SMS group modernises hot rolling mill at Garmco, boosting torque processing capacity

SMS group has completed a major modernisation of the hot rolling mill at Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill B.S.C. (GARMCO) in Bahrain. The project, finished in late 2025, replaces ageing DC motors and drives with a new AC-based system designed to deliver 20% higher torque than the original equipment.

The upgrade, which covers mechanical engineering, electrics, automation and commissioning support, restores the reversing hot mill to full operating capability. According to SMS, the higher-torque system also broadens the mill’s processing window for future aluminium grades and R&D work.

A central element of the project is SMS’s twin-motor drive train, including a custom gearbox linking two 2,150-kW motors and two high-capacity torque spindles. Additional equipment supplied includes X-Pact® Drive frequency converters for the coilers, a medium-voltage converter operating in load-share mode, and new transformers.

GARMCO uses the line to produce aluminium coils, tread plates, slit coils and foils for applications ranging from packaging to heat-exchange systems. With scrap-based and low-carbon aluminium markets expanding, reliability and stable high-torque rolling have become increasingly important for producers in the Gulf region.

In a statement provided to SMS group, Ebrahim Khalil, Executive Manager Operations at GARMCO, said: “The completion of this modernization project is a testament to our commitment to maintaining world-class operational standards. SMS group’s expertise and advanced technological solutions have provided us with greater reliability and efficiency in our hot mill operations.”

The project is the first major equipment upgrade jointly executed by GARMCO and SMS group, although the German supplier has previously provided technical services for the site’s scalper machine. Both companies describe the modernisation as a foundation for further cooperation.

Source and Photo: SMS Group