Thyssenkrupp Steel modernizes and expands hot-dip coating line
Thyssenkrupp Steel is optimizing its sites in the Siegerland region. At the plants in Ferndorf and Eichen, the company is strengthening its capabilities in hot-dip and coil-coated products.
At thyssenkrupp Steel's Ferndorf site, corrosion-resistant and environmentally friendly zinc-magnesium products can now also be produced, which are particularly suitable for the robust and durable support structures of photovoltaic systems. The expansion of the hot-dip coating line (FBA) 6 with new melting pots increases the production capacities for corrosion-resistant and environmentally friendly zinc-magnesium products. This development will benefit the solar industry in particular. This sector requires high-quality coated steels for robust and durable support structures. The product ZM Ecoprotect Solar from Thyssenkrupp Steel offers a number of different advantages compared to conventional galvanizing: "The additional magnesium can significantly reduce the coating thickness, while at the same time ensuring equivalent corrosion protection and even better protection at the cut edges and drill holes," explains Ralf Wittkowski, site manager in Siegerland. This makes the coating predestined for durable outdoor steel structures, and in the context of the energy transition, the material is more in demand than ever. The product is also available as a CO2-reduced version under the Bluemint brand.
In addition to the new fusion change system, thyssenkrupp Steel has invested in a new double-coating machine (Chemcoater) at FBA 6, which meets the increased customer requirements for the highest surface requirements: The new system can apply more precise post-treatment coatings and thus avoid staining or streaking. Among other things, the aim is to apply new media such as chrome-free passivations or additional forming-supporting transparent coatings to galvanized material up to four millimetres thick. The coating is dried using a combination of induction and circulating air dryers. The passivation Covex T and the transparent coatings Covex S and Covex E play a decisive role in corrosion protection: as forming aids, a basis for painting or as an anti-fingerprint. Telescopic rails, door frames and switch cabinets in particular benefit from this, as do the solar stand profiles. In addition, investments were made in a new hall construction for the optimized storage of ready-to-ship coils. The investment package at thyssenkrupp Steel in Siegerland, which is in the low double-digit million range, is rounded off by state-of-the-art color and coating thickness measurements on the coil coating lines in Kreuztal-Eichen and -Ferndorf. The coil coating lines coat the hot-dip coated steel strip with paints or decorative films for end applications such as roof and wall cladding, truck trailers, garage doors, refrigerators and washing machines.