Special plate solutions Industeel

SPECIAL PLATE SOLUTIONS

Special steel plate manufacturer and supplier Industeel offers a fully integrated service, with the added support of its global leading parent company. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to the commercial director, David Farias, to find out more.

Awholly owned subsidiary of the ArcelorMittal Group, the world’s number one steel group, Industeel manufactures and supplies a wide range of special steel plates. The leader in special markets for alloyed plates, including oil and gas, nuclear, cryogenic and specialised distribution markets, Industeel’s three production sites all deliver a long tradition of metallurgical know-how.

With one site in Charleroi dating back to 1863 and two sites in France, in Le Creusot and Chateauneuf, Industeel production capacity currently stands at 400KT plus 100KT semis, making it a considerable contributor to the European demand for special steel plates.

Industeel’s commercial director, David Farias, told Industry Europe more about how the company’s European sites work together to provide a complete service to its customers. He said, “Each site concentrates on its strengths, with Industeel as a whole operating the synergies between the sites. We have found that this is the best possible way to ensure that we can bring to the market the most comprehensive service as we utilise the individual skills of the three mills and tie it all together with the overall expertise and customer understanding of the whole group.”

Integrated activities

Each of the three sites is fully integrated, so even though the histories of the sites are long and illustrious, they have been carefully maintained to ensure that they are operating with state-of-the-art technologies and equipment. Each site has its own steel shop, plate rolling and plate finishing facilities, all specially designed to guarantee the highest quality steel plates.

Mr Farias explained more about the production capabilities. He said, “We respect the values of reproduction, balance, cleanliness and homogenisation as these qualities are what support our position in the world’s leading steel group. All of our production facilities work to the strictest standards of the Environment Charter of the ArcelorMittal Group and all of the necessary safety conditions, both for the benefit of our customers and our workforce.”

A recent investment at the Chateauneuf plant has seen its capacity increase by 30KT, with a particular focus on production of very heavy, thicker plates of up to 100T unit weight. This investment consisted of a new 4000m2 bay equipped with a flattening press, two heat treatment furnaces and additional equipment, all of which has been carefully chosen to meet clients’ increased demands in energy markets.

The broad range of special steel plates in Industeel’s product portfolio includes cryogenic steel, mould steel, stainless speciality plates, alloyed heavy pressure products, jack-up rig legs and alloyed abrasion items. It also offers an extended dimensional programme. At least 65 per cent of Industeel’s sales come from meeting the project demand from source to

Since 1948, Engetil S.A. has been a specialist in the provision of refractory linings, both for maintenance and for new projects. We offer solutions for brickwork, concreting and the laying of ceramic fibres. We also provide anti-wear and acid-resistant protection. Our SHOTCRETING division is linked closely to our current activities, allowing us to offer our clients a complete range of refractory and civil engineering solutions.

s.a. ENGETIL Rue des Fabriques 12 B-6220 FLEURUS Tel: +32 (0)71 47 04 41 Fax: +32 (0) 71 47 07 11 E-mail: info@engetil.be www.engetil.be

end user, with the remaining 35 per cent from the special distribution request of its branded products.

Close to customers

With all of its sales, the Industeel commitment to being close to its customers ensures that its quality products and services meet their exact demands, quickly and effectively. Mr Farias added, “Our sales network is located worldwide, with dedicated teams in each main territory we serve. Coupled with our ability to adapt products and services to meet each specific need, we find we are able to deliver a reliable, comprehensive service to our customers wherever they are based. And by staying close geographically to our customers we can make sure we stay close in terms of demand too, as we listen to them carefully and appreciate how their businesses need to use our products. As we market our products in 70 countries worldwide and have almost 40 subsidiaries or sales offices acting locally and thinking globally, we are always close to our customers.”

Over the past 15 years, Industeel has seen its core business move steadily from its western European heartland to the Middle East

and Asia. Today, these fast-growing regions represents more than 50 per cent of its export activities, with NAFTA countries continuing to be present although with reduced activities due to delocalisation and Asian imports.

Meeting changing demands

Industeel appreciates that modern industry needs to meet the increasing demands of reliability and efficiency while often dealing with challenging raw materials and complex production processes, such as the pressure vessels used in the oil and gas industry. With the growth in demand for gas as a clean source of energy requiring significant investment in gas storage and transportation solutions, Industeel’s continued investment in its range of nickel-alloyed steels especially produced for cryogenic applications meets this trend. It has also developed duplex stainless steels and HIC resistant materials suitable for flow lines, risers, separators and scrubbers, as well as a range of special Cr-Mo grades for high-tech gas-to-liquid plants.

As Industeel continues to maximise its opportunities in growing markets, the company expects its future to feature an increased volume of niches, new applications and new grades, all thanks to its dedication to R&D and investment across its sites. n