the ultimate in rust protection. The end result is cold rolled with excellent surface, flatness and uniform properties head-to-tail, coil-to-coil. |
Innovative coil handling and packaging provide superior protection during handling and transport. 9. Single-stack, contact-free coil storage and a tractor-free coil handling system (including coil cars, a walking beam conveyor, and manned and remote overhead cranes) eliminate handling damage. |
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10. Coils stay protected with state-of-the-art packaging. The recyclable packaging system features an inner MPI treated layer and outer spiral plastic stretch wrap with vapor layer to prevent rust, in addition to three eye bands, one belly band, and both ID and OD protectors. |
| 11. Four-lane, drive-through truck loading minimizes loading times. A rail siding is also available. |
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