Challenge/Problem/Issue
As the global demand continues to grow for light gauge metals in the automotive, appliance and building material markets, the metal coil processors must adapt to the unique challenges of producing surface-sensitive materials.
Because the pre-finished metal surface is more susceptible to scratches or damage, they must pay extra attention to the equipment and the handling of the coils.
Solution
Cargill Steel, East Chicago addressed their desire to successfully process light gauge materials by purchasing a new re-coiler reel for this application. Unfortunately, they continued to experience creasing, “head-in” damage, and marks on their finished product. They made several process changes as well as modifications to the reel but could not obtain an end product that they believed would be acceptable to the market that they were trying to attract. As a result, they moved away from those customers.
Cargill Steel started investigating ways to eliminate the damage they were experiencing and sought the assistance of Kastalon Polyurethane Products , who are well known for their coil protection solutions. After many months of design and engineering reviews, Kastalon made the recommendation to outfit the reel with a multi-segment bolt-on set of engineered polyurethane filler plates.
Once the filler plates were installed and put into service, several different gauges were run. The first was a .070/.071 thickness. This coil ran twice through the line and re-coiled twice on the filler plates. No markings could be felt. The second coil run was considered light gauge at .017 thickness. This coil also ran through the line and re-coiled twice on the filler plates. Again, the Quality Control Supervisor reported no marks.
Customer Value
The success of these coils has since allowed Cargill Steel to go after the light gauge market. In addition to the added business opportunity, the Kastalon Polyurethane Filler Plates are far lighter than steel, thereby allowing for faster change-outs and reduced maintenance costs have further improved operating efficiency.