Nippon Steel to Install New Cooling Process to Plate Mills

Nippon Steel will install next generation cooling control process, CLC-μ to all plate mills. The firm finished the installation of the Continuous on-Line Control Process to plate mill at Kimitsu works in March 2005 starting the operation in July 2005. The firm started the study to introduce the process to Nagoya and Oita works. The firm tries to improve the production ability for high performance steel products for energy and other application with growing demand by using the process, which enables to realize targeted specification flexibly on line basis. The process is to improve strength of steel products through accelerated cooling after rolling. The firm developed the controlling cooling process, CLC with shape reformation before cooling ahead of other steel makers. The firm installed the CLC to plate mills in Kimitsu, Nagoya and Oita works to improve the ability to produce high tensile steel and high toughness products with weldability. The CLC-μ has higher technological function with better controlled cooling by changing cooling nozzle and water supply controlling method. The new process can control cooling from high speed cooling to low speed cooling stably. The process succeeded to halve the temperature unevenness in plate after cooling so that the process improves the equation of cooling in any temperature. The process results in equation of hardness in any point of thickness and better control of metal constitution. The firm started development of new high performance steel products by using the process and other technology including Super High HAZ Toughness Technology with Fine Microstructure Imparted by Fine Particles or HTUFF. The firm tries to launch new products to reduce construction and welding cost and to improve safety for steel structure. The firm already produces more than 10,000 tonnes of new products after the firm developed new items including plate with more than X80 strength and better formability for line pipe and plate with better weldability and toughness of welded joint in less than 40 degrees of centigrade.