Baosteel upgrade its high-capacity hot strip mill
With the completion of a critical overhaul of the gearboxes in the 2050-millimeter hot strip mill at Baoshan Iron & Steel (Baosteel) in Shanghai, China, SMS group has brought a significant maintenance project to a successful conclusion. The service package included the online measurement and adjustment of the gearboxes on both sides of the slab sizing press, disassembly, offline inspection and testing, and the replacement of the bearings on the input and output shafts, all conducted during the mill’s planned annual overhaul for 2025. Baosteel thanked SMS group’s service team for the competent and efficient execution, with no additional downtime required for the upgrade.
As one of the key projects in Baosteel’s maintenance campaign, SMS delivered end-to-end support – from initial technical consultation and meticulous planning to on-site installation guidance and commissioning. The team’s commitment to excellence ensured accurate disassembly and reassembly, comprehensive inspections of key components, including housing deformation and wear analyses, gear flank testing, and dynamic balance verification of synchronizing shafts. These detailed evaluations enabled a full assessment of the condition of the gearboxes and provided vital data for Baosteel’s long-term maintenance strategy.
Baosteel’s 2050-millimeter hot rolling line, commissioned in 1989 with equipment supplied by SMS, represents a cornerstone of China’s industrial advancement. The slab sizing press, also delivered by SMS, was installed in 2013, further enhancing the mill’s capabilities. The hot rolling line, with a design capacity of four million tons per year, has consistently surpassed expectations, averaging an annual output of over five million tons and achieving a production capacity of six million tons. Since its inception, the cumulative output up to 2011 exceeded 100 million tons, reflecting its pivotal role in China’s industrial landscape.
