The plate cooling system is arranged downstream of the rolling section and upstream of the hot leveler. A pre-leveler arranged in front of the plate cooling system improves the flatness of the plates entering the cooling system.
Depending on the cooling task SMS developed different cooling systems. The latest development will be installed in a wide plate mill at Baosteel. It consists of a pure spray cooling system with a high and low pressure sections incl. pinch rolls. Alternatively laminar cooling systems (LCS) with an active length of 24 meters and spray cooling systems (SCC), based on  nozzle technology with pinch rolls and an active length of 6.4 meters, are used as well. Each of the both types are available as stand-alone or combined system. The plates can be moved forward and backward through the plate cooling section. Thus they can be cooled several times. Our X-Pact® Plate Cooling Control precisely controls the cooling process.

The X-Pact® Plate Cooling Control applies true-to-life material models and algorithms to formulate temperature equations, in this way precisely determining the temperature distribution and microstructure components, and ultimately the mechanical properties.

Modern laminar plate cooling

Benefits of laminar cooling system

  • Low energy consumption
  • Low maintenance costs
  • Featuring accelerated cooling (ACC) and direct quenching (DQ)
  • Capable of treating a wide range of high-strength plates

Benefits of spray cooling system

  • High cooling rates
  • Flexible cooling strategies
  • Good flatness results
  • Capable of treating a wide range of high quality steel grades