W7/304E

Strip Processing Lines

Electrolytic tinning
and chromium
plating lines

Electrolytic tinning and chromium plating lines

They have to offer the utmost in

productivity, product quality and
eco-friendly operation today's
electrolytic tinning and chromium plating lines.
These two methods of surface
treatment preserve and ensure
a longer service life of
products. Everywhere in the
world, there is a growing market for durable, easy-care
goods for industrial and private
use. That explains the increasing demand for corrosion-resistant and simultaneously inexpensive steel strip for numerous
applications. What steel strip
processors require is a
sustained, constant quality level
with exactly defined properties
of coatings and carrier materials. Furthermore, they expect
quality optimization they can
promise their customers as part
of their marketing claims.

To meet these high demands,

SMS Demag has specifically improved its process and plant
technology for manufacturing
top-quality products. We supply
electrolytic tinning and chromium plating lines that correspond
to the highest standards of quality, precision and flexibility. Exceptionally large, our product
range also ensures consistent
quality.

Different plant concepts for different requirements of electrolytically

tinned or chromium plated steel

Electrolytic tinning lines

There is a wealth of advice and

practical assistance we offer
our customers throughout planning, installation and production
start-up. Whenever you require,
we will advise you right from the
very beginning, in planning production for the new plant, as
well as informing you about alternative processes. It goes
without saying that our experts
team up with your personnel to
take care of commissioning the
entire system along with the various auxiliary equipment.

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Depending on requirements, it is
possible to produce steel strip in
thicknesses of 0.12 to 0.6 mm
and widths of 500 to 1,250 mm
in various types of finish. Just like
electrolytic galvanization, tin
plating can provide all the tin
layer thicknesses necessary for
the various applications, either
with equal or different thicknesses on the two strip sides. The
range of plating weights is 1.1 to

To protect the material against

corrosion it is electrolytically tinplated. Known as tinplate, this is
a leading packaging material due
to its many positive qualities. It is
used for food and beverage
cans, cans for chemical

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products, bottle caps and jar

lids. Tinplate is very eco-friendly
because it can be 100 %
recycled.

These lines process steel strip

made from soft, unalloyed, lowcarbon steel. First it is coldrolled, then the steel strip is
cleaned, annealed and skinpassed to give it the necessary
mechanical properties.

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Common to the various types of

plant is the fact that they can be
extended in stages to adapt to
the development of the
market.These extension stages
are already taken into account
during initial planning. Seeing
that extensive process technology is involved in electrolytic
coating, we give priority to ecofriendly and energy-saving operation of the installations, to recycling and multiple use of
media, to responsible waste disposal and economical use of energy.

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Whatever the process whether

electrolytic tinning or chrome
plating SMS Demag provides
plant and process technology
custom-made for each special
application. This ensures that a
large number of product variations can be manufactured at a
high rate in on-line operations.
The entire production process is
monitored by inspection devices
and geared to safe operation.
Included here is continuous operation which guarantees high
plant performance and product
quality.

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Electrolytic tinning line

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Electrolytic chrome plating line

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15.1 g/m/side. There is a large

range within which the performance of the tinning plant to be installed can be adjusted to the
market for tinplate. So far, SMS
Demag has supplied electrolytic
tinning plant with a production
capacity of 350,000 tons/year
and plant speeds of up to
660 m/minute.

Electrolytic chromium plating

lines
They also process steel strip
made from soft, unalloyed, lowcarbon steel. Here again, after
cold rolling, the steel strip is
cleaned, annealed and skinpassed to provide it with the
required mechanical properties.
The final product is manufactured
in all kinds of hardnesses and
tensile strengths depending on
the type of application
envisaged. It can be produced
in a thickness range of 0.1 to
0.5 mm and widths of 500 to
1,250 mm in various types of
treatment.
To protect the strip against corrosion it is treated with a special
electrolytic chromium plating
process. Available here are
chromium metal plating, with layer thicknesses between 30 and
140 mg/m/side, and chromium
oxide plating, applied in layers 7
to 27 mg/m/side thick. There
have already been several
instances where packaging strip
made of specially chromium plated material has replaced tinplate.
It is possible to achieve plant
speeds of up to 450 m/minute.
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 Ferrostan electrolyte,

Electrolytic tinning and

chromium plating

PSA (phenolsulfonic acid)

Line parameter
No. of cells
Total current capacity
Max. current density
Anode length

Ronastan electrolyte,

Here are the processes used

for electrolytic tinning, along
with the appropriate
electrolytes:

MSA (methanesulfonic acid)

Halogen electrolyte

10
180,000 A
40 A/dm2
1,500 mm

700

Stannous fluoborate eletrolyte

Coating weight 1,12/1,12 g/m 2 + 2,8/2,8 g/m 2

600

Co

ati

ng

we

500

Line speed [m/min]

Economic considerations such

as plant investments and overheads have led to a combination
of tinning and chromium plating
lines with two completely different plating processes united in
one plant. This is achieved using
one of two different
arrangements, with the tinning
process either in front of or
behind the chromium plating
process.

Most systems use the

Ferrostan process with PSA
electrolytes, but due to its advantages the MSA electrolyte,
available on the market for only
a few years, is gaining in importance. What makes this electrolyte more attractive is its higher
conductivity. This results in
lower energy costs and a flex-

Tinning speed curves

400

atin

Coa

ting

300

200

Whichever process area is not

required is bypassed and the
material only passes through
the process stages of the plant
which are equally necessary for
both processes e.g. precleaning and pickling.

100

0
600

igh

t5

,6 /

5,6

ible operating mode through a

larger current density area.
Largely bio-degradable, the
electrolyte can also be disposed
of in an eco-friendly way.
There is a difference between
one and two-stage chromium
plating processes. Both create
a metal chromium layer with a

Sectional view of tinning tank

Co

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,4 /

8,4

Steel strip
1,2 /

11,2

750

Tin anode

Electrolyte

g/m 2

Depending on the application

purpose of the material, various
chromium electrolytes with fluoride or sulfate additives are
used.
Vertical tinning cells or tanks
have become the preferred
types for tinning plants using
acidic electrolytes.

Tin anodes

Sink roll
700

layer of chromium oxide on top.

Using the two-stage process
enables manufacturers to vary
the relationship between the two
layers. This process is usually
used for thicker platings.

Conductor rolls

ht 8

ht 1

Limited max. current density 40 A/dm 2

Combined electrolytic
tinning and chromium
plating line

900

800

1000

1100

1200

Enlarged detail

Strip width [mm]

The tinning speed curves show the attainable line speed (m/min)

The strip is conveyed vertically through the tank over a conductor roll with a

depending on the desired coating weight (g/m2) and the

hold-down roll and a rubber-coated sink roll.

strip width (mm).

It is usual to fit each tank with

4,500 AMP to 10,000 AMP
rectifiers for each strip side.
Plants with high rates of production (approx. 250,000 tons/
year) require 10 to 15 tanks.

Each tank contains four adjustable anode stands with soluble anodes, while sep-

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arate rectifiers make it possible to plate the strip differently at the same time.

Combined electrolytic tinning and chromium plating line

Individual plant components combined to create successful overall systems

Electrolytic tinning and chromium plating lines

Pay off and tensions reel units

Loop accumulators

Tension leveler

Essential for continuous operations, two coilers are provided

at the feed and discharge ends.
The coils are wound with or
without sleeves, and lifting cars
lift them onto the mandrel of the
coiler. Depending on the weight
of the coils, both coilers are
equipped with or without mandrel support bearings. A changing device can be used to put
on or take off the sleeves.

To ensure continuous strip travel in the process section even

while the coils are being
changed, vertical loop accumulators are provided. They are fitted with guide rolls and steering
rolls, some of them driven,
which keep the strip perfectly
on track.

To meet today's demands on

the flatness of the finished product, a tension leveler is necessary.

an extra alkaline treatment.

Electrolysis then takes place
with higher current densities.
Degreasing is followed by cascade rinsing to prepare the strip
for subsequent pickling.
Pickling section with rinse

SMS Demag
manufactures
tension levelers for
single- and doublereduced material. They
ensure excellent strip flatness
through the arrangement of the
bending and leveling units.
Arranged in cassette form, the
bending and leveling units can
be changed quickly during operation. Moreover, there are bridle
roll sets with a compact drive in
front of and behind the tension
leveler, which increase and decrease the tension of the strip.

Side trimmer
Recommended for rapid width
and program changing as well
as blade changing during operation is a set of rotary side
trimmer with two pairs of knife
heads.

SMS Demag makes trimming

shears with driven top and bottom knives for a minimum strip
thickness of 0.1 mm, especially
for tin plate. There is a choice
between a scrap press and a
scrap baller to deal with the
trimming scrap. Both devices
work automatically.

Electrolytic pickling at room

temperature is carried out to remove any corrosion residues
which may be present as well as
any additives from the degreasing process. That also activates
the strip ready for subsequent
plating.
Depending on the plating
process, both hydrochloric and
sulfuric acid are used. The type
of acid is matched to the coating electrolytes. It is advisable,
for instance, to use sulfuric acid
with PSA or MSA electrolytes.
Emerging from the pickling
process, the strip is then
washed in a cascade rinse.

Cleaning section with rinse

The single-reduced material is
degreased electrolytically in an
alkaline solution. To clean double-reduced material, this stage
is preceded by

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Tinning section
Now the pretreated strip is introduced into a vertical tinning
section. SMS Demag is expert
in applying the technology for
tinning processes using soluble
anodes for Ferrostan,
fluoborate and methane sulfone
electrolytes. The anodes can be
handled manually or with an automated anode shifting device.
Ideal for ultrathin plating is the
parallel anode arrangement
SMS Demag builds. This

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ensures an optimal, even layer

distribution. To provide the electrolysis current, one rectifier for
each anode stand is used in order to achieve an exact layer
thickness. The rectifiers are
connected to the tin anodes and
the current rolls. Adjusting the
current, which is calculated using Faraday's Law, regulates the
deposit of tin depending on the
strip width and speed. It is an
added advantage that both
strip surfaces can be plated
with equal or different layer
thicknesses.

Chromium plating section

There are recovery tanks

arranged after the tinning
process to remove electrolyte
residues from the strip. This is
effected by evaporation, so
hardly any electrolyte is lost.
To finish this stage, the strip is
dried and marked according to
the layer thickness. SMS
Demag performs this process
at high strip speeds of up to
660 m/minute.

An alternative to tin plating is

chromium plating the strip. Typical of combined plant, our machines are designed in such a
way that the material bypasses
the tinning section to be chromium plated. They can also be
built exclusively as a chromium
plating line, with chromium plating taking place after strip
cleaning and pickling. Then the
pretreated strip is fed into the
chromium plating section which
also works with vertical cells. To

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provide the electrolysis current,

rectifiers connected to the nonsoluble anodes and the current
rolls are used. Adjusting the current regulates the chromium deposits that consist of chromium
metal and oxide, depending on
the strip width and speed. Both
sides receive the same chromium plating thickness. Emerging
from the chromium plating
tanks, the strip is cleaned of
chromium residues in the cascade rinser. Finally, the strip is
dried and fed into the
electrostatic oiling stage.

Reflow unit
To achieve a shiny surface the
layer of tin is melted on, which
also affects the iron-tin alloy
layer.
Melting is performed with electric current in one of two ways,
or using a combination of both:

Resistance melting

The current is transferred

through the two conductor
rolls which are supplied with
alternating current. The constant power necessary for an
even melting effect is
achieved by controlling the
voltage.

Inductive melting

Melting with high-frequency

induction coils offers the advantages of better efficiency
and therefore lower energy
costs, prevention of surface
imperfections (woodgrain)
and flexible operation when
layer thickness and strip
speed change.
The strip is quenched in a water
tank after melting. For some
products melting is not
required.

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Instrument stand
Now available are a strip thickness measuring device and a
hole searching device to check
and ensure an excellent surface
quality. This is achieved, even at
high process speeds, thanks to
the automatic surface
inspection system. Added to
this is a camera system
installed along the inspection
route.

Posttreatment
To protect the tinned surface,
the strip is treated electrolytically or in an immersion

process with a sodium

dichromate solution.
Called passivation, this stage is
followed by washing and
drying.
Shearing line
Now the measuring devices inspect the strip to determine its
thickness and to detect any tiny
holes. Then dividing shears or
rotary shears cut the strip into
panels, ready for stacking. The
sorting and stacking system is

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fitted with three to four stacking

units in which the various
grades can be stored and forwarded.
However, if the entire material is
to be processed into panels, the
shearing line can be coupled to
the preceding coating line. That

makes the exit accumulator and

winding group in the preceding
line superfluous, but it also
means the shearing line limits
the speed that can be achieved
in the process section.

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Worldwide references

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Strip Processing Lines Division

Postfach 23 02 29 40088 Dsseldorf Germany
Tel. (++ 49 - 211) 8 81-43 51 Fax (++ 49 - 211) 8 81 -42 12
E-Mail: bewe@sms-demag.de
Internet: http://www.sms-demag.de

3000/07/2000 A Printed in Germany

SMS Demag Aktiengesellschaft