The steel mill supplies Kanthal's production units worldwide with steel and plays a crucial role in the company’s production line as virtually all steel from the smelter passes through it.
However, at the mill, a DC motor and a drive system had been in place for nearly seven decades. The motor had low efficiency and there were no spare parts available, which could result in long production downtimes. In 2020, ABB was chosen as the supplier for this critical upgrade at Kanthal’s rolling mill in Hallstahammar.
“We decided to invest in a completely new drive system to modernize our rolling mill. In the end, the decision came down to how comfortable you feel with the supplier when it comes to the technical solution, and both price and the ability to deliver. Overall, we felt very comfortable with having ABB as the supplier for this solution,” says Stefan Jansson, Production Unit Manager at Kanthal.
The project was successfully completed in the summer of 2021, and with the new drive system and motor in place, Kanthal can benefit from significantly improved energy efficiency and performance, as well as lower maintenance costs. With this upgrade, operators can access system information via a screen in the operator's cab, facilitating both running and troubleshooting the rolling mill.