Primetals to upgrade hot strip mill cooling line at Voestalpine in Linz

voestalpine Stahl GmbH has awarded Primetals Technologies a contract to modernise the laminar strip cooling line at its 5-million-ton-per-year hot strip mill in Linz.

The upgrade is aimed at increasing cooling capacity and improving control accuracy in order to meet the requirements of the current product mix, particularly high-strength steels, while enabling the development of new advanced grades.

According to Primetals, the project includes the installation of new laminar cooling headers and flow-controlled valves for precise water management across the cooling section. Additional measures comprise new roller table side guides, water knives and a cross-spray system. The scope also covers associated fluid systems as well as electrical and basic automation components.

The new cooling headers will allow both mild and rapid cooling strategies using the same equipment. Flow-controlled valves will feature automated recording of characteristic flow curves for each unit, improving process transparency and reproducibility.

The modernisation is expected to deliver uniform and metallurgically tailored strip cooling profiles across the entire strip width and length, as well as balanced heat flux between the top and bottom surfaces. This is intended to support voestalpine’s development of higher-performance flat steel grades, particularly for automotive applications.

The work will be executed during planned shutdowns of approximately 10 days each in 2027 and 2028 in order to minimise production downtime.

Source and Photo: Primetals