• The new cold rolling mill is designed to process sophisticated automotive grades and can sheet, which will be manufactured on the new hot rolling mill, also supplied by SMS group
• The maximum strip width to be produced is 2,350 millimeters, with a minimum final gauge of 0.1 millimeters
• The rated annual capacity is around 460 kilotons
• Start of operations is planned for end of 2027

Chinalco Southwest Aluminum (Group) Co., Ltd. (SWA) has awarded SMS group the contract to supply a two-stand tandem cold rolling mill (TCM), which will be installed at SWA’s new facility near Xipeng, China.

As a follow-up to the order placed with SMS to deliver a new aluminum hot strip mill in 2025, both partners are pleased to further extend their trusting and productive collaboration, which began in the early nineties and has seen the successful delivery of various cold rolling mills, including a two-stand tandem mill.

“We are convinced of the unique experience in designing multi-stand aluminum cold rolling mills and the long-lasting high quality produced in SMS group workshops. The reliability of SMS equipment has been proven and confirmed over decades of operation at SWA. We are proud to equip our new plant with premium equipment from SMS and to expand our partnership,” says He Zhili, Vice President, Chinalco Southwest Aluminum (Group) Co., Ltd.

Key equipment makes the difference
The state-of-the-art two-stand aluminum TCM will be built at SWA’s new facility near Xipeng, China. It is designed to roll a wide product portfolio including can stock and automotive sheet and comes with a package of advanced technologies to meet the challenging requirements of SWA’s automotive customers. The mill will be capable of processing both highly formable inner car body parts, made of AA5xxx series alloys, and exposed parts made of AA6xxx series alloys. Its rated annual capacity is around 460 kilotons. The maximum strip width to be produced is 2,350 millimeters and the minimum final gauge is 0.1 millimeters.

Both six-high mill stands feature the iconic bending and shifting systems with CVC^®plus (Continuously Variable Crown) technology. The efficient, high-precision roll gap control package combines special contour roll shifting, work and intermediate roll bending, and multizone cooling with inductive edge heating.

SMS’s highly effective strip cooling system (HEC) is located between the two mill stands. It utilizes convection to cool the heated strip before it enters the second mill stand, enabling faster rolling speeds and higher rolling mill productivity.

The new tandem cold rolling mill is scheduled to go on stream in late 2027.