Case Study:
Continuous coil coating line upgrade
Metalcoat, Italy
Location
Italy
Scope
3 new coating heads
Materials
Galvanized steel, steel, aluminum and its alloys
SMF Finishing Lines successfully completed a major upgrading project for the coating section of a continuous coil coating line.
The intervention introduced an optimized painting configuration featuring one new top coating head and two new back coating heads, specifically engineered to drastically reduce production stoppages caused by color changes.
Thanks to the new configuration and to optimized color sequence planning, color change downtime — previously generating approximately 30 minutes of production interruption for each cycle — has been practically eliminated. This results in a substantial increase in overall line productivity, a significant improvement in plant efficiency, and considerable electrical and thermal energy savings per square meter of finished product.
The line contact ratio increased from 75% to over 85%, delivering additional savings by minimizing non-productive running periods with motors and burners still in operation.
A further key success factor of the project was the installation strategy developed by SMF Finishing Lines. Unlike conventional solutions requiring long production shutdowns, the entire mechanical installation was engineered to be carried out in progressive weekend steps, without interfering with strip passage and with almost no interruption to normal line production.
This phased execution approach enabled the customer to avoid an extended one-month plant stoppage as initially proposed by alternative suppliers, ensuring maximum production continuity throughout the completion of the revamping program.
Thanks to the new configuration and to optimized color sequence planning, color change downtime — previously generating approximately 30 minutes of production interruption for each cycle — has been practically eliminated. This results in a substantial increase in overall line productivity, a significant improvement in plant efficiency, and considerable electrical and thermal energy savings per square meter of finished product.
The line contact ratio increased from 75% to over 85%, delivering additional savings by minimizing non-productive running periods with motors and burners still in operation.
A further key success factor of the project was the installation strategy developed by SMF Finishing Lines. Unlike conventional solutions requiring long production shutdowns, the entire mechanical installation was engineered to be carried out in progressive weekend steps, without interfering with strip passage and with almost no interruption to normal line production.
This phased execution approach enabled the customer to avoid an extended one-month plant stoppage as initially proposed by alternative suppliers, ensuring maximum production continuity throughout the completion of the revamping program.
Project Visuals
Gallery
