On April 10, the 1,250 mm continuous hot galvanizing/galvanizing-aluminizing line supplied by Capital Engineering & Research Incorporation Limited (hereinafter referred to as CERI) for PT. Lautan Steel Indonesia successfully completed its hot commissioning on the first attempt.

PT. Lautan Steel Indonesia is one of Indonesia's largest comprehensive steel enterprises, producing a wide range of products, including plates, strips, and profiles. The project is designed to have an annual production capacity of 440,000 tons, including a 200,000 t/a galvanizing/galvanizing-aluminizing line and a 240,000 t/a galvanizing-aluminizing line. It has the ability to produce extremely thin products with a thickness of less than 0.2 mm. Galvanized and galvanized-aluminized sheets are widely used in industries such as home appliances, construction, agriculture, livestock farming, and electrical equipment due to their high corrosion resistance. The successful commissioning of this project marks a breakthrough for PT. Lautan Steel Indonesia in its galvanized and galvanized-aluminized products, completes its integrated industrial chain from steelmaking and hot-rolling to cold-rolling galvanizing, and expands its product range. This project will effectively fill the supply gap in the regional market and enhance the market competitiveness of PT. Lautan Steel Indonesia. 

The key equipment for the hot galvanizing line constructed in this project was independently developed by CERI, which holds the exclusive intellectual property rights. It offers technical advantages such as high energy efficiency, uniform coating, and high product precision. 

Technical features 

Energy-saving technology: The design of the 1,250 mm galvanizing/galvanizing-aluminizing line incorporates several green energy-saving measures, including double-stage heat exchange, flue gas preheating strip steel, and waste heat recovery. These measures are expected to reduce fuel consumption by 30%, delivering a significant energy-saving effect. At the same time, these measures can lower NOx concentrations in flue gas, making the line comply with regional emission standards and become a truly green, low-carbon, and environmentally friendly production line. 

Unique three-pot design: A dual-pot configuration consisting of a pre-melt pot and a mobile main pot is adopted for product galvanizing-aluminizing, fundamentally optimizing the hot galvanizing-aluminizing process. The pre-melt pot pre-treats the liquid zinc in advance, effectively mitigating the impact of external factors on the liquid zinc in the main pot, significantly reducing temperature fluctuations of the liquid zinc in the main pot, minimizing the generation of zinc slag in the main pot, extending equipment service life, and lowering production costs. The main pot for galvanizing is equipped with a mobile mechanism, allowing for flexible switching between the zinc pot and the aluminum-zinc pot to meet the production requirements of different coating products. 

Coating control technology: The line incorporates advanced control concepts and technologies at multiple stages to ensure coating uniformity. The cleaning section employs a physical, chemical, and electrolytic cleaning method, delivering excellent cleaning results. The annealing furnace utilizes section-based control for heating and cooling to ensure uniform strip temperature. Air knife adjustment is servo-controlled, ensuring high positional accuracy. The post-coating system is equipped with an integrated cooling after coating device consisting of a mobile air cooling unit and a fan, combining air cooling with mobile cooling for greater stability and enabling uniform and efficient cooling of coated products. The combination of multiple technologies effectively ensures the microstructure and surface quality of products, enhancing the market competitiveness of products. 

Innovative tape threading technology: The introduction of "needle-threading bridge" technology is introduced for tape threading operations, overcoming the limitations of traditional tape threading methods. The ingenious mechanical structure and process design reduce the difficulty and risks associated with the tape threading process, significantly increase the tape threading success rate, shorten the production preparation time, and improve overall production efficiency. 

Automation control technology: The line is equipped with advanced online monitoring instruments, including CPC, EPC, tensiometer, weld inspection device, and coating thickness measurement. These instruments enable functions such as automatic roll-up, steering, closed-loop tension control, weld tracking, and zinc coating control. With high control precision and rapid feedback response, they effectively enhance the control and adjustment capabilities of the line, and ensure product quality and production efficiency. 

CERI possesses strong capabilities and proven track records in the design, supply, and EPC contracting of coating and plating lines. It designs production lines using the US Steel Corp. process or the modified Sendzimir process. Steel grades cover CQ, DQ, DDQ, EDDQ, SEDDQ, FH, HSS, DP, HF, etc. The specification range covers 0.15-4.0 mm x 850-1650 mm. The coating types include GI, GL, AS, zinc-aluminum-magnesium, etc. The surface quality and mechanical properties meet the product requirements for home appliances and auto sheets.