Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill B.S.C. (GARMCO), a leading aluminum producer based in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, upgraded its 1-stand hot rolling mill. Successfully completed by SMS group, the project enhanced the mill’s operational efficiency and reliability, while ensuring it will be able to meet future demands in the aluminum processing sector.
“The completion of this modernization project is a testament to our commitment to maintaining world-class operational standards,” said Ebrahim Khalil, executive manager operations at GARMCO. “SMS group’s expertise and advanced technological solutions have provided us with greater reliability and efficiency in our hot mill operations.”
The scope of the project included the replacement of outdated DC motors with three-phase AC motors and state-of-the-art drive technology, including variable frequency drive systems powered by active front ends and new transformers. The novel drive system, built to deliver 20% higher torque compared to the mill’s original design capacity, has restored GARMCO’s hot rolling mill to full operational capacity and positioned it as a future-ready facility capable of advancing research and development in aluminum hot rolling.
Central to the modernization was SMS’s cutting-edge twin-motor drive train equipment. Key components included a tailored gearbox for combining two electric motors with a rated power of 2,150 kW each and two SMS giant torque spindles. Combined with SMS’s highly advanced gear design, this drive train concept provides unique power capabilities and significantly reduces both investment costs and space requirements, while allowing for some degree of redundancy.
In addition to the two main motors for the mill, SMS also supplied the X-Pact® Drive low-voltage frequency converter for the entry and exit coilers, a medium-voltage converter operated in load share mode, and transformers to feed the new systems. The equipment is tailored to meet the rigorous demands of GARMCO’s operations, which include the production of aluminum coils, tread plates, slit coils, and foils for diverse industrial applications, such as packaging and heat exchange systems.
This successful collaboration was the first of its kind between both companies, with GARMCO choosing SMS group for its reputation for reliable, high-performance solutions boasting superior technical features and an optimized power factor. The new drive system guarantees enhanced torque capability over the entire speed range, a critical advantage for rolling operations requiring high torques at elevated speeds.