The HIBOX-System is a new, highly efficient solution SMS group is offering for heat insulation hoods in hot strip mills. The innovative design boosts effectiveness, improves rolling conditions in the finishing mill and reduces maintenance costs.
The equipment of a state-of-the-art high-performance hot strip mill includes heat insulation hoods. They are positioned between roughingst and finishing mill to prevent temperature loss of the transfer bar in order to keep strip temperature at an optimum level for processing in the finishing mill. Heat insulation hoods must be resistant to high temperature fluctuations. These are due to the fact that the hot strip underneath the insulation hoods is running discontinuously as a consequence of the respective process. The temperature variations caused by radiation are enormous and expose the equipment to high stress by thermal tension. Conventional heat insulation hoods are susceptible to wear reducing the insulating efficiency. To keep operation safe despite the adverse conditions, maintenance and servicing require labor-intensive effort, which has a detrimental impact on operating costs. SMS group has dedicated to the challenge, developed and already tried and tested a new, efficient system
