Skin-pass mills are installed at the end of the flat steel production process chain. They are essential for smooth processing of steel strip. There are five basic types of skin-pass mills available from SMS group. The options for skin-passing carbon steel are: an independent rolling facility, a so-called offline SPM, or a continuous solution integrated in a strip processing line (inline skin-pass mill – ISPM).

It’s technically possible to install SPMs directly inline in the exit section of continuous annealing (CAL) or hot-dip galvanizing lines (CGL). Here’s how you benefit from continuous strip processing: lower cost and effort for coil handling, better productivity, and higher profitability.

Skin-passed hot strip offers you these advantages: Most importantly, this process helps you attain perfect strip flatness. It also harmonizes the yield points and prevents the flow and break lines that can occur during uncoiling. Furthermore, the downstream pickling process is easier because skin-passing breaks up the scale layer.

The next stage after cold-rolling and recrystallization is skin-passing the stainless steel strip. This produces high-gloss surfaces and achieves the desired mechanical strip properties such as deep-drawing strength. 

A special feature of tinplate production is the second rolling step for thickness reduction after annealing. Running parallel to this is a temper rolling process that prepares the strip for further surface finishing and coating. Our twin-stand double cold reduction mills (DCR) combine reduction rolling and skin-passing in a single mill. 

Yet SPMs are even more versatile. They are also ideal for use in pickling and cut-to-length lines or systems for extended strip elongation. Whatever your requirements, you can rely on optimal SPM design from SMS.