EPS: The Superior Replacement for Acid Pickling
Eco Pickled Surface, EPS, is a proven and patented process invented by The Material Works (TMW) to directly replace acid pickling of flat rolled steel. Like acid pickling, EPS removes mill scale from the surface of hot rolled steel. Unlike acid pickling, the EPS process is safe and completely harmless to the environment. Instead of caustic acids, EPS uses steel grit mixed with ordinary water and continuously recycles and re-uses these two process ingredients.
That's one reason why the economics of EPS processing are so much better than acid pickling. Capital costs, variable costs of operation and space requirements of an EPS production system are much lower than an acid pickling line of the same capacity:
- 20% Less Capital Cost • 30% Lower Operating Cost
- 50% Less Space Needed • 50% Lower Installation Cost
Clearly and Cleanly, a Better Strip Steel Product
Not only is EPS a better process than acid pickling, it produces a notably better steel product. The EPS process actually conditions the surface of the strip, making it very uniform and remarkably clean. It removes or mitigates mill surface defects and produces a surface texture that is optimized for paint adhesion and appearance. EPS even achieves this for high carbon/alloy steels, but without slowing the processing line speed as acid pickling requires.
And EPS-processed steel resists rusting with no protective oil coating. After acid pickling, a thin film of oil is applied to prevent rusting of the bare steel surface. This is not needed with EPS – the surface is inherently rust-resistant and can be stored "dry". Such a clean, oil-free surface offers numerous advantages for fabricators and manufacturers:
- Faster Laser & Plasma Cutting • Stronger, More Uniform Welds
- 'Leaner' Paint Pre-Treatment • Reduces Toxic Welding Fumes
The Flexibility of a Modular Design
The 'engine' of the EPS process is the EPS Cell, a complete descaling module capable of processing 18,000 tons of flat roll strip per month. Coil or sheet handling equipment is added to the EPS Cell to configure a production line. But the modular nature of the EPS Cell allows you to place multiple cells in series to increase line capacity. So adding a second cell roughly doubles line throughput, using three cells triples line throughput, and so on.
EPS Cells can also increase the capacity of acid pickling lines. This can work two ways:
(1) replace acid tanks with EPS Cells to convert an acid pickling line to an acid-free EPS line, or
(2) place an EPS Cell ahead of the acid tanks to perform a 'pre-descaling' that lessens the load
on the acid tanks, thereby achieving faster line speed. This totals four EPS Cell configurations:
- EPS Coil Processing Line • Replace Acid Tanks With EPS Cells
- EPS Sheet Processing Line • Cells To Speed Up Acid Pickling Line
EPS Technology for You
Steel mills, service centers and toll processors around the world agree that EPS gives them a clear competitive advantage. They no longer have to purchase HRPO or outsource the pickling of hot roll coils. Instead, they perform their own environmentally friendly EPS pickling, which, in turn, gives them a superior flat roll product to offer their customers. There are three ways that you too can obtain the benefits of EPS technology:
(1) TMW offers stand-alone EPS Cells to be integrated into existing coil processing lines or
acid pickling lines. Get more info.
(2) Complete turnkey EPS processing lines can be purchased from TMW-approved coil line
manufacturers. Get more info.
(3) Contact your preferred manufacturer of coil processing equipment and inquire about EPS.
They may already be working with TMW to become an approved EPS turnkey system
supplier, or we can begin this dialogue with them.
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