With the increasing demand for thin-gauge steel plates, Shougang Jingtang adheres to the benefit-centered principle, maximizes the advantages of “small, fast and agile” on the 3,500 mm production line, and fully undertakes orders for thin-gauge steel plates to meet customers’ requirements for extreme specifications and fast delivery, and constantly improve its market competitiveness. Since the beginning of this year, the proportion of orders for thin-gauge products has increased significantly. In April and May, the proportion of thin-gauge products of 10 mm and below reached 34.86% and 45.66% respectively, and their profitability greatly improved.

The thin-gauge research team of the 3,500 mm production line took aim at bottlenecks in thin-gauge steel plate rolling, freed their thinking and took the initiative to carry out systematic research, which not only broadened the varieties and specifications of thin-gauge steel plates, but also led to innovations being made to the standardized operation model. They optimized the temperature control sequence for thin-gauge temperature control steel plates and realized flexible switching between four temperature control modes, ultimately developing a multi-pass widening model for extreme thin-gauge steel and the best method for the lifting roll gap in the last pass. In these ways, rolling efficiency and stability were significantly improved, and the plate shape qualification rate reached 99.9%. With rolling stability ensured, the rolling specifications of the products were continuously broadened. The maximum rolling length of 6 mm steel plates was increased to 32 m and that of 8-10mm steel plates was increased to 37m, further improving the yield rate and reducing the process cost. In light of the characteristics of thin-gauge plates on the 3,500 mm production line, large proportion of pipeline steel contracts and difficult production requirements, the Medium-plate Division cooperated efficiently with the Manufacturing Department to carefully analyze billet structures, formulated a special production organization mode for the 3,500 mm production line and achieved stable and high production on the premise of ensuring stable quality. In May, the 3,500 mm production line broke 11 records, of which the number of blocks produced in a shift was refreshed five times, daily number of blocks was refreshed four times and number of blocks cut in a shift was refreshed twice.

With the expansion of high-end thin-gauge products, the proportion of high-strength steel for Jingtang’s medium-plate products is also increasing. At present, thin-gauge L450M pipeline steel is delivered in bulk, with the monthly output exceeding 5,000 tons; mass production capacity has been attained for 6 mm Q345qDNH; the qualified rate of 8 mm Q500qE high-strength bridge steel plate shape has reached 99%; and the trial rolling of 6 mm Q500qE has been successful, with its performance and shape meeting customers’ needs. All of these achievements have effectively enhanced the market influence and competitiveness of Jingtang’s products, and promoted the continuous upgrading of its thin-gauge products.