In the next issueâ€Ś Steelmaking High-quality hot strip production in India using CONARCÂŽ and CSPÂŽ technology In 2010 and 2011, Essar Steel India extended its production capacity at the Hazira steel works in the Indian federal state of Gujarat by five million t/year of crude steel and another 3.5 million t/year of hot rolled strip. The pertaining plant technology consists of two 200 t CONARCÂŽ furnaces, three twin-ladle furnaces and a CSPÂŽ plant. Whereas the latter started operating with two strands, it has meanwhile been extended to become the worldâ€™s first three-strand CSPÂŽ plant. This article describes the plant technology and presents the most important operating results in the commissioning phase. Hot rolling Modernization of the SBQ bar mill at GeorgsmarienhĂźtte, Germany GeorgsmarienhĂźtte GmbH has revamped and extended its 3-roll reducing & sizing block (RSB), originally commissioned in 2001. The mill revamping comprised among others the implementation of a size control system in connection with 3-roll stands adjustable under load. Thus the rolled tolerances and their reproducibility could be improved by means of automated optimization of process parameters for the rolled bars based on a real-time closedloop control system. Additionally, the existing reducing & sizing block has been extended from five to six stand positions. As a result the roughing and intermediate mill has to produce fewer input sizes for the RSB, increasing productivity. GeorgsmarienhĂźtte GmbH is the first rolling mill worldwide to use this trend-setting technology. New ring locking/unlocking system for wire rod finishing blocks enables quick change-over Pert has developed a new locking system for rolling rings in finishing blocks of bar and wire rod mills. With this system, ring changing can be accomplished in less than one minute. Presently, without the system, ten minutes are required. Moreover, the effort involved in both ring manufacture and ring and groove changing is drastically reduced. The new system can be introduced without changing the mill configuration. Being installed on the existing block, its advantages can be immediately tapped. The system is adaptable to all types of finishing blocks as well as cantilever stands in intermediate or finishing mills. This preview may be subject to change. #=+G52;1.-G+A # " G 8@G G GG E;;.5-8:/ G .:G6*G7A G G G *@G G G . 6*25GG69< ;<*15.2;.7 -. #=+G52;1G.: @.,=<2>.G .6+.:G8/G<1.G *7*0.6.7.:G<2;G270G *7G*0G.: G%20:2-G 5270. G G G *@G G G . 6*25GG;20:2- 45270. ;<*15.2;.7 -. 2;<:2+=<287G .9< G *+:2.5.G)*5 G G G *@G G G . 6*25GG0*+:2.5. ?*5- ;<*15.2;.7 -. #:8G-=,G<287G *7*0.: G =:41*:-G%<*:4=55* . 6*25GG+=:41*:- ;<*:4=55* ;<*15.2;.7 -. #:8G-=,G<287 *A8=< G#.<.:G E,1.5. . 6*25G9.<.: +=.,1.5. ;<*15.2;.7 -. -G>.:G<2;G270G:*<.G,*:-G!8 G G8/G #=+G52G,*G<287 G >.G:AG GG687<1; 7G7=G*5G;=+G;,:29G<287G:*<.G 27,5 G98;.-G+AG<1.G#=+G52;1G.:;G+AG <1G!8>.6 +.: G"<1G.:G?2;. G<1.G;=+G;,:29G<287G2;G*=G<8G6*.G:201<;G<8G9=+52;1G<1.G?8:4 -=:270G<1.G52/.<26.G8/G<1.G,89A:201< G 7G9*:<2,=5*: <1.G9=+52;1.:G?255G1*>.G/=55G*=<18:2AG6.<*5 /:..G9:27<270G274