Nucor Steel Gallatin, based in Ghent, Kentucky, recently ordered a “heat-to-coat” pickling and galvanizing line with an annual capacity of 500,000 tons of galvanized hot strip. The “heat-to-coat” technology is characterized by the compact and operator-friendly U-shape design, the turbulence pickling system, the high-power inductive heating system, the FOEN galvanizing equipment and the Drever after pot cooling system. The system will be delivered from a single source, SMS Group; startup is anticipated for 2019.
The “heat-to-coat” process permits the production of galvanized steel strip with durable corrosion protection, as well as an increased mechanical load-capacity while still maintaining low production and investment costs. Due to the integrated inductive galvannealing furnace the line is also able to produce galvannealed strips. There is a broad area of applications for galvanized hot strip, especially in construction, transportation and automotive industry. Furthermore, it is possible to substitute galvanized cold strip with hot strip. The ‘U-shape’ design allows a quick and easy bypass of the coating section in order to use the line as a continuous pickling line and produce just pickled and oiled material. The emission-free, inductive furnace operates with electrical energy, and a special fume exhaust system will be integrated which ensures low emission rates for the whole process.
