Newsletter 19

ROLLING MILLS | Russula Newsletter No. 19 | November 2019
Russula supplies crank shear and
automation upgrade to Nucor’s bar
mill in Jackson, Mississippi
Nucor Steel Jackson, Inc., located in Jackson, Mississippi,
USA, has contracted Russula to supply a crank
shear and control software and drives upgrade for
the merchant bar mill. This upgrade counts as the
fourth project that Russula has collaborated on with
Nucor Steel Jackson over the past thirteen years.
Russula was responsible for the complete mechanical
and electrical supply of the new crank-type crop
and cobble shear, installed between stands 7 and
8 of the roughing mill’s exit. The 40-ton force shear
is designed for head and tail cutting of rounds, rebar,
angles and flats, as well as cobble cutting at
speeds between 1-4 m/s. An AC motor drives the
crankshafts of the upper and lower knife holders
at the same angular velocity, but in opposite directions.
Key features are a detachable flywheel to cut
large sections, entry and exit guides for all products
and an air operated trough to facilitate scrap
collection. The shear was provided complete with
onboard lubrication, pneumatic and air piping and
safety covers.
The new crank shear was delivered to the plant in
the third quarter of 2018. Commissioning of the
shear and automation upgrade occurred in late
February and early March of 2019 during a maintenance
shutdown.
The cooperation between Russula and the Nucor
Steel Jackson mill began in 2006 with the upgrade
of the AC and DC drives. Since then multiple projects
in software and data acquisition improvements
were implemented. Russula would like to
thank Nucor Steel Jackson for their continued trust
and confidence.
A software upgrade for the furnace and mill and
seventeen DCS800 upgrade kits for the mill stands
and dividing shear were included within the scope
of supply. Russula provided a new control application
for the furnace material handling, which is the
system responsible for controlling the billet movements
from the charging table to the discharging
side. In addition, the existing mill control application
that controls the roughing, intermediate and
finishing mill areas, as well as the cooling bed was
replaced with a Russula Mill Control package. The
implementation of the Russula Control Framework
in conjunction with the new crank shear will ensure
reliable cutting at close tolerances.
Crank shear installed and operating at Nucor in Jackson,
Mississippi, USA. Russula designed and supplied
the crank shear and a control software and drives
upgrade to the merchant bar mill.
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