Production milestone at thyssenkrupp Steel in Duisburg

• Special aspect: Continuous production process with a combination of pickling line and subsequent tandem cold rolling mill
• The plant delivers extremely wide and thin cold-rolled sheets at minimal thickness tolerances, and with an accuracy of up to a thousandth of a millimeter
• Integration of state-of-the-art technologies, including artificial neural networks, to develop adaptive systems, as well as conversion to plastic pickling baths with semi-turbulence
• At 23 years of age, the TAKO is still at the cutting edge, with a total plant operating time of around 60 years
• Milestone reached in mid-March 2024: 40 million metric tons of steel produced since commissioning

Since March 26, 2001 the high-tech rolling mill in Duisburg-Beeckerwerth, the so-called tandem coupling (TAKO), has been producing at the time of its commissioning, the most modern cold rolling mill of its kind in the world. In March of this year, thyssenkrupp’s Steel division and the 100 employees at the plant celebrated a significant anniversary after 23 years of successful operating time: The TAKO produced its 40 millionth metric ton of sheet.

The rolling mill enables a continuous production process by coupling it with a pickling line. Hot rolled coils, rolls of flat steel, are joined to form an endless strip and the scale is removed in the pickling tank. The strip, which is up to two meters wide, is then deflected by 90 degrees into the tandem cold rolling mill with the help of a large roller, where it is rolled out into sheet using the latest technologies.

thyssenkrupp Steel supplies its customers with extremely wide and thin cold-rolled sheet from the TAKO plant. The strip can be rolled to the desired thickness with an accuracy of a thousandth of a millimeter. The tandem cold rolling mill is primarily used to manufacture highly formed IF steels and high-strength multiphase steels for lightweight automotive construction, as well as for electric mobility. The material is used in hoods, roofs, doors and safety-related parts such as A, B, and C-pillars, in battery housings and shock absorbers in cars, and also in bathtubs.

"The continuous process enables us to achieve outstanding surface quality," emphasizes Dr. Oliver Moll, Head of Cold Strip Mill 2 in Beeckerwerth. The plant remains at the cutting edge in terms of technology. In the meantime, the pickling process has been changed over to plastic pickling baths with semi-turbulence. Among other things, artificial neural networks are used on the tandem cold rolling mill to develop adaptive technical systems.

The TAKO plant is an important  and central component in the production network and a prime                example of innovative technology and continuous improvement. It plays a key role in positioning thyssenkrupp Steel Europe as a leading supplier of high-quality steel products and meeting customers‘ demanding expectations.

Data

Year of manufacture:         March 26, 2001

Sheet product    

Width:                                 1000 mm to 2040 mm

Entry thickness:                 1.5 mm to 6.5 mm

Exit thickness:                    0.26 mm to 4 mm

Production capacity

Depending on portfolio:    2 million metric tons p.a.