In 2025, Capital Engineering & Research Incorporation Limited (hereinafter referred to as “CERI”) made remarkable progress in the field of pickling line and tandem cold mill. Leveraging its robust technical capabilities and efficient project execution, it successfully achieved the hot test on the first attempt for five pickling line and tandem cold mill projects within the year, setting a new annual record for the number of successful hot tests. From benchmark overseas works to domestic localization milestone projects, and further to high-speed lines that broke industry speed records, CERI's five major achievements have written a vivid chapter in the advancement of China’s cold rolling technology toward high-end, intelligent, and green development. 

1450 mm pickling line and tandem cold mill of SMZ in Uzbekistan: “Chinese technology” shines in Central Asia, setting a new record for overseas hot test speed 

On April 29, 1450 mm pickling line and tandem cold mill of SMZ in Uzbekistan, with CERI as the general contractor, successfully completed its hot test. This is the first fully independently integrated pickling line and tandem cold mill exported by CERI, establishing a benchmark for high-end cold rolling production in Central Asia. The PL-TCM integrates several world-leading technologies: high-tension scale breaking and shallow-bath turbulence pickling improve pickling efficiency and reduce acid consumption; five-stage cascade countercurrent rinsing significantly reduces water usage; iron oxide powder capture and acid mist treatment technologies reflect environmental protection principles; fine segmented cooling and closed-loop control ensure shape quality; and high-precision turret type rotary shear, rotary drum-type crop shear and rotary tension reel enhance production efficiency. Overcoming challenging overseas conditions, the project team completed hot test in just two months, setting a new record for the fastest hot test of PL-TCM. This achievement marks another successful collaboration between CERI and SMZ. 

Guangxi Hongwang 1550 mm silicon steel pickling line and tandem cold mill: filling the gap in domestic high-end silicon steel equipment 

On June 25, 1550 mm silicon steel pickling line and tandem cold mill constructed by CERI for Guangxi Hongwang New Material Technology Co., Ltd. successfully passed its hot test on the first attempt, producing the first coil of silicon steel. This achievement marks a historic leap for China in the field of high-end silicon steel production equipment. As the first fully independently developed wide-width high-speed silicon steel pickling tandem rolling line in China, it innovatively adopts the composite application of work roll and intermediate roll shifting, and realizes the stable production of thin-gauge wide-width silicon steel. The product plate shape accuracy and transverse thickness difference have reached the international leading level, and the maximum rolling speed has reached 1,500 m/min. The overall technical indicators exceed similar imported equipment. 

Huada New Materials 1420 mm pickling line and tandem cold mill: diversifying product specifications, showcasing comprehensive technical strength 

On July 23, 1420 mm pickling line and tandem cold mill contracted by CERI for Huada New Materials (Jiangsu Nantong) Co., Ltd. successfully passed its hot commissioning on the first attempt. Core technical indicators of the finished steel coil, such as thickness tolerance and shape, all met the required standards, and the pickling line and tandem cold mill is about to enter the trial production phase. 

Shandong Huichuang 1450 mm high-speed pickling line and tandem cold mill: breaking speed records and entering the 1800 m/min high-speed era 

On September 29, 1450 mm six-stand, six-hi pickling line and tandem cold mill supplied by CERI to Shandong Huichuang successfully passed its hot test on the first attempt, officially marking the entry of Chinese-made pickling line and tandem cold mill equipment into the “1,800 m/min high-speed era”. As China’s first fully independently developed high-speed PL-TCM, it achieves a maximum rolling speed of 1,800 m/min. Integrated with the shallow-bath turbulence pickling process and CERI’s third-generation six-stand, six-hi cold tandem rolling technology, it can process products in the 0.18–3.0 mm × 900–1300 mm range, with a production capacity of 1.5 mt/a and a maximum screw-down rate of 94%. The PL-TCM is precisely engineered to meet the rigorous demands of automobile and home appliance industries. The project team achieved a key milestone of transitioning from power-up to hot load coil production in just one month, demonstrating robust capabilities in efficient full-process management. 

Hebei Zhuoli high-speed pickling line and tandem cold mill for tin mill black plate: deepening expertise in thin-gauge products to empower upgrades in high-end tinned sheet industry 

On November 18, the pickling line and tandem cold mill for tin mill black plate contracted by CERI for Hebei Zhuoli, successfully completed hot commissioning. This marks another major breakthrough for CERI in high-speed PL-TCM for tin mill black plate. This third-generation PL-TCM for tin mill black plate is designed for an annual capacity of 700,000 tons, enabling stable, high-speed production of high-quality tin mill black plates as thin as 0.12 mm. It incorporates multiple core technologies, including shallow-bath turbulence pickling, high-precision trimming, and precision rolling. It achieves an ultra-high screw-down rate of over 94%. This perfectly meets the market demand for thin-gauge, high-precision tinned sheet in industries such as food packaging and chemicals. Following the successful hot commissioning of PL-TCM, the product quality and yield rate of Hebei Zhuoli will be comprehensively improved, helping the company reduce costs and increase efficiency. 

The successful intensive hot commissioning of five PL-TCM projects this year clearly demonstrates CERI’s technical strength and efficient project performance capabilities, marking its comprehensive leadership in the field of high-speed, wide-width, thin-gauge, and high-surface-quality pickling. Products cover tin mill black plates, automotive, home appliances, building materials and silicon steel. As a national leader in metallurgical construction, CERI has cultivated deep expertise in the cold rolling sector for many years. It has filed over 200 patents and achieved nearly 30 achievements for its pickling line and tandem cold mill. By breaking through technical barriers with core process innovations and empowering industry upgrades through its full industrial chain layout, it has won high recognition in both domestic and international markets for the advanced reliability, energy efficiency, and low-carbon performance of its pickling line and tandem cold mill.