Siemens to modernize drive technology in hot rolling mill at Aluminium Norf

Together with Aluminium Norf GmbH (Alunorf), located in Neuss, Germany, Siemens Metals Technologies will be modernizing the drive technology in hot rolling mill no. 2. The converter systems of all main drives will be replaced by new Sinamics SL150 cycloconverters in several stages. Siemens will also be responsible for the entire installation and commissioning. The conversion work is scheduled to start this year and finish in December 2017.

Aluminium Norf GmbH was founded in 1965. It is a joint venture of Novelis Deutschland GmbH and Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH, and runs the world's largest aluminum smelting plant and rolling mill in Neuss. The company employs over 2,100 people, and sells around 1.5 million tons of hot and cold-rolled aluminum strip per annum. Within a program of ongoing investment in its production facilities, Alunorf is currently modernizing the electrical equipment of hot rolling mill no. 2. This part of the plant was equipped with Siemens electrical and automation equipment, and brought into operation in 1994.

The modernization of the cycloconverter systems, four main drives for the finishing mill, the twin drive in the roughing mill and the drives for the edger will bring the plant up to the latest state-of-the-art. This will ensure high plant availability, and thus high productivity. The conversion will take place in several stages, in which two drives will be converted during each scheduled plant shutdown. This step-by-step procedure was chosen to avoid the conversion causing production losses. The DC drives for the coiler and the screwdown systems will be modernized in a final step.

The main reasons for receiving this order were the forward-looking technology, the sophisticated conversion concept, and the successful cooperation between Alunorf and Siemens on a number of earlier projects.