In December 2019, a continuous pickling line (CPL) supplied by Primetals Technologies started up at Chinese steel producer Shougang Jingtang United Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. (Shougang Jingtang). The pickling line is designed to process around 1.5 million metric tons of hot rolled strip per year. It is part of the second phase of a new production plant in Caofeidian, Hebei Province. It is designed to process ultra-high strength steel (UHSS) grades for high added value products to be used in automotive, bus, truck production, and for all heavy industrial applications.
The CPL is designed to pickle hot rolled strip with thicknesses ranging from 0.8 to 7.0 millimeters, and widths from 750 to 1,630 millimeters, and handle coils weighing up to 33.6 metric tons. The strip speed upon entry is 650 meters per minute, the pickling itself runs at 320 meters per minute, and speeds of up to 400 meters per minute are reached in the exit section.
Primetals Technologies was responsible for engineering and manufacturing and supplied all core equipment for the line. A heavy scale breaker was installed upstream of the pickling station, which has five flat turbulent pickling tanks fitted with an acid recirculating system. Downstream there is a rinsing tank with five compartments, water recirculation system and strip drier. The strip then passes through a skin-pass mill and a tension leveler. The strip is then side-trimmed, before passing through an inspection station, to ensure it has the required surface quality. A flying shear is installed in the exit section. Primetals Technologies also supplied the electrical and automation equipment and provided supervision of erection and commissioning. Shougang Jingtang took care of the associated civil works and the erection of the line.
Shougang Jingtang is part of the Shougang Group, which is one of the leading steelmakers in China, with a production amounting to 27.3 million metric tons of steel in 2018. The company operates a number of CPLs, continuous annealing and continuous galvanizing lines, processing the complete range of carbon steel, but mainly focusing on value added products like for example automotive exposed and non-exposed quality or appliances.
