CONTIROD TECHNOLOGY. High sustainability and top quality for copper rod

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1 CONTIROD TECHNOLOGY High sustainability and top quality for copper rod Constant improvements in the technology and design of CONTIROD plants as well as the know-how of SMS group are the key to each plant operator s success. At the same time, production costs are kept to a minimum. BENEFITS AT A GLANCE CONTIROD technology is highly sustainable and profitable. It guarantees less downtime and less interruptions of the production process high plant availability thanks to reliable trouble shooting energy-efficiency thanks to lower fuel- and less electrical energy consumption diverse product dimensions such as round and flat sections great cost advantages safe operation and reduced maintenance time.

2 HIGH EFFICIENCY WITH ECOPLANTS CONTIROD guarantees minimal gas and electricity consumption SMS group has advanced the CONTIROD process to make it significantly more energy-efficient. This success is based on innovations in melting, casting and rolling process. The newly designed melting furnace ensures a more efficient heat transfer from the combusted gas to the raw material and also comprises an automatic scaling loss control system. The result is both a minimization of the oxidation of the liquid copper and a reduction in the gas consumption thanks to optimized combustion conditions. Together these measures achieve an average fuel consumption savings potential of 27%. All advanced CONTIROD lines make use of the automatic combustion control of the furnace system via lambda value. These state-of-the-art furnace installations produce best results with low fuel consumption. The combustion system is based on faultless combustion of the fuel gas while the chemical composition of the fuel gas is permanently monitored by a gas analyzer. In this way, oxygen intake in the liquid copper is kept low, which is very important for a highquality final product. The fuel gas consumption is reduced to a minimum due to optimized combustion conditions. Also impressive is the reduction in electrical power consumption: SMS group reduced the average value below 40 kwh/t of wire rod from approximately 100 kwh/t before The ultra-modern CONTIROD of SMS group achieves significant improvements by applying frequencycontrolled AC drives for all combustion air blowers and rolling mill drives. The use of variable-frequency 3-phase AC drives for the fans of the melting furnace and for the individually driven stands of the rolling mill offers an average saving potential of 67%. Power consumption (kwh/t) of advanced CONTIROD lines 16 t/h 25 t/h 35 t/h

3 HIGH QUALITY LOW PRODUCTION COSTS State-of-the-art solutions for reliable results More than half of the worldwide copper demand is for cast and rolled copper wire rod, used as the starting product for the electrical and electronics industry. With decades of experience and worldwide references, SMS group has a leading market position with its CONTIROD plants. Constant improvements in technology and design as well as process know-how are the key to success and deliver the highest product quality, whilst ensuring that production costs are kept to a minimum. Resources are thus optimally used and the environment is protected. Moreover, customers profit from more process flexibility and low processing costs. The shaft furnace is also used as melting furnace for vertical continuous cas ting plants. ACHIEVING MORE WITH CONTIROD CONTIROD plants impress copper rod producers with their high production flexibility for wire rod and flat sections. SMS group has already realized wire rod with diameters of 8 to 23 mm. The annual capacity of CONTIROD plants is between 30,000 t and 400,000 t. This corresponds to a casting rate between 7 t/h and 60 t/h. The in-line casting and rolling plants offer advantages through the continuous process: the copper is rolled to its final dimensions immediately after casting. The modular plant design allows for exact tailoring to the customers requirements. At the same time, the high degree of standardization reduces the need for spare and wear parts to a minimum. The comprehensive automation system ensures stable production conditions and good operator controllability. SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION: MINIMAL USE OF RESOURCES SMS group uses a high-power shaft furnace which, in addition to copper cathodes, also allows for the use of large amounts of clean scrap the residual material, which accumulates during production, as well as scrap from the cable drawing plants can be recycled. THE CUSTOMER S PERSPECTIVE We have been producing high-quality copper wire rod on a CONTIROD plant from SMS group since The technology and the results are convincing: the customers appreciate our quality and flexibility. Thus we increased our capacity from 18 to 30 tons per hour to consolidate our position on the wire rod production market. Halil Göker, General Manager, ErBakir, Turkey

4 MELTING RATE 7to 60t/h Continuous operation! Charging lift Shaft furnace Holding furnace Casting machine Edge scalping machine Pendulum shear HIGH FLEXIBILITY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PRODUCTION PROCESS The high quality of the final products is the key success factor of the CONTIROD plants. That is ensured by the precise interaction between all components in the plant. One of the main features of SMS group s CONTIROD solution: the state-of-the-art machines are highly flexible in technology and design, already starting with the charging equipment. The scope of supply encloses a new flexible charge system for cathodes and clean copper scrap. Scrap boxes with easy locking devices enable quick handling of the clean copper scrap. At the end of the production line, the coiling equipment works for each plant operator s requirements regarding coil sizes and weight. BENEFITS OF SMS GROUP SHAFT FURNACES High thermal efficiency lower fuel consumption Low oxygen content in liquid copper Easier maintenance of zero regulator free burner supply system Less downtime and less interruptions of production process Possibility of individual regulation of each nozzle mix burner. LOWEST POSSIBLE OXYGEN PICK UP ENSURES BEST QUALITY FOR COPPER ROD During the melting process, 23 automatically controlled nozzle mix burners avoid that oxygen is added to the liquid copper. A covered and gas heated launder transfers the liquid copper from the shaft furnace to the holding furnace. The holding furnace ensures that the shaft furnace continues running during production stops in the rolling line. It allows for a constant temperature of the liquid copper and assures the lowest oxygen pick up possible. Thanks to the Hazelett Twin-Belt Caster, the copper rods feature a fine-grained and homogeneous casting structure with equal distribution of oxygen and impurities one of the most important facts for optimum product quality.

5 Foil packing Coil press Rolling mill Coil forming Cooling line OPTIMAL PRODUCTION RESULTS AT THE HEART OF THE PLANT The centerpiece of the CONTIROD plant is the rolling mill. It reflects the whole scope of benefits of CONTIROD technol ogy. With its individual drive technology, the plant holds many advantages: CUTTING-EDGE EQUIPMENT FOR HIGH PRODUCTIVITY Plant operators use PLC systems to control the complete CONTIROD plant. A visualization system with diagnostic signaling and monitoring software prevents the plant from problems and potential interruptions. Thus, the electrical control system guarantees: Individual drive system for each rollstand as basis for higher rolling quality Fine-grained and homogeneous rolling structure Less process costs for roll rings thanks to minimum wear and tear High flexibility regarding final product dimensions such as round and flat sections Robust frequency-controlled AC-motors reduce maintenance time and energy consumption. Good accessibility of process data for trouble shooting Less downtime for the line Higher plant availability Low maintenance for AC-drives, high speed control of rolling speed. PERFECT RESULTS WITH HAZELETT TWIN-BELT CASTERS Fine-grained and homogeneous casting structure with equal distribution of oxygen and impurities important fact for rod quality High cost advantage when using more copper scrap as raw material.

6 AHEAD OF COMPETITION In the 40-year history of CONTIROD many innovations have been introduced to the entire process line. The result: Satisfied customers and successful production worldwide! THE CUSTOMER S PERSPECTIVE When we built our new plant, we looked at a number of suppliers and compared them carefully: SMS group offered the best engineering solution and enabled us to achieve best product quality. Now, four years after commissioning, SMS group is still a real business partner for us. We can really rely on the employees skills and first-class services. Graham Cheetham, General Manager (Manufacturing), Dubai Cable Company Pvt. Ltd. (Ducab), VAE

7 SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AT EASTERN COPPER The Chinese copper wire rod manufacturer has already commissioned the second continuous copper wire rod plant from SMS group. The latest plant is one of the largest and most modern of its kind in China at distinctly improved sustainabilty in comparison to its predecessor technology. The totally optimized CONTIROD process ensures the highest product quality with significantly improved sustainability. The new plant consists of shaft melting furnace and a 20 t holding furnace, a Hazelett twin-belt caster and a continuous rolling mill. Its 14 roll stands feature individual drives and the latest electrical systems for optimum process control. The CONTIROD plant has a casting capacity of 48 t/h with a casting cross-section of 8,610 mm² and a casting speed of roughly 10 m/min. The standard finished wire rod size is 8.0 mm diameter. The main drives of the mill and the fans all have variablefrequency 3-phase AC motors reduce the energy consumption. The modern electrical systems and automatic process control by SMS group ensure smooth and reliable operation. The plant is completed by an automatic compacting, strapping and foil packing line for the wire rod coils. Fuel consumption declines by 27%, electricity consumption even by 67%. As a particularly sustainable solution, the plant is awarded with the ecoplants label. Quality unites that is what SMS group and the plant operators proof with this successful project. 4 /t is what plant operators save when producing with Ecoplants compared with the predecessor technology. 67% is the Ecoplant s saving potential in electricity consumption compared with the predecessor technology. 27% saving is the Ecoplant s potential in fuel consumption compared with the predecessor technol ogy.

8 SMS GROUP GMBH Business Unit Forging Plants Copper Plants Ohlerkirchweg Mönchengladbach Germany Phone: Fax: C /15 en Printed in Germany The information provided in this brochure contains a general description of the performance characteristics of the products concerned. The actual products may not always have these characteristics as described and, in particular, these may change as a result of further developments of the products. The provision of this information is not intended to have and will not have legal effect. An obligation to deliver products having particular characteristics shall only exist if expressly agreed in the terms of the contract.