Plant for coating flat metal products by means of continuous hot dipping and relative coating process

A plant for coating a flat metal product by means of continuous hot dipping, comprising

• a containment tank for containing molten coating material,
• a coating vessel adapted to receive and contain molten coating material, arranged above said containment tank and provided with an opening on a bottom thereof for passing the flat metal product to be coated,
• a chamber arranged below said coating vessel and provided with at least one first guide roller for diverting the flat metal product upon its entry into the chamber, and with at least one second guide roller, placed above said first guide roller, for further diverting and stabilizing the flat metal product being fed towards the opening,
• wherein the containment tank is arranged within said chamber, chamber and containment tank defining a single place,
• and wherein there is provided an intercepting and conveying system arranged within the chamber, between the coating vessel and the containment tank, and having a cavity facing the containment tank,
• wherein
• the containment tank is arranged below said at least one first guide roller, the intercepting and conveying system is configured to intercept and convey into said containment tank, the molten coating material which leaks from said opening,
• said at least one first guide roller is at least partially housed within the cavity of said intercepting and conveying system,
• and said at least one second guide roller is completely housed within said cavity,
• whereby the at least one first guide roller, the at least one second guide roller and the flat metal product, being fed by said first and second guide rollers towards the opening, are completely protected from the falling of drops of molten coating material during the steady state operation of the plant or from the falling of large quantities of molten coating material in both the start-up or shut-down step and in the maintenance or emergency phases.