Newsletter #6 | CLECIM INSIGHTS

From electrical steel to galvanized steel, discover how CLECIM SAS turns your industrial challenges into practical solutions.

Transformer les défis industriels en performance durable

The rise of next-generation steels, increasing quality requirements, and the need to maintain competitive costs are pushing steelmakers to adapt their processes faster than ever.

Over the past few months, we have seen many steel producers facing the same reality: new grades of electrical steels require a level of process stability far beyond what was considered acceptable just a few years ago.

Every day, our teams witness these changes firsthand, driving us to continuously adapt equipment and processes to meet the constraints of these new steel grades.

Gaël Imbert, CEO.

Our Strip Cutting and Preparation Solutions

Surface quality and geometric accuracy of the strip play a key role in the performance of electrical steels.

On a pickling line, everything starts with a clean, accurately cut strip. That is why CLECIM SAS offers a comprehensive range of shearing equipment integrated

at the entry of the line :

  • CLECIM® Side Trimmer: ensures precise edge trimming to achieve the required strip width, while an integrated extraction system removes scale residues released during edge trimming operations. For silicon steels, a dedicated knife and chute design is available to withstand the increased wear generated by these demanding grades.

  • CLECIM® Scrap Chopper: cuts the edge trim scrap into small pieces downstream of the Side Trimmer, facilitating efficient collection and recycling.

 

This approach enables producers to meet the most stringent specifications for both GO and NGO electrical steel grades, while maintaining a high level of line performance.

Electrical Steels Demand a New Level of Process Control

Electrical steels (GO* and NGO**) are among the most demanding materials processed in the steel industry, and their share of production is growing rapidly.

The challenge is clear: tighter magnetic property requirements, stricter flatness tolerances, higher surface quality expectations, and the need for stable, repeatable performance across the entire production line.

Where CLECIM Makes the Difference

These specific grades place significant demands on critical line equipment and process control.

Our Strip Joining Solutions
Welding GO and NGO grades requires precise heat input control to preserve their magnetic properties. CLECIM’s LW21 laser welding series are already operating on electrical steel lines, delivering consistent weld quality while minimizing thermal impact on the strip.

Integrated Automation and process expertise
Managing grade changes, monitoring critical process parameters in real time and ensuring line stability are essential for reliable production. CLECIM’s integrated automation and process expertise help reduce operational risks and improve process consistency.

What It Means for Your Operations

  • Reliable production of highly demanding electrical steel grades

  • Reduced risk of magnetic property deviations during welding

  • Consistent surface quality across changing production conditions

  • Proven expertise based on operational experience with GO and NGO lines

* Grain-Oriented
** Non-Grain-Oriented

CLECIM® Dynawipe: a practical solution to galvanizing challenges

How can you ensure consistent coating quality when production conditions change?

This challenge, encountered on galvanizing lines, led our teams to upgrade our air knife system and design the CLECIM® Dynawipe.

On a galvanizing line, a deviation of just a few microns can be enough to create defects, rework, or customer complaints. Variations in coating thickness, process instability, or coating defects can quickly damage product quality, raise production costs, and customer satisfaction.

The Dynawipe was designed specifically to address these challenges. Leveraging our experience with galvanizing lines, it enables more precise control of zinc coating thickness on the strip and helps maintain a more uniform coating, even when operating conditions fluctuate. Operators report improved process stability and fewer coating-related defects.

The benefits

  • Better coating quality

  • Reduced production defects

  • Greater process stability

  • More reliable line performance

Customer use case: industrializing innovation without compromising quality

The challenge

When a Chinese steel producer decided to equip several finishing lines with four identical laser welders, the challenge was not purely technological. The objective was to ensure that every machine delivered the same level of performance, regardless of the production line on which it was installed.

The project had two major objectives: ensuring complete performance repeatability while securing project implementation timelines.

CLECIM Solution

With more than 50 years of experience in welding equipment, CLECIM developed a standardized manufacturing process with quality controls integrated at every stage of the project. Each laser welder was therefore produced according to the same performance and reliability standards.

The outcome

The customer benefits from proven equipment delivering consistent quality from one line to another, secure commissioning, and improved control of industrial risks throughout the equipment’s lifecycle.

Observed benefits

  • Repeatable performance across all equipment

  • Reduced deployment risks

  • Reliable industrial performance from startup

  • Close support throughout the project