Samuel Nelson Technology has successfully completed the design and supply of key process equipment in the upgrade of Nucor Crawfordsville’s Purdue Pickle Line. The revamp of this pickling line involved replacing the existing pickling and rinse tanks and converting the process from a 3-stage to a 4-stage pickle line in order to increase pickling speeds, reduce acid consumption and reduce load on the fume extraction system.
Nucor and Samuel Nelson Technology’s organization, dedication and attention to detail throughout the project ensured that the installation was completed on schedule and without issues.
Nelson Technology thanks Nucor’s management and plant personnel for organizing the demolition of the existing tanks and the installation of the new process tanks, extensive structural steel work, drive, piping and fume system modifications.
Project highlights for the replacement of four pickling tanks and rinse tank:
- Total shutdown time including demolition and start-up was an unprecedented 17 days.
- Nelson’s “Turbo Tunnel” pickling tank design reduces acid and gas consumption in comparison to the standard, single cover pickling tank that was replaced. The “Turbo Tunnel” design also increases acid containment, reduces emissions from the exhaust stack, and improves pickling speed and surface quality.
- Nearly 50 tons of steel produced by Nucor went into the fabrication of their own equipment.
Initial start-up production figures indicate that substantial higher line speeds of up to 30% over the previous tanks, yielding much higher productivity without changing the footprint of the facility.
Samuel Nelson Technology, based in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada, has provided steel pickling services to the metals industry for over 45 years. Samuel Nelson Technology designs and builds pickling line process sections for push/pull, semi-continuous and continuous systems and also specializes in revamping existing pickling lines.
