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• On February 2, JISCO Carbon Steel in Jiayuguan started serial production of the world’s first integrated line combining a hot strip mill (HSM) and compact strip production (CSP^®)
• The rebuild increases annual capacity from 2 to 4.5 million tons
• To maintain production flexibility, SMS group supplied the complete automation package, including X Pact^® process models and the X Pact^® Vision HMI, enabling rapid production route switchovers, a fast ramp-up, and stable performance from the very first coil
• Thanks to modular prefabrication and a staged installation, the HSM expansion was completed without interrupting CSP^® operations; for JISCO this as a strategic step toward flexible, customer-oriented production, and SMS group sees the project as a new benchmark in hot strip mill automation

On February 2, an official ceremony held at JISCO Carbon Steel in Jiayuguan, China marked the commencement of production on the world’s first integrated line combining hot strip mill (HSM) and compact strip production (CSP^®) modes. The project has significantly enhanced JISCO’s operational flexibility, broadened its portfolio with higher value steel grades, and increased annual capacity from 2 million to 4.5 million tons. SMS group supplied the full automation scope for the line, enabling a rapid switchover between production routes and ensuring a fast ramp-up and stable performance from the very first coil, which itself was rolled on December 30, 2025.

The world’s first combination of CSP^® short process technology with continuous HSM rolling gives JISCO Carbon Steel the ability to adapt its production to changing product mixes while maintaining high throughput. SMS’s integrated X Pact^® automation synchronizes billet scheduling and rolling rhythm between the CSP^® tunnel furnace and the HSM reheating furnaces, allowing real-time process adjustments while ensuring consistent quality and yield. This unified approach from SMS results in a robust and highly adaptive production system that delivers stable rolling and reliable product quality under varying operating conditions.

SMS’s scope covered the entire automation landscape, including a comprehensive revamp of CSP^® level 1 and level 2 systems and new automation for the hot strip mill, all unified by X Pact^® process models and the X Pact^® Vision HMI. The system automatically adjusts to different slab sources–either from the tunnel furnace or the reheating furnaces–ensuring metallurgical consistency and smooth transitions between process modes. To enable the combined production concept, the tunnel furnace’s swiveling car was converted into a shifting car for transferring slabs to the finishing mill, backed up by redesigned shifting roller tables. The upgraded line now includes a roller hearth tunnel furnace, two walking beam reheating furnaces, high-pressure descaling box, slab sizing press, two sets of four high reversible roughing stands with vertical edgers, crop shear, six-stand finishing mill, laminar cooling unit, three downcoilers, and a fully automated coil transport system. The modular prefabrication and staged installation allowed the HSM line to be built without interrupting CSP^® operations, safeguarding production and revenue throughout the upgrade phase.

“Bringing the world’s first integrated CSP^®-HSM line into production is a strategic leap for JISCO Carbon Steel. We now have the flexibility to align products and processes with customer needs in real time, backed by stable, repeatable quality from day one,” said Mr. Qiao Degao, CEO of JISCO Hongyu New Materials Co., Ltd. “SMS group’s automation technology and disciplined project execution were essential to meeting our schedule and performance targets.”

“This reference sets a new benchmark in hot rolling automation,” added Mr. Christoph Stappenbeck, Vice President, Automation, Digital & Service Solutions, SMS group China. “Our advanced and unique integrated CSP^® and hot strip rolling mill automation ensured an exceptionally fast ramp up, stable rolling, and controllable quality.”

Building on more than two decades of partnership, JISCO and SMS have realized a pioneering, scalable solution for modern CSP^® line upgrades. By combining an innovative process concept with fully integrated automation, the project sets a new global standard in flexible, efficient, and future-oriented hot rolling.