Steuler Equipment Engineering supplies Roll Pickling Plants to the steel and stainless steel industry in particular for processing sheets, profiles, rods etc., because here the parts can be mechanically descaled via blasting first. In addition to reducing chemical consumption during the downstream descaling process, a good portion of the scale can be fed back into the manufacturing process as a raw material. This decreases resource usage significantly, which lessens the environmental impact appreciably and measurably lowers operating costs as a result.

The items to be pickled are continuously transported through the fully enclosed treatment stages via roller conveyors. The respective treatment solution is sprayed onto the material via nozzles. Different media can be used at each treatment stage and adapted according to requirements.

The treatment process can be easily and flexibly optimized while the line is running for all kinds of material by adjusting the treatment time (transportation speed), deactivating/activating a treatment stage and/or using different pickling media for the treatment stages.

In response to the demand for a reduction in NOx emissions and associated nitrate load, Steuler Equipment Engineering has developed a pickling solution for use in Roll Pickling Lines. It uses hydrochloric acid to remove the scale from stainless steel surfaces instead of the mixed acid HNO₃/HF. Besides greatly reducing the environmental impact, it results in improved surface quality and increased throughput while lowering operating costs.

The use of HCl as the pickling solution offers the following advantages

• No nitrogen oxides in the exhaust air

• Less sludge produced during the process as a whole

• Minimizes the cost of chemicals

• Shorter pickling times

• Lower capital investment and operating costs