As part of a strategic investment plan, the Greek aluminium producer ElvalHalcor S.A. is continuously expanding the production capacities at its Oinofyta plant near Athens.
An important part of the plans is the optimization of logistical processes. For this reason, ElvalHalcor has awarded AMOVA, a company of SMS group, the contract to connect the tandem hot-strip mill with the cold rolling mill and to build a state-of-the-art high-bay warehouse for aluminium coils, where the hot-rolled coils will be stored and cooled in a safe and controlled manner.
The order placement was preceded by an intensive planning phase in which all technical challenges were evaluated and analyzed with the aid of simulations. When engineering the plant, it had to be taken into account that due to the geographical conditions and possible earthquakes, the steel structure had to be designed for higher loads.
AMOVA will supply an intelligent, fully automated storage and transport system. The new high-bay warehouse with around 360 storage locations will be linked to the various process lines by appropriate conveyor equipment. Major differences in height within the plant will be handled with the help of a proven lifting and tunneling system.
The existing high-bay warehouse, which was supplied by AMOVA 20 years ago (at that time still under the name SIEMAG) and is still fully operational, will be integrated into the overall logistics. A proof of high quality and durability, which has now again convinced the customer to choose AMOVA as a partner.
The new storage system will be equipped with the warehouse management software developed by AMOVA, which, in addition to material tracking and visualization, offers numerous other features, such as temperature-curve simulations - an essential function to monitor and ensure material quality for further processing of the aluminium strips.
Commissioning of the plant is scheduled for mid-2022.