Long-Standing Customer Modernizes
and Expands Production Sites in the US

America‘s largest steel manufacturer and recycler is expanding with numerous steelworks throughout the USA and relies on machining quality from Herkules.

For its hot and cold rolling mill, the customer therefore decided to invest in its WS 600 x 5500 and completely modernizes the machine. “Our specialists at the Herkules production site in Ford City are not only working on a complete mechanical overhaul, but also on equipping the existing machine with the latest measuring and testing technology as well as our in-house KP 10 machine control system,” explains Sales Representative Tim Hiller.

“The enormous forces and temperatures which affect the roll during cold and hot rolling can cause considerable damage. It is therefore essential that the quality of the roll is checked and thus guaranteed at all times,” says Tim Hiller. “The machine will therefore be upgraded with our Eddy Current and Ultrasonic inspection systems and a new C-Frame measuring system to quickly localize all defects on and directly under the roll surface as well as inside the roll.” In addition, long training periods for the new control system are no longer necessary, as the machine operators are already familiar with our technology. “The intuitive user interface of our KP 10 control system is easy to understand, touch-based and user-friendly structured, so no time-consuming training is necessary,“ Tim Hiller explains. Thanks to the latest Herkules technology, the machine will reliably grind work rolls and back-up rolls with or without chocks.

“With this investment in the modernization of the machine, our customer will be able to further increase its competitiveness and achieve a significant performance advantage in terms of roll output and machining precision,” Tim Hiller continues.

South Carolina Prioritizes Modernization and Expansion Through New Monolith™ Machine

In South Carolina, our customer is not only modernizing, but also expanding its production capacities with Herkules machines. A Herkules WS 600 x 6500 CNC Monolith™ roll grinding machine is being utilized in another hot rolling mill specifically to produce steel sheets. “The machine will extremely increase the capacities in the roll shop,” explains Senior Sales Vice President Michael Chociej. “The key advantage here lies in the patented Monolith™ design, which not only dampens vibrations thus ensuring homogeneous surfaces, but above all eliminates the need for time-consuming and cost-intensive foundation work. This means that the machine can be optimally integrated into the existing machine park to machine work rolls with and without chocks as well as back-up rolls without chocks.”

The machine is also equipped with the latest HerkulesGroup control and measuring technology ensuring the perfect surface quality of the rolls. “The C-Frame measures the roll surface during the grinding process,” explains Tobias Wurm, Senior Sales and Project Manager responsible for the project on the German side. “This means that measurement results can be evaluated “on the fly” during the grinding process allowing immediate corrective actions. Thanks to the intuitive user interface, the KP 10 enables error-free handling and provides an entirely transparent workflow for optimum machine performance.”

In addition to adding the new WS 600 to the roll shop, the customer is also having two other Herkules roll grinding machines type WS 600 x 6000 modernized at its plant in Huger. “These two existing machines have proven themselves over many years without having to be mechanically retrofitted until 2026,” explains Michael Chociej. “The fact that they are now undergoing upgrades after 20 plus years of continuous use clearly reflects the high quality and longevity of the Herkules machines and the in-house manufactured machine components, which hardly any competitor on the market can offer.“