MPT International 3/2013 (Jun)

Page 1

ISSN 0935-7254

Metallurgical Plant and Technology

G 25074

3

June 2013

Trend-setting modernization of the SBQ bar mill at GeorgsmarienhĂźtte, Germany

Boost productivity. Cut costs.

Modernizations for quality and reliability Excellent engineering services stand out from the crowd … especially when it comes to intelligent revamps. It’s about nothing less than upgrading existing plants to meet future market demands – one of today’s central challenges. That’s where our whole wealth of experience comes in. After all, our job is to help you increase your productivity

while improving quality. Equally significant here is smart planning, for instance taking advantage of scheduled maintenance stoppages and minimizing production losses. Your bottom line: You save time and money. Countless completed projects prove our quality and reliability as a global specialist in metallurgical plant and rolling mill technology.

SMS SIEMAG AG

Eduard-Schloemann-Strasse 4 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany

Phone: +49 211 881-0 Fax: +49 211 881-4902

E-mail: communications@sms-siemag.com Internet: www.sms-siemag.com

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Editorial

Technologies to keep the mills running According to forecasts by the World Steel Association, global apparent steel use is expected to grow by a marked 2.9% in 2013. While this growth will primarily take place in the emerging and developing economies, apparent steel use in the developed economies is likely to remain more or less the same. The fact that the media have recently been increasingly reporting about projects that may serve as examples of how steel producers are adapting to changing market conditions could be interpreted as confirmation of this short range outlook. We are in fact going through an exiting era technology-wise. During the last few years, a great number of interesting investment projects have been implemented and commissioned at different places in the world. Numerous newly installed or recently modernized plants are now providing first operating results. Four of our articles in this issue of MPT International deal with such projects. Our cover story from the field of long product making features the SBQ bar mill at GeorgsmarienhĂźtte. To further improve the product quality, the 3-roll reducing & sizing block (RSB) was equipped with a size control system in connection with 3-roll stands adjustable under load. The RSB, which was extended from five to six stand positions, is the first rolling mill worldwide to use this new technology. In the field of flat product making, MPT reports about the start-up of the new semicontinuous hot strip mill at Baosteel Meishan, China. This wide hot strip mill has been designed for highest flexibility to produce a variety of steel grades, including low-carbon, medium-carbon, high-carbon, peritectic, HSLA, dual phase, Trip and C-Mo steel grades. The mill processes up to 230-mm-thick slabs to produce strips from 1.2 mm to 19.0 mm thickness and widths between 900 mm and 1,650 mm. At first sight one might consider the new minimill at Essar Steel in India as a technological counterpart of the mill at Baosteel Meishan, due to the similarity of the grade mix and the width range of the produced strips. But the difference between the two mills is that Essar Steel uses thin slabs to make strips in gauges ranging from 1.0 to 25 mm. At Essar Steel, two of the three production strands planned are up and running. They have been providing impressive results so far. With the third strand in operation at a later stage, annual capacity of the plant will amount to 3.5 t. One article from the field of strip processing presents special features of a tinning line with insoluble anode technology. We already introduced this technology, which uses a special low-sludge tin dissolution process, in one of our previous issues. Now, we can present first operating results from a plant of this kind recently installed by the Chinese company Jiangsu Sunshine.

Dipl.-Ing. Arnt Hannewald

MPT International 2/2013

5

Contents

Volume 36

No. 3 – June 2013

6QRKECN VJGOGU K. Golinske, H. Schliephake, S. Schwarz

40 Modernization of the SBQ bar mill at Georgsmarienhütte, Germany Georgsmarienhütte 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. Additionally, the existing reducing & sizing block has been extended from five to six stand positions. Georgsmarienhütte GmbH is the first rolling mill worldwide to use this trend-setting technology.

Cover photo: Modernized 3-roll reducing & sizing block (RSB) Georgsmarienhütte GmbH, Georgsmarienhütte, Germany Contact: www.kocks.de E-mail : v.d.Heiden@kocks.de

Editorial A. Hannewald

5 Technologies to keep the mills running

Columns 10 International industry news 62 Technical innovations 65 Cartoon 66 Literature service 68 In the next issue 68 Imprint

%QORCP[ RTQƂNG 26 NSSMC on the rocky road to improve the group’s competitiveness In March 2013, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation announced a mid-term management plan for a period of three years. Key elements of this plan are the optimization and re-adjustment of the production base in line with global demand and global markets.

28 4WWMMK VQ UKIPKƂECPVN[ ITQY its special steels business Rautaruukki is to accelerate its step change into a company specializing in steel construction and special steels and is to reorganize its structure. Focus within the company’s largest business area, Ruukki Metals, is shifting increasingly more clearly to special steels. The other business area, Ruukki Construction, is to divide into two new business areas, Ruukki Building Products and Ruukki Building Systems.

5VGGNOCMKPI B. Fernandes, C. Klein, H. Rackel, W. Spies, T. Stark

30 High-quality hot strip production from thin slabs at Essar Steel in India Essar Steel India extended its production capacity at the Hazira steel works. The pertaining plant technology consists of two 200 t Conarc® furnaces, three twin-ladle furnaces and a CSP® plant. Whereas the latter started operating with two strands, it has meanwhile been extended to become the world’s first three-strand CSP® plant. This article describes the plant technology and presents the most important operating results in the commissioning phase.

/QFGTPK\CVKQP 38 Timken brings on line investments at its Ohio steel production sites The steel business investments include an open-die in-line forge press at the Faircrest steel plant in Canton, and an intermediate finishing line and a second induction thermal treatment line at the Gambrinus Steel Plant, also in Canton, Ohio/USA.

Metallurgical Plant and Technology #FXGTVKUGTUo KPFGZ Interview

24 World Steel Association outlook for 2013 – 2014 World Steel Association forecasts that global apparent steel use will increase by 2.9% to 1,454 million t in 2013, following growth of 1.2% in 2012. The key risks to the global economy are expected to have all stabilized considerably in early 2013. A recovery in global steel demand is expected to kick in by the second half of the year, led by the emerging economies. In 2014, it is forecast that world steel demand will grow further by 3.2% and will reach 1,500 million t.

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A. Fontanini, N. Tomba, M. Zuccato, M. Tomba

56 Improved surface quality of electrical steel strip

46 Fast ring-locking system for DCT CPF YKTG TQF ƂPKUJKPI blocks With this new locking system for finishing blocks of bar and wire rod mills, ring changing can be accomplished in less than one minute. Presently, without the system, four to five minutes are required. The new system can be introduced without changing the mill configuration.

ThyssenKrupp Electrical Steel has carried out conversion measures at its Gelsenkirchen/Germany site. Significant improvement in the surface quality of grain-oriented electrical steel has been achieved through annealing process modification.

In only six months from rolling the first coil, the new hot strip mill achieved a production of 68,000 t per week, which represents more than 80% of the rated capacity. This new hot strip mill has become an important asset for the steelmaker.

29

Aumund Fördertechnik GmbH

13

Badische Stahl-Engineering GmbH

35

Bloom Engineering (Europa) GmbH

17

Braun Maschinenfabrik Gesellschaft m.b.H.

63

Can-Eng Furnaces

16

!?QRCJJGLG -DjAGLC Meccaniche S.p.A.

27

Danieli S.P.A.

8,9

Maschinenfabrik G. Eirich GmbH & Co. KG

55

ExxonMobil Esso Deutschland GmbH

33

Fabris InC.

53

INTECO special melting technologies GmbH

37

Jasper Ges. für Energiewirtschaft & Kybernetik mbH

14

JP Steel Plantech Co.

P. Bobig, F. Perotti, M. R. Bulfone, S. K. Bhaumik, G. Dal Moro

50 Start-up of the semicontinuous hot strip mill at Baosteel Meishan

ABB AB

I.B.C.

KELLER HCW GmbH

18

Friedrich Kocks GmbH&Co.KG

47

Maschinenfabrik Köppern GmbH & Co.KG

12

LAP GmbH

25

M.A.T. Malmedie G. Astengo, L. Correale, T. DeLoia

58 Operation of a high production tinning line with insoluble anode technology The application of Tenova insoluble anode technology minimizes the amount of sludge produced and hence the loss of tin, increasing both quality and productivity at the same time. The article describes the successful operation of a plant at Jiangsu Sunshine, China.

Antriebstechnik GmbH

45

Metal-Expo,JSC

43

SGL CARBON GmbH

O.B.C.

Siemens VAI Metals Technologies GmbH

11

Siempelkamp Maschinen -und Anlagenbau GmbH & Co.KG

39

SMS Meer GmbH

49

SMS Siemag AG

I.F.C., 3

Steel Authority of India Ltd

23

Tenova spa

57

TML Technik GmbH

4

UELZENER Maschinen GmbH

21

Verlag Stahleisen GmbH

61

PAUL WURTH S.A. Zumbach Electronic AG

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International industry news

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ArcelorMittal, France, has adapted RFC E?JT?LGXGLE JGLC ?R $JMP?LEC RM RFC NPMBSARGML MD CVRP? UGBC 3QG@MP® JSQG® QRCCJ GL UGBRFQ MD SN RM KK

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10

MPT International 3/2013

Africa Liberia

ArcelorMittal to increase iron ore mining capacity. ArcelorMittal’s board has approved plans for phase two of its mining operations in Liberia. For the second phase of the project, annual capacity of the iron ore mine will increase from 4 million to 15 million t/year in 2015. Since 2005, ArcelorMittal has been heavily investing in post-war Liberia. This has included the rehabilitation of the railway from Yekepa and the port facilities in Buchanan, as well as the construction of hospitals and schools in its concession areas. Phase two will result in further investment in the port, mainly through a new fixed ship loader and the construction of a concentrator at the mine site in Yekepa which will produce iron ore pellets enabling ArcelorMittal to increase its production capacity to 15 million t/year.

Mozambique

Nippon Steel receives mining concession for coking coal. The Revuboe coal mine development project, in which Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal and Nippon Steel Trading together hold a 33.3% interest, has obtained the mining concession needed for the development of the Revuboe project. As can be seen from the many coal mining projects already active in the surrounding areas of the Revuboe project, the coal reserves in Mozambique are of very good quality and available economically.

The Americas Canada

Cliffs Natural Resources to idle Wabush Pointe Noire pellet plant. Cliffs Natural Resources expects to idle its Wabush Pointe Noire pellet plant within the city of Sept-Iles in Quebec by the end of the second

quarter of 2013. The decision is due to high production costs and lower pellet premium pricing which is expected to persist in certain markets during the year. The entire Pointe Noire complex is comprised of a pellet plant, railroad and port. The company will continue to operate the rail and port operations and proceed with its multi-year investment in the port’s expansion.

USA

California Steel to implement production management system. PSI Metals North America has been selected by California Steel Industries to implement a production management system based on its comprehensive suite of PSImetals applications. The applications being provided are slab and coil logistics, order scheduling, line scheduling, material planning, production execution and tracking, quality and enhancements to level 2 and level 3 integration. PSImetals will cover all the operations of California Steel starting with the slab yard and continuing through hot and cold rolling, coating and finishing for both coils and electric resistance welding (ERW) pipes. This will be a multi-year, staged project with the first stage being completed in early 2014, which is timed to coincide with the start-up of California Steel’s new ERW line.

USA

Severstal Columbus to install injection system. Severstal Columbus located in Columbus, Mississippi, has placed an order with MORE to supply a new pneumatic lime/dololime injection system for their two 165 t electric arc furnaces. The pneumatic injection system will include four dispensers for pneumatic injection of lime and dolo-lime from the storage silos to the EAFs, two Limejet units for each EAF shell as well as oxygen and natural gas valve stands. The Limejet is a combined 5 MW burner/lime injector with mixed swirl flame technology for high efficiency scrap melting and lime injection. MORE will also supply flux optimization software that automatically calculates the isothermal stabil-

E10001-M1-Z50-V1-7600

“Others are trying. We are producing. In endless mode.” Giovanni Arvedi, owner of Acciaieria Arvedi SpA and inventor of the Arvedi ESP process. Successful plant operations since start-up in 2009 – implemented with Siemens VAI. siemens-vai.com

While others are still talking about production in the continuous mode, we are far ahead. Arvedi ESP has been commercially producing hot-rolled strip in real endless mode since 2009. This is possible thanks to the seamless linking of the casting and rolling processes, backed by a full array of patented technological packages and automation systems. But how has Arvedi ESP been setting new benchmarks with this revolutionary technology? The facts: lower investment costs by up to 30% due to extremely compact line length (180 m), hot-rolled strip thicknesses down to 0.8 mm, steel yields in excess of 98%, energy savings of up to 45%, and the production of

highly advanced steel grades (e.g., API x70 pipe grades, multi-phase steels). The result: 25% lower operating costs for the production of thin and ultra-thin hot-rolled strip. Endless production means the world’s most efficient production line for high-quality, hot-rolled strip. Highly competitive production and a wide product mix allows producers to diversify into new market segments. To flexibly respond to changing requirements. To meet tomorrow’s demands with new steel grades. Experts from Arvedi and Siemens VAI will support you to meet your business challenges. Be the leader in the field – with Arvedi ESP.

Answers for industry.

International industry news ity diagram for a particular slag composition, where the conditions for optimum slag foaming can be achieved. The project is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2013.

USA

Voestalpine selects site for new DRI plant. Voestalpine has selected the La Quinta property of Port Corpus Christi as the preferred location for their planned direct reduction plant. Their operation will drive import and export cargo through the port of Corpus Christi. The port’s commitment to fund and extend the La Quinta ship channel to the site of the La Quinta trade gateway was a significant factor in the decision by Voestalpine. Port commissioners and Voestalpine Texas Holding representatives officially signed the lease agreement for part of the La Quinta trade gateway at the end of April 2013.

USA

Republic Steel orders EAF and process equipment. SMS Concast received an order from

We agglomerate your valuable dusts and fines

In the metallurgical industry we briquette e. g. steel mill residues, sponge iron (hot and cold), chrome ore, nickel

Republic Steel to supply a 150 t electric arc furnace and process equipment to the company’s Lorain, Ohio, site. The new 150 t EAF will increase Republic Steel’s annual liquid steel production by 1.2 million t. It will be equipped with a 120/135 MVA furnace transformer as well as eccentric bottom tapping and oxy-fuel burners. The new furnace will feed Republic Steel’s bloom and billet casters for the production of 7.5 to 165 mm diameter SBQ flat steel and bar coil, and 152, 280, 305 and 355 mm diameter seamless tube rounds. Republic Steel plans to tap the first heat in the second quarter of 2013.

Asia

powder, copper concentrate, and other ďŹ nes.

China Briquettes are used for feeding shaft furnaces, BOFs, RHFs, EAFs, and other reduction or melting units. KÜppern – Quality made in Germany. - & & ! & $& & ! ! * - $! %% & ! ! * !) !) - " & ( &* - ' $! $ $ " &

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MPT International 3/2013

Baotou orders furnace for new pelletizing plant. Outotec will design and supply an indurating furnace for a new iron ore pelletizing plant to Baotou Steel. Outotec’s scope includes basic and detail engineering for the travelling-grate indurating furnace. Outotec will also deliver proprietary and key equipment for the furnace as well as spare parts, training and advisory services for the erection and commissioning of the furnace. The furnace will be specifically designed for the processing of iron ores with high sulphur contents. Commissioning is scheduled to start by the end of 2014. Its annual capacity will be 5 million t of iron ore pellets.

International industry news

W E

China

General Steel to build new rebar mill. General Steel Holdings Shaanxi Longmen Iron and Steel (Longmen joint venture) has begun construction of an additional continuous advanced-rebar-rolling production line. Longmen joint venture is the principal manufacturing facility of non-state-owned steel producer General Steel Holdings. The new line is expected to start operating in the fourth quarter of 2013. Once construction of the new 1.2 million t/year rebar line is completed, Longmen joint venture will have a total continuous rolling capacity of 4.3 million t, thereof 3.3 million t of rebar and 1.0 million t of high-speed wire.

C O N V E Y

Q U A L I T Y

AUMUND Hot DRI Conveyor

China

Sinocoking to lease coke production facility. Sinocoking Coal and Coke Chemical Industries, a vertically-integrated coal and coke processor, has signed a leasing agreement with Pingdingshan Hongfeng Coal Processing and Coking through its affiliated company Henan Province Pingdingshan Hongli Coal & Coke. As per the terms of the agreement, Sinocoking will utilize Hongfeng Coal’s coke production facility, which has an annual capacity of 200,000 t, for a period of one year. Sinocoking plans to use raw coal purchased mainly from the Shanxi province and sell the resulting coke to steel manufacturers such as Fangda Special Steel Science and Technology and Daye Special Steel. Through this agreement, Sinocoking expects to increase its coke production capacity by 80%, to a total of 450,000 t/year. Additionally, the leased facility, located approximately 12 miles from Sinocoking’s own plant, is capable of producing coke by-products such as crude benzol, sulphur, sulphur ammonia and gas purification.

China

BAIC orders laser welding system for tailored blanks. Andritz Soutec has received an order from BAIC Motor, Beijing, for the supply of a laser welding system for tailored blanks. The system with a capacity of 1.2 tailored blanks will be used to manufacture the company’s C70G, C50E, and C60F models. BAIC Motor belongs to the Beijing Automotive Group. Start-up of the welding system is scheduled for the third quarter of 2013.

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China

PCMI to enter tailored blanks market. PCMI Metal Product, Chongqing, has ordered its first laser welding system for tailored blanks from MPT International 3/2013

13

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International industry news Andritz Soutec. PCMI Metal Product, which belongs to Panzhihua Iron and Steel, is planning to enter the tailored blanks market.

China

Masteel purchases edge inspection system. Maanshan Iron & Steel (Masteel) has purchased China’s first Edge Tech edge inspection system from Unilux for its new pickling line and tandem cold mill. Edge Tech combines high-speed machine-vision digital cameras strobe lights with specially developed software to provide immediate feedback on trimmed edge quality. From video monitors in their pulpit, operators can view high-definition images on a grid to see if edge trimming is approaching tolerances or is out of spec. An add-on, Edge Tracker automatically moves the Edge Tech cameras to constantly maintain the distance from the camera to the strip edge required to stay in focus.

China

Nanshan Aluminium places order for new coil store and transport system. SMS Logistiksysteme is to supply to Nanshan Aluminium a high-bay store and coil transport systems for 32 t aluminium coils. The turnkey solution ordered by Nanshan includes the supply and installation of the transport systems and the complete engineering and construction of the high-bay store with the two driverless A.C.T.® (automatic coil transporters). The store serves for interim storage of the aluminium coils leaving the hot and cold rolling mills. Three stacker cranes will take care of storage and retrieval. Having a length of 294 m and a height of 31.4 m, the high-bay store can accommodate about 1,382 coils. All storage locations will be designed for 32 t coils with an outer diameter of 2,800 mm. After intermediate storage, the coils are carried to the downstream annealing furnace and further transfer stations outside the store by means of three coil lifting cars with

turntable. SMS Logistiksysteme will supply the complete automation for all facilities including logistics software and the warehouse management system. Commissioning of the facilities is scheduled for the end of 2014.

India

BMM Ispat orders new combicaster. BMM Ispat from Hospet, Karnataka province, has ordered a combicaster from SMS Concast. With the new caster, BMM Ispat will produce 1.1 million t/year of billets and rounds. In the first phase of BMM Ispat’s expansion plan, SMS Concast will supply a highspeed combi-caster with five (and the option to be expanded to six) strands for the production of square and round sections in steel grades such as spring, freecutting, bearing, pipe, microalloyed and structural steels. Commissioning of the combi-caster is scheduled for November 2013. BMM Ispat plans to increase its annual steel production capacity to about 2 million t in two phases.

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MPT International 3/2013

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International industry news Kazakhstan

Aktobe to build new rail and section mill. Siemens Metals Technologies has received an order to supply a rail and section mill to Aktobe Rail and Section Works. The new rolling mill will be constructed in the town of Aktobe under the auspices of Kazakhstan’s national railway company. The mill will be able to produce around 200,000 t/year of rails in lengths of up to 120 m as well as 230,000 t/year of angles, U and I-sections. Siemens will supply the complete rolling line, including a walking-beam furnace with a capacity of 80 t/h, a reversing blooming stand with a maximum working roll centreline of 1,050 mm, and a reversing universal mill train consisting of three Red Ring stands. The scope of supply also includes a 125 m cooling bed, equipment for a horizontal-vertical straightener, cutting saws, and machines for bundling and handling the final products. The plant will be equipped with a rail head hardening system, inline ultrasonic and eddy-current measuring

systems. A test laboratory and a workshop for roll maintenance will also be built. In addition to the mechanical equipment for the rolling line, Siemens will also supply the basic and process automation, all the main and auxiliary drives, the medium-voltage supply and distribution systems, as well as an uninterruptible power supply. The fluid systems for the rolling mill and a water treatment plant will also be part of the scope of supply. Production is scheduled to start in the second half of 2014.

South Korea

Taewoong to build new steelmaking plant. Inteco has received an order from Taewoong Corporation to supply the meltshop and ingot casting equipment for a new steel plant located in Busan. The Inteco supply will include a 120 – 150 t EAF, ladle furnace, twin VD-VOD degasser, ingot casting equipment as well as a vacuum ingot casting plant. The vacuum ingot casting plant will be designed for ingot

weights of more than 700 t. The order also covers the complete level-2 process automation system for the steel plant. The new steelmaking plant is scheduled to be operative in January 2015.

Vietnam

Formosa to install RSB. Formosa Plastics group has contracted Friedrich Kocks to supply a 3-roll reducing & sizing block in heavy duty design (RSB) for their Vietnam-based subsidiary Formosa Ha Tinh Steel. The RSB will be installed in the combined wire rod and bar mill of the new integrated steel mill project in the Vung-Ang economic zone of the Ha Tinh province. With a total production capacity of 15 million t/year, this will be the largest integrated steel mill in the ASEAN region. The 370 mm heavy-duty RSB will be operated as finishing block in the new 600,000 t/year rolling mill for special bar qualities downstream the 16-stand roughing and intermediate mill. It will

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International industry news be equipped with four stand positions and designed for controlled rolling at low temperatures down to 750°C. The 3-roll block rolls round bar in coils within the range from 20.0 mm to 55.0 mm dia.

Europe Germany

has fitted the new inspection system of the continuous annealing line with latest inspection equipment from Isra Vision Parsytec. The Dual Sensor™ technology, a combination of line scan and matrix cameras for both upside and downside inspection of the strip, ensures a continuous detection of the smallest defect types. Even extremely low-contrast defects are detected and classified automatically and reliably. The inspection system was installed during ongoing operations with only minimum standstill times.

Outokumpu VDM to build ESR plant. Inteco recently received an order from Outokumpu VDM, Unna, to supply an ESR static mould plant for the production of ingot with diameters of up to 600 mm and up to 8 t weight. Installation of the plant is planned to take place in autumn 2013.

Germany

TKS Dortmund installs new surface inspection system. ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe (TKS) Dortmund

Turkey

Habas

orders

VOD

system.

Adrem Invest has signed a contract with Habas Steel for the supply of a 150/170 t VOD system. While Adrem will manufacture the tank, lid, etc., the vacuum pumping system complete with controls will be provided by MTAG Technology.

Companies RHI reports 2012 results. In the year 2011, the sales volume of the RHI group dropped by 5.0% from 1,948,000 to 1,850,000 t, which was primarily due to weaker steel business in Europe and weaker cement and glass business in Asia. Although the sales volume was lower, revenues reached a new record level of 1,835.7 million euros in 2012. The increase by 4.4% in comparison with 2011 was primarily attributable to shifts in the product mix, the positive effects of a weaker euro-dollar exchange rate as well as pricing effects. The sales volume of the steel division was down 7% year-on-year and amounted to 1,245,000 t, thus even slightly below the level of the year 2010. In contrast, revenues were maintained stable at 1,112.7 million euros after 1,106.8 million euros in the previous year and reflect the adjustments in pricing necessary due to soaring raw material prices, and the more favourable regional mix.

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16

MPT International 3/2013

International industry news RHI expects revenues to reach a similar level in 2013 as in 2012 if the macroeconomic environment remains stable and exchange rates do not change. The expected lower growth rates in Europe require an adjustment of capacities in order to ensure optimal utilization of the production plants. Therefore, a plant concept is currently being evaluated in the RHI group.

China of 11%, while Chinese flow to the rest of the world grew just 6%. On the other hand, China imports less and less steel and steel containing products from Latin American countries. During the last three years, Latin American trade deficit enlarged continuously and augmented 41% for steel containing goods and 29% for steel products, comparing 2012 versus 2010.

)TQYKPI UVGGN VTCFG FGƂEKV QH Latin America versus China. SMS Elotherm acquires heatAccording to information published ing technology specialist I.A.S. by the Latin American Steel Association (Alacero), steel products exports from China to the world increased by 16% in 2012. The flow from China to Latin America grew by 27%. During 2012, Latin America received 4.6 million t of finished steel from China, becoming the second most important destination for such exports after South Korea and moving the European Union to the third place. In the case of steel containing products (indirect trade), Latin America experienced an increase of imports from

SMS Elotherm, a company of the SMS Meer business area, has acquired heating technology specialist I.A.S. Induktions-Anlagen+Service GmbH. With 100 employees in Germany and China, I.A.S. is an ideal complement to SMS Elotherm’s product spectrum. The portfolio now includes induction heating systems for isothermal extrusion and the corresponding systems for melting, as well as the traditional spectrum offered by Elotherm with systems for induction hardening, heating and welding.

Astra to acquire OAM in Hungary. International diversified resource company, Astra Resources, which is based in Adelaide, Australia, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Aicher group, based in Freilassing, Germany. The MOU covers the purchase of assets owned by the Aicher group in Hungary and it includes the Ózd Steel Works (OAM) and other logistic assets such as slag processing infrastructure and an operating hotel. The acquisition, which will be funded by Astra’s upcoming IPO, will enable Astra to acquire an important manufacturing asset within the European Union. The deal has strategic importance to both companies, as the Aicher group will be able to concentrate on its key operations in other parts of Europe.

ThyssenKrupp Resource Technologies. As part of ThyssenKrupp’s strategic development programme the two engineering subsidiaries ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik and ThyssenKrupp Polysius have been merged to

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MPT International 3/2013

17

International industry news form ThyssenKrupp Resource Technologies. With around 5,500 employees and annual sales of approx. two billion euros, the new company will be one of the world’s leading system suppliers for the mining and cement industries as well as the mineral processing and bulk materials handling sectors. It will offer single-source expertise ranging from design and consulting to engineering and project management to construction and installation, after-sales service, research & development and plant financing. The management board of ThyssenKrupp Resource Technologies is made up of Ramsis Shehata (CEO), Christof Brewka (service business), Heike Franke (CFO), Martin Hilbig (CHRO) and Lothar Jungemann (cement business).

Dillinger Hßtte group’s 2012 results. Dillinger Hßtte and its subsidiaries performed well during the 2012 financial year in the face of difficult economic circumstances. Despite declines in production volumes and sales revenues (2.5 billion euros compared to 2.8 billion euros in the previous year), positive earnings were once again achieved. The company has continued its strategy of continuously investing in the sustainability of Dillinger Hßtte. Production at the rolling mills in Dillingen and at the wholly owned subsidiary, GTS Industries S.A. (GTS) in Dunkirk, France, reached 1.882 million t, compared with 2.110 million t in 2011. In all, Dillinger Hßtte shipped 1.856 million t of heavy plate (2011: 2.104 million). At 244 million euros, Dillinger Hßtte’s total investments for the year

were once again significantly higher than for the previous year (154 million euros). The primary focus of the 171 million euros invested in Dillinger HĂźtte itself was the new CC 6 continuous casting machine. The Dillinger HĂźtte group anticipates that 2013 will be a challenging year overall. Current low revenues coupled with high raw material and energy costs are dampening expectations for returns in 2013 and are making it necessary to increase prices in the coming months. Sales volume for 2013 is expected to be at the level of the previous year, and positive earnings are also anticipated.

SGL to invest in North American electrode manufacturing site. SGL group is making a significant investment in its Ozark, Arkansas facility for the construction of new state-of-the-art graphitization capacity for the manufacture of graphite electrodes. Ozark currently has 90 employees and is the only facility within the SGL group’s global network to produce the full range of electrode sizes with feedstock coming from the SGL group’s Hickman, Kentucky facility.

Vetterli takes over FC Technik from RHI. In March 2013, the Walter Vetterli family acquired the remaining 51% share in FC Technik from the RHI group. This adds to 100% the ownership of the Vetterli family, who had already been holding a 49% interest in the company. FC Technik has its headquarters in Winterthur, Switzerland. It was founded by Walter Vetterli, who will be joining the executive board, while his son Christoph will take over

the company management. The product portfolio includes gas control systems for direct or indirect injection of inert and process gases. RHI customers will not be affected by the takeover, as FC Technik will continue to provide RHI with the reliable products of the flox[on] series.

Outotec changes operational structure. In order to accelerate Outotec’s transformation into a full life cycle solutions provider and enhance value creation for customers and shareholders, Outotec has decided to change its corporate operating model and organization structure. Instead of four business areas, as of July 1, 2013, Outotec’s business structure will consist of the two business areas Metals, Energy & Water and Minerals Processing and the three geographical regions Americas, EMEA (including Europe, Middle East, Africa and CIS countries) and APAC (including Asia Pacific, China and India). The Americas region will be headed by Jari Rosendal, the EMEA region by Dr. Peter Weber, and the APAC region by Kimmo Kontola, who is also nominated to the executive board of Outotec. Robin Lindahl will take the lead in the new Metals, Energy & Water business area, and the Minerals Processing business area will be headed by Dr. Kalle Härkki.

Outokumpu to proceed with GHĆ‚EKGPE[ OGCUWTGU As part of its intention to significantly reduce its operating expenses and return the company to profitability, Outokumpu has announced plans that are expected to result in job reductions. All in

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Auxiliary Plants hot blast stoves, stockhouse, pulverized coal injection, slag granulation and dewatering.

Coke Making Plants complete plants and batteries, coke oven gas by-products recovery systems and auxiliary plants, centralised supervision and process control.

Recycling Technologies multiple hearth based technology: PRIMUSŽ, rotary hearth based technology: RedIron™, RedSmelt™.

Environmental Protection BF top gas cleaning, aspiration systems, hot blast stove heat recovery, coke oven gas treatment, sinterplant off-gas cleaning.

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International industry news all, Outokumpu expects to reduce up to 2,500 jobs globally between 2013 and 2017. In 2013, the company plans to reduce up to 770 jobs globally of which up to 570 in Germany, up to 70 in Sweden and up to 30 in Finland. The planned reductions are related to the capacity reductions in Europe, particularly to the previously announced closure of the Krefeld meltshop in Germany, as well as streamlining overlapping activities in sales, production, supply chain and support functions.

Evraz to sell Highveld. Evraz signed a non-binding agreement for the proposed sale of its 85% stake in Evraz Highveld Steel and Vanadium Limited to Nemascore Ltd, a black economic empowerment consortium. The transaction could be completed during the second quarter of 2013. Evraz Highveld is a vertically integrated steel and vanadium slag producer in South Africa. The company mines titaniferous magnetite ore at its Mapochs mine and produces iron and steel products and vanadium-bearing slag at its steelworks in Mpumalanga. Evraz’s acquisition of Highveld was approved only on the condition that the company divest an equity interest in the Mapochs mine, together with Highveld’s finished vanadium products activities, as this sale could have major implications for refined producers. Companies that could be affected include Vanchem Vanadium Products (South Africa) and Treibacher Industrie (Austria), which process Highveld slags to make vanadium products.

Coals sales agreement between Corsa Coal and Hyundai Steel. Corsa Coal Corp. has entered into a long-term sales arrangement with Hyundai Steel Company to provide its Wilson Creek low-volatile coal to Hyundai Steel. This follows the successful test shipments of approximately 40,000 t of this coal by Hyundai Steel at its operations in South Korea.

LOI Thermprocess to take over MTH. LOI Thermprocess has signed an agreement to acquire Metall Technologie Holding (MTH). MTH is a holding company based in Menden, Germany, and controls the companies Schmetz (Germany), BMI (France), Mahler (Germany), IVA/RIVA (Germany/Poland) and Huisen-MTH (China). MTH manufactures and provides service for vacuum and atmospheric furnaces for a wide range of markets.

Outotec cooperates with Köppern on comminution products. Outotec has agreed with Maschinenfabrik Köppern on cooperation in the manufacture and supply of Outotec branded comminution products as part of Outotec’s process solutions. Köppern specializes in high-pressure grinding roll (HPGR) technology and briquetting and compaction solutions. Outotec’s comminution product range includes autogenous mills, semi-autogenous mills, high-intensity grinding, rod mills, ball mills and pebble mills.

Debut of Indometal metal and steel trade fair. The inaugural Indometal international metal & steel trade fair for Southeast Asia, which was jointly organized by Messe Düsseldorf Asia and PT. Wakeni, focused on the synergistic interrelations of foundry technology, casting products, metallurgy and thermo process technology. 259 exhibiting companies from 26 countries showcased their products and services. With the trend in steel production shifting from mature to emerging economies, and the industry focus on future growth through expanded production, operational agility and efficiency and cost optimization, Indonesia proved to be a suitable location for this specialized trade fair. The next Indometal will take place from 11 to 13 December 2014 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

JV between Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal and BlueScope Steel. To establish a coated products (hot-dip galvanized sheets, painted sheets, and roll-formed building products) joint venture in ASEAN and the U.S., Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal made an equity investment in the joint venture through the purchase from BlueScope Steel of 50% of its equity holdings in operating entities in ASEAN and the U.S. Through this move, a 50:50 joint venture between the two companies as equal participants has been established. The joint venture is called NS BlueScope Coated Products and headquartered in Singapore.

International industry news Kick-off of low carbon manufacturing initiative. A new initiative driving the competitive growth of Europe’s low carbon industrial base recently started its work within the 7th framework programme LOCIMAP – low carbon industrial manufacturing parks. It is a response to the growing challenge faced by many European manufacturing businesses which are increasingly competing against developed and developing economies benefiting from access to low-cost energy. The major objective is to achieve much closer integration in manufacturing complexes to benefit from increased efficiency both of energy and material use, at lower emissions. For the steel industry, VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut will be performing the case studies on how the steel industry could interact with the chemical, cement and other industries by exchanging waste heat, waste gas and other by-products.

Personalities Nickel Institute appoints director. Nigel Ward has been appointed director for promotion and market development of the Nickel Institute. In this role, he is Nigel Ward responsible for raising awareness of nickel and its benefits in applications like stainless steel as well as promoting the use of nickel in appropriate applications across multiple industrial, construction and product sectors globally. Nigel Ward joins the Nickel Institute from the British Stainless Steel Association where he was managing director from 2004.

AIST Steelmaker of the Year award. Chung Joong Yang, chairman and chief executive officer of Posco, was named “Steelmaker of the Year” at AISTech 2013. This award is presented annually by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology to recognize notable leaders for their contributions to the steel industry. Chung Joong Yang is 22

MPT International 3/2013

recognized as a visionary for the global steel industry for his knowledge of steel operations, dedication to safety, awareness to secure raw materials, enthusiasm to incorporate new technologies, foresight to expand Posco’s foreign presence, and prudent strategy to promote mutual growth with steelconsuming industries. He was elected chairman and CEO of Posco in February 2009.

Changes on supervisory board and board of management of SGL. Susanne Klatten has been elected the new chairwoman of the supervisory board of SGL Carbon SE. She has been member of the board since 2009 and takes over from Max Dietrich Kley, whose term ended at this year’s annual general meeting. Susanne Klatten owns the investment company SKion which holds around 28% of the shares in SGL Carbon SE. Effective June 1, 2013, Dr. Jürgen Köhler will be a full member on the board of management. Köhler will assume responsibility for the business area carbon fibres and composites (CFC). He will succeed Theodore H. Breyer, who will leave the board on October 31, 2013.

Change on the managing board of SMS Siemag. Rüdiger Zerbe has, at his own request, left the managing board to take on other tasks outside the SMS group. The supervisory board has appointed Harald Rackel as his successor. Harald Rackel will in the future be responsible for the strip processing lines, thermal process technology, and electrics and automation division.

New chairman and new members on ThyssenKrupp supervisory board. Professor Dr. Ulrich Lehner is the new chairman of the supervisory board of ThyssenKrupp AG. Prof. Dr. Lehner, who has been a member of the supervisory board of ThyssenKrupp AG since 2008, has announced to restructure the supervisory board parallel to the strategic way forward of the group. In order to be able to fully concentrate on this new tasks, Lehner has decided to resign

from a total of three directorships to concentrate on his duties at ThyssenKrupp. The two vacant seats as a result of Dr. Gerhard Cromme and Dr. Kersten von Schenck standing down from the supervisory board have been filled by Carsten Spohr, member of the executive board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, and Dr. Lothar Steinebach, member of the supervisory board of Altana AG.

New executive vice president at Nucor. Executive vice president of fabricated construction products, Hamilton Lott, Jr., plans to retire in June 2013 after more than 37 years of service with Nucor. He will be succeeded by Raymond S. Napolitan, Jr., who will be promoted to that position.

New deputy board member at SMS Meer. Norbert Theelen has been appointed deputy member of the managing board of SMS Meer. At the same time he will assume management of the tube plants division.

SDI appoints head of new product development initiative. John Nolan, vice president and general manager of the Steel Dynamics’ structural and rail division, has been appointed to the newly created corporate level position of vice president – product development. In his new position, Nolan will be responsible for the identification, development and innovation of new products for the automotive, construction and rail markets.

AK Steel names vice president HR. Stephanie S. Bisselberg has been named vice president human resources of AK Steel. She succeeds Lawrence F. Zizzo, who retired on March 31, 2013.

Events 11 – 12 July 2013 Visakhapatnam, India Organizers: Steel & Metallurgy, Kolkata www.steelmetallurgy.com

International industry news Indian steel industry – vision 2025. This two-day international con-

ITPS International thermprocess summit 2013. The target

ference will address challenges, opportunities and threats facing steelmakers in India. The conference will be organized with active support from the Visakhapatnam steel plant.

group for this event are the CEOs and senior executives from key industries such as metal production and processing, automotive manufacturing, glass, ceramics, cement, chemicals and petrochemicals. The ITPS programme reflects the pressing issues of our time, with the focus on sustainability, minimization of resource consumption and energy efficiency. The topics include the future of energy-intensive industries in Europe, the current economic situation on the market, technical development trends in thermoprocess technology and the requirements made by customers on the manufacturers.

11 – 13 September 2013 Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada Organizers: Almamet GmbH & Polysius Corp. www.almamet.com

Hot metal desulphurization and secondary metallurgy. This one-day symposium will be held for the first time in North America. Steel industry experts will address latest experiences and case studies.

9 – 10 July 2013 Düsseldorf, Germany Organizers: Messe Düsseldorf, et al. www.itps-online.com

5 – 7 February 2014 Ranchi, India Organizers: Computer Society of India (CSI); SAIL www.aitism.in

AITISM’14. The fourth international conference on “Automation and information technology in iron and steel making processes” will draw professionals, researchers, operating personnel, consultants, system integrators and equipment manufacturers engaged in the field of automation and IT in the iron and steel industry.

23 – 26 June 2014 Graz, Austria Organizers: ASMET www.eccc2014.org

ECCC. The 8th European continuous casting conference will focus on the status and future development of continuous casting. Topics covered will include advanced technologies, modernization, maintenance, automation and process control, ladle metallurgy and steel cleanness, simulation and modelling, thin slab casting and direct rolling, scarfing, machining and heat treatment.

MPT International 3/2013

23

International industry news

World Steel Association outlook for 2013 – 2014 World Steel Association forecasts that global apparent steel use will increase by 2.9% to 1,454 million t in 2013, following growth of 1.2% in 2012. The key risks to the global economy are expected to have all stabilized considerably in early 2013. A recovery in global steel demand is expected to kick in by the second half of the year, led by the emerging economies. In 2014, it is forecast that world steel demand will grow further by 3.2% and will reach 1,500 million t.

The Economics Committee of the World Steel Association (worldsteel) met in April in Düsseldorf, Germany, to discuss and release its short range outlook for 2013 and 2014. Commenting, Hans Jürgen Kerkhoff, chairman of the worldsteel Economics Committee said, “2012 was a challenging year for the steel industry with apparent steel use increasing at the slowest rate since 2009 when demand declined by -6.5%. This was mainly due to the Eurozone crisis which persisted throughout 2012 and whose impact was felt further afield. On top of this, corrective macroeconomic measures in major emerging economies also contributed to a concerted slowdown globally. However, in the early part of 2013, the key risks to the global economy – the Eurozone crisis, a hard landing for the Chinese economy, and the US fiscal cliff issue – have all stabilized considerably and we now expect a recovery in global steel demand to kick in by the second half, led by the emerging economies. Yet, the situation on the financial markets remains fragile and the Eurozone crisis is far from being solved as the recent events in Cyprus have again shown. In 2014, we expect a further pickup in global steel demand with the developed economies increasingly contributing to growth.” China’s apparent steel use is expected to grow by 3.5% in 2013 to 668.8 million t following a 1.9% increase in 2012. In 2014, steel demand is expected to grow by 2.5% as the Chinese government’s measures to control investment in an effort to rebalance the economy will remain in place. In India, steel demand is also expected to pick up and will grow by 5.9% to 75.8 million t in 2013 following 2.5% growth Apparent steel use

2013

2014

Growth

139

144

3.3%

Other Europe

37

38

4.1%

CIS

58

60

3.8%

135

139

3.0%

Central and South America

50

52

4.3%

Africa

29

31

7.6%

European Union (27)

NAFTA

Middle East

World Steel Association, Brussels, Belgium

Asia and Oceania World

Contact: www.worldsteel.org E-mail: info@worldsteel.org

24

MPT International 3/2013

in 2012 as monetary easing is expected to support investment activities. In 2014, growth in steel demand is expected to further accelerate to 7.0% thanks to the reform measures aimed at narrowing the fiscal deficit, coupled with measures to improve the foreign direct investment climate. Steel demand in Japan is expected to decline for the second consecutive year in 2013 by -2.2% to 62.6 million t due to contracting shipbuilding and automotive sectors despite a positive boost from the construction sector. In 2014, it is expected to contract again by -0.6%. This is due to an end of fiscal stimulus and structural factors, for example, increasing relocation of production by Japanese manufacturers overseas. In 2013, in the USA, after growth of 8.4% in 2012 due to the automotive and energy sectors and an increasingly resilient construction recovery, apparent steel use is forecast to grow by 2.7% to 99.3 million t due to continuing fiscal concerns. In 2014, steel demand is expected to increase by 2.9%, thus exceeding 100 million t with the help of positive momentum from the construction sector. For NAFTA as a whole, apparent steel use will grow by 2.9% and 3.0% in 2013 and 2014 respectively. In Central and South America, apparent steel use is projected to rebound by 6.2% in 2013 to 49.8 million t from 2.6% growth in 2012. The region’s steel demand is forecast to grow by 4.3% to 52.0 million t in 2014. In Brazil, a rebound in investment coupled with the end of the recent de-stocking process is expected to bring apparent steel use growth of 4.3% to 26.2 million t in 2013 and further growth of 3.8% to 27.2 million t in 2014.

World excl. China

49

52

6.1%

957

984

2.8%

1,454

1,500

3.2%

785

815

3.8%

Table 1. Short range outlook for apparent steel use (million t)

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International industry news In EU27, the lingering uncertainties associated with the euro crisis continued to weigh heavily on economic activities in the region, especially during the last quarter of 2012. As a result, apparent steel use in 2012 fell by -9.3% with a widening gap seen at the country level. In particular, in Italy and Spain, apparent steel use contracted by over -18% in 2012. With signs of stabilization in the economic situation, recovery is expected late 2013, but the economic prospect for the region remains weak. Steel demand in EU 27 is expected to contract further by -0.5% in 2013, but will return to growth of 3.3% in 2014 to reach 144.1 million t. Growth of apparent steel use in the CIS region is projected to slow to 2.0% reaching 57.6 million t in 2013 as the modest pickup in Russia is partially mitigated by declining demand in Ukraine and Kazakhstan. In 2014, steel demand in the region is expected to grow by 3.8% to 59.8 million t with the improving external environment. The resumption of energy projects and improving construction outlook is expected to support steel demand in Russia. It is forecast that steel demand in Russia will grow by 2.6% to 42.9 million t in 2013 and will grow further by 3.9% to 44.6 million t in 2014. Steel demand in the MENA region is expected to grow by 3.2% to 65.2 million t in 2013 after 2.2% growth in 2012 aided by reconstruction activities in the Arab Spring countries and Iraq as political turmoil in the region phases out. In 2014, steel demand in the region will further accelerate to 7.1% growth to reach 70 million t supported by strong construction activities. The short range outlook is provided by the worldsteel Committee on Economic Studies which meets twice a year. The committee membership consists of chief economists from more than 40 of the worldsteel member companies.

MEASURING SYSTEMS FOR THE STEEL INDUSTRY

New ISO standard on CO2 emissions The World Steel Association welcomes the publication of an ISO standard that defines a calculation method of carbon dioxide emission intensity from iron and steel production. The standard is based on the CO2 data collection methodology that has been used for the past five years in the steel industry. Launched in 2007, worldsteel’s CO2 data collection aims to provide steel producers with a reliable benchmark for their emissions. The number of participating organizations has steadily increased since the launch, from 38 companies in 2007 to 51 in 2011, representing more than 200 steel plants worldwide. Of these, 33 steel organizations have reported their CO2 emissions data using this methodology for five consecutive years as part of worldsteel’s Climate Action programme. Edwin Basson, director general of worldsteel, said: “We are very pleased with the published standard as it confirms the validity and relevance of our methodology. This globally developed and supported standard will drive the continued uptake of this methodology by the industry. Steel is essential to the modern world and the use of steel is critical in enabling man to move towards a sustainable future. As steel plants actively monitor CO2 emissions, focus is sharpened onto those activities that ensure the role of steel in a sustainable modern society.” The standard is available for two categories of steelmaking processes; Part 1 (ISO 14404-1) for steel plants with blast furnaces and Part 2 (ISO 14404-2) for steel plants with electric arc furnaces. They are now available for purchase at the ISO website (www.iso.org). MPT International 3/2013

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[THICKNESS]

[THICKNESS, LENGTH, WIDTH]

[DIAMETER]

[PROFILES]

%QORCP[ RTQĆ‚NG

055/% QP VJG TQEM[ TQCF VQ KORTQXG VJG ITQWRoU EQORGVKVKXGPGUU Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation was founded by a merger aiming at becoming “the best steelmaker with world-leading capabilities�. In March 2013, NSSMC announced a mid-term management plan for a period of three years according to which by 2015 an organization with worldleading competitive strength is to be established. Key elements of this plan are the optimization and re-adjustment of the production base in line with global demand and global markets.

0KRRQP 5VGGN 5WOKVQOQ /GVCN %QTRQTC VKQP, Tokyo, Japan Contact: www.nssmc.com/en

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MPT International 3/2013

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (NSSMC) was created on 1 October 2012 by merging former Japanese steelmakers Nippon Steel Corporation and Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd. The newly created giant is considered to be the world’s second largest steelmaker after ArcelorMittal – with crude steel production amounting to more than 46 million t (2011), slightly more than the Chinese Heibei group and Baosteel group. The NSSMC group is comprised of 370 consolidated subsidiaries and 107 affiliates. The group’s overall businesses are categorized into five industry segments: steelmaking and steel fabrication, engineering and construction, chemicals, new materials, and system solutions. NSSMC is an integrated steel producer utilizing the blast furnace route. Among the main product segments are: - high-performance steel plate for large structures, - steel sheet, especially for automotive and household appliances, but also for housing, beverage cans and transformers, - high-grade, high-performance bar and rod, - heavy sections for construction and civil engineering applications, - seamless pipes for OCTG, - large diameter pipes for automotive industry, construction and engineering, - railway wheels, axles and crankshafts, - titanium products and specialty stainless steel. NSSMC is headed by a dual leadership: Shoji Muneoka, CEO, and Hiroshi Tomono, president and COO; both act as representative directors. NSSMC was founded to become “the best steelmaker with world-leading capabilities�. With this approach in mind the company has developed four concrete management targets: - achieving global production capability for 60 to 70 million t/year, - utilizing advanced technologies, - improving cost competitiveness through synergies of around 150 billion yen (1.47 billion US$) per year, and - reinforcing non-steel business segments.

/KF VGTO UVTCVGI[ VQ UVTGPIVJGP EQORGVKVKXGPGUU In March 2013, NSSMC announced a mid-term management plan for a period of three years. The concept was developed against the background that competition in the East Asian market is expected to intensify. Through the early realization of maximum synergies in terms of technology and cost on a global basis, the management plan is aimed at building an organization with worldleading competitive strength by 2015, when the newly emerging steel mills in East Asia are expected to go into full-scale operation. For the steel business segments this management plan comprises five key initiatives: - enhancing technological superiority, - building world-leading cost competiveness, - optimizing the production network, - promoting the global strategy, - strengthening the companies by integration. The plan also comprises policies for the non-steel business segments, balancing the financial strength and creating a unique corporate culture of innovation and growth, integrity and reliability. +TQP CPF UVGGNOCMKPI DCUKU Each steelworks is to be fully utilized in each stage of the production route, from pig iron production, steelmaking through to hot rolling. High productivity is to be reached at lower fixed costs through maximized efforts, for example the pursuit of a higher pig iron ratio. The use of lower-grade raw materials and other means are to reduce variable costs. Kimitsu works will shift to operation with two blast furnaces, with BF No. 3 to cease operation around the end of fiscal year 2015. Steelmaking plant No. 1 is to be streamlined by shifting to operation with a single basic oxygen furnace. The other BOF is to cease operation around the first quarter of fiscal year 2016. Consequently, continuous caster No. 5 is to cease operation around the first half of fiscal year 2014.

%QORCP[ RTQƂNG At Wakayama works, blast furnaces No. l and No. 5 will continue operation. However, start-up of the new BF No. 5 will be postponed. 4QNNKPI QRGTCVKQPU Several rolling related plants are to cease operation or shift down – particularly for the production of flat products, plates, pipes and tubes. These measures aim at securing total capacity and at the same time enhancing total competitiveness in terms of cost, quality, timely delivery and other factors. Efficiency of the competitive production lines is to be further enhanced by combining technologies of the former companies and establishing an optimal production network of Japanese production bases in each region. Overseas production lines are to be expanded. Lower productivity lines will cease operation. The following plants are intended to cease operation or shift down: - at Kashima works: continuous pickling line No. 2, cold strip mill No. 1, continuous annealing line No. 1, batch annealing line, continuous galvanizing line No. 1 and electrolytic galvanizing line No. 2 by the end of 2014, - at Wakayama works: pickling line No. 3, cold strip mill No. 1, continuous galvanizing line, continuous annealing line for electrical steel by the end of 2014, - at Nagoya works: continuous galvanizing line No. 4 (immediately), electrolytic galvanizing line (by end of 2014), - at Kimitsu Works: continuous annealing and processing line by the end of 2014. The plate rolling mills at Kashima works and Kimitsu works will shift down by mid 2013. The butt welding line for pipes at the Kimitsu works will cease operation by the end of 2013. )NQDCN RTQFWEVKQP DCUG NSSMC will focus on expanding and enhancing the supply chain, including overseas manufacturing and processing bases, in particular with respect to high-grade steel sectors, including the automotive industry, the resources and energy sector and infrastructure-related sectors such as railway, construction and civil engineering. Major projects recently announced comprise plants in Mexico, Thailand, India, China, Brazil, USA and Vietnam. NSSMC intends to promote the establishment of a supply base for steelmaking and hot-rolled steel products in the ASEAN region with the aim of capturing local demand for medium-grade products and preparing preemptively for the formation of a regional economic bloc. In this context, the company seeks to maximize benefits from alliances with overseas major steelmakers including ArcelorMittal and Posco. +PVGTPCN KPVGITCVKQP OGCUWTGU Companies with redundant functions and those with potential to improve their competiveness through integration will be consolidated or reorganized by realizing synies from business integration at an early stage, forming a group of companies with a competitive edge and streamlining the management resources on a consolidated basis. The integration of group companies in the businesses of trading and transportation has already been announced. Integration will also be considered in other business fields. In addition, NSSMC will promote reinforcement and upgrading of the group management by optimizing functions (i.e., rolling, processing, transportation, etc.) within the group. MPT International 3/2013

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%QORCP[ RTQƂNG

4WWMMK VQ DQQUV KVU URGEKCN UVGGNU DWUKPGUU Rautaruukki is to accelerate its step change into a company specializing in steel construction and special steels and is to reorganize its structure. In addition to the CDjAGCLAW NPMEP?KKCQ GLGRG?RCB last year to improve cost competitiveness and potential DMP NPMjR?@JC EPMURF DMASQ UGRFGL RFC AMKN?LW Q J?PECQR @SQGLCQQ ?PC? 0SSIIG +CR?JQ is shifting increasingly more clearly to special steels. The MRFCP @SQGLCQQ ?PC? 0SSIIG !MLQRPSARGML GQ RM BGTGBC GLRM RUM LCU @SQGLCQQ ?PC?Q 0SSIIG Building Products and Ruukki Building Systems. The aim of RFGQ GQ RM GKNPMTC NPMjR?@GJGRW ?LB EPMURF ?Q UCJJ ?Q RM GKNPMTC K?L?EC?@GJGRW RFC transformation pace and transparency.

Rautaruukki Corporation &CJQGLIG $GLJ?LB !MLR?AR UUU PSSIIG AMK

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Ruukki is aiming to significantly improve the company’s cost competitiveness and to strengthen the potential for profitable growth in all its business areas. This is why, last year, Ruukki initiated an efficiency programmme aimed at cost benefits totalling 100 million euros. Projects under the programme have progressed as expected and it is currently estimated that that the improvement in earnings performance pursued will be visible in full from the third quarter of this year onwards. “The decisions we have now made are a response to strengthen the company’s performance and especially to the overcapacity prevailing in the standard steel business in Europe. This overcapacity weakens the profitability of operations and forces companies to seek new business models and business opportunities. Within our construction business, we have many segments with excellent potential for profitable growth also in the future. On the other hand, we also have a clear need to significantly improve the profitability of certain parts of the business and to simplify business models. The specialization strategy within our steel business has proven effective and successful. During the first quarter of the year, special steel products accounted for 32% of net sales in our steel business. We are now accelerating our transformation and focusing strongly on special steels, building products and energy-efficient solutions with the aim of being a leading niche actor in these sectors,” outlines Sakari Tamminen, Ruukki’s president & CEO. During the course of 2013, the weaker performing standard steel business will increasingly strongly be turned into a special steels business consisting of high-strength, wear-resistant and special-coated steels. In addition, the company will also accelerate global sales of special steels. This means expanding and diversifying distribution, significantly strengthening the sales organization through transfers and recruiting new resources, and by establishing a presence, during the current year, in many new markets such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Mexico. Success on this front requires a strong focus on narrow niche sectors

within the limits of which the emphasis is strongly on identifying new customers and applications. The future focus will increasingly be on new applications and markets such as, for example, sales of Optim high-strength steels to the construction industry, speeding up in general the approval process and launch of new products and intensifying important OEM customer relationships. As regards standard products, concentration will be put on restoring the soundness of the product portfolio. The underperforming part will be downsized, whereas the share of special steels will grow and production capacity will be aligned to achieve a more effective utilization rate.

%QPUVTWEVKQP DWUKPGUU VQ DG FKXKFGF Ruukki Construction is to be split into two business areas, Ruukki Building Products and Ruukki Building Systems. The aim of this is to improve profitability and growth, as well as to improve manageability, the transformation pace and transparency by separating profitably growing business areas from businesses which have clear need for profitability improvement. Ruukki Building Products consists of roofing, sandwich panel, foundation and infrastructure products, including services. The profitability of these sections is at a satisfactory or good level and they show excellent potential for profitable growth also in the future. Growth in market share of roofing products will be pursued especially in Russia, Poland and the Nordic countries by, among other things, strengthening the distribution and partnership network, expanding installation and by speeding up the launch of new products and services onto the market. The most recent launch was Ruukki Classic Solar thermal roof, which utilizes solar heat. The company will strengthen sales of sandwich panels, especially energy panels, and piles in the Nordic countries, actively pursue new markets and focus on developing and the rapid commercialization of new, energy-efficient products that utilize renewable energy sources.

%QORCP[ RTQƂNG Ruukki Building Systems consists of the building project business, operations in Russia and the new energy-efficient and functional buildings development unit. The project business will be turned around to make it profitable during 2013 and the company will withdraw

from bridge projects. Use of the entire production capacity will be optimized to restore competitiveness and profitability. Construction in Russia offers significant potential for profitable growth, especially within commercial construction and agriculture. Work in Russia

will continue on developing sales and the product portfolio driven customer needs. The new unit developing energy-efficient and functional commercial buildings aims to create a foundation for future growth by integrating the best of Ruukki’s products and know-how.

Stressometer® Systems. From hot to cold.

The long standing problem of flatness measurement and control in aluminum hot rolling mills is now solved by ABB. Achievements in the field show yield improvements of 2 % and rolling speed improvements of 10%. Altogether this corresponds to millions of dollars on the bottom line. One reason for this is, as one of our customers put it, ”Good tail-out from the hot rolling mill results in high quality head-in to the cold rolling mill”. The range of applications where the Stressometer system sustainably improves your business includes all kinds of cold rolling mills; and now also aluminium hot rolling mills. www.abb.com/pressductor

ABB AB Force Measurement Phone: +46 21 32 50 00

MPT International 3/2013

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Steelmaking

High-quality hot strip production from thin slabs at Essar Steel in India In 2010 and 2011, Essar Steel India extended its production capacity at the Hazira steel works by 5 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 Conarc® furnaces, three twin-ladle furnaces and a CSP® plant. Whereas the latter started operating with two strands, it has meanwhile been extended to become the world’s jPQR RFPCC QRP?LB !1.® plant. This article describes the plant technology and presents the most important operating results in the commissioning phase.

Essar Steel India is one of India’s largest producers of flat steel products intended to be used, for example, in the automotive, construction and shipbuilding industries. In 2007, the company placed an order with SMS Siemag for the supply of a steelworks comprising two 200 t Conarc® furnaces and three twin-ladle furnaces. With this new steelmaking plant, crude steel capacity at the Hazira location has been increased to a total of 10 million t/year. The new Conarc® furnaces are designed for a capacity of 5 million t/year. The major part of the steel is intended for the new thin-slab casting and rolling (CSP®) plant (figure 1), which is designed for the production of 3.5 million t/year of hot strip. A further part is processed in the conventional continuous slab caster.

At the ladle furnaces, temperatures and alloy addition can be precisely adjusted. Using a ladle furnace, offers significant advantages for meltshop operation. These include: - improved ladle logistics when feeding liquid steel to the continuous casters, - improved steel quality and desulphurization capacity, - low emissions (particle, GHG, noise etc.), - low electrode consumption, - low consumption of alloying agents. An off-gas treatment plant is used for dedusting and cleaning the primary and secondary off-gases. The whole steelmaking plant is controlled and monitored by an X-Pact® level 2 automation system with the pertaining metallurgical process models. Quality data and production data are visualized on the HMI, enabling simple and intuitive interaction.

Steelmaking plant Watch a video of this steel plant using your smartphone and this QR code linking to: www.sms-siemag.com/qr/essar_csp/

B. Fernandes, Essar Steel India Ltd., Hazira, India; C. Klein, H. Rackel, W. Spies, T. Stark, SMS Siemag AG, Düsseldorf, Germany Contact: www.sms-siemag.com E-mail: communications@sms-siemag.com

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Whereas the two EAFs represent the heart of the meltshop, three adjacent twin-ladle furnaces are used for refining. The Conarc® EAF process is a combination of the traditional routes of oxygen and electric arc furnace steelmaking. The technology consists of a twin-shell furnace, using a slewable set of electrodes as well as at least one slewable top lance, which are alternately used in both shells (figure 2). This equipment provides for high flexibility in terms of charge materials. The furnaces can process hot metal, pig iron, DRI and scrap. The choice of input material can be dynamically adapted to fluctuating market prices of energy and raw materials.

Thin slab casting and rolling plant The CSP® thin slab casting and rolling plant produces hot strips in widths from 950 to 1,680 mm and in thicknesses between 1.0 and 25.0 mm. Two CSP® continuous thin slab casters were started up in 2011, providing an annual capacity of 2.5 million t of hot strip. In the future, this mill will be extended by a third continuous casting machine to become the world’s first three-strand CSP® plant with a total capacity of 3.5 million t/year. Essar Steel India is using the innovative CSP® technology specifically for the production of high-quality steel grades.

Commissioning

March 2011

Production capacity

2.5 million t/year (option: 3.5 million t/year)

Slab thickness

55 … 80 mm

Strip width

850 … 1,680 mm

Strip thickness

1.0 … 25.0 mm

Product range

Carbon steels (low, medium, high-carbon), Si steel, pipe grades, DP steels

Metallurgical length

8,065 mm (4 segments)

Liquid core reduction

LCR3 ®

Table 1. Technical data of the CSP plant at Essar Steel India

Figure 1. Layout of the three-strand CSP® plant

Besides low, medium and high-carbon steels, also tube steels, silicon steels and dual-phase steels can be produced in high quality. By subsequent casting and – after passing the furnace – immediate rolling of the slabs, the CSP® technology is particularly energy-saving. The technical data of the plant are summarized in table 1. The main equipment of the mill comprises: - tunnel furnaces with swivel ferry, - seven finishing stands, - CVC® plus with work-roll shifting and bending system, - hydraulic adjustment systems, - hydraulic and differential tension loopers, - two downcoilers, - complete X-Pact® electrical and automation systems. Figure 1 shows the layout of the threestrand plant. Continuous casting machines. The CSP® casters (figure 3) are vertical solid bending type machines consisting of four segments each. The metallurgical length is 8,065 mm. The process engineering allows a stable and precisely controlled production sequence. The mold monitoring system recognizes malfunctions at an early stage and hence prevents break-outs. For systematic cooling of the strand, the dynamic solidification control tool calculates the solidification parameters and specifies the necessary settings for the cooling water. Liquid core reduction technology (LCR3) enables the slab thickness to be infinitely set within a range from 55 to 80 mm. To reduce the strand thickness, the segments taper along the metallur-

Figure 2. The 200 t Conarc® furnaces in operation

Figure 3. %CUVKPI ƃQQT CV 'UUCT 5VGGN +PFKC MPT International 3/2013

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Steelmaking

Figure 4. Control pulpit of the hot strip mill

gical length. LCR3 technology incorporates casting speed adjustment and provides the optimal input thickness for the rolling mill. The mold level control system contributes to enhanced product quality and maximized throughput. Furnaces. Fuelled with natural gas or process gas, the CSP® furnaces ensure an entirely homogeneous temperature distribution within the thin slab. During work roll changing in the rolling mill, the tunnel furnace buffers slabs for the casters to continue operating. The rear parts of the furnaces can swivel like ferries, flexibly connecting the two outside strands with the centreline towards the rolling mill entrance.

Hot rolling mill. The seven-stand hot rolling mill (figure 4) processes the slabs into either thin strip down to 1.0 mm and heavy-gauge strip up to 25.4 mm. Flying gauge change allows producing strips even below 1.0 mm. Downstream of the tunnel furnace, a height-adjustable high-pressure descaling system ensures a clean slab surface before start of rolling. In stands F1 and F2 the roll separating force is 45 MN, in stands F3 and F4 42 MN and in stands F5 to F7 32 MN. All stands are equipped with hydraulic adjustment systems, work roll bending and CVC® plus technology. Hydraulic loopers (F1 – F4) and differential tension loopers (F5 – F6) between the stands ensure sta-

Figure 5. Coil transfer by individually controlled pallets

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MPT International 3/2013

ble strip travel also for thin final gauges. Besides the main and auxiliary drives, the electrical and automation X-Pact® system was supplied by SMS Siemag. The strip cooling system uses selective cooling patterns. Edge masking is implemented to prevent excessive cooling of the strip edges, improving cold strip flatness. The optimum cooling strategy for each product is preset by the XPact® cooling model. It provides cooling curves for the laminar cooling system to be set as a function of the material properties to be attained. Two fully hydraulic downcoilers have been optimized for straight-sided, closely wound coils for any steel grades and strip dimensions. The patented automatic step control system prevents marks on the inner wraps and protects the coiler’s mechanical equipment. Safe and gentle transport to the coil yard is performed by a pallet system for horizontal coil transport (figure 5). As the individual pallets are separately controlled, coil transport operations are decoupled from the hot rolling process in the mill. Automation system. To assure high quality, the strip surface condition is monitored by an inspection line. Downstream of the rolling mill, the geometrical characteristics such as thickness, width, thickness profile, flatness and strip temperature are measured and transmitted to the XPact® automation system. Like in the

Steelmaking

Figure 6. Final thickness range of the hot strip during start-up

Figure 7. Thickness performance

steel plant of Essar Steel India, also in the CSP® plant all information from the production process is centralized in the control pulpits. The automation system of the CSP® plant was tested before delivery, using the tried-and-tested plug & work method. In SMS Siemag’s test fields, the automation system was tested under quasi-realistic conditions and optimized well before installation at the customer’s works. A simulation tool reproduces the entire mechanical equipment, the drive technology and the processes. In addition, the SMS Siemag employees trained the operating personnel of Essar Steel India on the authentic control desks. The personnel of Essar Steel India learned how to operate the plant in real operating situations (so-called virtual productive operation). The plug & work method considerably reduces commissioning time, accelerating the run-up phase and thus the return-on-investment (ROI).

Operational results

Figure 8. Flatness performance

Figure 9. Final rolling temperature (left) and coiling temperature (right)

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MPT International 3/2013

The commissioning milestones were as follows: - rolling of the first strip: 31 March 2011

www.harald-wehrle.de

Our engineering and products for EAF, LF and CCM will fulfil YOUR expectations:

In B Budget. In S Schedule. In E Expected results.

When steelmakers start to realise that they could get more performance out of their facility, there are many good reasons why BSE is the first to be asked. An integrated engineering approach, backed by the operational experience of BSW – one of the world’s most efficient mini-mills – helps us to always see the complete picture and so to come up with solutions that will even exceed the customer’s expectations. No matter if you are thinking about revamping only parts of your production line, a complete makeover or an entirely new facility – BSE’s long standing experience in greenfield as well as brownfield projects will make things happen for you! Get in contact with us and see how you can get more out of YOUR facility, too! Badische Stahl-Engineering GmbH Robert-Koch-Straße 13 D -77694 Kehl/Germany Phone (+49) 78 51/8 77- 0 Fax (+49) 78 51/8 77-133 eMail info@bse-kehl.de www.bse-kehl.de

Excellence in Steelmaking

Steelmaking - start of hot commissioning: 8 April 2011 - start of operation with two casting strands: 12 July 2011 - first strip with a thickness of 1 mm: 20 June 2011 - first strip with a thickness of 20 mm: 30 August 2011 - FAC: 31 October 2011 (first stage with two casting strands accepted).

After start of operation with two casting strands in July 2011, monthly hot strip production exceeded the 150,000 t level for the first time in January 2012. However, as production had to be adapted to the market demand, the production capacity was only partially utilized. After only 250 days following the start of commissioning, the designed

Figure 10. Thin strip rolling campaigns

Just three months after the start of hot commissioning, rolling with two casting strands was carried out. After seven months, the first section of the two-strand caster was accepted by the customer Essar Steel India. For documentation of the commissioning results, the following parameters have been considered: - average casting time per ladle and availability of the caster, - production start-up curve, - cobble rate, - product mix, - performance values attained for thickness, flatness, final rolling and coiling temperatures, - rolling of thin and ultra-thin hot strip. During the first 16 months after start of commissioning, the following values were attained for the caster: - on average, seven heats per casting sequence, - max. 18 heats, - 80% availability of the caster (“steel in mould“), - 98.6% yield (ratio between thin slab weight and weight charged to the caster), - average casting time per ladle: 70 min, - average casting speed: 5 m/min, - average throughput: 2.94 t/min, - average casting thickness: 60 mm.

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MPT International 3/2013

daily productivity was for the first time exceeded, subsequently amounting to 130%. (100% daily capacity corresponds to the nominal capacity of the plant of 2.5 million t/year with two casting strands.) The Essar CSP® plant achieved a cobble rate of 0.05% of the total quantity of all coils produced. Figure 6 shows the development of the minimum (left) and maximum (middle) final thickness of coils produced from April 2011 to July 2012. The figure also shows the quantities of coils in the respective thickness classes. The lowest final thickness of 1 mm was rolled 57 days after the start of hot commissioning. The thickness of 20 mm was rolled 120 days after the start of hot commissioning. Approx. 20% of the production was rolled down to final rolling thicknesses of less than 2 mm. 0.32% of the production ranges between 15 mm and 20 mm final thickness. During the above mentioned period, more than 90,000 coils were produced, including low-carbon, medium-carbon and high-carbon steels as well as peritectic grades. Quality data. Final rolling thickness within the given tolerance is of utmost importance, and production results for produced coils are shown in figure 7.

Approx. 95% of all measured values are within a thickness deviation of ± 10 μm. However, there is no differentiation as to the final thickness classes. The results for flatness are summarized in figure 8, independently of the final rolling thickness and the final rolling width. In approximately 98% of the cases, deviation from flatness is within ± 15 I-units. Since the final rolling and coiling temperatures are decisive parameters for the internal strip quality, these temperatures are within a very narrow range. As shown in figure 9, more than 96% of all measured values are within a tolerance range of ± 15 K. Thin and ultra-thin gauges. The results of several successive thin-strip rolling campaigns are presented in figure 10. The aim was to roll thin strips of thicknesses of 1.5 mm down to 1 mm. The final rolling width was 1,000 mm. Coils ranging from 2 to 3 mm at the beginning of the sequence are typical of the structure of the rolling campaigns. Only five to seven strips at the beginning of the campaign are needed to achieve a final rolling thickness of 1.5 mm. In these particular campaigns, the final rolling thickness of 1 mm is maintained for around 30 strips before a roll change is performed and the next sequence starts. Using flying gauge change, Essar Steel India has also already produced ultra-thin hot strip of 0.8 mm thickness.

Summary Thanks to the perfect interaction between the proven process models and the control circuits tailored to the mechanical equipment and to the optimum preparation in the plug & work test, production results to the customer’s full satisfaction were achieved after an extremely short time. The successful commissioning of the steelworks and the CSP® plant at Essar Steel India once again demonstrated the advantage of having the mechanical equipment and the electrical and automation systems supplied from a single source.

Have an eye on ... ... 40 years of INTECO .FMUJOH 3FæOJOH $BTUJOH Remelting 4ZNQPTJVN

40 years

The speakers

On the occasion of INTECO‘s 40th anniversary and TBR ĐĂƐƟŶŐ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĞƐ͚ Ϯϱth anniversary both companies ǁŝůů ŚŽƐƚ ĂŶŽƚŚĞƌ ŐĞƚͲƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚǁŝĚĞ ƚŽƉ ĐůĂƐƐ ŽĨ ƐƚĞĞůͲ ĂŶĚ ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ŵĞƚĂůůƵƌŐLJ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ ŝŶ ^ĞƉͲ ƚĞŵďĞƌ ϮϬϭϯ͘ EĞǁ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚƐ͕ ƉƌŽŐƌĞƐƐ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƐƵůƚƐ ŝŶ ƚĞƌŵƐ ŽĨ ŵĞůƟŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĐĂƐƟŶŐ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ǁŝůů ďĞ ƉƌĞͲ ƐĞŶƚĞĚ ĂŶĚ ĚŝƐĐƵƐƐĞĚ ŝŶ ƚǁŽ ƉĂƌĂůůĞů ůĞĐƚƵƌĞ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶƐ͘

/ŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ĞdžƉĞƌƚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ǁĞůů ŬŶŽǁŶ ĐŽŵͲ ƉĂŶŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƟĞƐ ǁŝůů ƚĂůŬ ĂďŽƵƚ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂďůĞ ŝŶŶŽǀĂͲ ƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĞŶĚƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĮĞůĚƐ ŽĨ ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ŵĞƚĂůůƵƌŐLJ ĂŶĚ ƐƚĞĞů ƉůĂŶƚ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ͗

The program Wednesday, 18th of September Ͳ ƌƌŝǀĂů ĂŶĚ ĐŽĐŬƚĂŝů ƌĞĐĞƉƟŽŶ Thursday, 19th of September Ͳ DĞůƟŶŐ͕ ZĞĮŶŝŶŐ͕ ĂƐƟŶŐ Θ ZĞŵĞůƟŶŐ ^LJŵƉŽƐŝƵŵ ϮϬϭϯ Ͳ ŶŶŝǀĞƌƐĂƌLJ 'ĂůĂ ŝŶŶĞƌ ͣϰϬ LJĞĂƌƐ /Ed K͞ th

Friday, 20 of September Ͳ WůĂŶƚ ĞdžĐƵƌƐŝŽŶƐ

ůƐƚŽŵ '͕ ƌĐĞůŽƌDŝƩĂů ĞůǀĂů͕ ƂŚůĞƌ ĚĞůƐƚĂŚů 'ŵď,͕ ƌĞŝƚĞŶĨĞůĚ ĚĞůƐƚĂŚů '͕ ƵĚĞƌƵƐ ĚĞůƐƚĂŚů 'ŵď,͕ ĞƵƚƐĐŚĞ ĚĞůƐƚĂŚůǁĞƌŬĞ 'ŵď,͕ ŽŶĞƚƐŬ EĂͲ ƟŽŶĂů dĞĐŚŶŝĐĂů hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ͕ 'ĞŽƌŐƐŵĂƌŝĞŶŚƺƩĞ 'ŵď,͕ <Z ŽŶƐƵůƟŶŐ͕ DĞƚĂů ZĂǀŶĞ Ě͘Ž͘Ž͕͘ DŽŶƚĂŶƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚćƚ >ĞŽďĞŶ͕ Wd/ WƌŽĐĞƐƐ dĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ /Ŷƚ͕͘ Z d ƌĞĐLJĐůŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĐƌƵƐŚŝŶŐ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĞƐ 'ŵď,͕ ^DZ 'ŵď,͕ hŐŝƚĞĐŚ ^ ͕ ǀŽĞƐƚĂůƉŝŶĞ ^ƚĂŚů 'ŵď,͕ ^ Ă͘Ɛ͘ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŶLJ ŵŽƌĞ

ZĞŐŝƐƚƌĂƟŽŶ ďLJ ĨĂdž͗ нϰϯ ;ϬͿ ϯϴϲϮ ϱϯϴϰϰ ďLJ ĞŵĂŝů͗ ŬƌŝƐƟŶ͘ƉĂŶŚŽĞůnjůΛŝŶƚĞĐŽ͘Ăƚ ƌĞŐŝƐƚƌĂƟŽŶ ĐĂƌĚ ĨŽƌ ĚŽǁŶůŽĂĚ͗ ǁǁǁ͘ŝŶƚĞĐŽ͘Ăƚ /Ed K ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ŵĞůƟŶŐ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĞƐ 'ŵď, Ͳ /Ed K 'ƌŽƵƉ

tŝĞŶĞƌƐƚƌĂƘĞ Ϯϱ ϴϲϬϬ ƌƵĐŬ Ă͘Ě͘ DƵƌ ƵƐƚƌŝĂ ƵƌŽƉĞ dĞů͗͘ нϰϯ ;ϬͿ ϯϴϲϮ ϱϯϭϭϬͲϬ &Ădž͗ нϰϯ ;ϬͿ ϯϴϲϮ ϱϯϴϰϰ ǁǁǁ͘ŝŶƚĞĐŽ͘Ăƚ

Modernization

Timken brings on line investments at its Ohio steel production sites Timken has completed three previously announced capital investment projects totaling US$ 85 million. The steel business investments include an open-die in-line forge press at the Faircrest steel plant in Canton, and an intermediate jLGQFGLE JGLC ?LB ? QCAMLB induction thermal treatment line at the Gambrinus steel plant, also in Canton, Ohio/USA.

The Timken Company, Canton, Ohio, USA Contact: www.timken.com

Open-die forge press at Faircrest site The 3,000 t forge press was recently put into operation at the Timken Faircrest works in Canton, Ohio/USA. It offers sound-center engineered steel bars that can unlock new market opportunities and operating efficiencies. The forge press uses an innovative largebar forged-rolled process, which Timken developed and installed to enhance center soundness of a larger cross-section of its special bar quality steel. Combined with the company’s recent investment in an ultrasonic test large-bar inspection line, the new forging capabilities reinforce the company’s position as a premier provider of soundcenter large bars of up to 406 mm diameter. “The forge press opens new market spaces for customers and Timken, providing particular value where performance in extreme operating conditions is of critical importance,” said Rich Kyle, group president for the company. “Adding this forging step prior to rolling further improves bar soundness. The forge press also contributes substantially to our long-term competitiveness by bringing greater differentiation and expanded capacity for high-quality products to customers worldwide.” Construction continues on schedule at the Faircrest steel plant for two other significant investment projects. A sec-

Figure 1. Open-die forge press at the Faircrest works

38

MPT International 3/2013

ond ladle refining station will begin production in summer 2013, and a vertical jumbo bloom continuous caster is slated to be operational the second half of 2014.

0GY ƂPKUJKPI HCEKNKVKGU CV Gambrinus Steel The new intermediate finishing line increases operational efficiencies by incorporating the latest technologies and employing lean processes, significantly eliminating product touches and material movements. The line advances testing quality, reduces processing times and incorporates an environmentally friendly water jet de-scaling spray system that replaces the former pickling process. The second induction thermal treatment line introduces about 36,000 t of normalized thermal-treat capacity for customers annually. Used in conjunction with current thermal-treat assets, the line helps increase quench and temper capacity by 18,000 t per year. “The intermediate finishing and induction thermal treatment lines improve manufacturing effectiveness and underscore a long-standing commitment to advance our capabilities,” Kyle added. “With customers foremost in mind, we are investing more than US$ 500 million in our Ohio steel plants to help us meet their needs.”

Figure 2. 0GY ƂPKUJKPI NKPG CV )CODTKPWU 5VGGN

www.vip-kommunikation.de

RELIABLE, ROBUST AND PRECISE

Presses for the forging industry

OPEN-DIE FORGING | CLOSED-DIE FORGING With pressing forces of up to 400 MN Siempelkamp presses rank among the world’s most powerful machinery. www.siempelkamp.com

Hot rolling

Modernization of the SBQ bar mill at Georgsmarienhütte, Germany Georgsmarienhütte 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. Additionally, the existing reducing & sizing block has been extended from jTC RM QGV QR?LB NMQGRGMLQ Georgsmarienhütte GmbH is RFC jPQR PMJJGLE KGJJ UMPJBUGBC to use this trend-setting technology.

Karsten Golinske, Dr. Henning Schliephake, Georgsmarienhütte GmbH, Georgsmarienhütte, Germany; Stefan Schwarz, Friedrich Kocks GmbH & Co KG, Hilden, Germany Contact: www.kocks.de E-mail: v.d.Heiden@kocks.de

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MPT International 3/2013

Georgsmarienhütte GmbH (GMH) ranks among the leading European suppliers of bar steel, billets, crude steel and bright steel. Besides servicing the automotive industry and its component suppliers, GMH produces steel for chains, machinery parts and hydraulic components, as well as ingots for opendie forging applications. At its location, GMH operates an electric arc furnace with secondary metallurgy facilities, a six-strand continuous casting plant and a bar mill, testing and straightening lines, heat treatment and bright bar production. Up to now GMH had to cope with a certain level of mismatch between the rolling mill and the melt shop. Due to the layout of the bar mill it is possible to almost completely eliminate these limitations by integrating a 3-roll reducing & sizing block of the latest generation. This allows GMH to synchronize the production schedule of the rolling mill with the one of the steel mill. Production costs and processing time can be considerably reduced. Shorter processing times result in smaller quantities of in-process material and make just-intime production possible. As a consequence an entrepreneurial vision was born, which is well described in the following sentence: melting in the morning – casting at noon – rolling in the evening, and shipping the bars to the customer by the next day. This vision provides several advantages to the customers. First, they receive a product with an optimized cost structure which considerably improves their competitiveness. Second, the capability of effortlessly scheduling any size and quantity at a very short notice, allows GMH full flexibility to deal with changing demands at their customers.

Bar mill layout and technology The rolling mill, which started operation in 1965, has been modernized step by step within the framework of a long-term investment strategy, especial-

ly since the year 2000. The objective of this investment programme has been to increase the production quality and quantity as well as to substantially improve the cost structure. The bar mill (figure 1) currently produces up to 750,000 t of SBQ products, which are mainly used for die forging and the automotive industry. Rounds with dimensions of 20 – 126 mm and squares of 60 – 150 mm are produced. Continuously cast billets 240 mm square (max 2.9 t) are used as input material for the rolling mill. The billets are reheated in a 40-m-long walking beam furnace built by Italimpianti in 2006 with a capacity of 160 t/h. Downstream the furnace the billets pass a 250 bar descaling unit. The roughing mill consists of two 2-high reversing stands: - stand No. 1 with a 2,400 kW drive (roll diameter 700 mm, barrel length 1,900 mm) and - stand No. 2 with 1,800 kW drive (roll diameter 600 mm, barrel length 1,600 mm). Downstream, the mill line divides into a “light” and a “heavy” strand. The “heavy strand”, which is connected with the roughing mill by a skid transfer, consists of a 2-high reversing stand identical to stand No. 2 (above) and a 2-high finishing stand, stand No. 11. Furthermore, a 3-stand precision sizing block (PSB from Kocks) is used for finishing large diameter round bars. Round bars smaller than dia. 81 mm as well as 60 – 70 mm square are produced at the “light strand”. This strand consists of a pure continuous line with an intermediate mill (stands No. 3 and No. 4) in V-Harrangement and a four-stand finishing mill (stands No. 5 to No. 8) in V-H-V-Harrangement. All stands are equipped with 1,000 kW drives (roll diameters: 500 mm). Stand No. 8 is the finishing stand for the square cross-sections. Upstream of stand No. 5 there is a 200 t crop shear. Downstream there is a two-stand 3-roll reducing block (Kocks), which was installed in 1991 to roll round products. It has two individual drives (600 kW each) and a roll diameter of

Hot rolling

Figure 1. Layout of the bar mill line at Georgsmarienhütte GmbH

535 mm. These stands realize ratios of extension by rolling of up to 1.26 and are adjustable. In 2001 the rolling line was extended downstream of the 3-roll reducing block. This extension included the addition of cooling lines, a cutting and cropping shear with driver unit, a descaler and a five-stand reducing & sizing block (RSB). Immediately upstream of the new rolling block (RSB), a 200 bar descaling unit and a vertical looper to allow tension-free rolling in the RSB were also installed. The line extension was completed by: - two laser-based diameter measuring units, - one cut shear with driver unit, - a new rake-type cooling bed, - one hot saw at the exit of the rake-type cooling bed,

- two abrasive cutting machines to cut the bars to length, - a bundling and stacking machine for square and round products.

RSB technology The rolling block built by Friedrich Kocks GmbH & Co KG in 2001 was a five-stand adjustable dia. 370 mm 3-roll reducing & sizing block (RSB) in Cmodule design. The main differences to the Kocks 3-roll blocks existing at GMH consisted in the following design features: - The RSB has a modular structure. - The individual C-modules are identical, therefore less spare parts. - Each C-module has an individual

Figure 2. Reducing & sizing block after the upgrade

drive by means of separate motor and reducer gear. - All stands have roll adjustment and each roll is driven individually, i.e. no bevel gears as up to now in the stands. - The stands have grease lubrication instead of oil lubrication. - All stands are identical and can be used on any position. - Quick stand change by hydraulically actuated couplings and stand change cars. - The block works as reducing & sizing block. The most important advantage of this block was that “free-size” rolling capability for the whole production range of the block from 23 to 81 mm round was added. Dimension change is possible within the shortest possible time inde-

Figure 3. 370-mm-diameter 3-roll stand adjustable under load (AUL) MPT International 3/2013

41

Hot rolling pendently from the rolling cycle. Small lot sizes could be rolled economically within the shortest period of time. Every requested finished dimension could be rolled at short notice, and the number of entry cross-sections was reduced from 12 to 7.

plant by reducing the corresponding set-ups in the roughing and intermediate mills and - increase the flexibility of the plant. The size control system (SCS) was implemented in connection with the 3-roll

Figure 4. Roll shafts of conventional (a) and ++V[RG UJTKPM Ć‚V V[RG D UVCPFU

Upgrade. After having made good experience with the Kocks 3-roll stand prototypes adjustable under load (AUL) during tests in the years 2010/2011, GMH decided to upgrade the existing RSB. The future-oriented modernization took place during the summer shutdown of 2012 (figure 2). The existing five stand positions were extended to a total of six stand positions in order to: - reduce the number of required entry cross-sections into the RSB from seven to five, - achieve a higher availability of the

stands adjustable under load (AUL), obtaining: - significant improvement in rolled tolerances and their reproducibility, - automated optimization of process parameters during bar rolling by a real-time closed-loop control system, - increase in productivity, reliability and stability of the line, - simplified handling of the RSB by automated support of the operator, - quickest possible achievement of an optimum bar by immediate correction of the operating parameters under load during rolling,

Figure 5. Components of the size control system

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MPT International 3/2013

- rolling of precision dimensions due to precision sizing rolling (PSR) pass design. Stands and guides can now be identified using RFID technology. The mechanical scope of supply comprised: - adjustable under load (AUL) stands with adjustable roller guides, - heavy duty rollshop equipment, - base and cover frame for six stand positions, - stand base with six stand positions (hydraulic cylinders were maintained), - moveable protecting device with high speed remote control, - modification kits for adjustment of the flanged stands, - extension of the oil circulation unit by a new oil cooler, - dummy stand, - safety coupling incl. protecting devices for couplings, - rigid stand couplings and shiftable stand couplings, - extension of the hydraulic valve stand, - electronic components at RSB (initiators, flow controllers, pressure control devices, etc.). In addition, the whole technology was updated to the latest state of the art. The bar mill configuration programme was upgraded with new optimized pass design (free-size and precision sizing). Also the computer assisted pass adjustment system for stands and guides was upgraded, including an adjusting table with two measuring positions and CCD measuring system. Since the revamp took place during the three-week summer shutdown, the

Hot rolling time for the revamp was very limited. Part of the foundation work could be completed in advance like the expansion of the rollshop and the work at the hydraulic unit. When the shutdown started, the existing block was completely dismounted and all upgrades applied. The fact that most of the existing parts could be reused kept the investment at a reasonable level. Adjustable under load. The stands adjustable under load (AUL, figure 3) are positioned on the last two stand positions of the RSB. Here, the roll gap can be adjusted while material is be-

can be inserted in the same stand support as used for the conventional stands. The main characteristics of the heavy duty stand and its outstanding capabilities in comparison to the conventional design can be summarized as follows: rolling force is increased by 45%, rolling torque is increased by even 54%, and the finished diameter range is extended. These improvements allow for fewer feeders from the roughing and intermediate mill (one pass family), efficient thermo-mechanical rolling, and the extension of the finished diameter range to include diameters up to 100 mm.

Figure 6. 8CNWGU OGCUWTGF D[ VJG .+/#$ RTQƂNG ICWIG FWTKPI TQNNKPI YKVJ VJG PGY 45$

ing rolled. A low friction mechanism in combination with a high speed hydraulic actuator allows adjustment of the roll gap during the rolling process. The hydraulic adjusting drive keeps the stands in position during rolling operation and allows adjustment of the roll gap against the rolling force in a few milliseconds. It is important to note that in the unlikely event that the hydraulic adjusting drive fails, an automatic brake at the stands prevents the rolling gap from opening against the rolling force so that production can be continued without affecting the quality of the rolled product. The AUL stands are based on the design of the well proven heavy duty 3-roll stands. They have the same outside dimensions as the conventional flange-type stands and 44

MPT International 3/2013

In order to increase the allowable rolling forces and torques as well as to be able to roll bigger finished diameters, it was necessary to change the roll fixing method from the axial clamping type by flanges to an oil pressure shrink-fittype (figure 4). This created sufficient space to use bigger/stronger radial bearings (allowing for the higher forces and torques) and also to insert wider rolls (to roll bigger finished diameters). The size control system (SCS) is basically a real-time closed-loop control system to optimize operating parameters for a reducing & sizing block. It is the task of the SCS to achieve the optimum operating state of the rolling block as quickly as possible and maintain this state.

The SCS uses the signals of a profile measuring system installed on the exit side and generates correction values which directly change the size of the pass for every stand or guide. A second module of SCS acts on the motor speed, further optimizing the rolling parameters for each bar being rolled. Another task of the SCS is to register, visualize and save selected process data from the mill line as a data collector (figure 5). Besides the required hardware and software, two speed measuring units and a profile measuring unit complete the SCS. RSB process. It is possible to cover the complete finished size range – which now is between 19.5 and 81.0 mm – with only five RSB feeding sizes either by quick stand change or remote-controlled pass adjustment. Furthermore, it is possible to achieve the finished sizes with three to six stands in operation. The empty positions are filled with dummy stands. Thus it is possible, for example, to roll all finished sizes from 44.5 mm to 56.4 mm from a 60.0 mm round pre-section. All this happens while maintaining tightest tolerances and highest surface quality over the bar length; cross-section deviations are reduced to a minimum by a pass that mainly produces a virtually perfect longitudinal deformation with very little spread while the whole process is being monitored and controlled by the SCS. The different spreading behaviour of the different materials is almost completely eliminated by the new 3-roll system; thus most of the materials can be rolled in any order without considerable cross-section deviations in the same pass. An additional advantage is that the good deformation causes low friction in the passes, leading to little roll wear. The pass design is for normalizing and thermo-mechanical rolling of steels.

Results The operating results show an improvement in the production process and improved tolerances over the whole dimensional range. This mill upgrade further improves the product quality and hence GMH’s competitiveness and market leadership. After commissioning the mill as scheduled during the summer of 2012, the former tolerances and performances were achieved very quickly. Then,

Hot rolling through additional optimizations, it was possible to considerably further improve the tolerances over the whole dimension range. With the free-size pass design, stable and reproducible ovality values consistently below 0.1 mm over the complete bar length could be achieved (figure 6). The result is a highly competitive product. The handling effort, allowances for bright bar production as well as timeconsuming sorting according to weight classes for forging processes can be reduced. This is to the benefit of both the manufacturer and the customer. The advantages resulting from reducing the number of pre-sections became evident immediately after commissioning of the RSB; the effort to prepare the roll-

ing stands for the next finished size was reduced; roll utilization was improved, resulting in a cost advantage. Non-productive time is reduced by the SCS in combination with the adjustment under load. The bar is adjusted to the optimum dimension by the SCS while the first bar is being rolled. Thus the operating time ratio of the rolling mill increased from 71% in 2012 to approx. 73% in the first quarter 2013; the improvement was more than 3% in the relevant part for the RSB. Any dimensions can be produced within the diameter range from 20 to 81 mm round by adjusting and exchanging the rolling stands in the RSB; dimension change within the rolling groups without an RSB stand change is a matter of

milliseconds. This has also further increased flexibility. Special rolling can be realized with the RSB without any lost time. This increases competitiveness and reduces the number of semi-finished products. Furthermore, stand identification by means of RFID allows easy tracking of stands in use as well as corresponding evaluation of the operating hours and the achieved results. This guarantees correct adjustment of the stands and prevents stands from being inserted at the wrong position in the block. In summary, most of the objectives of the investment could be achieved within the first half year after commissioning. Further optimizations are going on at the moment.

MPT International 3/2013

45

Hot rolling

Fast ring-locking system for bar and wire rod Ć‚PKUJKPI DNQEMU GPCDNGU SWKEM EJCPIGQXGT Pert has developed a new JMAIGLE QWQRCK DMP jLGQFGLE blocks of bar and wire rod mills. With this system, ring changing can be accomplished in less than one minute. Presently, without the system, four to jTC KGLSRCQ ?PC PCOSGPCB Moreover, the effort involved in ring and groove changing is drastically reduced. The new system can be introduced without changing the mill AMLjESP?RGML W GLQR?JJGLE the system on existing blocks, its advantages can be directly tapped. The system is adaptable RM ?JJ RWNCQ MD jLGQFGLE @JMAIQ as well as cantilever stands in GLRCPKCBG?RC MP jLGQFGLE KGJJQ

Innovation, first of all, means introducing improvements in the production process. But it also means reducing investment and operating costs. Starting out from these considerations, Pert has developed a system for locking/unlocking the rings in the fast finishing blocks in rebar/wire rod lines and in the cantilever stands of intermediate and finishing mills. The new system HKIWTG has been named FLURÂŽ: Fast lock/unlock ring system. FLUR is a self-locking system which exploits the power of the incoming rolled bar for the mechanical locking between the ring and the shaft. It allows changing each single ring in approximately one minute; changing all the rings in a 10pass block would take 20 minutes, requiring only three workers. With traditional systems, changing one ring typically takes approximately four minutes. In total, 90 minutes are needed to change all the rings in a 10pass finishing block. Hence, by using the fast lock/unlock ring system, an-

nual production can be significantly increased thanks to the much shorter changeover times in the finishing blocks. As additional hours for production become available, the yield of the rolling mill can be markedly increased. Additionally, new plants can be designed with lower reheating capacity. In a new rolling mill, less shutdown hours mean more hours available for production. Therefore, for the same annual production, the reheating furnace can be designed for a lower hourly capacity than with a conventional solution. Among other things, this has the advantage of reduced operating costs, in particular lower fuel consumption of the furnace. The fast lock/unlock ring system does not involve any additional operational costs or require any civil work. The installation time for the system is very short. Therefore the plant must be stopped only for a very brief period for installing the system.

Andrea Fontanini, Nicola Tomba, Massimiliano Zuccato, Matteo Tomba, Pert Long Products Dep., Pert srl, Tavagnacco, Italy Contact: www.pertengineering.com E-mail: info@pertengineering.com

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MPT International 3/2013

(KIWTG %QORQPGPVU QH VJG HCUV NQEM WPNQEM TKPI U[UVGO

Hot rolling 2TQFWEVKQP ECRCEKV[

Increase

ROI

80 t/h

500,000 t/a

+ 28,880 t/a

+ 5.8%

5 months

110 t/h

650,000 t/a

+ 54,780 t/a

+ 8.4%

2.6 months

130 t/h

800,000 t/a

+ 76,310 t/a

+ 9.5%

2 months

160 t/h

1 million t/a

+ 115,680 t/a

+ 11.6%

1.2 months

6CDNG 2QVGPVKCN KPETGCUG KP RTQFWEVKQP HQT C TGDCT OKNN

2TQFWEVKQP ECRCEKV[ 40 t/h

250,000 t/a

Strands 1

Increase + 6,000 t/a

ROI

+ 2.4%

20 months

80 t/h

500,000 t/a

1

+ 22,960 t/a

+ 4.6%

5.2 months

150 t/h

1.0 million t/a

2

+ 81,000 t/a

+ 8.1%

1.5 months

200 t/h

1.5 million t/a

2

+ 142,000 t/a

+ 11%

0.9 months

6CDNG 2QVGPVKCN KPETGCUG KP RTQFWEVKQP HQT C YKTG TQF OKNN

(KIWTG 6TCFKVKQPCN NQEMKPI U[UVGO HQT VJG TKPIU QH C YKTG TQF DNQEM

Compared to other means of capacity expansion, implementing the fast lock/unlock ring system pays back very quickly, i.e. already after a few months (one – six months). As a comparison, ROI for a billet welder may amount to 18 – 36 months, for multi-slitting technology it may be two years or more.

Rebar mill application The fast lock/unlock ring system is suited for both high-speed rebar mills and wire rod mills. Approximately 80% of the annual production (500,000 t/ year or 80 t/hour respectively) of these rebar mills is accounted by high-speed production of smaller rebar sizes (dia. 8 – 18 mm). Typically, the smaller rebar sizes are simultaneously rolled on two strands in the two 6-stand finishing blocks. Pert high-speed rebar finishing mill, on the other hand, comprises one “2xTechnology®” finishing block equipped with the fast lock/unlock ring system. In any case, there are 24 rings in use. In the standard 48

MPT International 3/2013

mill, ring changing time is four minutes per ring (requiring six workers). With the Pert FLUR system, ring changing time is reduced to one minute per ring (requiring only three workers). With the standard mill, over the year, the ring changing times add up to 482 hours, with the Pert high-speed rebar mill to only 121 hours. This extra working time results in additional production capacity for 28,880 t of rebar. The bigger the production capacity of the plant is, the greater are the benefits introduced by using FLUR system in terms of increasing the yearly production capacity VCDNG . The benefits can be summarized as follows: - Annual production increases between 5.8 and 11.6%. - Due to the higher yield of the mill, less reheating furnace capacity is required, providing savings on fuel. - Ring changing can be handled by a smaller team; three workers instead of six. - Ring changes are performed without any hydraulic or special devices. - Maintenance becomes easier. - Safe change operations.

Thanks to the “2xTechnology®” solution, a second fast finishing block becomes superfluous. This results in additional advantages, namely only one quenching line is necessary, less civil work and spare parts are needed.

Wire rod mill application A typical 80 t/h wire rod mill is equipped with a 10-stand finishing block, where the finishing speed may reach 120 m/s. In such situations, 20 rings are used. Ring changing time is four minutes per ring (involving ten workers). In Pert wire rod mill equipped with the fast lock/unlock ring system, ring changing time is reduced to one minute per ring (requiring only four workers). In the standard mill, annual ring changing times add up to 382 hours, in Pert wire rod mill to only 95 hours. This extra time available translates into additional production capacity for 22,960 t of wire rod. Also here it is true that the bigger the production capacity of the plant is, the greater are the benefits introduced by using FLUR system

VCDNG . The benefits are very similar to those of the rebar mill application: - Annual production increases between 2.4 and 11%. - Due to the higher yield of the mill, less reheating furnace capacity is required, with the associated savings on fuel. - Ring changing can be handled by a smaller team, only four workers instead of ten. - Ring changes are performed without any hydraulic or special devices. - Maintenance becomes easier.

%QPENWUKQPU Use of the newly developed FLUR® fast lock/unlock ring system can be implemented without changing the mill configuration. In fact, this technology can be installed on the existing block in just a few days. Thus the advantages of the system can be immediately tapped. The changing operations are easier to be performed, that means more safety and less effort on the part of the worker. The new system, against a modest investment, increases the hours available for production, as the time spent on ring and groove changes is drastically reduced.

CABLE FOR THE AUTOMATION

500 km PROCESS 47 STEPS INTER1 FACE

Meet us at

Hall 8.2, Booth C08 May 27-31, 2013

Hall 3, Booth C12 / D13 June 25 -28, 2013

In Chelyabinsk in the southern Urals, SMS Meer set up a large-diameter pipe mill that offers product quality down to the last detail. As the complete plant was engineered and built by SMS Meer, all the components and interfaces function perfectly together. A particular characteristic is the extremely high degree of automation, with no less than 47 machining stations in the production process. Furthermore, the plant is one of the cleanest of its type. The customer, ChTPZ Group, speaks of white metallurgy“ – and chose the colour of the workers‘ clothing to match.

Quality unites – a fact that our customers and we discover time and again with every new project. Together we develop solutions that give our partners the competitive edge in their business. Thanks to this good cooperation, SMS Meer is a leading international company in heavy machinery and plant engineering.

www.sms-meer.com

Hot rolling

Start-up of the new 4 million t/year semicontinuous hot strip mill at Baosteel Meishan

Figure 1. Technological plant layout

In only six months from rolling RFC jPQR AMGJ RFC LCU FMR QRPGN KGJJ ?AFGCTCB ? NPMBSARGML MD R NCP UCCI UFGAF PCNPCQCLRQ KMPC RF?L ĂŚ MD RFC P?RCB A?N?AGRW 'L JCQQ RF?L RUM KMLRFQ RFC NJ?LR U?Q ?@JC RM PMJJ QRPGNQ ?Q RFGL ?Q KK l RFC NJ?LR Q BCQGELCB KGLGKSK QRPGN RFGAILCQQ 2F?LIQ RM ?JJ RFC ?BT?LACB ?ARS?RMPQ ?LB ? QR?RC MD RFC ?PR ?SRMK?RGML QWQRCK RFGQ LCU FMR QRPGN KGJJ F?Q @CAMKC ?L GKNMPR?LR ?QQCR DMP RFC QRCCJK?ICP 2FGQ ?PRGAJC BCQAPG@CQ RFC BCR?GJQ MD RFC NJ?LR ?LB FGEFJGEFRQ GRQ ?AFGCTCKCLRQ ?LB MSRQR?LBGLE PCQSJRQ

.?MJM M@GE $CBCPGAM .CPMRRG +?RRCM 0 SJDMLC 1?L?R ) F?SKGI %SGBM "?J +MPM Danieli SpA SRRPGM 'R?JW !MLR?AR UUU B?LGCJG AMK # K?GJ GLDM B?LGCJG AMK

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MPT International 3/2013

Three and a half years ago, on 31 December 2009, Baosteel Iron & Steel Co. Ltd, China, and Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA, Italy, signed a contract for the implementation of a 4.0 million t/year semi-continuous hot strip mill for the Shanghai Meishan plant. Construction of the facilities started on 1 May 2012. Less than 28 months after signing the contract, on 2 April 2012, the first coil was produced in this hot strip mill. On 24 October 2012, the final acceptance certificate (FAC) was signed. These dates not only show that the implementation of the hot strip mill went extremely fast. Also the fact that the FAC was issued within six months from rolling the first coil confirms the very fast learning curve of this project. This 1,780-mm-wide semi-continuous hot strip mill is the fifth plant of its kind supplied by Danieli to China in the past six years. It is equipped with latest technologies to produce low-carbon, medium-carbon, high-carbon, peritectic, HSLA, dual phase, Trip and C-Mo steel grades. The produced strips are of 1.2 mm to 19.0 mm thickness and widths between 900 mm and 1,650 mm. Maximum coil weight will be 33 t. The mill is composed of: - three reheating furnaces of 300 t/h each, - high-pressure water descaler, - vertical edger E1, - 2-high reversing roughing stand R1, - vertical edger E2, - 4-high reversing roughing stand R2, - passive covers to minimize the transfer bar temperature losses, - transfer bar drum-type crop shear for head/tail cropping, - transfer bar descaler,

- seven 4-high finishing stands, equipped with hydraulic HAGC, positive and negative bending, work roll shifting Âą 150 mm, shaped-roll technology to improve flatness control capacity, - laminar cooling system of the U-tubetype in order to achieve the target coiling temperature and proper mechanical characteristics of the material, - two heavy-duty downcoilers designed for thick gauges up to 19 mm of HS steel, - coil conveyor system.

6GEJPKECN URGEKĆ‚ECVKQP QH VJG hot strip mill The technological layout of the plant (figure 1) shows the arrangement of the main technological equipment – reheating furnaces, descalers, roughing mill stands, passive covers, finishing mill stands, laminar cooling, downcoilers, etc. Three walking beam reheating furnaces heat slabs of the following sizes and feed them to hot strip mill: - slab thickness: max. 230 mm, - slab width: 900 – 1,650 mm, - slab length: 8,000 – 11,000 mm (long slab), 4,500 – 5,300 mm (short slab). Coming from the continuous caster, the slabs are cut into the required lengths to be transferred towards the furnace approach roller table. The slabs are then placed in the initial heating zone of the furnace by a long-arm charger. While being transferred by the walking beams, the slabs are heated according to the set programme. Depending on the different steel grades, the slabs are heated up to temperatures between 1,150 and 1,250°C.

Hot rolling When the heated slab reaches the discharging place, it is lifted by a pusher and moved to the furnace run-out roller table. The descaling unit (WD1, figure 2) removes the scale along the whole length of the slab by high impact pressure. After primary descaling, the slab enters the vertical edger (E1) and the 2-high reversing roughing mill stand. The ver-

type crop shear (figure 3) for head and tail end cropping. While the passive heat shield reduces the gap between the head and tail ends of the transfer bars ensuring uniform mechanical properties during finish rolling, the rotary drum shear cuts the head ends off the transfer bars for smooth threading through the finishing mill stands and reduces the risk of cobbles in the finishing mill area. The bar then enters a secondary trans-

in order to provide uniform elongation between the centre and the edge of the strip. Failure to achieve this condition generates internal stress, causing flatness defects like centre buckles or wavy edges. The parameter that indicates the correctness of the rolling pass is the ratio between the crown and thickness (crown ratio) at the entry and at the exit of each pass. The greater the change of this ratio during a rolling pass is, the higher

Figure 2. High-pressure water descaler

Figure 4. Transfer bar descaler

Figure 3. Rotary drum crop shear

tical edger has a maximum separating force of 8,000 kN and can provide up to 100 mm (50 mm per side) reduction in width. The 2-high roughing mill stand, which features a maximum separating force of 32,000 kN and roll gap of 300 mm considering maximum roll diameters, achieves a thickness reduction of 55 mm with 230 mm thick slabs. The transfer bars exiting the roughing mill enter another vertical edger (E2) and the 4-high roughing mill stand for further reduction in thickness suitable for the finishing mill. The vertical edger (E2), which can reduce the transfer bar by a maximum of 60 mm (30 mm per side), is designed to generate a separating force of 6,000 kN. The 4-high roughing mill stand (R2), which can achieve a maximum thickness reduction of 50 mm in one pass (for 230 mm thick slab), features a separating force of up to 45,000 kN. The transfer bar from the 4-high roughing stand passes through a passive heat panel to reduce the temperature loss and proceeds to the rotary drum

fer bar descaler (figure 4) ensuring a rustfree surface during finish rolling. After head end cutting and descaling, and before entering the finishing mill train, the transfer bar passes through another vertical edger (E3) which can reduce the width by a maximum of 15 mm (7.5 mm per side). This vertical edger has a maximum roll separating force of 1,500 kN. The finishing mill is provided with seven rolling stands (figure 5). The separating force in the first four stands (F1 – F4) is 42,000 kN, in the last three stands (F5 – F7) 36,000 kN. These 4-high finishing stands are provided with both positive and negative roll bending and shifting of the work rolls as well as inter-stand hydraulic loopers, hydraulic AGC, etc. The work roll bending forces per chock is +2,000 kN/-1,200 kN for the first four mill stands (F1 – F4) and +1,500kN/-800 kN for the last three stands (F5 – F7). Maximum work roll shifting will be ± 150 mm. The hydraulic pressure of the roll gap adjustment cylinder is 260 bar (each stand). Forming aspects. During thickness reduction it is very important to have a constant reduction over the strip width

the risk to create a flatness defect in the strip. In the most favourable case, the ratio does not change and the strip will be in perfect flatness condition. It is a common requirement to change the crown ratio from the entry side to the exit side of the mill during rolling to reach the required crown target. It is necessary to change the ratio gradually, i.e. distribute the total change over the rolling passes, while staying within a limit that depends on the ratio between the width and the thickness of the strip. In this hot strip mill, Danieli’s optimized shape roll technology (OSRT) is used for perfect crown and flatness control of the strips. Exit section. The 103-m-long run-out roller table and laminar cooling section are used to convey the strip to the coiling section and cool the strip coming from the finishing mill. Strip temperature control is very important in order to avoid grain growth that would bring about mechanical characteristics unsuitable for the intended final use. This run-out cooling system uses banks of laminar U-tubes on the top and banks of multiple nozzle headers at the bottom. MPT International 3/2013

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Hot rolling The cooling system is of a special design: the first part is designed for power cooling, the second part is a usual cooling bank, and the third part is again a power cooling bank followed by the zone for fine control of the final temperature. The power bank allows a very high cooling rate at the beginning and at the end of the runout roller table. This is essential especial-

spray nozzles, are mounted between the table rollers in a fixed position. Two downcoilers are used for coiling the strip coming from the run-out roller table. The fixed-type downcoilers are designed for the following strip sizes: - strip thickness: 1.2 – 19 mm, - strip width: 900 – 1,650 mm, - coil inner dia.: 762 mm,

Figure 5. Finishing stands

Figure 6. Pulpit design allowing easy work roll transfer to the roll shop (next bay)

ly for the production of dual phase or Trip steel. The power bank can also work as a normal bank ensuring a uniform cooling rate over the complete run-out roller table as required by certain steel grades. The headers are closed/opened by on/ off valves according to the strip thickness, speed and temperature at the inlet in order to ensure that the end product features the required metallurgical characteristics. Top headers are located along the run-out roller table following the last finishing stand. Each header can be tilted through 90° by a hydraulic cylinder allowing cobble removal and roll maintenance. The flow rates of the top and bottom headers are separately controlled. Both headers, equipped with the 52

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- coil outer dia.: 1,000 – 2,080 mm, - coil weight: max. 32.56 t - specific coil weight: max. 22 kg/mm.

Automation system The complete automation (level 1, level 2 and connectivity to level 3) was provided by Danieli Automation. A very special feature of this hot strip mill is the arrangement of the main pulpit (figure 6) which allows transfer of the work rolls from the finishing mill directly to the roll shop without using the shop EOT crane. Danieli Automation developed and supplied the latest generation automation package based on its HiPAC techno-

logical platform, featuring powerful multicore CPU’s and high-speed, EtherCAT FieldBus I/O’s, covering the entire process line from the reheating furnace exit to the downcoilers and the coil discharge area. The use of EtherCAT significantly improves system flexibility, simplifies the hardware design, system engineering and installation as it reduces I/O cabling, the need for junction boxes and the space required by the electrical rooms. Thanks to the flexible HiPAC architecture enhanced with decentralized, high-speed EtherCAT periphery, time to market and the overall commissioning time for the system were markedly reduced. Powerful monitoring, configuration, data acquisition and IEC 61131-3 compliant programming tools from Danieli Automation simplify troubleshooting, systems diagnostics and maintenance, reducing overall plant stoppages (figure 7). Mill set-up. Developed by Danieli Automation in close integration with Danieli Wean United’s hot rolling technology, DSET is considered to be one of the most effective and adaptive mill set-up software packages available on the market. The purpose of technological mill set-up is to provide the whole functions required to properly define the operating parameters of the rolling mill, with the aim of improving plant and machine performance and increasing strip quality in terms of geometry and metallurgy. The D-SET package is the “heart” of the level 2 system. It performs the technological calculation needed to properly define the operating parameters. The system is made up of various mathematical models describing the different physical phenomena occurring during rolling, allowing pre-defining the optimum plant settings to reach the target results of the hot rolled strip and the reference values to be applied during strip threading into the mill. Profile and flatness control. The DPFC package is responsible for the setup of various actuators such as positive and negative work roll bending, work roll shifting etc. used for strip profile and flatness control. This advanced technological shape package provides different setup strategies for the actuators depending on the profile of the work roll, i.e. shaped rolls, flat rolls etc., in order to achieve excellent quality in terms of strip flatness and profile. This package is part of the level 2 package. The D-PFC package provides optimum performance and high

Hot rolling

Figure 7. Finishing mill screenshot

dynamic reaction to guarantee compliance with strict dimensional tolerances. Profile control. Automatic profile control (APC) is mainly used for the thin gauges. The process control automation based on level 2 set-up distributes profile errors across the various actuators considering model-based influencing characteristics. It makes use of the profile deviations measured by x-ray multichannel gauging and utilizes settings to obtain the target profile of the finished strip. Flatness control. Automatic flatness control (AFC) is also mainly used for the thin gauges. The heart of flatness control is in the process control automation system where an analyzer divides any flatness error across the various actuators considering model-based influencing characteristics. The analyzer makes use of the measured flatness deviations and furthermore utilizes predicted components to obtain the target shape of the finished strip. Strip cooling. The laminar-flow strip cooling system DL-FLOW at the run-out table has become a sophisticated tool to control the metallurgical properties of the strip, taking advantage of the fact that the strip has to be cooled from the finishing mill exit temperature down to coiling temperature. Danieli Automation’s 3Q 54

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solution includes full level 2 and level 1 automation for closed-loop control with feed-back and feed-forward algorithms. The level 2 system includes mathematical models designed to predict strip cooling behaviour considering all the physical phenomena influencing strip heat exchange on the run-out table. In order to compensate for the effect of physical phenomena, models are automatically adapted. The level 1 controller has been designed for both feed-forward actions based on the prediction model and feedback control for fast corrections. Quality estimation. The Danieli Automation coil quality estimator package – D-CQE – performs a real-time calculation of mechanical properties such as yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, hardness and percentage elongation, which are all basic customer demands. The DCQE package uses physical and semiempirical metallurgical models, coupled with a thermal model which takes into account rolling power contributions, heat exchange phenomena and phase transformation, heat generation of the rolling stock during its processing, chemical composition data of the steel, process parameters and online collected data to calculate the final microstructure parameters that affect the final product quality.

Technological gauges are provided at the finishing mill exit for the measurement of the final product characteristics: - multi-function gauge (strip thickness and profile gauge, width gauge and temperature scanner), - centreline strip thickness gauge, - flatness gauge, - pyrometer, - surface inspection device.

Conclusion Sourcing the complete plant (mechanical equipment, process and automation systems) from a single supplier proved highly beneficial for both the customer and the supplier. This became evident from the fact that all guaranteed performance parameters were confirmed within six months from rolling of the first coil. Building on its profound know-how, design and operating experience as well as innovative solutions achieved through the R&D activities, Danieli Wean United can supply advanced technological solutions for any hot strip mill guaranteeing top level performance in terms of dimensional strip tolerances. This was once again successfully proved by this state-ofthe-art 4.0 million t/year hot strip mill at Baosteel Meishan plant, China.

Figure 1. Final annealing furnace at ThyssenKrupp Electrical Steel, Gelsenkirchen works

Improved surface quality of electrical steel strip Under a four million euros investment programme, ThyssenKrupp Electrical Steel has carried out conversion measures and NPMACQQ KMBGjA?RGMLQ ?R GRQ Gelsenkirchen/Germany site. A DSPRFCP QGELGjA?LR GKNPMTCKCLR in the surface quality of grain-oriented electrical steel has been achieved through annealing process KMBGjA?RGML JQM RFC K?ELCRGA characteristics of the material have improved.

Based on input from the company’s research and development department, the atmosphere of a final annealing furnace (figure 1) and parts of the cooling zone have been modified to prevent oxygen diffusion into the electrical steel and the associated negative effects on surface quality. The final annealing furnace has been converted from gas fired mode to electrical operation to allow more precise temperature control. Material characteristics of the electrical steel strip have also been significantly improved in terms of magnetic losses. In trials, core losses were up to 4% lower than with previous products. “This investment positions our company ideally to meet future quality requirements,” says Peter Biele, CEO of ThyssenKrupp Electrical Steel. “We can already offer the high-efficiency grades which will be an EU requirement in distribution transformers from 2014 onwards.”

ThyssenKrupp Electrical Steel GmbH, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

EU eco design directive to HQTEG WUG QH JKIJN[ GHƂEKGPV electrical steel

Contact: www.tkes.com E-mail: info.electricalsteel@thyssenkrupp.com

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The background to this is the EU Commission’s Ecodesign directive for

improving the environmental performance of energy-related products, which sets binding efficiency requirements for electrical equipment. Under these, manufacturers of distribution transformers must meet higher efficiency criteria from 2014, which can be achieved primarily through the use of high-quality grain-oriented electrical steel. Distribution transformers are used to step down three-phase medium voltage to low voltage for power distribution. They are used mainly in urban areas, but also in industrial applications. Grain-oriented electrical steel in stacked, wound or stamped form is an essential core material for distribution and power transformers as well as small transformers. ThyssenKrupp Electrical Steel, a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, is one of the global market leaders for grain-oriented and non-grain-oriented high-tech electrical steel products. With its innovative PowerCore® materials, ThyssenKrupp Electrical Steel helps meet increasing ecological requirements in the electrical engineering sector. In this way ThyssenKrupp Electrical Steel makes an important contribution to reducing pollution and conserving energy resources worldwide.

Operation of a high production tinning line with insoluble anode technology Chinese company Jiangsu Sunshine in Dajiang has started up a new high productivity electrolytic tinning line with the most advanced insoluble anode technology and low-sludge tin dissolution process. The application of Tenova insoluble anode technology minimizes the amount of sludge produced and hence the loss of tin, increasing both quality and productivity at the same time.

Giovanni Astengo, Luca Correale, Tenova Strip Processing, Genova and Milano, Italy; Thomas DeLoia, Tenova Core Inc., Coraopolis, PA, USA

The Dajiang tinning line at Jiangsu Sunshine produces 250,000 t/year of tin plate for sale on both the local Chinese and the export markets. Material grades to be processed comprise cold rolled annealed and tempered low carbon steel, single reduced (SR) and double reduced (DR), mainly to be used for food and beverage cans and packaging. The main technical data of the line are summarized at table 1. It is confirmed that the application of Tenova insoluble anode technology minimizes the amount of sludge produced and hence the loss of tin increasing both quality and productivity at the same time. Other benefits are the reduction of manpower for anode handling and therefore increase in safety during operation, improved coating quality, better process control and working environment. The dissolution process is based on the oxidation of metallic tin granules by oxygen injected into the tinning electrolyte flowing in a dissolution reactor.

Tin dissolution plant Contact: www.tenovagroup.com E-mail: giovanni.astengo@it.tenovagroup.com

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The heart of the insoluble anode tin plating system are the tin dissolution

reactors. Tenova’s system incorporates a proprietary oxygen injector, and a control which precisely manages the oxygen injection rate, the electrolyte flow rate and pressure, the level of the fluidized bed, and the rate of tin pellet additions. This patented system results in total tin sludge not greater than a conventional soluble anode tin plating system. The Dajiang Tinning Line utilizes three tin dissolution reactors (figure 1), each with a nominal capacity of 130 kg/ hour. However, each reactor can operate between 60 and 160 kg/hour. The tin pellets are available in large bags, 1 t capacity each, lifted by crane on the top of the reactor and charged inside the hopper on the top of the reactor. The cut of the bag is the only manual op-

Strip thickness

0.15 to 0.55 mm

Strip width

700 to 1.250 mm

Entry/exit section line speed

700 m/min

Process speed

550 m/min

Tin coating weight

1.1 to 11.2 g/m²

Plating electrolyte

PSA-ENSA

Oil (per side)

DOS 2.0 to 12 mg/m²

Table 1. Technical data of the Dajiang tinning line

Figure 1. Dissolution reactors

eration to be performed on the plant. A proper warning advices the operator of the necessity to make a tin charge: the operator at the pulpit has only to push the “charging” button. Make up of tinning electrolyte. When first starting up a tinning line which utilizes conventional soluble tin anodes, plating electrolyte which already contains the proper quantity of dissolved tin must be loaded into the tin plating section, from some an outside source in order to begin the plating process. Unlike soluble technology the operation of this insoluble anode system, the makeup of the plating electrolyte is done on site in the tin dissolution plant. The first step has been the production of the electrolyte at the required Sn2+ and acid concentrations without the necessity to store “already made electrolyte”. Necessary utilities are: - demineralized water, - oxygen, - commercial PSA, - commercial ENSA, - metallic tin in pellets. The tinplate electrolyte comprises: - 30 g/l Sn2+, - 15 – 20 g/l H2SO4 (sulphuric acid) equivalent, - 5 g/l ENSA. 100 m³ of tinplate electrolyte were produced in a very short time, starting from a dissolution speed of approx. 60 kg/hour with only one reactor in operation. The dissolution speed is driven by the oxy-

The tin plating section consists of ten vertical electrolytic tin plating tanks, with eighteen plating passes followed by two drag-out/rinse tanks. Each of the plating passes include insoluble anodes constructed of mixed metal oxide coated titanium and edge masks. Because the insoluble anodes are a fixed width, it is necessary to use an edge masking system to accommodate different widths of strip. The new generation of edge masks are designed to eliminate the center supports that restrict access to the plating cells. The edge mask supports and positioning mechanism are cantilevered from outside the plating cells and located below removable access plates under the walkway.

positioned in a vertical cell containing the plating solution, and spaced from a strip running through a down-pass and an up-pass (figure 2). Each plating cell has four sets of insoluble anodes: on the up and down passes upper and lower sides. The insoluble anodes are spaced from the strip by a distance of less than 50 mm, and the plating solution is blown into the gap between said anode and said strip. Due to the very high speed of the strip, the fluid dynamics of the cell tends to create a so called Venturi effect in the region between the strip and the anode which promotes undesired contact between the anodes and the strip and therefore marks of anodes on the strip. For these reasons, anodes have been designed with a regular array of orifices, with the aim of reducing such effect. While reducing the level gap between ascending and descending zone of the plating cell, the orifice distribution has also been conceived to maintain transversally evenness in current density distribution. A particular design of the lower guide allows the possibility to control both the distance of the anodes from the strip, as well as to regulate the anodes lower position in order to be equal-distant to the strip after a sink roll grinding.

Insoluble anodes. Inert titanium based anodes with an active precious metal coating (of Ru, Ir, Sn and/or Ta oxides) have been used for this application. The insoluble anodes are vertically

Edge masks. Insoluble anodes are of a fixed width. In order to process strips of different widths, electrically insulating plates – so called edge masks – are used to prevent the current from flowing between

gen flow rate controlled by dedicated and precise mass flow regulators. The inside charge is continuously measured through the calibrated differential pressure sensor. The production was stopped when 30 g/l of Sn2+ were reached. The filter was not used during the initial electrolyte production or the first weeks of plating production due to the negligible amount of sludge in the bottles of samples, even after hours of settling.

Tin plating cell

MPT International 3/2013

59

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Figure 2. 3D view of a tin plating cell

the two anodes next to the strip, thus avoiding so called white border defects. The strip edges engage in U-shaped sections arranged at the end faces of the electrically insulating plates. The degree of edge plating depends on the insertion depth of the strip edges into the U-shaped sections. Accordingly, it is necessary that the U-shaped sections accurately follow the strip travel. The edge masks must follow the strip very exactly, the expected accuracy being less than 1 mm. Inductive sensors moving jointly to the masks are used to detect the strip penetration and vary the edge mask position accordingly. The working principle of the system is depicted in figure 3. Edge mask control is obtained by means of a local PLC communicating constantly with the PLC of the line. Edge masks open also when the line was stopped or when the line speed was below a threshold value (30 m/min). The strip edge position was monitored accurately by the inductive sensors and

Figure 3. Edge masks

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edge mask drives regulated the mask position accordingly. The whole edge mask control system and the inductive sensors were completely designed, developed and manufactured by Tenova. When the line was ready for the operation, the first coil was charged obtaining tinplate of commercial quality. Since the first coil produced in the line the tin coating tolerances were in the range of standards. In a few steps the line was able to run at the maximum process speed.

Conclusions There are various advantages of using insoluble anodes compared to soluble tin anodes as following: - reduced manpower requirements, - reduced hazardous operations, - lower environmental impact, - higher production schedule flexibility, - better quality of the final product in terms of better control of the coating weight and more homogeneous distribution of the coating along the cross section of the strip, - improvement in line production yield in terms of lower deposition defects, higher line availability and higher line productivity, - better electrolyte solution control and management, - lower tin and energy consumption.

With conventional soluble tin anodes it is necessary to drain off the plating solution because of the different electrochemical efficiency in plating and dissolution. An increase of tin concentration in the plating solution is unavoidable with the use of tin anodes, and dilution of the solution generates overflow and discharge, with loss of expensive material and possible water pollution, unless adequately treated. The conventional equipment used in soluble anode lines worldwide for the control of the tin concentration in the plating solution is the insoluble anode. Many producers today have one half cell equipped with insoluble anodes, but the control of the solution is very difficult. Concerns about a rapid decrease of tin and an increase of free acid in the plating solution make the use of insoluble anodes in this way less practical. Other disadvantages in the conventional lines are the fumes exiting the plating tanks, the labour requirements for handling the tin anodes and the low productivity. Additionally, market demand is towards tinplate with thinner coatings; indeed for some uses tin coatings down to 0.2 – 0.4 g/m² are required, causing production problems. With conventional electroplating technology the homogeneity of tin coating thickness decreases as the coating weight decreases, due to the particular geometry of the tin anodes, which do not present a continuous surface. In fact, each anode is formed by a series of vertical bars drawn against each other so as to leave only a minimum space between the bars, which may produce a lower tin thickness. Another cause of irregular tin coating with soluble anodes derives from nonuniform consumption of tin bars, which in turn gives rise to preferential current distribution. For thicker coatings such situations are alleviated since more cells are employed in the sequence of electroplating steps, thus allowing the tin coating to grow more uniformly. The solution to these problems is to equip the tinning line with insoluble anodes. They have a continuous surface and therefore very thin tin coating layers can be produced with high thickness homogeneity. Much higher tinplate production is possible with insoluble anodes in countries where unions impose to slowdown the line while inserting and regulating the tin anodes in the cells. With insoluble anodes no operators are required along the plating section of the line.

the leading technical journal for the global iron & steel industry

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Technical innovations

Optimized roll cladding CONTINUOUS CASTING The role of weld reclamation and cladding as a tool to both improve caster roll life and reduce the life cycle cost of the rolls is as pertinent as ever. The application of a single roll cladding strategy does not fully realize the benefits of the roll welding technology. Corewire have addressed this by promoting the strategy of zoning in which the cladding material and welding strategy are selected to address the local needs of individual rolls at their positions within the caster. In addition to correct material selection, the welding procedure adopted can also influence the cost

effectiveness of the roll reclamation process. The Cortech range of clad rolls are manufactured by accredited workshops around the world using Weldclad cladding consumables to a distinct and transparent quality standard. By adopting complimentary cladding consumables from the Weldclad range, the roll surface can be repaired to the same high standard as the original Cortech roll.

Contact: www.corewire.com E-mail: info@corewire.com

The clad layer determines roll and segment life

Position and camber measurement in hot strip mills HOT ROLLING In hot strip mills, serious damage and production stops may be the result of collisions between the strip and the mechanical strip guides, and cobbles. Together with Tata Steel, EMG developed a camera-based system, hotCAM, for position and camber measurement of hot slabs and strips in hot rolling processes. The system is now ready for industrial use.

Principle of the camber measurement

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MPT International 3/2013

Maintaining a defined strip position between the rolling stands is extremely important for process security in a hot rolling mill. Continuous measurement of the strip position allows optimum adjustment of the rolling force and the gap. In reversing mills, this reduces strip camber, preventing the strip from colliding with the mechanical strip guides. Continuous control of the centreline

position in the finishing train also reduces the incidence of cobbles. hotCAM sends continuous strip edge position values with an accuracy of +/-2 mm to the system controls. The operator can use this information to implement closed-loop control (sensor and roll control) for camber reduction or for optimal strip positioning in the rolling mill. By means of special mathematical corrections and image processing algorithms, the hotCAM optical position measuring system compensates for lens error and harsh environmental conditions like vapours and dust. Initial experience with EMG’s hotCAM in Tata Steel’s DSP line (direct sheet plant) in IJmuiden has been highly convincing. The system has been running without downtime since its installation in May 2012. To date, no cleaning or recalibration has been required. Presently, the second rolling stand in the finishing mill is being equipped with a hotCAM system, with plans to equip all stands in the DSP line with the system in the future.

Contact: www.emg-automation.com E-mail: automation@emg-automation.com

Technical innovations

1MDRU?PC RMMJ DMP GLQR?LR PCAMELGRGML MD kSV jJK AMLBGRGML CONTINUOUS CASTING Salzgitter Flachstahl has introduced the Mould Screen software from S&B Industrial Minerals for modelling the behaviour of the flux film in the continuous casting mould. Mould Screen recognizes unfavourable conditions in the mould that may lead to poor quality or disruptions to the casting process, for example breakouts. It alerts the operators to critical operating conditions, enabling them to take timely and objective action. Mould Screen calculates the behaviour of the flux film between the strand surface and the mould plates and displays it graphically on a screen. First tests performed at Salzgitter at the end of 2011 and in spring 2012 had convinced the operators that Mould Screen would be able to visualize the behaviour of the flux film in an unprecedented, reliable manner. In a test phase, it is now being investigated how Mould Screen can be used under real production conditions. The system was installed on one of Salzgitter’s continuous casters at the end of October 2012 and has been in 24/7 operation ever since. The tests are being accompanied by the Technical University RWTH Aachen within the framework of a diploma thesis. For the tests, Salzgitter Flachstahl integrated the Mould Screen computer into the PLC system of its continuous casting line No. 4 and into the existing software environment. Mould Screen receives the measured data online, processes them and displays the results in real time. Mould Screen answers on the spot questions like “What happens when the casting speed, cooling water rate, the supply pressure or temperature change?�. For example, by objectively setting the conditions for casting flux infiltration at the meniscus, Mould Screen can improve the efficiency of breakout prediction systems and help avoid the resulting damage. First investigations have shown that Mould Screen can reduce the number of false sticker alarms. The model can provide information on strand shell formation, which may serve as a basis for further optimization of existing models. The user can choose between a display of the current state of operation or the simulation of various operating scenarios computed by the “Modify� tool. Additionally, it offers the possibility of reviewing and explaining unclear phenomena from the past by evaluating historical data. Mould Screen displays all process-relevant variables, such as strand shell thickness, the temperature field in the strand shell and, by this, the strand surface temperature, the local and integral heat flux, heat transfer resistance in the flux film and the flux film thickness (liquid and solid), the water temperature in the cooling channels as well as the surface temperature of the copper plates. In the computation, Mould Screen considers aspects such as fluid mechanics, heat dissipation from the inside out, phase transformations, temperature-dependent material properties of the steel, as well as the properties of the casting flux. Machine parameters, the temperature, pressure and quantity of the cooling water as well as mould oscillation are taken into account in the calculation. Contact: www.sandb.com E-mail: stollberg@sandb.com

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Technical innovations

Casting cranes MATERIAL HANDLING Outotec is building a new ilmenite smelter for Christal Global, producer of titanium oxide, in Jazan economic city, Saudi Arabia. Outotec has ordered two Demag casting cranes from Terex Material Handling. The two identical cranes will be used for handling casting ladles and for feeding the casting furnaces with molten metal. They are double-girder overhead travelling cranes with spans of 22 m and lifting heights of 13 m. Each is equipped with two Demag hoist units (MPW multi-purpose winches) which have load capacities of 120 and 40 tonnes and are installed on one crab. The scope of delivery also includes special spreaders that are used to handle the casting ladles. While the 120 t hoist unit is used for lifting, the 40 t hoist unit is employed for the tipping motion. Since this requires exact positioning of the crane installations, the drive systems need sophisticated control in three motion axes. For this reason, all of the Demag drives on the cranes – the long and cross-travel drives and the hoist drives – are fed by frequency inverters. Both of the process cranes are designed to operate reliably in arduous environments. Besides high dust levels, temperatures reach up to 65°C in the application. To ensure high availability, the entire control system is installed in air-conditioned switchgear cabinets on the crane bridge. The cranes are con-

Overhead casting crane in operation

trolled from an enclosed crane cab, which is also equipped with air-conditioning. Alternatively, radio control can be used. Further special design features include an integrated weighing device.

Contact: www.demagcranes.de E-mail: info@demagcranes.com

Product and spare part information for gas valves via iPad app and DVD SERVICE Nowadays, mobile information and online data service have become highly valued features in the worlds of business and technology. Users of

The product selector works like a slide rule

64

MPT International 3/2013

gas valves can now use a new iPad app from Elster Kromschröder which makes it possible to determine nominal sizes for gas valves conveniently and quickly at any time and place. Engineering consultants or persons involved in furnace engineering now have available a practical tool that supports the designing of gas-fired thermoprocessing equipment. Also plant operators can benefit from the new app, as it offers them useful and quick guidance when selecting and ordering products. The app is called “ASGA”, the acronym for the German translation of “slide rule for the selection of gas fittings”. The application is available in the iTunes AppStore and can be downloaded free of charge. It works just as easily as the good old slide rule. “ASGA” can be set to German, English or French. Elster Kromschröder also fully revised its “PartDetective” database, an independent programme for selecting

spare parts, and added new functions to it. This extensive database can now be operated even more easily and conveniently. For example, the customer can now enlarge or reduce the size of drawings of selected products with no loss in quality and fit them into the required frame. Drawings can be moved, they can be saved in various formats and sent by e-mail. Customers receive “PartDetective” on a free DVD. This also contains the familiar “Docuthek”, including online help. The document library offers technical information, operating instructions, drawings, etc. from the product range. Incidentally, it is not necessary to install the DVD since both programmes can run from the DVD. The DVD can be ordered online.

Contact: www.kromschroeder.com E-mail: info@kromschroeder.com

Technical innovations

Digital servoproportionals SPECIAL EQUIPMENT Digital servoproportionals are used in a wide range of electrohydraulic applications. The new Atos digital servoproportionals come with a series of advanced features, such as spool-sleeve operation for best accuracy and fail-safe position, closed loop via LVDT integral transducer, response time <10 ms and <15 ms at 100% step signal, dynamic response up to 120 Hz and 90 Hz, and interface for fieldbus networks. These features give the systems high dynamics for best flow, pressure and position control. Regulation parameters are set using dedicated Atos PC software. The systems are available in a special rugged design for high vibrations and shocks up to 30 g as well as in an ex-proof and stainless steel version.

Digital servoproportionals come in different designs to suit CRRNKECVKQP TGSWKTGOGPVU

Š Utz Peter Greis, Dßsseldorf

Contact: www.atos.com E-mail: info@atos.com

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MPT International 3/2013

65

Literature service

Lubricants for tube rolling 10 pages, English A brochure outlining the range of Phosphatherm® hot forming materials available from Budenheim. These are phosphate-based lubrication and separating agents used e.g. in piercing press dies, in processes involving a mandrel bar as well as in post-forming applications. Contact: www.budenheim.com E-mail: lubricants@budenheim.com

Refractory materials 4 pages, English, German This brochure features a non-cementitious mineral refractory bond system, called Quick Dry No Cement Castalble (QD), developed by Calderys. The product requires no curing time, allowing for a faster drying rate. It improves safety, increases production, enhances refractory performance and saves energy.

Contact: www.calderys.com E-mail: germany@calderys.com

Casting tools and consumables 4 pages, English, German A brochure detailing the range of products offered by DWL-Wolf for foundries and ingot casting shops. The products include lining parts for induction furnaces, insert feeders, cover plates, insulating and exothermic toppings, slag binders and various foundry tools. Contact: www.dwl-wolf.de E-mail: info@dwl-wolf.de

Druckluftkissentechnik / Air cushion technology

POWERBOX® Hubelement

Lagerung von PU-Ölabstreifer-Kassetten im Kaltwalzwerk

POWERBOX® lifting unit

Support of PU-grooving-profile cassettes in cold rolling mills

Lifting units for oil wipers 4 pages, English, German

Aktivierung mit feinfühlig anstellbarer POWERBOX® Activation with sensitive POWERBOX®

POWERBOX® Hubelement P 4040295 AZ 10 2009 016253.4

PU-Riefenschlauch PU-grooving profile „Temperatur-Top“ 12,4 x 3,2 x 18,8 mm

This brochure presents the Powerbox® lifting unit based on air-cushion technology developed by Lippmann. The unit is used in rolling mills for lifting oil wiper systems. The brochure explains the functional principle and the benefits of the lifting unit.

IHR VORTEIL = Höhere Walzgeschwindigkeit + Qualitätssteigerung der Bänder YOUR ADVANTAGE = Higher rolling speed + improved quality of stripes

Lippmann GmbH

Contact: www.lippmann-gmbh.com E-mail: info@lippmann-gmbh.com

Automatic straightening 12 pages, English A product brochure featuring the M-AH series of automatic straightening machines offered by MAE Maschinen- und Apparatebau Götzen. These machines are manufactured for straightening forces from 2 to 1,600 kN, for workpieces between 30 and 6,000 mm long and with cross sections from 2 to 300 mm. Contact: www.mae-goetzen.de E-mail: sales@mae-goetzen.de

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MPT International 3/2013

Literature service

Lubrication systems 24 pages, English This brochure describes the features and application characteristics of the Raziol lubrication system. The products are used for contact and non-contact lubrication, spray nozzles and lubrication points. The brochure also features associated electronic controls, dosing systems and extraction units. Contact: www.raziol.de E-mail: info@raziol.de

Wear protection 8 pages, English This brochure provides an overview of the range of ceramic materials offered by Scholten for cost-effective wear protection. Depending on the type of abrasion, materials such as cast basalt, hard ceramic, zirconia ceramic, alumina ceramic or silicon carbide ceramic are used. Contact: www.scholten-gmbh.de E-mail: scholten@scholten-gmbh.de

Induction solutions for tube plants 20 pages, English A detailed brochure describing the range of tube technologies offered by SMS Elotherm. These include high-frequency tube welding, seam annealing, quenching, tube annealing, coating, quenching and tempering, pipe bending, pipe end heating as well as customer-specific solutions. Contact: www.sms-elotherm.com E-mail: info@sms-elotherm.com

Storage and handling systems 18 pages, English A highly illustrative and clearly structured brochure presenting the range of storage and handling systems offered by Thiel. Key technical data of the systems are complemented by illustrations showing examples of use and technical details of the equipment. Contact: www.thieltechniek.nl E-mail: info@thieltechniek.nl

Medium-pressure clean-break coupling 4 pages, English, German A brochure featuring a new series of clean-break couplings offered by WaltherPräzision. For working pressures up to 250 bars, these plug-type couplings have been developed for water hydraulics and demanding fluids. The brochure contains technical drawings and lists the technical data of all coupling models available. Contact: www.walther-praezision.de E-mail: info@walther-praezision.de

MPT International 3/2013

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In the next issue‌

Ironmaking IronArc to revolutionize hot metal production A new method for producing hot metal has been developed by ScanArc Plasma Technologies in collaboration with the Swedish steel group Ovako at the Hofors steel plant. The method, called IronArc, lowers CO2 emissions by 50% compared with blast furnace production. The two-stage reduction process achieves high energy efficiency through a combination of heat energy supply via plasma generators and internal combustion of the process gases by way of a newly developed reactor concept.

Hot rolling Technology and achievements in wire rod production reduces CAPEX and OPEX Advanced engineering materials and solutions processed by more sophisticated automation systems have led steel producers to invest in their production facilities with the objective to increase the quality of their products while achieving considerable savings on energy and enhancing overall performance. This article focuses on the methods, machines and processes used in the production of high-quality wire rod. Every phase of the wire rod process – from the reheating furnace to the coil finishing systems – is considered, in particular with a view to improvements and operating results.

Automation Analytical monitoring of production data A Russian producer of longitudinally welded large-diameter steel tubes (OCTG) commissioned a new tube plant at its Chelyabinsk works. In the new plant, an IT system for analysis of the tube production process chain was implemented. With the acquired process data, the technological settings have been optimized to further improve the performance of the plant.

IT toolbox analyses processes and reveals potential Knowledge of metallurgy technologies and plant design have been integrated into the modular automation platform “Simatic IT�. The result is a new approach to transparency and to the analysis of production and processes – for the whole process chain, starting from the raw materials all the way down to shipping of coils, including repair workshops and accounting.

This preview may be subject to change.

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® registered trademark of SGL Group companies

SERVICE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE Reducing electrode consumption, shorter tap-to-tap times and high arc stability enable an efficient melting process. Our graphite electrodes come with a comprehensive service package and various options to optimize your operations. Everything around the graphite electrode, and more.

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Individual performance analysis Online monitoring of electric arc furnace

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Tailor-made data analysis

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Electrical measurements ·

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Customized reporting CEDIS® - EAF performance monitoring system

Broad Base. Best Solutions. | www.sglgroup.com

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