Exact strip guidance and automatic coil change in a bright annealing line

摘要

Established in 1999, MK-Metall-folien GmbH has specialized in the production of cold rolled foils for catalytic converters for the automotive industry. In 2004 the company started preparations for the construction of a horizontal continuous bright annealing line for the treatment of 0.025-0.5 mm foils made of FeCrAl alloys, high-nickel alloys, titanium and stainless steel. The 150-470 mm wide foils are annealed in a hydrogen or argon atmosphere at temperatures of up to 1,180 deg C in a furnace supplied by Ebner Industrieofenbau Ges.m.b.H. hpl-Neugnadenfelder Maschinen-fabrik supplied the strip guidance system for the line complete with coil handling equipment and the associated controls. Special challenges were posed by the range of processed materials, the extremely small foil gauge and the structural conditions, which restricted the dimensions of the plant in terms of height and length.