Recent Development of Thin Slab Casting and Rolling Technology in a Challenging Market

Thin Slab Casting and Rolling Technology, in particular CSP ® technology (Compact Strip Production), is well established for hot coil production. From its introduction in 1989, CSP ® technology has been continuously developed further. Today, on a CSP ® plant, nearly the full range of high-quality steel grades can be produced with tightest geometrical and metallurgical tolerances under optimum economic conditions. With the introduction of semi-endless rolling and, as a further step, the endless rolling process, the product range for thin and ultra-thin products has been further enlarged, allowing for the production of hot rolled coils with a thickness of 0.8 mm for low carbon steel grades. Also high-strength steel grades may be produced with gauges below the minimum product thickness that can be achieved in a conventional-type hot rolling mill. The CEM ® process (Compact Endless Cast & Rolling Mill) is provided as a joint technology of the German SMS group and the Korean steel maker POSCO, combining SMS engineering and process experience with the production and operation excellence of POSCO. The result is a highly flexible process considering the best out of batch and endless rolling. By further reducing the as-cast thickness, for MicroCSP ® or the BCT ® technology both developed by the SMS group, plant concepts for small production amounts (