SMS Group Completes CELSA Mill Revamp in Record Time
SMS group has completed the upgrade of the medium section mill at CELSA’s Castellbisbal site in Spain.
From contract signing to the start of construction, the project was completed in 12 months during the annual planned maintenance shutdown.
The revamp saw the replacement of one of the first-generation CCS (compact cartridge stand) mill stands in the tandem rolling group, aimed at providing higher rolling forces. Furthermore, the project included the installation of upgraded electrical and automation equipment, such as new and advanced control functions.
The new generation CCS mill was fully assembled and tested at the SMS workshop to verify all its functions and interfaces before being installed on site.
Hot commissioning was completed two days early, and the very first start-up beam was produced within the desired tolerances, followed by a successful 700t rolling campaign during the night shift.
Since its original commissioning in 2001, the mill at Castellbisbal has undergone continuous optimisation, which has seen the plant’s capacity increase from 500kt to 1Mt.