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ITP Steel Technology Success Story: Microstructure Engineering In Hot Strip Mills
OFFICE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Technology
Success
Story
Technology
Success
Story
Benefits Yields a more refined product,
thus improving industrial
competitiveness Decreases product variability Enhances off-line experimentation
capability Optimizes hot rolling operations,
particularly cooling and coiling Accurately predicts the thermal
evolution, deformation behavior,
roll forces, and resulting micro-
structure of hot rolled steel to
determine its mechanical
properties
We feel the Hot Strip Mill Model
technology has world class potential.
- Richard Shulkosky,
Vice President, INTEG Process
Group, Inc.
M
ICROSTRUCTURE
E
NGINEERING

IN
H
OT
S
TRIP
M
ILLS
P
ROPERTIES

OF

HOT

ROLLED

STEEL

CAN

NOW

BE

MORE
ACCURATELY

PREDICTED

AND

CONTROLLED
Hot strip mills play a key role in the finishing of continuous cast steel. Slabs from the
continuous caster are reheated and sent to a series of rolls that converts them into
hot-rolled sheets and coils. Hot-strip mills compress the slabs between horizontal
rolls with a progressively smaller space between them, while vertical rolls regulate
the slabs width. Coils processed by a hot strip mill are typically about a quarter-inch
thick and a quarter-mile long. After cooling, hot rolled coils and sheets may undergo
additional forming and finishing operations within the steel mill (e.g., cold rolling,
pickling, heat treating), or may be sold as is.
Hot rolling is one of the most complicated process in the making and finishing of
steel. Hot strip mills must: compress a wide range of slab thicknesses (anywhere from two to ten
inches), process numerous grades of steel, simultaneously govern both width and thickness, and continuously operate for extended periods of time.
The ability to rapidly and reliably correlate the properties of hot rolled product to the
operating parameters of hot strip mills would greatly benefit the steel industry,
increasing both the efficiency and productivity of hot rolling operations.
H
OT
S
TRIP
M
ILL
C
ONFIGURATION
T
he Hot Strip Mill Model (HSMM) is a predictive tool that quanitatively links the properties of hot rolled
product to the operating parameters of a conventional hot strip mill. The simulation model is complete
and is being commercialized by INTEG Process Group, Inc.
Roughing Mill
Finishing Mill
Runout Table
Downcoiler F
OR

ADDITIONAL

INFORMATION
,
CONTACT
:
Richard Shulkosky
Vice-President of Sales and Customer
Service
INTEG Process Group, Inc.
9800A McKnight Road, Suite 303
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Phone: (412) 367-4080
Fax: (412) 367-4099
rshulkosky@integpg.com
F
OR

PROGRAM

INFORMATION
,
CONTACT
:
Fred Hart
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585-0121
Phone: (202) 586-1496
Fax: (202) 586-3237
fred.hart@ee.doe.gov
Visit our home page at
www.oit.doe.gov
Office of Industrial Technologies
Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585
February 2001
Solution
Researchers at the University of British Columbia and the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) have developed a Hot Strip Mill Model (HSMM) that quantitatively links the
mechanical properties of hot rolled steel to the operational characteristics of its mill. The model
is capable of predicting the steels thermal history, roll bite deformation, and resulting coil
microstructure. Eight grades of steel are incorporated into the most recent version of the model,
including: A36, DQSK, HSLA-50V, HSLA-50Nb, HSLA-50Nb/Ti, HSLA-80Nb/Ti, IF-Nb/Ti-rich,
and IF-Nb/Ti-lean. However, the capability to add other steel grades will be added to the model
in the near future.
The user-friendly model runs through the Microsoft Windows operating system, and can quickly
be modified by its users to reflect site-specific hot mill characteristics. In addition to forecasting
numerous criteria regarding current production runs, the HSMM enables technical personnel to
perform off-line experimental scenarios with an exceedingly high number of steel grade-to-mill
parameter combinations. The model can be used for streamlining coiling and cooling opera-
tions.
Results
The HSMM has achieved notable commercial success under AISIs collaboration with INTEG
Process Group, Incorporated, the commercial licensee of the model. The original version of the
model was released to 14 AISI members participating in the Advanced Process Control
Program in July, 1998. INTEG continues to work with many of the original participants through
the formation of an Enhancement Group. Continuous user feedback has shown the model is
capable of predicting temperatures, forces, and mechanical properties off-line. INTEG plans to
aggressively provide the HSMM to other commercial customers and to continue to provide
future model upgrades.