World’s Largest Ladle Turret Co-Developed by CISDI and Baosteel

The ladle turret for Zhanjiang Steel 2,150mm slab caster project was accepted by ex-works inspection at Dalian Huarui Heavy Industry Group, which was co-developed by CISDI and Baosteel, reaching 520t on single arm, bearing the largest load among the world’s fellow products.

The ladle turret is designed with CISDI’s IIPR short-arm four-bar linkage structure and independent Arm A and B, easy for manufacture, installation, commissioning and maintenance and compressing delivery cycle by a large degree. Equal-strength concept was introduced to its design, integral FEA analysis for its optimization, all minimizing the stress onto its main structural members. As a result, the ladle turret stands out worldwide in both its ratio of equipment weight to loading capacity and running safety and reliability.The co-development of ladle turret by CISDI and Baosteel provides a better selection for domestic steel enterprises, since large-sized turret were mostly imported. Being the core equipment interconnecting the steelmaking and casting processes, the ladle turret demands sternly on load bearing, safety and reliability so as to ensure continuous casting.

Technical highlights

– Short-arm four-bar linkage, wholly optimized link structure, effectively reducing impact occurred in ladle placement

– Independent Arm A and B for the linkage structure, mechanically simple, easy work for erection, commissioning and maintenance, 1/3 shorter cycle of installation and test than similar products from other countries

– Equal-strength concept and calculating proper impact coefficient, minimizing stress onto main structures and ensuring mechanical safety and reliability

– Involute gear for rotary drive, stable and efficient driving performance

– Absolute encoder synchronization monitor matched with newly-developed locking mechanism, realizing accurate parking and reliable continuous production

– Ratio of equipment weight to load bearing capacity: 0.66, 15%~20% lower than similar products of other countries

– 1.5m shorter than similar products of other countries in the total turret height, saving the entire workshop building height of melting and casting and consequently costs

Successful development of such ladle turret marks a significant step forward to domestication of major core equipment for iron and steel industry. Overall technical state-of-the-art will advance the integrated competitiveness of Baosteel Zhanjiang Steel Base.

Serving one of the national steel industry’s restructuring and transformation and upgrading projects, Zhanjiang Steel Base, CISDI has been undertaking a batch of technological and major equipment innovation, energy conservation and environment protection tasks, including enclosed bulk material yard, clean transfer, no-bell BF top, rotary hearth furnace solid waste treatment, zero waste water discharge and casting process model and software package. Borrowing a hand from Baosteel, CISDI is displaying her due role in building Zhanjiang Steel Base a world’s elaborate works, symbolizing circular economy, resource efficiency and generous profit.