Bohler Uddeholm Precision Strip placed an order with EBNER for the world’s largest bell-annealer facility for medium-width steel strip. The new facility will be an addition to Bohler Uddeholm’s already existing EBNER facility. The order comprises six HICON/H2 work bases, three heating bells and three cooling bells. A heat exchanging bell and hydrogen recycling system is also included, marking a new milestone in resource efficiency. The new facility features greater preheating of combustion air in a larger recuperator combined with an energy exchanging system (patent pending) between the exchanging bell and the heating bell, resulting in a reduction in natural gas consumption of up to 30%.

The contaminated hydrogen from the evaporation stage is burned in a hydrogen burner on the heating bell. The minimally contaminated hydrogen from the soaking stage is collected in a tank and reused during the evaporation stage, resulting in hydrogen savings of up to 40%.