Heat and chemical treatment lines

Often, linking up all processes in one heat and chemical treatment line is the most efficient solution. Here, the strips enter the plant from one or two payoff reels and are joined by a strip stitcher into an endless strip. Sometimes the entry end also includes a side-trimmer unit and a pre-cleaning section. It's important to disconnect the infeed from the process section - a job for the strip accumulator. As a result, the material travels at a constant speed through the downstream process section. That consists of an annealing furnace, cooling equipment, tension leveler, and cleaning and chemical treatment sections. Then another accumulator disconnects the process section from the exit section. Normally, a strip inspection stage is integrated in the exit section, plus a pre-aging furnace which re-heats the strip. Other options available are a trimming shear and an oiling machine. Finally, a cross-cut shear cuts the strip into lengths before coiling on one or two reels.

Pure heat treatment lines also start with one or two payoff reels that feed the strip into the line. Next, the strips are joined by a strip stitcher. Here, the entry section usually includes pre-cleaning facilities. There is the added option of installing a trimming shear unit. The process section consists of the annealing furnace with downstream cooling equipment and tension leveler. This section is disconnected from the entry and exit ends by two strip accumulators. Finally, the strip travels through an inspection unit and a pre-aging furnace before being cut by the cross-cut shear and wound onto one or two tension reels.

Typically, the entry section of a pure chemical treatment line includes one or two payoff reels and a strip stitching machine into which the strip enters from an entry accumulator. Then it is cleaned and chemically treated in the process section before collection in the exit accumulator. Included in the exit section are an inspection station, an optional sidetrimmer unit, and/or an electrostatic oiling machine. It often makes sense to arrange the oiling machine (e.g. Drylube) in the coating line downstream of the heat treatment line. A cross-cut shear cuts the strips which are then wound into coils.