World's first ultra-wide heavy plate production line fully operational
2025-06-03 14:38:40 [Print]
On June 1, the world's first heavy plate production line featuring a dual ultra-wide mill setup (5600mm + 5500mm) became fully operational at Zhoukou base of Henan Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. This milestone marks the company's entry into the top tier of global high-end steel manufacturers.
This one-of-a-kind production line combines a 5600mm roughing mill with a 5500mm finishing mill, enabling production of ultra-wide plates up to 5300mm wide and 300mm thick, ideal for shipbuilding and other heavy-duty applications. The line overcomes previous limitations in producing extra-wide specialty steel.
Key equipment of the production line includes a RH vacuum refining furnace with molten steel processing capacity of 1.8 million tonnes per year and up to 170 tonnes per furnace; a heat treatment furnace that handles plates 6–150mm thick, 900–5300mm wide, and 3–26 meters long, with a maximum plate weight of 45 tonnes; a quenching machine with a 5700mm working width and precise temperature control for plates up to 26 meters long, processing up to 154,000 tonnes of high-end plates per year.
The production line targets strategic applications such as offshore engineering steel, wind power tower plates, and ultra-high-pressure vessel plates, offering full-size coverage from ultra-wide keel plates for large ships (5300mm width) to extra-thick plates (150mm) for 100-meter wind turbine towers.
This one-of-a-kind production line combines a 5600mm roughing mill with a 5500mm finishing mill, enabling production of ultra-wide plates up to 5300mm wide and 300mm thick, ideal for shipbuilding and other heavy-duty applications. The line overcomes previous limitations in producing extra-wide specialty steel.
Key equipment of the production line includes a RH vacuum refining furnace with molten steel processing capacity of 1.8 million tonnes per year and up to 170 tonnes per furnace; a heat treatment furnace that handles plates 6–150mm thick, 900–5300mm wide, and 3–26 meters long, with a maximum plate weight of 45 tonnes; a quenching machine with a 5700mm working width and precise temperature control for plates up to 26 meters long, processing up to 154,000 tonnes of high-end plates per year.
The production line targets strategic applications such as offshore engineering steel, wind power tower plates, and ultra-high-pressure vessel plates, offering full-size coverage from ultra-wide keel plates for large ships (5300mm width) to extra-thick plates (150mm) for 100-meter wind turbine towers.
