The incoming raw materials are Nickel Alloy 20 slabs with complete mill test certificates (MTC). Our QC team first cross-checks the heat number, material grade, chemical composition and mechanical property data against ASTM B409 standard. Visual inspection is performed to check for surface cracks, slag inclusions, blowholes, delamination and obvious scratches. Random sampling is taken for spectrometer analysis to verify the content of nickel, iron, chromium, copper and other alloying elements. The dimensional measurement of slabs is recorded for production scheduling. All qualified slabs are marked and put into designated storage area; non-conforming materials are isolated and returned to the supplier with rejection report.
2.Heating & Hot Rolling:
Qualified slabs are loaded into a gas-fired walking-beam heating furnace with precise temperature control. The heating curve is strictly executed with slow heating stage to avoid thermal shock, holding stage for uniform temperature distribution, and the heating temperature is kept within the specified range to avoid over-burning and abnormal grain growth. After reaching the target temperature, the slab is transported to the hot rolling mill. Multi-pass reversible hot rolling is adopted, and the reduction per pass, rolling speed and tension are adjusted continuously. The plate is rolled to the target hot-rolled blank thickness. After hot rolling, high-pressure water descaling is carried out repeatedly to remove high-temperature oxide scale formed on the upper and lower surfaces. The hot-rolled blank is then air-cooled to room temperature.
3.Cold Rolling & Flatness Straightening:
The cooled hot-rolled blank is sent to the cold rolling line. Multi-pass cold rolling with controlled single-pass reduction is adopted to gradually reduce the thickness to the finished dimension, strictly controlling thickness tolerance within customer required range. During cold rolling, online flatness detector monitors plate shape in real time. When camber, wave edge or local warping occurs, the bending roll system is adjusted to correct flatness. Intermediate inspection is arranged after several rolling passes to check thickness, surface condition and flatness, so as to adjust rolling parameters in time.
4.Solution Annealing & Stress Relief:
The cold-rolled plate is transferred to a vacuum bright annealing furnace for solution heat treatment. The furnace is pumped to high vacuum to prevent surface oxidation and discoloration. The temperature rises slowly to the solution temperature, keeps constant for enough holding time to dissolve intermetallic precipitates fully, then cools down at a controlled cooling rate. This process homogenizes the microstructure, eliminates residual rolling stress, and restores the excellent corrosion resistance of Nickel Alloy 20, especially in caustic and acidic environments. After annealing, the plate is taken out after cooling to safe temperature.
5.Finishing & Nondestructive Testing:
Annealed plates go to the finishing workshop. According to drawing requirements, oversized edges are cut by shearing machine or plasma cutting machine, then the cutting edges are ground and deburred to remove sharp edges and cutting slag. Surface grinding is optional if higher surface roughness is needed. Full inspection items include overall dimension, thickness tolerance, diagonal deviation, flatness and surface finish. Ultrasonic testing (UT) is performed to detect internal defects such as lamination and inclusions. Surface penetrant testing (PT) can be arranged as required to check surface microcracks. The qualified plates are marked with heat number, material grade, size, inspection date and QC stamp.
6.Surface Cleaning, Anti-corrosion Protection & Export Packaging:
The qualified plates are cleaned with alkaline degreasing solution and pure water rinsing to remove rolling oil, grinding dust and residual stains, then dried completely. Transparent scratch-resistant protective film is attached on both surfaces to prevent scratch and contamination during handling. Plates are separated by moisture-proof paper between layers. The whole stack is fixed on export wooden pallet, reinforced with packing belt, and desiccants are placed inside the package to avoid moisture corrosion. Packing list, material test certificate and shipping mark are attached on the outside of package for overseas shipment.