GE Selected by BUMA to supply Electrical Equipment for thyssenkrupp Steel hot rolling mill

The effective removal of scale during the hot rolling of steel is essential for high material quality. In the hydro-mechanical descaling, the scale layer, formed in the hot rolling process, is removed with a high-pressure water jet. The intensity (impact) of this process is an important indicator for the descaling performance, ensuring that the required surface quality is achieved using as little water as possible to keep the temperature loss as low as possible.

BUMA is developing and installing a new descaling plant for thyssenkrupp Steel Europe which will replace the existing descaler ZW2 directly upstream of the 7-stand finishing mill. With the new plant, descaling can be carried out with a 3-fold higher water pressure.

BUMA selected GE Power Conversion as the partner for the electrical equipment, due to our long-term business relationship and experiences with the end customers’ (thyssenkrupp Steel Europe) installed base. The contract for GE Power Conversion has a volume of ~$3.6 million USD.

The project will be realized in four steps:

1. Electrical installation, starting February 2022
2. Delivery and installation of pump house equipment, May 2022
3. Functional test of pump house equipment, June/July 2022
4. Final installation and commissioning of descaler ZW2, August 2022

During hot rolling, the incoming rough strip in front of the finishing mill is automatically detected and automation failures resulting in errors and downtime are a risk. A standstill in production causes considerable costs due to loss of material and time. This can lead to material being devalued - and in the worst case - removed from the plant. The installation of the new descaling system by BUMA and GE Power Conversion will help to significantly mitigate these risks, as the new system will considerably improve the surface quality of the strip and the process stability of the plant.

“We are proud that we have won the order for the delivery of the electrical equipment for the new descaling plant for thyssenkrupp Steel Europe. We look forward to the new partnership with Buma engineering & Anlagenbau GmbH and to the technical challenges we will overcome with our expertise and know-how.” Jörg Nuttelmann, General Manager, GE Power Conversion Germany.