The Coilbox™ is located between the roughing mill and the finishing stands in modern hot strip steel mills. Transfer bars from the roughing mill are rapidly coiled then subsequently uncoiled and fed at a lower speed to the finishing stands by the Coilbox™. A wide range of material widths, thickness, and qualities can be processed by the Coilbox™ and it has been applied with great success to many different mill arrangements all over the world.
Forming a transfer bar into a coil dramatically reduces radiant heat loss and produces a virtually uniform temperature in the uncoiled transfer bar as it enters the finishing stands. This results in:
- Less power needed to roll the bar to desired dimensions
- Fewer finishing stands and a shorter run out table
- Uniform metallurgical properties in the product
The compactness of a coiled transfer bar also reduces space requirements and capital costs and affords many process benefits as well. For example, during a stoppage or cobble, the coil can be held for many minutes and still be successfully processed. Or if needed, coils can be safely and quickly removed allowing for faster restart times.
Hatch is widely considered to be the Coilbox™ technology expert in the hot strip steel mill community. Hatch Coilbox™ team capabilities include:
- Detailed design & supply of Hatch's state-of-the-art Coilbox
- Upgrade strategies for existing Coilbox users for
- Improved performance and reliability
- Adopting mandrelless coil transfer
- Controls design, PLC/HMI programming
- Process development and innovation
- Process consulting and trouble-shooting of any Coilbox world-wide
