After the cold rolling process, heat treatment (annealing) should be performed in order to provide the desired mechanical properties in the material.

In stainless steel production, there are two different processes: Annealing and Pickling (AP) process and Bright Annealing process (BA).

In our company, the annealing process is carried out directly in an open atmosphere (AP). To re-establish the surface oxide film that may have been disrupted as a result of heat treatment, an acid pickling process is carried out following the heat treatment. This process removes the scale layer that forms on the surface after heat treatment and re-passivates the surface, ensuring the desired high corrosion resistance. The surface obtained at the end of the process is a 2D surface.

The investment for the revision of the AP Line to produce sheets with a width of 1500 mm and the investment in a Bright Annealing Line with a capacity of 1500 mm width have commenced and are ongoing.

The annealing process, as in the case prior to cold rolling, can also be applied to materials that will occasionally be sold as hot-rolled. The steel subjected to the annealing process becomes softer and acquires a homogeneous microstructure. As a result, the steel’s brittleness decreases, its ductility increases, and it becomes more formable for subsequent processes.

The primary purpose of the acid bath is to clean the steel surface and impart the desired surface properties according to the customer’s requirements These processes are carried out on consecutive continuous lines.

These lines are equipped with ovens, sandblasting, washing, drying, and acid bath units. The final operation performed before cold rolling is the removal of surface defects left from hot rolling and other processes on the grinding line.

Additionally, the hot-rolled product to be offered for sale can also be polished to achieve the desired surface properties according to customer preferences.