RFCS

Increasing galvanizing line speed is mandatory for reducing production costs. But line speed above 200m/min is challenging and not current practice. Several issues are limiting this increase. The main factors are: stabilized wiping, bath immersed hardware and intensive skimming. HighSpeedGalvanizing will focus on these aspects and thus enhance galvanizing line speed. Therefore three key factors will be investigated (i) Optimisation of bearings – immersed roller-bearing and “tight” bearings (without contacting liquid zinc) both enabling increasing strip transportation speed, (ii) Utilization of fully automated robot controlled skimming without bath agitation coping increasing amount of dross, (iii) Improvement of wiping by hydrodynamic pads.

The worldwide first radar-based strip flatness measurement system, including strip edge detection and width measurement is developed for strip processing lines (rolling, levelling, quenching, ...). The basic technology consists of a multi-radar measurement system that is created to operate with high frequency/resolution (240–300GHz) and precisely work under theextreme conditions of strip processing in terms of dust, vapour, high temperatures, etc.
Sophisticated signal processing and process modelling methods will be developed to integrate the measurement technology in the process control and automation. The measurement system will also be made compact even for small space in existing lines, and tested in pilot and industrial mills.

Increasing demands for better product quality, thinner strips and greater flexibility of the production lines confront rolling mills with new challenges. The e-mobility sector in particular requires thinner sheets with even tighter thickness tolerances to increase efficiency of electric motors. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce vibration level at the rolling stands. For this purpose, the adaptive flat bearing for rolling mills was developed, which enables passive and active vibration damping. This pilot and demonstration project will be the first industrial test of the adaptive flat bearing. Installation will be performed on a cold rolling mill of thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel.

JoiningTWIP will support the introduction of TWIP-steels in applications of vehicle manufacturers by providing reliable joining technologies for multi-material design of TWIP-steels with conventional steels and lightweight materials. The results of JoiningTWIP will shift the state of art concerning lightweight-related joining technologies significantly. Already established mechanical and low-heat joining technologies will be enhanced regarding their applicability in joining similar and dissimilar joints of TWIP-steels with conventional ultra high strength steels and traditional lightweight materials. The joining technologies examined in this project will be clinching, tack-setting, flow-drill screwing, rivet-element welding and friction element welding. The joints made with these specially adapted joining technologies will be tested comprehensively. The testing programme consists of metallographic analysis, determination of mechanical properties (static and crash loads, fatigue) and corrosion tests and even prototype tests under realistic conditions.This will allow end-users to consider TWIPsteels in further designs and constructions by providing them the needed mechanical and technological properties in joining this new steel-grade in multi-material design. Always in focus of the project is the applicability of the results for end-users. Therefore, the results will be directly comparable to already existing results of solutions made from conventional steels and will show the superior properties of multi-material designs made with TWIP-steels.

During the last years an increasing number of cold rolling work rolls failing due to hydrogen embrittlement were observed. These damages and/or failures can also cause dangerous explosions of the work roll bodies, which is an important factor for the safety aspect. One reason are the increased mechanical loads during processing. The difficulties will even increase as the production rates of materials are rising and as the protective plating materials, which are currently produced by Cr-VI compositions, are supposed to be banned by EU restrictions. In a first step the occurrences of hydrogen embrittlement in cold rolling work rolls shall be characterised. Therefore the critical cases in the process data of the participating cold rolling mills will be identified and fracture analyses of damaged rolls with evaluation will be done. In a second step control measures for influencing factors will be determined for industrial cold rolling mills and a new hydrogen sensor will be developed to measure the hydrogen content on rolls. Possibilities of lubricant improvement will be examined by the participating lubricant supplier and improvements of the work roll materials will be carried out by the participating cold roll supplier.Based on the results of laboratory works the further step will be the implementation of 3-4 best configurations at a pilot line plant simulating the conditions of industrial production. Finally the best configuration from the pilot line tests will be implemented in industrial service tests. Thus, this proposal aims to strengthen the European steel industry by developing new concepts for the diminishment or even prevention of hydrogen embrittlement in cold rolling work rolls. This includes improved work roll materials and lubricants, which would be alternatives to plating produced by Cr-VI compositions. On the other hand the general knowledge considering the stress corrosion cracking of massive steel parts shall be widened and strengthened.

Sharp increase of energy production based on renewable resources (co)firing is forcing boiler makers to apply expensive high-alloyed materials/claddings/barriers resistant to aggressive corrosion atmospheres into places where applied pressure and temperature would enable use of low-alloyed materials. The projects main aim is to acquire knowledge necessary to develop new cost-effective manufacturing technology of boiler tubes made from semiproducts with through thickness gradient chemical composition, tailored to carry both creep loading (low alloyed body) and fireside corrosion (high alloyed shell). Gradient tubes will be rolled in existing facilities from semiproduct manufactured by unique casting technique To accomplish this, basic knowledge about gradient material behaviour during casting (metallurgy), rolling (forming) and final properties (operation) has to be investigated and collected. Project is inderdisciplinar, combining activities which fall under technical group TG3 (focused on casting) and TG4 (focused on rolling). As stated in particular annexes, we consider the research on manufacturing of gradient semiproduct (casting) the key issue of present project. For this reason we allocated it under TG3.