Packaging steels are made using low-carbon steel (0.03 to 0.13%). |
Strip steel is cold-rolled in order to reduce its thickness. The steel strip is rolled in a tandem or reverse rolling mill which flattens and stretches the strip to the required thickness. The process can reduce the thickness of the strip by up to ten times without modifying the width. The resultant strip is approximately ten times longer. |
After cold rolling, the steel is covered with a thin film of oil, which needs to be removed in order to optimize the annealing process. |
This is a heat treatment that restores the steel’s plasticity lost during the cold-rolling process. Annealing is the heating of steel to above the recrystallization point. The steel is heated in a reducing atmosphere (a mix of nitrogen and hydrogen) to avoid oxidation. |
After annealing, the strip is tempered in order to achieve the required level of hardness, the required surface, good evenness and the required mechanical properties. |
Blackplate can be coated with tin or chrome on the coating line, to obtain tinplate or TFS (Tin Free Steel). The maximum speed of a tinplate coating line is about 450 m/mn, equivament to 25 000 cans/mn. |
The coils are cut into sheets according to the customer’s specifications. Littell shears are used to ensure high-precision straight or indented cuts. |
ArcelorMittal serves customers throughout the world and uses both overland and maritime shipment methods. |