South Korean steel manufacturer Hyundai Steel has recently integrated Eco Slide Discs from Primetals Technologies into its steel facility situated in the municipality of Dangjin, situated in the western region of South Korea. Back in 2019, Hyundai Steel had adopted Eco Slide Discs for the down coiler No. 1 at the hot strip mill. Fast forward two years, having recognized the benefits of this novel equipment, they commissioned Primetals Technologies for the incorporation of Eco Slide Discs for down coiler No. 2 as well.
Primetals Technologies delivered two Eco Slide beams featuring rotating discs, disc drives, and two guiding beams. Instead of the conventional practice of changing and maintaining side guides every two days, Hyundai Steel has now extended maintenance intervals, ranging from six weeks to several months. This substantial enhancement has led to a significant reduction in maintenance-related costs.
Typical wear plates are engineered in a manner that ultimately results in the strip consistently cutting into the plate. Conversely, Eco Slide Discs ensure that wear is uniformly distributed across the entire disc surface. This extension of both the lifespan and continuous operation period applies to the entirety of the side guides.
Eco Slide Discs undergo periodic rotation, a core design principle contributing to operational advantages for Hyundai Steel. The self-cleaning effect of the strip guiding beams prevents surface defects on the strip, as these defects typically arise from burning burrs falling off traditional wear plates. Furthermore, the regular rotation of the discs eliminates the necessity for manual cleaning to prevent strip-edge deposits. Finally, due to the even wear distribution of the discs, issues such as strip-edge defects and the risk of strip cobbles resulting from worn-out guiding grooves are averted.
With the introduction of these new discs, operators at the steel plant are no longer burdened with time-consuming inspections, welding, and grinding repair work, all of which are requisite with conventional wear plates. Consequently, no inline activities are necessary, resulting in an increased level of operator safety at the hot strip mill.
Established in 1953, Hyundai Steel manufactures hot-rolled steel sheet, thick plate, cold-rolled steel sheet, galvanized steel sheet, and rebar for various industries, including the automotive sector. The total annual crude steel production capacity is 24 million tons, evenly split between the blast furnace route and multiple electric steelmaking plants. Hyundai Steel plans to enhance its competitiveness further with specialized steel products and abrasion-resistant materials for automotive engines and transmissions.
