Heat Number Stamping on Billets

A steel maker manufacturing merchant bar quality (MBQ) steel was looking for an improved method of stamping identification marks on their billets. They had been marking billets manually, using hand-held stamp holders. They wanted to automate the process, which would ensure very legible marks as well as worker safety in the mill.

Pannier pneumatic stamping hammers were chosen for this automation project. The hammers are mounted above the billet cooling bed where the billets are marked while still hot. The mark includes a heat number, which changes with every batch of steel, and a strand number to indicate which mold the billet was cast with.

The pneumatic hammers feature interchangeable, quick-change type holders that hold the character type in place.  Changing the type holders for each new heat takes just seconds.  Stamping is initiated on the first billet of each heat from a touchscreen in the pulpit.  After that, a PLC at the torch cut sends a signal for each subsequent mark, making the marking process simple and reliable.