55 % higher impact resistance - securing rolling mill operations
DC Rotor reconstruction and optimization for Peiner Träger GmbH
At a glance
Peiner Träger GmbH modernized a historic DC motor from 1974. One rotor was digitally reconstructed, mechanically improved and rebuilt to avoid unplanned downtime in the steel beam rolling process.
Challenges
- Cracks in the sixty-year-old rotor
- Risk of unplanned outages, no spare parts available
Solutions
- Digital twin and mechanical optimization
- FEM analysis, 3D reconstruction, rebuild of one rotor
Outcome
- Fifty five percent higher impact resistance
- Lower operating costs and increased plant availability
Securing reliability in the rolling mill
Peiner Träger GmbH is part of the Salzgitter Group and is one of the leading European steel producers. At the site, the company operates a reversing rolling mill with drivetrain technology that partly dates back to the 1970s. Cracks in the welded rotor structure created a high risk of failure. Thanks to forward looking spare part management, production could continue until a permanent solution was developed.
DC motor retrofit for steel mills: Preventing downtime in critical rolling mill drives
Reliability is essential in the steel industry. Especially when it comes to drives in critical production assets. The mill operated with a DC motor from 1974. The motor weighs 28 tons, has a diameter of 2 meters and a length of 4.4 meters. It powers a reversing rolling mill. After decades in operation, cracks appeared in the welded rotor structure. At the same time, no spare parts were available for this almost fifty-year-old technology. This created a significant risk of unplanned downtime. Thanks to forward looking spare part stock by Peiner Träger, operations could initially be secured.
There was a risk that we would have faced an unplanned, extended production shutdown, so we worked together with Innomotics to find possible solutions.
Bernd Cronjäger, Head of Rolling Mill Technology at Peiner Träger GmbH
Top service. Tailor made reconstruction and mechanical optimization of a DC motor with a digital twin
With modern digital tools and our 150 years of expertise, we captured the DC motor from Dynamowerk Berlin as a precise 3D model. The original design documents from our archive formed the foundation and enabled a digital twin that meets today’s standards. We analyzed and reconstructed the damage with the Finite Element Method. We then optimized the design directly in the digital model and simulated different scenarios to adapt the solution to current technical requirements.
Together with our factories and partners, we produced the new DC rotor and installed it successfully. More than sixty years of partnership, strong local expertise and comprehensive support and service formed the basis of this success.
Efficient operation, secure production and higher performance
- Lower operating costs through the avoidance of unplanned downtime
- Increased operational reliability and plant availability
- Fifty five percent higher mechanical impact resistance
We were impressed by how Innomotics approached the structural challenge, analyzed it and delivered a significant mechanical improvement while meeting mass and inertia requirements.
Bernd Cronjäger, Head of Rolling Mill Technology at Peiner Träger GmbH
Sustainable modernization of aging assets
This project shows that even historic drive technology can remain productive with modern engineering methods. The combination of a digital twin, FEM analysis and regional expertise makes Innomotics a reliable partner for lifecycle modernization.
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