Background:

Hindon serves as a supplier to a leading manufacturer of plant equipment for the ferrous and non-ferrous metal industry. This OEM designs and fabricates specialized equipment such as forges, rolling mills, processing lines, auxiliary equipment, and turnkey plants for steel and metal producers and processors throughout the world.

The OEM was approached by a United States-based aluminum mill seeking to modernize a failing brake system within an existing aluminum uncoiler unit. The braking mechanism on an uncoiler is essential for speed regulation of the uncoiling process. This control is achieved through the application of an adaptive braking force, effectively managing the tension of the metal coil as it is unwound from the coil reel. By ensuring control of the coil tension, the braking system mitigates potential issues such as over-acceleration or excessive tension, which could lead to damage or deformation of the aluminum coil, disrupting downstream processes in equipment such as rolling mills.

An old aluminum uncoiler utilizing an outdated pneumatically applied tensioning brake was retrofitted with a modernized braking system provided by Hindon.

The aluminum mill needed to upgrade its existing low inertia pneumatic brake, which had become inadequate for the mill’s increased production demands, to a modern disc brake system. Due to the age of the existing uncoiler, reliable technical information for the existing brakes was not readily available.

Hindon’s experience with retrofit applications and expertise in delivering application-specific industrial braking solutions facilitated a seamless and synergistic collaboration with the customer. Hindon carefully designed and supplied a replacement hydraulically applied tensioning brake that was engineered for ease of installation and long term support of the end-user’s increased production levels.

Application Challenges:

  • Limited technical information available due to the age of the existing equipment.
  • Conversion from pneumatic to a hydraulically applied brake system.

Solution:

After evaluating the available technical data for the existing uncoiler and its pneumatic tensioning brakes, as well as consultations with the customer regarding project objectives, constraints, and other technical requirements, Hindon determined that a hydraulically applied braking system was necessary to adequately upgrade the system. This decision was centered on the inadequacy of a pneumatic system to meet the new torque requirements while adhering to other application-specific constraints.

Hindon designed and supplied a braking system consisting of multiple hydraulically applied, spring-released disc brake calipers for use on a 35” brake disc with bolted hub and a new compact hydraulic power unit (HPU) for controlling the brakes. The calipers were positioned opposite each other on the disc in the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions. This new system generates up to approximately 28,000 Nm of braking torque, more than accommodating the increased production levels.

Upgrading the braking system on the aluminum mill uncoiler was imperative to enhance system reliability and accommodate increased production capacities. The modern disc brake system designed by Hindon offered increased torque, improved reliability, and adherence to the end-user’s project schedule and budgetary constraints.