ADVANCED KOCKS INTERMEDIATE RSB® for NUCOR STEEL
Commonly, the proven KOCKS RSB® technology finds its application as a finishing unit in high-performance SBQ-mills for rolling straight bar or bar in coil, as well as a pre-finisher in high-speed sizing applications for wire rod. Now, KOCKS has made its proven 3-roll technology ready for an integration as an intermediate mill. The new iRSB® has been developed to replace traditional 2-High stands. This comes with several advantages.
The 3-roll intermediate block iRSB®, gives rolling mill operators more options in terms of flexibility and safety. Especially in rolling mills where space is limited, still being able to add additional reduction capacities grants some very crucial advantages. For example, bigger billet sizes can be used, or a different, more flexible distribution of the reduction in the stands is feasible – which allows it to further optimize the quality of the finished product.
MAXIMUM REDUCTION ON SHORTEST SPACE
With an iRSB®, steel producers benefit from a tailor-made rolling mill with a minimum footprint and less foundation and piping efforts. Foremost, the iRSB® not only helps optimize the overall project costs but also the operating costs with the lowest possible media and energy consumption per ton of rolled material and efficiency gains over the entire mill line, e.g. through a reduction of needed stand changes. Furthermore, the whole mill operation is simplified due to a fully automatic stand change. No overhead crane manipulation or manual, operator-requiring adjustments in the rolling mill are needed.
The new block simplifies operation and flexibility of existing rolling mills and increases productivity and safety at the same time. This brings various benefits in day-to-day business:
- Simplification of whole rolling mill operation
- Flexibility of the rolling mill Increase in productivity
- Higher safety for rolling mill operators
- Shortest downtime for revamping
- Minimized foundation work and field piping
RSB® AS INTERMEDIATE MILL
Nucor Steel Nebraska trusts in the advanced iRSB®. It is a subsidiary of Nucor Steel, the largest steel producer in the U.S. The plant was established in 1979 and produces quality steel in straight bars and BIC products, as well as wire rod. Since 2005 Nucor is successfully operating a RSB® 370/5. In May 2021, Nucor announced its plan to replace its intermediate mill – and has chosen KOCKS as supplier again.
Nucor’s initial idea was to replace its 2-High intermediate rolling mill train by new conventional 2-High stands in H/V arrangement. After defining the exact scope of work and technical requirements, experts of KOCKS presented a concept, where the flexible 3-roll technology is positioned as a combined intermediate mill train and finishing block. Nucor and KOCKS further investigated the benefits and finally Nucor selected the iRSB®. A simple foundation, a small footprint, quick installation time, no shears or loopers between stands and a safe operation concept are the key benefits of the solution.
The iRSB® comes with KOCKS proven StarDrive system, where the rolls in the stands are driven by individual motors. With eight stand positions, the 3-roll intermediate block has been tailored to the exact requirements of Nucor. With two more stands than in the previous arrangement with six 2-High stands, a greater reduction of the products can be achieved and increases Nucor’s flexibility in rolling long products of different diameters. The multi-talented KOCKS iRSB® 370++/8 not only provides pre-sections for the existing RSB® 370/5 sizing block, but can also finish sizes up to 100 mm.