Steel producer Colakoglu Metalurji AS, based in Dilovasi, Turkey, has commissioned SMS group to modernize the laminar cooling section and downcoiler in its 1,850-mm hot strip mill. This upgrade will enable Colakoglu to enter the market for wear-resistant steel grades.
SMS group originally supplied the hot strip mill to Colakoglu in 2010 and previously enhanced it to improve product quality and reduce maintenance costs. The current modernization aims to expand Colakoglu’s product range to include wear-resistant hot strip grades used in truck beds, excavator buckets, and mining applications. This will be achieved by increasing cooling rates in the laminar cooling section, which will also reduce the need for various alloying elements, lowering operating costs.
The upgrade includes replacing the first cooling groups with SMS group’s super-reinforced cooling technology, which triples the water application rate, and installing new flowmeters and control valves for improved flow control and maintenance. The downcoiler area will also be modernized to handle wear-resistant grades, with enhanced drive trains and reinforced chute roller tables.
Colakoglu will benefit from SMS group’s integrated X-Pact control systems and the X-Pact Microstructure Property Model (MPM), which reduces the need for material samples and speeds up product quality release. The modernized hot strip mill is expected to be operational by fall 2026, with much of the new equipment pre-assembled to minimize production disruptions.
