Apparatus and method for the production of strip

An apparatus for the hot production of strip (N) comprising a casting machine configured to cast a thin slab (TS), a heating device configured to maintain a temperature of and/or heat said thin slab (TS), at least one roughing unit and a finishing unit configured to obtain a strip (N), and wherein said casting machine, said heating device, said roughing unit, and said finishing unit are disposed aligned along a common working axis (Z), the apparatus also comprises a lateral feed line adjacent to said working axis (Z) and configured to feed a conventional slab (CS), of greater thickness than said thin slab (TS), and a transfer device configured to transfer said conventional slab (CS) from said lateral feed line upstream of said roughing unit, wherein said roughing unit comprises at least one roughing stand configured to assume a first operating configuration of one-directional rolling, along said working axis (Z), of said thin slab (TS), and a second operating configuration of two-directional rolling of said conventional slab (CS) along said working axis (Z).