Revamping burners in galvanizing line at thyssenkrupp
The heat treatment plants builder, Tenova LOI Thermprocess has received another order from thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG for the revamping of burner technology at the continuous galvanizing line located in Bochum in Germany.
This modernization measure is an important cornerstone in enabling thyssenkrupp Steel to produce high-strength steels, AHSS, in Bochum in the highest quality and with increased production capacity for further use in the automotive industry.
In order to meet market requirements and reduce both emissions and energy consumption, the furnace will be equipped with new burners that meet even highest requirements by targeting the lowest possible NOx-emission levels (lower than 140 mg per cubic meter(@3%O2 reference)) during production. In addition, the heating system will be upgraded in order to increase the target strip temperatures to > 900°C.
For Tenova LOI Thermprocess, this is the third consecutive modernization order received for the continuous galvanizing line in Bochum, proving the company’s successful R&D development strategy.
With an annual production capacity of 540,000 tonnes of high quality galvanized steel it is one of the core production lines of thyssenkrupp Steel Europe for the production of car body parts and AHSS-steels. The line was commissioned in 1992, and since 2014 major parts have been upgraded with the latest state-of-the-art technologies.
In the first phase, the pre-heating and over-aging sections were modified to improve the annealing cycle in over-aging regarding larger heating capacity and improved temperature homogeneity. The energy recovery in the pre-heating section has nearly doubled and therefore the carbon footprint of the line was significantly reduced.
In 2017, a major step towards production of AHSS was realized through a substantial revamp of the fast cooling section. A new set of nozzle boxes, fans and heat exchangers were added to the existing equipment. The system is designed for highest heat transfer coefficients and lowest strip vibrations, even with enlarged strip length without roller support.
