German plantmaker SMS Group has announced that Finland-based stainless steel producer Outokumpu will install an advanced pickling line for its hot rolled stainless strip annealing and pickling line at its Calvert, Alabama plant in the US. The new line is expected to be operational in the summer of 2025.
Developed by SMS Group, the new X-Pact Pickling Model ensures optimal strip surface quality and reduced resource consumption, while using level 2 automation systems.
The economic benefits of SMS Group’s system include continuous access to process parameters, thereby ensuring they remain close to optimum to guarantee consistently high product quality. The system prevents excessive consumption and material loss, automatic discharging ensures safe operation, temperature control increases efficiency, and current density control limits electric power usage to the required level.