HAINZL Systemtechnik has broken its own size record in the cylinder sector for its customer Primetals Technologies: The heavyweights, each weighing 16 tons, are used in a steel mill to move the ladles. The plant manufacturer Primetals Technologies drew on the expertise of HAINZL.
The new cylinder, which is installed on the ladle turret to lift the ladles, is compact but heavy: With a diameter of 900 millimeters for the piston rods and 960 millimeters for the pistons, or an outer diameter of 1240 millimeters, the cylinder is by no means the largest that HAINZL Systemtechnik has ever designed. With a considerable dead weight of 16 tons, it achieves a lifting force of 13,000 kilonewtons.
Due to the high ladle weight in the steelworks, the previous largest size was not sufficient. The cylinder is used on the ladle turret, which is located at the very beginning of the continuous casting plant. The ladles full of molten steel are lifted, the tower is rotated and the full ladle is swung over the casting platform. The empty ladle can be removed from the crane on the opposite side.
The challenge for the HAINZL Systemtechnik designers was to optimize the dead weight of the cylinders. Compared to the standard version, it was possible to save around 1,500 kilograms in weight.
