Endless Strip Production

ESP is a representative and leader in endless strip production technology.
Its full name is Endless Strip Production.
The core concept lies in the term "endless," which achieves fully continuous production from molten steel to the coiler.

Core Concept：
In simple terms, ESP technology is a revolutionary hot-rolling process for strip steel production. It enables continuously cast slabs (semi-finished long strips formed after molten steel solidifies) to be directly and continuously rolled into finished steel coils of the desired thickness and properties—all without interruption.

You can imagine it as a "continuous dragon of steel" that undergoes all shaping and processing from start to finish in one seamless flow, with no breaks in between.

Working Principle and Key Process of ESP Technology
Traditional hot-rolling production lines require slabs to be cut, cooled, reheated, and then rolled in batches. In contrast, the ESP production line directly and tightly connects the continuous caster and the rolling mill into one integrated process. Its key steps are as follows:

Continuous Casting:
Molten steel is formed through the caster into a very long slab with a thickness of approximately 90–110 mm.

Induction Heating:
Instead of entering a traditional gas-fired heating furnace, the slab passes through an induction heater for rapid and precise compensatory heating. This is one of the key elements enabling endless rolling, as it quickly brings the slab to the required rolling temperature without a prolonged soaking process.

Roughing:
The heated slab then enters the roughing mill, where it is rolled into an intermediate strip with a thickness of about 10–20 mm.