The first coil from hot dip galvanizing line no. 3

14.09.2022 | Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH


Following the erection of the new hot dip galvanizing line no. 3 and a host of function tests, the time had come: The first coil was galvanized.

The path to the first coil

Construction of the “hot dip galvanizing line no. 3” at the Salzgitter works, one of the largest single investments of the past ten years, commenced in June 2019 when the contract was signed by the manufacturer.
The commissioning phase began at the end of 2021. When the line was first started up, and in the weeks that followed, the strip bypassed the furnace and the galvanizing unit in what was termed a “cold run”. Thereafter the furnace was brought up to temperature and dried, and the strip threaded through, ready for a so-called "hot run”. After a further period of weeks, once the zinc in the zinc tank had been heated up and melted, the next project milestone was reached: The tank rollers and the stripper jet went into action to produce the first galvanized coil.

What the new line can do

The annealing furnace is the centerpiece of the new line. This new furnace concept enables the production of high- and ultra high-strength steels. The annealing furnace allows for higher annealing temperatures, followed by faster strip cooling and longer dwell times. The new line will supplement the two existing hot dip galvanizing lines and provide additional production capacity. The application areas extend from the automotive industry via domestic appliances through to construction.
What’s more, the configuration of the line as a whole also fulfills the structural as well as technical requirements to implement further innovative material concepts for the future. The new hot dip line can handle higher strength steels and support enhanced formability, and consequently also more complex component geometries.

As Ulrich Grethe, Chairman of the Management Board at Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, commented: “The no. 3 hot dip galvanizing line is an important element in our strategy and will contribute to the long-term security of this works. Particularly with the ability to galvanize high- and ultra high-strength steels, we are addressing the sustainability requirements for lightweight engineering as well as increasing the vertical range of manufacture in our product portfolio.”