Method of descaling heavy gage sheet metal coils and heavy gage individual sheets of sheet metal

A method of descaling coils of sheet metal and individual sheets of sheet metal in a processing line, wherein the sheet metal has a thickness of greater than 0.074 inches, wherein the processing line has a cut to length portion, a conveyor, a destacker, and an apparatus adapted and configured to descale the sheet metal by propelling one of grit and slurry against the sheet metal using an impeller wheel, the descaling apparatus having a plurality of pinch rollers in an interior of the descaling apparatus, the method comprising:

• determining a format of the sheet metal;
• configuring the processing line in a first configuration when the determination of the format indicates a coil format of the sheet metal, including directing the sheet metal from the cut to length portion of the processing line through the descaling apparatus via the conveyor without processing through the destacker, including drawing the sheet metal through the descaling apparatus with the pinch rollers;
• and
• configuring the processing line in a second configuration when the determination of the format indicates individual sheets of the sheet metal, including by directing the sheet metal from the destacker through the descaling apparatus via the conveyor without processing in the cut to length portion, including drawing the sheet metal through the descaling apparatus with the pinch rollers.

A processing line for sheet metal having a thickness of greater than 0.074 inches, the processing line having an uncoiler, one of a temper mill and a stretcher leveler, a shear, a conveyor, a destacker, and a descaling apparatus, the descaling apparatus being adapted and configured to descale the sheet metal by propelling one of grit and slurry against the sheet metal using an impeller wheel, the descaling apparatus having a plurality of pinch rollers in an interior of the descaling apparatus, the processing line being configurable in one of a first and second configuration based upon a format of the sheet metal, wherein in the first configuration with the format of the sheet metal comprising a coil of sheet metal, the processing line is adapted and configured to direct the sheet metal from the uncoiler through the one of the temper mill and the stretcher leveler, through the shear and through the descaling cell via the conveyor without processing through the destacker, wherein in the second configuration with the format of the sheet metal comprising individual sheets of the sheet metal, the processing line is adapted and configured to direct sheet metal from the destacker to the descaling apparatus via the conveyor without processing through the uncoiler, the one of the temper mill and stretcher level, and the shear, wherein the pinch rollers are adapted and configured to draw the sheet metal through the descaling apparatus in the first configuration and the second configuration.