August 2019

COIL PROCESSING LINES 158 Paris St, Newark NJ 07105 Phone: +973-344-6100 Sales@nationalmachy.com www.nationalmachy.com

COIL PROCESSING LINES: FUNDAMENTALS

By Brian Epstein

“Coil Processing Lines” are a series of component machinery installed inline to operate in tandem to manipulate, punch, bend, roll, treat, reshape, coat, or alter the material characteristics of coil carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass, alloy material or precious metals. The material passing through a “Coil Processing Line” comes in almost any width, thickness or coil weight. As narrow as ¼” (6.35mm) wide material in a precision slitting line to as wide as 120” (3048mm) steel coils in a plate mill. Thickness of the material can run as thin as 0.0003” (0.0076mm) in a Sendzimir 20HI rolling mill to as thick as 1” (25.4mm) in a cut to length line. Coil weights can also vary dramatically from a few 100 lbs. to as high as 40 tons master steel coils. A uniform element and a key differentiating factor in all “Coil Processing Lines” from standard machine tools or fabricating equipment is that many types of machines conform a “Coil Processing Line” processing the material into a finished form. Basically, it is not just a single machine but a set of machines all working in tandem or in relation to process the material.

Broadly speaking a “Coil Processing Line” works as follows - the coiled material is unwound in a mechanically or servomotor controlled manner and guided into the main process machine whether the material is stamped , formed into a tube, roll formed into a channel, rolled into thinner gauge or chemically processed to change the appearance of the material. In some cases, the material has been formed or cut into a standalone part which will need to be removed from the line as a single product or the material is kept intact in coil form and recoiled at the end of the line. Regardless of the process, the end product is materially different from when the originally coiled material started the process.

For the purpose of this article, we will focus on flat stock material from a flat product rolling mill or service center as opposed to wire, rod or bar coiled product. There are numerous categories of metal processing equipment categories that can fall under the broad definition of “Coil Processing Lines.” For example, tube and spiral pipe mills, roll formers, slitting lines, cut to length lines, tension leveling lines, stamping presses, coil coating, annealing lines, pickling lines and rolling mills are all examples of metalworking machinery categories that can be described as “Coil Processing Lines” since each category starts with a ferrous or non-ferrous coil and manipulates the material to produce a finished product. Just as the material width, thickness and weight that is processed in a “Coil Processing Line” can vary dramatically, so can the means for manipulating the material in the line.

For example, in a rolling mill force, pressure and tension is required to process the material in the mill while in a slitting, cut to length and stamping line the material is cut, punched or sheared. Or in an Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) tube or pipe mill the material is formed in mill stands then welded and sized in additional stands.

Each component machine in a “Coil Processing Line” has a role to play. In some cases the component machine is guiding the material into the next stage or trimming or punching a hole in the material. This is done because the finished product requires different machines to manipulate the coil to achieve the desired part or product. For example, a high speed stud and track roll form line has numerous component machines performing different tasks in tandem that make up the actual line; from the entry section which uncoils the steel to a pre-punch press commonly installed before a quick-change roll former followed by a high speed cutoff press after the stud or track is formed to a nester, bundling and packaging line to offload the finished parts for shipment along with controls, hydraulics and electrics to operate each component. Each of these component line machines will be able to work in tandem at very high speeds. Some high speed stud and track lines can run as high as 400 feet per minute (122 meter per minute).

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August 2019

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The overall size or length of “Coil Processing Lines” can vary tremendously from a few feet in length to as long as a football field (or larger). In addition, some “Coil Processing Lines” can require large foundation work or can soar hundreds of feet into the air requiring structural steel supports, decking and platforms. For example, any large “Coil Processing Line” like a galvanizing or continuous annealing line will require accumulation towers in the entry or exit section of the line or in case of vertical bright annealing line; the annealing process is vertically oriented so the line can rise multiple stories and require tremendous structural support as the line goes higher in the air. Therefore, it is common that large “Coil Processing Lines” take up a large footprint of a plant because the component nature and size of the machinery requires a lot of real estate in the facility.

Foundation and civil engineering work is also a large factor that comes up frequently when evaluating “Coil Processing Lines.”

In some cases, large foundations are required for oil cellars, mechanical components, piping and material accumulation pits.

Companies looking at “Coil Processing Lines” must factor in the initial purchase price, removal costs and additional installation costs in there analysis including, but not limited to, line layout in the facility, engineering studies, soil condition, water table in the ground, reinforced concrete work, electrical and conduit layout and power consumption of the line once installed. For example, a general foundation expenses on a standard 60” or 72” (1500mm or 1828mm) looping pit slitting line can cost in excess of $350,000 $400,000. Furthermore, overhead bridge cranes normally are installed above a “Coil Processing Line” to aid in the efficient and safe operation of the line since the coil be very heavy or the finished part is large requiring additional material handling equipment.

There can also be special cases where additional measures or component machinery are required within a “Coil Processing Line.”

This is normally found in large lines that use furnaces or chemical processes to heat or treat the material. For example, a coil coating line paints coiled steel and then re-rolls the finished painted steel material back into coiled form. A small coil coating line can run as long as 100’ (30 meters) while larger lines can run as long as 700’ (213 meters) and rise as high as 300’ (91 meters) in the air. In addition, a coil coating lines additional process machines inline and alongside the line to operate correctly. Such as wash and rinse tanks, furnaces, and a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) which is installed next to or outside of the facility but near the coil coating line to process the exhaust gases generated from the line.

Another example are large automotive blanking or stamping press lines where wash and oil component machines are placed in line with the press entry feed line before the stamping press or underground conveyor systems installed to carry punched scrap pieces away from the bottom of the press working area and into a scrap bin. Some of these components are added for safety or efficiency such as the scrap conveyor system since it removes material from the working area whereas wash and oil units are put in the line because the product requires additional treatment prior to stamping.

Lastly, we will address the electrical and motor control side of “Coil Processing Lines.” Like machine tools, software and electrical components are a vital component when looking at the fundamentals of “Coil Processing Lines.” That said, you can still see older electrical and motor control arrangements on some older lines like large DC motors, motor generator sets, analog drives and relay switch controls. However, most up-to-date lines will have AC variable speed motors and late model drives and programmable logic controls (PLC) by the leading brands such as Siemens, ABB, and Allen Bradley to name a few. Over time, older electrical components will become harder to service and the aftermarket supply will be more difficult to source, so new controls, electrics and drives are an important factor in keeping a “Coil Processing Line” running smoothly. While older electrics and controls can be costly to maintain, new electrics, motors, and controls can also be very costly to purchase and install. For reference, new electrics and controls for a slitting or cut to length line can run as high as $150,000 - $250,000 depending on the brand and model, whereas new controls for a rolling mill or large “Coil Processing Lines” will easily surpass seven figures.

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August 2019

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We hope this article has been informative and provided some basic concepts regarding “Coil Processing Lines.” In summary, if you have coiled material and need it formed, punched or altered in some way; you will require or be using a “Coil Processing Line” with component machinery used in tandem to operate together to form the material. The range of product and machinery is extremely vast, but the fundamental components and characteristics of the line are the same. * The cover photo associated with this article shows an accumulation tower of a coil coating line.

Examples of Flat Product Coil Processing Lines: Slitting, Multiblanking, Leveling, Tension Leveling, Cut to Length, Grinding & Polishing Lines, Coil Packaging Lines, Galvanizing, Continuous Annealing, Pickling, Tinplate, & Coil Coating Lines Tube Mills, Pipe Mills, & Spiral Pipe Mills & Tube Processing Equipment All configurations of Rolling Mills Edging, Skiving, Oscillating & Traverse Winding Lines Roll Forming Lines Stamping & Specialty Presses Plate Processing

About the Author: National Machinery Exchange (www.nationalmachy.com) is one of the largest and most influential dealerships of secondhand metalworking equipment worldwide. Founded in 1934, the company focuses on ferrous and non-ferrous metalworking equipment. The company is headquartered in Newark, New Jersey (USA) and owns a temperature controlled 300,000 square foot warehouse in Mansfield, Ohio (USA). International offices are located in Spain, Germany, Mexico, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, and Japan.

National Machinery Exchange specializes in the following metalworking machinery categories: Coil Processing Lines, Slitting & CTL lines, Rolling Mills, Tube & Pipe Mills, Spiral Pipe Mills, Tube Processing Equipment, Roll Forming, Stamping & Specialty Presses, Forging and Fastener Equipment, Wire Processing Equipment, Wire Forming, Spring Coiling, Rebar Equipment, Bar Mills and Bar Processing, Extrusion Presses, Fabrication Equipment, and More.

Brian Epstein is Vice President at the company. He can be reached at Brian@nationalmachy.com or 973-344-6100

National Machinery Exchange Specialists in High Quality Coil Processing Lines, Rolling Mills, Tube Mills, Bar Processing Equipment, Wire & Spring Equipment, Forging and Fastening Equipment, Extrusion Presses, Stamping and Specialty Presses and More. Sales@nationalmachy.com | +973-344-6100 6

August 2019

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