MPT International 5/2014 (Oct)

Metallurgical Plant and Technology G 25074

ISSN 0935-7254

Data-driven prediction model for the BOF process

October 2014

Horizontal belt casting of thin strip steel

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Welded Tube Plants

Finishing Lines

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EDITORIAL

‹‹‹

Technological threshold Like in previous years, the editorial focus of the October issue of MPT International is on metallurgy-related topics. This time, we have the opportunity to report about two highly topical developments. The first article is about how the next, imminent industrial revolution will change our relationship to industrial processes and technologies and how it will affect our daily routines. The interlinking of machinery and data digitalization takes the centre-stage in this new era, which started around the end of the 20th century. Metallurgical engineers have become used to trusting digital automation and process models. However, influencing variables often correlate with the to-be-predicted target values, posing a challenge to the accuracy of prediction. Simultaneously, objects of everyday use are becoming more and more intelligent, which is due to two important facts: data of virtually everything in life are available in abundance and today’s computers have the necessary capacities to process such vast quantities of data. Another decisive factor is that current computational models may have self-learning capabilities. Especially this aspect can be considered as the starting point of a new development which is very likely to have a major impact also on processes and operations in the steel industry. A team of German experts from a steelworks, a plant engineering company and a university has applied this stateof-the-art form of data mining to the development of a prediction model for the BOF process. The practical experience gained at the steelworks of AG der Dillinger Hütte with this approach is presented in the article.

Dipl.-Ing. Arnt Hannewald

The other special topic featured in this issue is an evolutionary continuous casting technology: horizontal belt casting of thin strip steel. Previously known as a process used in the production of non-ferrous metals, the technology has been reinvented for steel. It has turned out to be a resource-conserving process to produce new high-performance steel grades. A team of engineers from Germany has succeeded in scaling up the technology from fundamental research to industrial use. As a matter of fact, this year the project was nominated for the German Federal President’s award for innovation in science and technology. As this technology is in the public eye now, MPT embraced the opportunity to particularize some technical facts. It goes without saying that the editorial scope of this issue of MPT International is completed by various other reports about new plants and technologies.

MPT International 5 / 2014

››› CONTENTS

Company profile 26

Ironmaking is no longer a “man’s world” In the “man’s world” of the blast furnaces, the women in the metallurgy team at ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe occupy an important position

Steelmaking 30

Application of data mining at the steel plant of Dillinger Hüttenwerke, Germany Cover photo: Danieli & C. S.p.A, Buttrio, Italy Contact: www.danieli.com E-mail: info@danieli.com

Self-learning capabilities represent the starting point of a new development in automation control, also in the steel industry

Two BOFs successfully revamped at ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, Germany The second 400-ton converter went into production immediately after modernization in July 2014

42 40

Electric arc furnace starts operation at Baku Steel Off-gas cleaning facilities minimize dust emissions

Dry-compressing screw vacuum pumps as enabler for demanding steel degassing processes Screw vacuum pump technology is robust and optimized in terms of energy consumption

Continuous casting

Hot rolling

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Horizontal belt casting of thin strip steel A joint project has been short listed for the Deutscher Zukunftspreis 2014, the German Federal President’s award for innovation in science and technology

Production of the first coil in July 2014 marked the company’s entry into the market of flat products

Control optimization for 2-strand wire rod mills The optimization model is configured using a master line and a follower line with upstream control

Surface treatment

Heat treatment

Drahtwerk St. Ingbert invests 13.5 million euros in state-of-the-art surface treatment plant Depending on the requirements, wire can be phosphatized, polymer-coated or soap-treated

Enhanced process security in quenching and tempering of wheels for high-speed trains A fully automated quenching and tempering line was installed at Taiyuan Heavy Industry Co.

Material testing 70

Flux leakage test for large OCTG tube and pipe Large diameter transverse and longitudinal flux leakage test system destined for a new tube mill

MPT International 5 / 2014

Complete quality measurement – designed for hostile mill environments NDC Technologies has concentrated the metals product line in California/USA

CONTENTS

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Columns 8

International industry news

Literature service

Technical innovations

In the next issue

Cartoon

Imprint

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››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS News in brief

Africa

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, Germany, has resumed steel production in the 400 t converter at its Duisburg-Bruckhausen works immediately after the successful revamp by SMS Siemag. The SMS team had been able to reduce the scheduled downtime of 44 days by more than 36 hours.

Liberia

Jamshedpur Continuous Annealing & Processing, Japan, a JV between Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation and Tata Steel, has started producing high-tensile steel sheet and other high-end cold rolled sheets for automobiles. Tangshan Stainless Steel, China, commenced operation of the DeP converter from Siemens. The converter serves to reduce the crude steel’s phosphorus content. Siemens modified an existing AOD converter to the DeP converter. Now, Tangshan can make high-grade carbon steels for the production of highstrength sheets for the automobile industry at a cold rolling complex newly constructed by Siemens. Haba¸ s, Turkey, has successfully commissioned a hot strip mill in Aliag˘a. The mill was supplied by SMS Siemag. The compact hot strip mill is designed for an annual production of 2.5 million t of hot strip of a wide range of premium steel grades. Posco, South Korea, has awarded ISRA Vision Parsytec the order to install a Surface Master inspection system in the Pohang coupled pickling-tandem line. Voestalpine Giesserei Linz, Austria, has commenced operation of a 50 t vacuum oxygen decarburization (VOD) plant from Siemens Metals Technologies.

MPT International 5 / 2014

ArcelorMittal statement on impact of Ebola outbreak on mining operations. ArcelorMittal is currently mining and shipping 5 million t/year of iron ore in Liberia from its operations in Yekepa and Buchanan. The company is also working on an expansion project (phase 2) that will see shipments rise to 15 million t of iron ore with first production planned by the end of 2015. Due to the evolving situation of the current Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, contractors working on the phase 2 expansion project have declared force majeure and are moving people out of the country. ArcelorMittal remains fully committed to the intention to restart full construction at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime, employees are working to secure equipment and carrying out other critical activities related to logistics, engineering and procurement. According to ArcelorMittal, phase 1 operations continue as normal at this time and to date have not been affected by the situation in Liberia.

The Americas Canada ArcelorMittal Dofasco to install integrated maintenance scheduling solution. ArcelorMittal Dofasco has selected Quintiq’s software platform to optimize maintenance planning and scheduling at its Hamilton, Ontario, flat rolled steelmaking facility. In order to optimize maintenance, ArcelorMittal Dofasco required an integrated scheduling solution to make decisions in real time, while anticipating demand and being able to react to schedule disruptions. The system is designed to allow maintenance teams to be proactive in their workforce planning, manage work order backlogs and minimize the amount of time a machine is out of service. The Quintiq solution is designed

to streamline the maintenance scheduling process and decrease the time it takes to schedule work.

Mexico Almexa to revamp cold mill. Almexa Aluminum, Mexico City, has awarded a contract to Fata Hunter for the modernization of the 271 cold mill at its Tulpetlac plant. The order covers the addition of hydraulic gap control to the mill and the upgrade of the mill automation systems to the latest generation of Fata Hunter’s h-System® solutions. Also the electrical drive system of the mill and the PLC will be upgraded. The project is to be completed in December 2014.

Mexico Tuberías Procarsa to build spiral pipe mill. Schuler has received an order from Tuberías Procarsa for the supply of a spiral pipe machine. Tuberías Procarsa will use the offline spiral pipe machine to produce large pipes with diameters from 508 to 2,235 mm and lengths from 12 to 24.4 m. The input stock will be a coil-wound strip up to 25.4 mm thick, including high-grade steel up to X100. The spiral pipe machine will form this material into the required pipe diameter and connect the edges by tack welding. Welding of the pipe will be completed on a separate stand by submerged-arc welding.

USA TimkenSteel to invest in continuous heat treatment operations. TimkenSteel plans to open an additional continuous heat treatment facility to produce more value-added steel for demanding applications. Additional continuous heat treatment capabilities provide the flexibility to create more customized steels. TimkenSteel is evaluating locations and plans to make that decision in the third quarter of 2014. The facility would be fully operational within two years and have capacity to process 50,000 t/year of 100 mm (4”) to 330 mm (13”) bars and tubes.

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››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

USA

India

Bluescope suspends DRI project. North Star BlueScope Steel, jointly owned by BlueScope and Cargill, has concluded a detailed scoping and development study for a potential direct reduction iron plant at its Delta, Ohio, steelworks. The conclusion reached is that the forecast risk-adjusted returns are not sufficiently attractive to justify the investment. Accordingly, the shareholders BlueScope and Cargill have decided not to proceed to the next phase of the project at this time.

Tata Steel to modernize offgas cleaning system. Siemens Metals Technologies has received an order from Tata Steel to modernize the secondary emission system in the LD2 converter shop in Jamshedpur. In future, dust levels in the factory will be less than 4 mg/Nm3, and will not exceed 30 mg/Nm3 at the stack. The project is part of Tata Steel’s campaign to reduce its local environmental impact and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2016. Siemens will modernize the existing secondary emission system and two existing electrostatic precipitators, and modify the duct system and the converter housings. Siemens will also be responsible for supervising the installation and commissioning work.

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China Daye Special Steel to build new medium-section mill. Daye Special Steel will install a medium-section mill in Huangshi, Hubei province. The order for the finishing mill, a 3-roll reducing and sizing block (RSB), was placed with Friedrich Kocks. The heavy-duty RSB will be equipped with four stand positions and designed for controlled rolling at low temperatures. It will be operated as finishing block in the 900,000 t/ year medium section mill downstream the 16-stand 2-high roughing and intermediate mill. The RSB will roll round bar in special bar qualities within the diameter range of 50.0 mm to 130.0 mm diameters in straight lengths onto the cooling bed. It allows rolling out of only one pass series from the roughing and intermediate mill, reducing the number of required feeders down to only five.

India SAIL to upgrade tandem mill. GE’s Power Conversion business will supply the Steel Authority of India Limited’s (SAIL) plant in Bokaro Steel City with DC variable speed drives and automation for a cold rolling 4-high tandem mill. The tandem mill will be used to help meet an anticipated increase of up to 4.5% in 2015 in domestic demand for steel in India. The electrical and automation system will include level 1 and level 2 automation, low-voltage equipment and instrumentation for the tandem mill which is capable of rolling sheet gauges down to 0.4 mm to 2.5 mm in widths from 700 mm to 1,850 mm.

China

India

Rizhao Steel to build pickling and galvanizing line. Andritz has received an order to supply a pickling and galvanizing line for hotrolled steel strip to Rizhao Steel Holding Group. The line will be designed for a capacity of 700,000 t/year and is scheduled for start-up in the first quarter of 2016. Andritz Metals will supply the complete production line, including the mechanical, process engineering and electrical equipment.

JSPL orders motors and drives for Steckel mill upgrade. Jindal Steel & Power Limited (JSPL) has chosen GE Power Conversion’s AC motors and drives to upgrade the Steckel mill at its Raigarh Steel Plant, Chhattisgarh. The upgrade will boost production at the facility in line with JSPL’s plans to more than triple the steelmaking capacity at its Raigarh plant from 3 to 10 million t/year by 2020. The upgrade will improve the productivity of the

MPT International 5 / 2014

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INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS mill by increasing the machine’s output and enhancing the quality of its finished steel through a more effective hot-rolling process. Working closely on site with JSPL employees, GE Power Conversion will supply and install water-cooled medium voltage 3.3 kV MV7000 series drives. The installation of 5,600 kW 60/150 rpm motors with GE ‘pin vent’ technology will aid air flow and avoid winding hot-spots, extending both the efficiency of the motor and the product’s overall lifespan.

‹‹‹

the Linz works, and the licenses for 23 additional systems. The systems will cover the entire transport and storage process chain from the exit of the hot strip mill via the pickling line and the slitting and cut-to-length lines down to the dispatching of the coils, slit strip and sheet packs. The process of drawing up the functional specification documents will last until March 2015. The first systems are scheduled to go live starting in October 2015.

Finland South Korea Hyundai Steel to invest in billet grinding equipment. After completing the expansion project for high-grade products at their Dangjin integrated steel mill, Hyundai Steel now invests in downstream equipment. Braun Maschinenfabrik has been awarded the order to supply four high-pressure surface grinding machines, type HP 6, for bright, edge and fault grinding of billets including additional material handling and automation equipment. The maximum billet cross-section to be handled is 200 x 200 mm and the maximum length 12 m. From the feeding roller table up to the take-over devices after the grinding machine, all processes can be controlled and monitored fully automatically. The billet grinding equipment will start operation in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Europe Austria Voestalpine Stahl to implement warehouse management systems. Voestalpine Stahl has awarded 3tn the order to supply 28 TWMS/ metals warehouse management systems for their Linz works. These systems will help Voestalpine optimize the warehousing and transport processes for coils, slit strip and sheet packs in the cold rolling mill. The order scope includes the supply and commissioning of five autonomous TWMS/metals systems, which 3tn will customize in cooperation with Voestalpine to the specific requirements of

Ruukki to introduce PCI. Ruukki Metals is converting its blast furnaces at the Raahe site from oil injectors to pulverized coal injection (PCI), which is more cost-efficient. The new injection systems will be supplied by Claudius Peters Projects. Coal grinding will be handled by two grinding mills from Loesche, a long-standing business partner of Claudius Peters Projects. The mills will be designed for a production rate of 33 t/h at a fineness of 20% > 0.09 mm. The plants are expected to go into operation in the third quarter of 2015 with a delivery period of eight months.

Germany Deutsche Edelstahlwerke orders cooling bed. Deutsche Edelstahlwerke has ordered a new raketype cooling bed from SMS for its Siegen works as part of the modernization of its bar mill. The new cooling bed allows controlled cooling of the bars, surface-protecting transport and very straight finished products. In addition to round steel bars with dimensions from 21.5 to 90 mm, it will also be possible to cool hexagonal sections on the cooling bed in future. Commissioning of the new cooling bed is scheduled for the third quarter of 2015.

Russia Ruspolymet order VAR plant. Special steel producer Ruspolymet assigned Inteco with the engineering MPT International 5 / 2014

››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

News in brief Valin ArcelorMittal Automotive Steel (VAMA), China, has commissioned the coupled pickling line-tandem cold mill supplied by Siemens Metals Technologies. VAMA is a joint venture of ArcelorMittal and the Chinese companies Valin Iron & Steel and Hunan Valin Iron & Steel. Severstal, Russia, held an official presentation of the Balakovo long product mill project in the Saratov region. The mill, which will produce long products for the construction industry, represents Severstal’s largest investment project in recent years. Outotec has opened an office in Denver, Colorado, in order to be in closer proximity to the majority of its USA-based mining customers.

and supply of a 6 t VAR plant. This is the second follow-up order for Inteco, after the 10 t ESR plant sold in fall 2013 and the VIM order received in 2012. The VIM is already being assembled and the ESR furnace is about to be delivered. The new vacuum arc remelting furnace will remelt the electrodes produced by the VIM furnace.The produced ingots will have a maximum diameter of 700 mm and an approximate weight of 6 t. The newly developed Inteco level 2 system will allow Ruspolymet to control the metallurgy and optimize the whole VIM/ESR/VAR process chain.

Russia NLMK to equip BF with new dust collection system. NLMK will install a modern modular dust collection system at its Lipetsk production site to treat off-gases from blast furnace 4. With a capacity of 600,000 m3/h, the new system will bring residual dust content down to 5 mg/m3.

This will reduce the annual dust emissions by 504 t, reaching the level of best available technologies. Currently, gases from blast furnace 4 are dedusted by a previous generation dust collection system which uses water sprinkling. The new dust collection system is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2015.

United Kingdom Tata Steel ramps up Teesside service centre. Tata Steel is ramping up activity at its structural steel distribution site at Redcar, Teesside, following completion of a second phase of development. The new facility is looking to surpass its nominal 170,000 t/ year capacity in order to support increasing customer demand. The centre’s extensive product range of sections, including structural hollow sections, serves a wide variety of construction and infrastructure projects. The site was established in 2012. The latest developments have involved

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INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS opening up another warehouse and installing a shot-blaster and new heavy-sections sawing capacity. The centre has five saws and is serviced by thirteen cranes.

Companies Merger between NDC Infrared Engineering and Beta LaserMike. NDC Infrared Engineering and Beta LaserMike, both part of the Spectris family of companies and active in non-contacting measurement and control solutions, have merged to create NDC Technologies. The corporate headquarters for NDC Technologies will be based in Irwindale, California, USA.

Danieli Automation expansion in the US. The US division of Danieli Automation, Pittsburgh, PA, has merged with independent systems

integrator Taranis Inc., Birmingham, AL, USA. The newly formed Danieli Taranis LLC will provide electrical engineering and equipment as well as automation and process controls for the metals industry in North America, exploiting the technological capabilities of the headquarters of Danieli Automation SpA in Buttrio, Italy. Danieli Taranis will operate under the leadership of the previous Taranis management team. The company will operate from facilities in both Birmingham and Pittsburgh.

The Material Works selects SES as authorized supplier for EPS technology. The Material Works, Ltd. (TMW) has designated SES, LLC as the newest authorized supplier of environmentally friendly pickling lines incorporating the patented eco pickled surface (EPS) technology. SES will design and build automated EPS pickling lines for steel mills around the world under a non-exclusive license from TMW.

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News in brief Carpenter Technology, USA, has successfully commissioned a forging machine supplied by SMS Meer in Athens, Alabama. The machine has a capacity of 50,000 t/year. Each of the four cylinders has a press force of 22 MN. The maximum inlet diameter of the material is 1,100 mm with a greatest possible billet weight of 10 t. Baku Steel, Azerbaijan, has put into operation an electric arc furnace supplied by Siemens Metals Technologies. The new furnace is part of an expansion project aimed at boosting Baku Steel‘s annual steel production capacity to around 1.1 t. As part of the project, the electric steel plant was equipped with an offgas cleaning system.

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››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

News in brief ArcelorMittal, Spain, has equipped two lines, a hot-dip galvanizing line and a hot rolling mill, in its Avilés facility with the latest ISRA Vision Parsytec inspection technology in order to even further enhance the inspection performance of the installed ISRA Parsytec systems. Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel (Tisco), China, has commissioned the new slag mill supplied by Loesche at its Taiyuan operations. Shortly after the commissioning, the mill achieved a grinding rate of 255 t/h of blast furnace slag. Waelzholz North America is the new name of CDW Service Center D&B operations. With this name change, C.D. Waelzholz emphasizes its strategic focus in the North American market. Drahtwerk St. Ingbert (DWI), Germany, a subsidiary of Saarstahl, has installed a new pickling line for the surface treatment of wire rod. The new pickling line makes it possible, for example, to integrate the complete production of cold-drawn cold-upsetting wire at the St. Ingbert site.

Founded in 1976 in Alliance, Ohio, as Steel Equipment Specialists, SES has grown into a supplier of custom engineered equipment and systems for the primary metals industry. SES specializes in complex material handling and multi-stage processing systems.

SMS Siemag to provide EPS pickling lines. The Material Works, Ltd. (TMW) and SMS Siemag have entered into an agreement whereby SMS may offer, design, build and install processing lines incorporating eco pickled surface (EPS) cells for descaling carbon and stainless coiled strip steel. Under the terms of this agreement, TMW, or one of its designated manufacturers of EPS cells, will supply completed cells and associated technical and support services to SMS for integration into SMS strip pickling lines anywhere in the world.

Voestalpine’s HBI project in Texas underway. Construction of the Voestalpine group’s direct reduction plant being built in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA, is on schedule. Starting in 2016, the new HBI plant – Voestalpine’s largest ever foreign investment – will produce 2 million t of hot briquetted iron (HBI) annually. The plant will have direct deep-sea access to the Gulf of Mexico. Around

half of the HBI produced will be used at Voestalpine production sites in Austria. After signing a memorandum of understanding last year with Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA), Voestalpine has now entered into the final supply agreement for 400,000 t (plus another optional 250,000 t) of HBI produced in Texas. Currently, negotiations are ongoing with other interested companies in the NAFTA region and in Europe.

Quaker acquires ECLI Products. Quaker Chemical Corporation has acquired ECLI Products, a specialty grease manufacturer, headquartered in Aurora, Illinois, USA. The company specializes in greases for OEM first-fill customers across several industry sectors, including automotive, industrial, aerospace/military, electronics, office automation and natural resources.

Dassault Systèmes acquires Quintiq. Dassault Systèmes has signed a definitive share purchase agreement for Dassault Systèmes to acquire Quintiq. Dassault Systèmes specializes in 3D design software, 3D digital mock up and product lifecycle management solutions. Quintiq provides on-premise and on-cloud supply chain and operations planning

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INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS and optimization software. Through the acquisition, Dassault Systèmes extends its 3D Experience platform to business operations planning.

Steel Dynamics to acquire Severstal Columbus. Steel Dynamics has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Severstal Columbus from OAO Severstal. Columbus is one of the newest mini-mills in North America. The acquisition significantly expands Steel Dynamics’ operating base with 3.4 million t of hot roll steel production capacity. It will broaden the product portfolio by adding capabilities serving customers in the OCTG and automotive sectors.

AK Steel to acquire Severstal Dearborn. AK Steel has signed an agreement to acquire Severstal North America’s integrated steelmaking assets located in Dearborn, Michigan. The acquisition also includes a cokemaking facility and interests in three joint ventures that process flat-rolled steel products. The Dearborn plant, which produces high-quality, flatrolled steels primarily for the automotive, construction and appliance markets, completed a large-scale modernization campaign in 2011.

NSSMC companies to discuss integration and reorganization. Nippon Steel & Sumikin Technology Corporation (NSST) and Nippon Steel & Sumikin Kansai Industries (NSKI) have agreed to jointly discuss the integration and reorganization of their railway engineering businesses. At the same time NSKI and Kantoc Roll have agreed to jointly discuss the integration and reorganization as a manufacturing process company for Osaka steel works.

Eurofer disapproves of cap on energy consumption. According to statements by Eurofer, for the European steel industry an absolute cap on energy consumption does not take ac-

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count of economic and technical developments. “In industry, increasing energy efficiency means reducing the amount of energy needed for the same process or product, such as increasing energy productivity. On the contrary, an absolute reduction of energy consumption would provide the wrong incentive to consume less and risk capping future growth prospects instead of being more efficient,” says Gordon Moffat, director general Eurofer. With programmes such as Horizon 2020 and SPIRE the EU has made a huge effort to provide financial instruments for research and development on EU level. “It is now important to implement these instruments efficiently. Where the EU should become more active is the development of risk financing for industrial large scale demonstration projects of new energy efficient technologies,” says Moffat.

Severstal subsidiary sells PBS Coals. OAO Severstal‘s wholly-owned subsidiary 7027940 Canada Limited has entered into a definitive agreement with Corsa Coal Corp., a Canadian public company, for the sale of PBS Coals, a metallurgical coal producer located in Pennsylvania, USA. As part of the transaction, Corsa Coal Corp. has also agreed to assume reclamation and water treatment liabilities. PBS Coals is not operationally linked to Severstal’s steel plants in Russia and the USA.

Magnezit completes complex for periclase clinker production. The Magnezit group has commissioned a multi-hearth furnace for magnesite calcination at its Satka production site in the Chelyabinsk region in Russia, marking the completion of a large-scale investment in the establishment of a complex for the production of periclase clinkers. The 19-hearth furnace, with an annual production capacity of 100,000 t, was developed by Polysius specially for Magnezit. Construction of the complex for the production of periclase clinker started in 2008 with the installation of a high-temperature Maerz shaft kiln with an annual production capacity of 50,000 t. MPT International 5 / 2014

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Air Liquide to build research and technology centre in China. Air Liquide is building a new research and technology centre in Shanghai, China. The new centre will ultimately have 200 highly skilled employees, including researchers, experts in customer applications and business development teams. They will be working in areas such as energy efficiency, technologies designed to reduce CO2 emissions, water treatment and processes for preserving and freezing food. The centre is scheduled to be operational at the end of 2015. This new Air Liquide research and technology centre complements the company’s research capabilities in Japan and South Korea. It will accommodate laboratories as well as large pilot platforms with equipment for designing and testing technologies under industrial-scale conditions.

Outokumpu’s Kemi mine celebrates 50-year anniversary. Exactly fifty years ago, Outokumpu made

the decision to begin mining operations in its chrome mine in Kemi, Finland. The deposit had been found five years earlier by a local diver, Martti Matilainen. Mining began in 1967, with large-scale mining operations and ferrochrome production starting one year later. The Kemi mine is the only chrome mine in the European Union, and it is an essential part of the integrated production chain in the Tornio stainless steel mill. At the Kemi mine, there are enough reserves for mining for several more decades. At the moment, Outokumpu mines some 2.4 million t/year.

FBE becomes Steinmüller Babcock Environment. In May 2014, Fisia Babcock Environment (FBE) became part of Nippon Steel & Sumikin Engineering Co., Ltd. (NSENGI). A name change has now taken effect. Fisia Babcock Environment GmbH will from now on operate under the name Steinmüller Babcock Environment GmbH (SBENG).

AIST is proud to announce the

T.C. GRAHAM PRIZE Recognizing innovative new applications for steel.

Full details and information at AIST.org MPT International 5 / 2014

Personalities AK Steel elects new board member. Sheri H. Edison has been elected to the board of directors of AK Steel. She brings extensive experience in the manufacturing sector, coupled with her background in the steel business and corporate governance.

Executive appointments at Harsco. Harsco Corporation has completed its previously announced executive leadership plans with the appointment of F. Nicholas Grasberger as the company’s president and chief executive officer. F. Nicholas Grasberger succeeds David Everitt, who has been serving as interim chief executive officer since 28 February 2014. David Everitt will continue as a member of the board of directors and has been elected to succeed Henry W. Knueppel as non-executive chairman, effective immediately. Henry W. Knueppel will continue

The winning entry will receive

US $20,000 The deadline to enter is 31 December 2014.

INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS to serve on the board as an independent director.

Nucor executive vice president to retire. Keith Grass, Nucor’s executive vice president of raw materials and chief executive officer of The David J. Joseph Company (DJJ), has announced his retirement. Keith Grass joined DJJ in 1978 and has served as CEO of DJJ since 2000. He was appointed executive vice president of Nucor Corporation when DJJ became part of Nucor in 2008.

Reorganization of management structure at Ilva. Ilva has completed the reorganization of the management structure. Roberto Renon has been appointed as managing director of the Ilva group. He will also act as interim chief financial officer. Marco Pucci has been appointed chief sales and marketing and business development. He will directly report to Roberto Renon.

Ruggero Cola has been assigned as director of Ilva’s Taranto plant, succeeding Antonio Lupoli. Ruggero Cola builds on 30 years of experience with Ilva and will report to director general production Giancarlo Quaranta.

New CEO at Rautaruukki. Rautaruukki’s new board of directors has appointed Olavi Huhtala, executive vice president and head of SSAB Europe, as Rautaruukki’s new chief executive officer. He will serve as CEO in addition to his own position. Sakari Tamminen, the company’s current chief executive officer and chairman of the corporate executive board, will continue to serve the company until the end of the year in matters involving the combination of Ruukki and SSAB, and will exercise his right to retire at the beginning of 2015. Rautaruukki became a subsidiary of SSAB on 29 July 2014. During the transition period, Tamminen will assist, among other things, in the divestment of assets as required by the regulatory competition approval granted by the

Steel for wind power plants. 15 billion rotations into the future.

Your life. Our steel. Gear transmissions in wind turbines need to work in all weathers, whatever the wind force, and even offshore exposed to seawater. Deutsche Edelstahlwerke produces steels to meet these highly interdependent requirements. The surfaces of the gearing mechanism must exhibit an extreme level of wear resistance and fatigue strength, while the core needs to be exceptionally tough to cope with the sudden loads of

wind gusts. Rotor blades turn 20 times per minute, which is translated into 2000 rpm in the generator. A generator shaft will handle approximately 15 billion rotations. This enables clean, future-proof energy to be obtained from the wind on a sustainable, long-term basis.

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European Commission for the combination of SSAB and Ruukki.

Changes on Andritz executive board. The mandate of Karl Hornhofer on the executive board of Andritz ended on 30 September 2014. Karl Hornhofer was responsible for the pulp and paper business area’s capital business as well as for global quality and safety management. In future, Karl Hornhofer will act as chief representative for sale of large projects in the Andritz pulp and paper business area. Joachim Schönbeck has taken over the areas of responsibility previously held by Karl Hornhofer. Most recently, Joachim Schönbeck was

Joachim Schönbeck

â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

spokesman of the managing board for SMS Holding GmbH, DĂźsseldorf, and also spent many years as president and CEO of SMS Meer GmbH in MĂśnchengladbach. As from 1 April 2015, Joachim SchĂśnbeck will also take over the metals business area headed by Friedrich Papst, who will retire on 31 March 2015.

Events â&#x20AC;ş

24 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 26 November 2014 Singapore Organizers: SEAISI www.seaisi.org

2014 Asean Iron and Steel Sustainability Forum. This three-day event will cover a wide range of topics relevant to the Asean iron and steel markets: for example, regional developments, steel market developments, the construction sector, environmental issues such as waste management, energy savings and emission control.

There will be a special session on the Asean-Japan steel initiative.

â&#x20AC;ş

2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 December 2014 DĂźsseldorf, Germany Organizers: Messe DĂźsseldorf www.valveworldexpo.com

Valve World Expo. The 9th edition of this biennial conference and exhibition for industrial valves and fittings is expected to attract an even greater number of exhibitors and visitors than in 2012. Plant, machinery, components and systems will be presented at the trade fair, while conference seminars and workshops will go into greater depth on their application processes or discuss innovative solutions for the use of different valves.

â&#x20AC;ş

17 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 18 March 2015 Pittsburgh, PA, USA Organizers: Tema Technologie Marketing www.sis-world.com

SIS.USA 2015. The international surface inspection summit is a platform for dialog between steel manufactures and inspection system manufacturers. The two-day technical conference will provide information on the status-quo of inspection systems and on add-on products and services around existing systems.

â&#x20AC;ş

31 March â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3 April 2015 Shanghai, China Organizers: China Iron and Steel / Foundry Associations, CMES, Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai www.mm-china.com

Metal + Metallurgy China 2015. This event combines under one roof four specialized international trade fairs, namely, Foundry Expo, Metallurgical Industry Expo, Industrial Furnace Exhibition and Refractories, and Industrial Ceramics Exhibition. From 2015 onwards, the event will be held alternately in Shanghai and Beijing.

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steels with a strong emphasis on new developments such lean and hyper duplex stainless steels.

28 – 30 April 2015 Graz, Austria Organizers: Asmet www.asmet.at

ESSC. The 8th European Stainless Steel Conference & Duplex Stainless Steel Conference and Exhibition aim at sharing information on all aspects of stainless steel production technology. The Duplex Steel Conference will be solely dedicated to duplex stainless

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15 – 19 June 2015 Düsseldorf, Germany Organizers: Steel Institute VDEh www.metec-estad2015.com

Metec & 2nd ESTAD 2015. The Steel Institute VDEh will be hosting

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the 2nd ESTAD, Europe’s leading conference for the steel industry, to complement Metec. The conference will focus on all technical aspects in the fields of steel production, the material steel and steel applications. The Steel Institute VDEh organizes the conference in cooperation with its partners, the Austrian Society for Metallurgy and Materials, Fédération Française de l’Acier, Jernkontoret (Sweden) and Associazione Italiana di Metallurgia.

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MPT International 5 / 2014

Alexandra Hirsch, PhD, is in charge of 13 employees in metallurgical process development and quality control at the four operating blast furnaces in Duisburg

Ironmaking is no longer a “man’s world” In the “man’s world” of the blast furnaces, the women in the metallurgy team at ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe occupy an important position Measuring, analyzing, evaluating – Alexandra Hirsch (37, PhD) works at the ironmaking sites of ThyssenKrupp – previously a man’s world. She is head of the metallurgy and laborato-

Erik Walner, ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, Duisburg, Germany Contact: www.thyssenkrupp-steel-europe.com E-mail: erik.walner@thyssenkrupp.com

MPT International 5 / 2014

ry team, which comprises more than 30% women. Here, she is in charge of 13 employees in metallurgical process development and quality control at the four operating blast furnaces at the two sites in Schwelgern and Hamborn. Originally from Aachen, she has lived in the Ruhr region since 2008. As head of process optimization for the blast furnaces and quality control for the charge materials coke, sinter, lump ore and pellets at ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, she finds nothing unusual in the fact that young women make up

more than 30% of her team. “In the world of the blast furnace, previously the exclusive domain of men, there are still no female quotas.” Even without quotas, her team – whose work revolves around metallurgical test equipment and laboratory furnaces – includes four women aged 20 to 40 who are there on the strength of their qualifications alone. “We use the equipment to test all our blast furnace charge materials at temperatures of 500 to 1,100°C.” But quality control is just one part of the team’s work: They also devel-

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Janaina Brum (28) is member of the

The two blast furnaces No. 1 and 2 in Duisburg-Schwelgern together produce

metallurgy team on a research project into

around 7.7 million tons of hot metal per year (Photo from the MPT archives)

the use of optimized material grades in coke production

op new, innovative process technologies aimed at optimizing iron and steel production and reducing CO2 emissions and test them in collaboration with colleagues from around the world. “For many students of metallurgy, we are the first port of call when they are looking to gain practical experience alongside their university studies.” The strategic focus of the team also attracts young industrial engineers looking to deepen their metallurgical knowledge for the engineering side of their training. One of the young female metallurgists is the Brazilian Janaina Brum. The 28-year-old from Ponte Nova near Belo Horizonte is currently working in the metallurgy team on a research project into the use of optimized material grades in coke production. After a sixmonth internship at ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe in 2009 and completion of her bachelor’s degree in Brazil, she MPT International 5 / 2014

decided to return to Germany in August 2010. “As a woman – especially one with a four-month-old daughter – it would have been difficult to find a job in Brazil,” says Brum. With a scholarship from the Duisburg steel plant, she completed a master’s degree in the Ruhr and remained true to the blast furnaces. “I felt really at home in Germany and in the metallurgy team,” says the young mother, whose daughter Juliana (4) attends the company child daycare centre in Duisburg-Hamborn. Rosa Peter (33, PhD) is a recent addition to the team: After graduating in metallurgical science from TU Freiberg/Saxony and achieving a doctorate in engineering sciences while at Jülich Research Centre, the mother of three now works in industrial metallurgy. Involvement in international research projects takes her all over Europe and requires good organization.

Martina Bolle (26) also works on the test furnaces in Duisburg. In parallel with her work as a chemical laboratory assistant, she is now studying process technology in evening classes at Georg Agricola Fachhochschule in Bochum. Her expertise meant that she was quickly accepted at ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, and she enjoys her work in the traditional man’s world. Team leader Alexandra Hirsch on working with women and men in the metallurgy lab: “Through the mix of young and old, regardless of gender, we complement each other ideally.” Men and women are treated equally. “What counts with us are qualifications, performance and team skills.” The tone in the department, she says, has in fact become more considerate with the addition of young team members. “People are even joking that we will soon need a male quota.” 쐍

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Data-driven prediction model for the BOF process – application of data mining at AG der Dillinger Hüttenwerke, Germany Self-learning capabilities represent the starting point of a new development in automation control, also in the steel industry. The methods of ‘Industry 4.0’ are not only designed to indicate alternative paths but can also make proven processes more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The interlinking of machinery and data digitalization plays key roles in this approach. Since the end of the 20th century, the interlinking of machinery and data digitalization takes the center-stage of the fourth industrial revolution. ‘Industry 4.0’ stands for a complex interMPT International 5 / 2014

linking of manufacturing processes. Objects of everyday use are becoming more and more intelligent and some of them even have self-learning capabilities. Especially the last aspect re-

presents the starting point of a new development within the steelmaking industry. In steelmaking, the saving of charge materials and energy is a very impor-

STEELMAKING

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Charging of hot metal at the 190-tons BOF (Courtesy: AG der Dillinger HĂźttenwerke)

Conventional metallurgical model of the BOF process

tant aspect. Against this background, all technical developments are in demand which improve the sustainability and the efficiency of steel production in the long run. The methods of Industry 4.0 are not only able to indicate alternative paths but can make it more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly.

Hans-JĂźrgen Odenthal, Norbert Uebber, Jochen SchlĂźter, Mike LĂśpke, SMS Siemag AG, DĂźsseldorf, Germany; Katharina Morik, Hendrik Blom, Technical 7PKXGTUKV[ QH &QTVOWPF %JCKT QH #TVKĆ&#x201A;EKCN Intelligence, Dortmund, Germany Contact: www.sms-siemag.com E-mail: hans-juergen.odenthal@sms-siemag.com

In the basic oxygen furnace (BOF), hot metal and scrap are charged and slag-forming materials such as lime are added. The top lance blows oxygen onto the hot melt at supersonic speed. During this process, the accompanying elements (carbon, phosphorus, silicon, manganese, etc.) are oxidized and absorbed by the slag and the off-gas. The aim of the BOF process is to obtain steel with predefined analysis and temperature at the end of the oxygen blowing (end of blowing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; EoB). The target values are as follows: â&#x2013;Ş tapping temperature T, â&#x2013;Ş carbon content [%C] of the melt, â&#x2013;Ş phosphorus content [%P] of the melt, â&#x2013;Ş iron content (%Fe) of the slag at the end of blowing, respectively. In the following, these target values always refer to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;end of blowingâ&#x20AC;? condition. The influencing variables of the BOF process â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as the weight of hot metal and the amount of oxygen blown, the amount of cooling and heating agents or the age of the converter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; correlate with the target values. In order to predict the target values at the end of blowing, conventional metallurgical models are used which calculate the charge materials and propose further corrections to the operator during the process. The amount of oxygen needed until the end of blowing is also computed. The prediction accuracy of these models depends on how precisely the influencing variables (weight/analysis of hot metal and scrap, etc.) are known. If the end of blowing is not met exactly, the resulting corrective actions will cost time and money (re-blowing, addition of heating/cooling materials). Another disadvantage is the overblowing of the melt. In any case, the wear of the refractory bricks in the BOF converter increases and the total yield decreases. Metallurgical models are based on mass and energy balances. As far as possible, the mass balance covers all material flows (melt, slag, gases, dusts) passing the idealized boundaries of the converter domain. The energy balance can be done in two ways. On the one

hand, the balance can be performed using heat capacities or reaction heats. On the other hand, enthalpies can be linked to the mass flows. Process parameters which cannot be considered by fundamental rules are declared as free parameters.

University-industry cooperation Latest technologies for processing big data make it possible to use different data sources or sensor data for the prediction and control of the BOF process according to Industry 4.0. Data mining methods have been developed at the Chair for Artificial Intelligence of the Technical University of Dortmund. The innovative idea behind Industry 4.0 now is the application of previously learned models that predict the target values in real time. Ultimately, this is possible through the developed model environment for the processing and the analysis of big data streams. These data-driven prediction models calculate the target values on the basis of measured affecting variables. There is no restriction in choosing these variables because statistical methods can be used universally. Extremely big data stocks which are too large to be processed manually can be scanned systematically by data mining methods in order to find new characteristic patterns. The relationships between target values and influencing variables are calculated by modern regression algorithms. These can be linear regression algorithms or support vector machines (SVM) with kernel functions, described hereinafter. The reliability of the prediction increases, the more useful the data for modelling are. A prerequisite for highly dimensional calculations is that a subset of training data, so-called learning data, is taken from the entire data volume. On a cooperation basis, the AG der Dillinger HĂźttenwerke (DH), the Technical University of Dortmund (TUD), Chair of Artificial Intelligence, and SMS Siemag AG (SMS), have developed a data-driven prediction model (DdPM) for the BOF converter. The basic aim is to improve the prediction accuracy of the four target values (T, MPT International 5 / 2014

››› STEELMAKING Lance

Acceleration sensors .PC?KNJGjCP

Offgas analysis

Power loss lance

Offgas duct

Signal converter

Control room Level 1 Distributor

Sonicmeter

.PC?KNJGjCP

Converter

Pyrometer Signal converter

Scheme of the measuring systems installed at the 190-tons BOF at Dillinger Hütte

[%C], [%P], (%Fe)) at the end of blowing at the 190-tons BOF of Dillinger Hütte. Accordingly, a computer has been integrated into the process automation to collect the process data. 90 static process parameters, such as hot metal weight, scrap weight, hot metal analysis, age of converter and lance are detected. The static process parameters also include certain events, such as the point in time and the amount of added heating (carbon, ferrosilicon) or cooling agents (ore, dolomite). In order to support the model prediction, 36 dynamic process parameters such as the off-gas composition (CO, CO2, O2) and the flow rate and temperature of the lance cooling water are taken into account. In addition to this conventional measuring technique, further sensors have been installed, i.e. a three-dimensional accelerometer on the lance, a microphone near by the converter mouth and a pyrometer to monitor the off-gas flame. In general, further time-dependent measuring variables are possible; a total of 126 process parameters are available. MPT International 5 / 2014

Data-driven prediction model After the data-driven prediction model had been imbedded into the process automation of Dillinger Hütte, it became obvious that the data and model handling (collecting and preparing of raw data, learning phase of the model, prediction by the model, statistics) was very time-consuming because many datasets had to be edited manually. Therefore, TUD developed an object-based database environment using an SQL-based index for the efficient storage of large data volumes which could be retrieved via the SQL index. The database administers the following data objects: ▪ Raw data: Static and dynamic data that is stored in order of appearance from the process automation. ▪ Prepared process data: Data that is synchronized, revised and useful for model learning and application is stored directly in the database. Disabled data are identified on the basis of defined rules or statistics. ▪ Process features: Selected process parameters which are related to the

target values, such as initial carbon content of the hot metal or the maximum CO2 off-gas content, are stored directly. In principle, the raw data could also represent process features. Only certain process features are used for efficiency and redundancy reasons (computing capacity, limited learning data records, etc.). It is also possible to create new process features, e.g. the heat flux of the lance cooling water. ▪ Process metadata: Data that is required for evaluating the BOF process such as sensor availability or process classification, i.e. before, during or after blowing. ▪ Learned submodels: At least one learned submodel is provided for each target value. The concept also stipulates that numerous submodels are developed for each target value which differs in terms of the type and range of process features and training data. ▪ Results of the submodels: The submodels are applied according to their quality, e.g. absolute error and

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Prototype HMI of the data-driven prediction model, implemented in the control room of the steel plant

standard deviation. The prediction results for individual charges and submodel quality are also stored in the data-base. The software environment as implemented on the 190-tons BOF of Dillinger Hütte consists of different modules. Data collection. The static and dynamic process data are collected by an IBA-PC. Connection and synchronization. All data records are consolidated into a data stream, synchronized by time and checked for consistency. Thus, a basis has been established for extracting individual charges from the database at a later date and analyzing them in offline mode (playback experiments). Data management. Data streams between the database and other modules are managed by the central data management system. The decision as to which modules the data streams are derived from is taken on the basis of database queries. The data management offers access to all model levels and all data. MPT International 5 / 2014

Data pre-processing. Synchronized and compiled raw data streams are processed and formatted. The raw data streams might contain erroneous values due to defect sensors. This data is identified and replaced automatically by useful values. The processed data cannot be used directly for certain reasons, e.g. different process times or high sampling rates which make it difficult to calculate the target values in real time. Thus, new process features are selected in advance and extracted in real time. These process features have certain magnitudes (0 < hot metal weight < 2*105 kg; 1,150°C < hot metal temperature < 1,450°C). Learned submodels. For each target value at least one submodel is learned by non-linear regression using the support vector machine (SVM) method. The SVM is a mathematical procedure to recognize patterns and analyze classifications and regressions. The procedure starts with the process data being displayed as position vectors in a vector space. The SVM determines a specific function for each

target value, which shows the dependency of the process features. Kernel functions are used to transform the process features to a space with a higher dimension in order to separate the data linearly by a hyper plane. The hyper plane is calculated such that there is the maximum distance between itself and the support vector adjacent to it. The solving of the SVM optimization problem on the training heats is called the “learning of the model”. The decision as to which learning and application routines are to be used is made by the submodel management. Submodel application. To apply the learned submodel means predicting the target value using the learned target function, taking into account current process data. The computing time for this process is approx. 1 ms. The module also computes the submodel quality, which in a steelmaking plant is typically determined by the expectation value and the standard deviation of the target value. Human machine interface (HMI). Process features and results are

››› STEELMAKING

displayed in the form of alphanumeric values and diagrams. After approx. 80% of the oxygen has been blown, the data-driven prediction model shows the respective values (T, [%C], [%P], (%Fe)) expected at the end of blowing. At the HMI (see figure) the hot metal weight, temperature and analysis are shown in column (1); the scrap weight is shown as well. Column (2) shows the order calculation for T, [%C], [%P], (%Fe). Column (3) shows the used quantities of additives and the amount of oxygen blown so far. Columns (4), (5) show the forecasts of the data-driven prediction model at the end of blowing without corrective action, and columns (6), (7) with corrective action. At the current point in time (see figure), the model predicts the tempera-

covers 1,950 heats recorded until April 2014. The data-driven prediction model gives a significantly better forecast of the temperature at the end of blowing. The new model is also capable of predicting the target values for the contents of phosphorus and carbon in the heat, and the iron content in the slag, contrary to the conventional model.

Conclusion 2TQRQUGF GEQPQOKE DGPGƂV Many aspects must be taken into account to answer the question of the economic benefit in steelmaking if the prediction model used so far is replaced by the new data-driven prediction model. The benefit is calculated by considering the following aspects, among others:

Target value

Standard deviation

(without sublance measurement)

(conventional model)

(data-driven prediction)

Temperature

23.0°C

16.2°C

Phosphorus content of the heat

not indicated

25 ppm

Carbon content of the heat

not indicated

55 ppm

Iron content of the slag

not indicated

1.4%

Standard deviation of the process parameters (without corrections) at the end of blowing, 190-tons BOF; basis of the data-driven prediction model are 200 successive charges

ture of 1,720°C at the end of blowing, i. e. it is 20°C below the target temperature 1,740°C. The model recommends the addition of 151 kg ferrosilicon (FeSi) as heating agent and 454 kg lime. The temperature expected by this action is then 1,738°C. The table shows the comparison between the predicted target values of the conventional metallurgical model and those of the data-driven prediction model. In the latter case, the standard deviation has been calculated for 200 successive heats, and the learning basis

With an assumed steel production of 2 million t per year and an improved accuracy of 1°C to hit the tapping temperature of the 190-tons BOF, the possible savings are up to 100,000 euros per year due to the reduction of the heating/cooling agents and of the re-blowing rate.

▪ increase of the steel production by reduction of both the re-blowing and the overblowing rate, ▪ reduction of process costs (e.g. energy) and charge materials (e.g. oxygen, heating and cooling agents), ▪ reduction of wear of the converter refractory lining, ▪ increase in the yield of steel from the converter, ▪ reduction of personnel costs. These aspects are of varying importance depending on the steelworks and the production process.

The newly developed, data-driven prediction model is capable of self-learning from big data stocks and of predicting in real time. It achieves better results than the conventional model. The system controls the blowing process by calculating suggestions for corrections in real time. The software system and the algorithms are robust and have been working for months without problems in the process automation environment of the Dillinger Hütte steelworks. In the present phase of development, there is still potential for improvement as regards data usage and model management. If a database exists, it will be possible to adapt the data-driven prediction model to other applications, using the developed software environment. Such applications are possible both for other converters and for other metallurgical units. Even though data-driven prediction models basically use other methods than metallurgical models, there is no compulsory reason for using only one of these concepts; the manifold opportunities should be used to combine the two worlds. Besides the extraordinary possibilities for extending the capacity and the range of application of data-driven prediction models, the efficient combination with metallurgical models will be one of the tasks to be dealt with in the fu쐍 ture.

24.90 € Published by the Steel Institute VDEh Edition 2008. 20.0 x 24.0 cm. 186 pages including many multi-colour illustrations and a flow chart showing the production routes from ore to steel ISBN 978-3-514-00745-1

STEEL MANUAL Verlag Stahleisen GmbH · Sohnstraße 65 · 40237 Düsseldorf · www.stahleisen.de

››› STEELMAKING

Two BOFs successfully revamped at ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, Germany The second 400-ton converter at ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG, Germany, in the DuisburgBruckhausen works went into production immediately after the successful revamp by SMS Siemag in July 2014 The two converters in the oxygen steel plant No. 1 have formed the basis for steelmaking at ThyssenKrupp in Duisburg-Bruckhausen since 1969. Now, more than fifty years later, both converters had to undergo a modernization. In September 2013, the first of the two revamped converters was successfully put back into operation. The second converter has now been revamped after more than 44 years of continuous operation and approx. 211,000 heats, corresponding to the making of around 80 million tons of steel. “Converter I, which has been on stream again for almost one year, delivers good results and fulfils our high-level requirements. For converter II, we have already awarded acceptance after a 14 days period. We are very satisfied,” says Wolfgang Schulte, senior engineer of the plant development department, ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe. The new converter vessel is one of the largest of its kind worldwide. The design developed by SMS Siemag has enabled the construction of a much larger converter vessel: With an unchanged quantity of up to 400 tons of material charged, the internal volume of the converter has been increased by 24%. The additional volumetric capacity enables a more environment-friendly process control and a more efficient energy recovery. This expansion will be done for reasons inherent to the production process and it is not associated with increasing volumes.

SMS Siemag AG, Düsseldorf, Germany Contact: www.sms-siemag.com E-mail: communications@sms-siemag.com

MPT International 5 / 2014

The project teams of ThyssenKrupp and SMS Siemag after the successful revamp

Thanks to the lamella suspension system developed by SMS Siemag, the existing mounting space can now be used more efficiently. The lamella suspension comprises a maintenance-free converter suspension for arranging the converter vessel in the trunnion ring without restraint. SMS Siemag supplied the converter, the supporting ring, the vessel fastening with its patented lamella suspension system of the latest generation, the trunnion bearings and the bearing supports. The solution developed by SMS Siemag makes it possible to retain and continue to use the existing converter tilt drive. SMS Siemag has also been responsible for the dismantling of the existing converter plant, the installation of the plant components as

well as the erection of a new converter platform. The revamp has been carried out by the ThyssenKrupp MillServices & Systems GmbH, Duisburg, Germany. The SMS Siemag team has even succeeded in falling below the downtime of 44 days by more than 36 hours. “We would like to thank all parties involved for their performance and commitment. The project is a very good example of the fact that precise agreements, an open attitude towards one another, good communication and close cooperation between the subsuppliers, our specialist departments and the oxygen steelworks No. 1 have paid off,” states Tim Moscheik, project manager of the converter revamps, ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe in Duisburg-Bruckhausen. 쐍

â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş STEELMAKING

Electric arc furnace and off-gas cleaning plant start operation at Baku Steel, Azerbaijan The new plant was equipped with state-of-the art off-gas cleaning facilities. Dust emissions drop to a maximum of 10 milligrams per cubic meter (stp) Azerbaijani steel producer Baku ing system for the electric arc furnace ter-cooled lid and current-conductSteel Company Ltd. has put into op- and the 50-metric-ton ladle furnace as ing carrying arms as well as the baeration a 50-t electric arc furnace sup- well as secondary dedusting system for sic automation of the arc furnace. A plied by Siemens Metals Technologies. The new furnace is part of an expansion project with which Baku Steel wishes to boost its annual production capacity to around 1.1 million t of steel. Recently, Siemens also modernized the electric steel plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ladle furnace and installed a dynamic compensation system. The electric steel plant was equipped with an offgas cleaning system as part of the project, so its dust emissions can be reduced to a maximum of 10 milligrams per standard cubic meter (stp). Baku Steel Co. is the leading producer of structural steels in Azerbaijan. With the new 50-t electric arc furnace, the company can produce 500,000 t of steel a year, some 150,000 t 6JG V '#( UJCNN CEJKGXG C URGEKĆ&#x201A;E GPGTI[ EQPUWORVKQP QH M9J RGT VNU 2JQVQ EQWTVGU[ D[ more than with the pre- $CMW 5VGGN %QORCP[ .VF vious plant. This means that Baku Steelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production capacity the hall. The overall system has a ca- dynamic compensation system from will grow to an annual total of more pacity of around 950,000 mÂł/h (stp). Siemens was also installed, which â&#x20AC;&#x201C; than 1.1 million metric tons. The fully automatic off-gas cleaning together with the modernized ladle The off-gas cleaning system from system limits the dust content in ex- furnace â&#x20AC;&#x201C; commenced operation earSiemens comprises a primary dedust- haust gases to a maximum of 10 mil- lier this year. After completion of these ligrams per cubic meter (stp), ensur- measures, Baku Steelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electric arc furing that dust emissions from the steel nace will achieve a specific energy conmill will meet European environmen- sumption of 370 kilowatt hours (kWh) Siemens AG, Industry Sector, tal standards. with a power-on time of 35 minutes Metals Technologies, Linz, Austria The project also comprised mechanand electrode consumption amountContact: www.siemens.com/metals ical equipment for the ladle furnace, ing to 1.6 kilograms per ton of crude E-mail: rainer.schulze@siemens.com ě?? including a compact portal, a wa- steel. MPT International 5 / 2014

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Dry-compressing screw vacuum pumps as enabler for demanding steel degassing processes 7KH LQFUHDVLQJ GHPDQG IRU KLJKHU TXDOLW\ VWHHOV FDOOV IRU LQQRYDWLYH DQG HIƂFLHQW IRUPV of steel degassing. Currently available dry-compressing screw vacuum pump technology is robust and optimized in terms of energy and it can support operators of steelworks in their efforts to minimize operating costs and emissions to the environment. In view of these advantages, mechanical vacuum pump systems will take over from existing installed steam ejector systems in the medium term In recent decades, there has been a constant increase in the demand for high-quality, refined steels. These steels are generally subjected to vacuum processes in order to create the required properties. Traditionally, the vacuum for steel degassing units has been generated using so-called steam ejector systems. However, since these systems are extremely unfavourable in terms of energy consumption and the amounts of steam required for their operation often need to be generated in a CO2-intensive way in gas- or oil-fired boilers, the steel industry has been faced with the problem of how to meet the increasing demand for higher-quality steels without increasing emissions and the amount of energy required. Here, mechanical vacuum systems provide an efficient solution. These systems have already been in use for more than 10 years. However, in practice they presented a number of major problems. The pump types initially used were not able to reliably cope with the harsh operating conditions. They caused higher maintenance and servicing costs and could not fully assure reliable operation of the steel degassing system. Here the crucial breakthrough only came about through the use of modern, dry-compressing screw vacuum pumps.

Uwe Zöllig, Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum, Cologne, Germany Contact: www.oerlikon.com/leyboldvacuum E-mail: uwe.zoellig@oerlikon.com

MPT International 5 / 2014

A Roots pump of modern design (all illustrations by courtesy of Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum)

Vacuum treatment is a core process in secondary metallurgy Most high-quality steels, e.g. for automotive or aerospace use, require secondary metallurgical treatment. In order to achieve the special metallurgical properties, degassing procedures such as VD (vacuum degassing), VOD (vacuum oxygen decarburization) or the RH (Ruhrstahl-Heraeus) process are used. Through these vacuum processes the amount of gases dissolved in the liquid steel and of elements such as carbon or phosphorous can be further reduced. One important factor during steel degassing procedures is that the evacuation process takes place as quickly as possible because the melt cools down continuously. This leads to extremely short evacuation times of typically only 3 – 7 minutes. Due to the immense volumes involved, the required vacuum systems are often very large. For a design pressure of 0.67 hPa, the required exhaustion rate would be around 30,000 m³/h for a small VD unit; for a large RH unit, it could amount to more than 1,000,000 m³/h.

Insensitivity to dust In the typical degassing processes of < 1 hPa, not only the soluble gases are expelled, but also metal components evaporate from the more than 1,500°C hot melt. During the oxygen blowing process (VOD), also large amounts of metal oxides are produced. The metal and metal oxide vapours cool down on their way out and condense out in the form of large amounts of very fine dust, which is also extracted by the vacuum system. Therefore, the vacuum system must be able to cope with this dust. The sensitivity to dust varies greatly, depending on the type of vacuum system.

Steam ejector systems versus mechanical vacuum pumps The established standard vacuum solutions for steel degassers are steam ejector systems, and in practice these are often combined with liquid ring vacuum pumps. The advantages of these vacuum systems are the relatively low investment costs and the fact that

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6 x Ruvac WH7000

2 x Ruvac WH7000

Purge-gas inlet

2 x Dryvac DV1200

Gas-outlet

Diagram of a 3-stage vacuum system

they represent a well-known technology which ensures reliable operation. However, these positive properties are obtained at the cost of a number of disadvantages. By comparison with mechanical vacuum systems, the biggest drawback here is the very large amount of energy that is required, and consequently the very negative CO2 balance. Out of purely practical considerations, mention should also be made of the long times to start up a steam ejector unit and for steam generation, i.e. a period of at least 1 – 2 hours. As such a system cannot be switched on at short notice when required, in practice it is continuously run in the standby mode. In addition, it is not possible to adequately regulate the pressure and in view of the layers of dust that settle out inside the ejector system, regular mechanical cleaning and maintenance of the ejector systems become necessary. A further disadvantage of steam ejector systems is the “wet” separation of the transported dust inside the condensers and the liquid ring pumps. This results in waste water that is heavily contaminated with dust and requires expensive treatment. The opMPT International 5 / 2014

erating costs of such a water circuit are often underestimated. In practice, alone the circulating water pump required for a steam ejector system consumes more power than the complete alternative mechanical vacuum system that could replace the entire steam ejector system. The deposition of dust causes the frequently used liquid ring pumps to “clog up”. This requires regular maintenance of the pumps. Another negative factor is that the pressure that can be attained with such vacuum systems depends on the temperature of the cooling water. In a hot country, like for example India, where the cooling water circulating through cooling towers may easily reach temperatures of > 35°C, a given plant would produce other steel properties than in a “cold” country like Germany, where the cooling tower water would seldom reach temperatures above 20°C, even in the summer. In comparison with steam ejector systems and liquid ring pumps, innovative mechanical pumps provide a highly practicable, reliable and powerful vacuum supply for steel degassing. They offer a stable vacuum, not

dependent on external influences such as, for example, the temperature of the water. This is especially important against the background of the growing efforts to curb operating costs and CO2 emissions.

Roots pumps Roots pumps are used in all kinds of mechanical vacuum systems and have performed convincingly from the very beginning. Adhering dust particles do not form any hard layers on the inner walls of the pumps. They are rather blown out again by the process gases. In Roots pumps of modern design, details such as the built-in motor (no need for shaft seals), hermetically sealed rotors and the intelligent use of sealing gas facilities lead to a considerable further reduction of the load caused by the entrained dust, making this pump type even more robust. Operation via exactly parameterized frequency converters allows the maximum exhaustion rate to be exploited over the entire pressure range of the steel degasser. It is necessary to combine Roots pumps with suitable pre-vacuum pumps to achieve the re-

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››› STEELMAKING 1 Pumping chamber 2 Suction side 3 Rotors 4 "GPCARGML MD E?Q kMU 5 Exhaust side 6 Motor 7 Frequency converter

Dry-compressing screw vacuum pump of the latest design (Dryvac)

quired exhaustion rate. Nowadays the best compromise between economic and energetic considerations is usually provided by the use of three-stage vacuum systems. While Roots pumps have always been used successfully in steel degassing systems, the required pre-vacuum pumps created bigger problems in the past.

Oil-sealed rotary vane or rotary piston vacuum pumps Oil-sealed pre-vacuum pumps were frequently used in the smaller vacuum degassers of the first generation. They turned out to have the main disadvantage that the dust entering the pump was washed out by the sealing oil and got stuck inside the pump. The problem was that the oil laden with dust acted like a grinding paste and damaged the interior of the pump. In order to effectively prevent this type of damage, these pumps require extremely efficient dust-filtering systems and frequent oil changes, maintenance and servicing work. Weekly oil changes and annual overhauls of the pumps are not unusual here. It is important to note that especially when using these pumps with degassing processes involving oxygen blowing (such as VOD) the gases entering the vacuum system could temporarily contain high oxygen concentrations. Since normal pump oils are not resistant to oxygen, special pump oils must be used, such as the extremely expensive PFPE oil, to prevent the oil from being burned away. A cheaper alternative MPT International 5 / 2014

is the use of special synthetic ester oils. However, if these oils are used, the inspection intervals must be very short so as to ensure that the oil is resistant to the oxygen, simply as such oils do age and in the meantime lose their oxygen resistance.

accumulations of dust being squeezed between the housing and the claw), it turned out to be a typical problem of this type of pump that it was difficult to start them up again when there were any dust accumulations inside them. A further disadvantage is the typically very high noise level of claw vacuum pumps.

Drycompressing claw vacuum pumps Claw vacuum pumps were used as the first generation of dry-compressing pre-vacuum pumps. The idea was that, in view of the absence of oil in the suction chamber, any dust particles that were brought in could be simply discharged Dry-compressing screw pumps can convey dry dust at the outlet in the Dry screw vacuum pumps same way as with Roots pumps. However, in practice the convoluted The breakthrough concerning the conveying path in claw pumps led to process suitability of mechanical vacupart of the dust settling out within the gas um systems was provided by the develpath. Attempts to remove the accumula- opment of modern dry-compressing tions of dust by blowing them out with screw vacuum pumps. These provide sudden blasts of gas did not lead to sat- convincing results in demanding metisfactory results. Depending on the seal- allurgical processes through their siming concept, sealing oils are also brought ple design and robustness in operation. into the suction chamber, and these form With these properties they guarantee a abrasive coatings in combination with maximum degree of functionality and the dust. Since the clearances below the reliability because screw pumps work claws are reduced when the pump cools without any problems even under down after switching off (resulting in any very difficult conditions. In the same

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››› STEELMAKING Three-stage vacuum system, optimized for steel degassing processes

way as Roots pumps, latest screw vacuum pumps have design details such as a built-in motor making parts sub-

ject to wear such as shaft seals unnecessary. They also use intelligent sealing gas systems that prevent the entry

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of dust into the sealing systems, motor and bearing areas. Here, too, operation with optimally parameterized frequency converters leads to a maximized exhaustion rate over the entire working range. The intelligent electronics within the frequency converter are also used to monitor vital pump functions. Also BUS communication to a higher-level controller is possible. But the main advantage of screw vacuum pumps for these processes is primarily their insensitivity to the arising dry dust. The direct gas path largely reduces the accumulation of particles that have been carried over into the process area. However, accumulations of dust are not a problem as long as the particle size is not greater than the gap between the rotor and the housing. Excessively thick accumulations of dust are simply pushed out in the direction of the outlet. Since the clearances between the rotor and the housing in-

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STEELMAKING crease when the pump cools down, it is also possible to start the pump up again without any problems. Intelligent pump drive units with frequency converters and a BUS interface are becoming increasingly important. This statement, on the one hand, refers to the aspect of process control technology. Intelligent systems provide the option to integrate the pump in such a way that it is actively involved in the implementation of the process requirements. On the other hand, the use of integrated frequency converters optimizes the power drawn by the pumps. In addition, the amount of power that is required in any case is further reduced in modern screw vacuum pumps through the variable pitch of the screw rotors which ensures a continuous compression over the complete screw length.

Advantages of mechanical vacuum systems During the rapid evacuation of steel degassing systems, it may happen that within certain pressure ranges the slag

floating on the melt suddenly starts foaming. If no countermeasures are taken, the metal melt may spill over the edge of the ladle. Today, in practice, in a steam ejector-based system, vacuum generation has to be interrupted by adding nitrogen or argon. Then vacuum generation can be resumed again. When using mechanical vacuum systems with frequency converter controlled vacuum pumps, the speed of evacuation can be regulated in advance in such a way that the pumps can “creep through” this critical range. This reliably prevents the slag from foaming over.

Conclusion The increasing demand for higherquality steels emphasizes the necessity for an innovative and efficient form of steel degassing. The steam ejector systems that have been traditionally used have a number of disadvantages such as high energy consumption and massive emissions of CO2. In addition, the metallurgical processes are made more expensive due to the elaborate treatment

‹‹‹

of the waste water and the steam that needs to be generated as required. Modern mechanical vacuum systems offer a genuine alternative in functional and economic terms. Robust, dry-compressing screw vacuum pumps and Roots pumps of the latest designs make it possible to use such systems even in the most demanding degassing processes. The vacuum pump technology available today is robust and optimized in terms of energy. It can support operators of steelworks still using older forms of vacuum technology in their efforts to reduce operating costs and the impact on the environment to a minimum – two aspects which have gained in importance in recent years. The market potential of modern mechanical pump systems is correspondingly high. It can therefore be expected that the demand for mechanical vacuum systems in steel degassing will continue to increase in the near future. In view of the advantages stated above, mechanical vacuum pump systems will take over from existing installed steam ejector systems in the medium term. 쐍

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MPT International 5 / 2014

››› CONTINUOUS CASTING

The team nominated for the German president’s award (from right): Burkhard Dahmen (SMS group), Ulrich Grethe (Salzgitter Flachstahl), and Karl-Heinz Spitzer (TU Clausthal) at the model of the horizontal belt casting machine

Horizontal belt casting of thin strip steel The “Horizontal thin strip belt casting – resource-conserving production of new highperformance materials” joint project of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, SMS Siemag AG and the Clausthal University of Technology has been short listed for the Deutscher Zukunftspreis 2014, the German Federal President’s award for innovation in science and technology In September, the office of the German Federal President nominated three innovation projects for the Deutscher Zukunftspreis 2014, the German president’s award for innovation in science and technology. The joint “Horizontal belt casting of steel” project has been short listed for the final decision round. As those responsible for the project, Ulrich Grethe, chairman of the management board of German flat steel producer Salzgitter

Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, Institute of Metallurgy of TU Clausthal, SMS Siemag AG, Germany Contact: www.deutscher-zukunftspreis.de E-mail: kleinermann.b@salzgitter-ag.de communications@sms-siemag.com

MPT International 5 / 2014

Flachstahl GmbH (project spokesman), Burkhard Dahmen, CEO of SMS Siemag AG and spokesman of the management of SMS Holding GmbH, as well as Professor Karl-Heinz Spitzer, managing director of Institute of Metallurgy of TU Clausthal, have been directly nominated. Things remain exciting for the project teams: The winning team will be named by the jury on 19 November 2014, and German Federal President Joachim Gauck will award this outstanding German science prize to the winners at a celebratory event in Berlin.

An innovation in continuous casting thin steel In a close collaboration between science and industry, Salzgitter Flachstahl

GmbH, SMS Siemag AG and the Clausthal University of Technology have succeeded in successfully scaling up the horizontal belt casting of steel, from fundamental research through to industrial use. The technology of thin casting takes its lead from the dream and vision of producing steel products, ideally seamlessly, directly from molten material. This saves energy and resources, conserves the environment and opens up the potential for manufacturing steel products even more flexibly and cost efficiently in the future. Over the past ten years, Professor Karl-Heinz Spitzer has made vital headway with the fundamental process technology at TU Clausthal with the support of the two industrial partners. The important foundations for

CONTINUOUS CASTING this were also laid in the context of several research initiatives, one being the recent ReBand project of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research. Ulrich Grethe (Salzgitter Flachstahl) and Burkhard Dahmen (SMS group) together assumed a leading role in realizing the world’s first industrial facilities during the period from 2010 to 2012. This courageous step was also funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in the context of environmental protection aid. Since then, the two parties, drawing on the scientific support of Professor Spitzer, have both coordinated the break-in run that has already produced evidence of its sustainability for industrial use. In addition, they are responsible for launching the process technology in the market and selling the belt casted steel products. This special process technology also opens up the prospect of producing innovative high-performance materials, which, up until now, has been impossible or extremely difficult. A prime example is an entirely new generation of lightweight construction steels that are extremely resilient while exhibiting high ductility, thereby essentially combining two generally irreconcilable material properties in conventional steel as well as other metals. Ideally shaped and highly stress resistant components can now be produced that make vehicles lighter, but also safer for instance. The horizontal belt casting of steel addresses the key challenges of a cutting-edge, forward-looking process technology and material production. An additional aspect is the significant stimulus it generates for securing the sustainability of steel-intensive industries against the backdrop of global competition. This applies not only to the future of Germany’s steel industry, but also to its traditionally strong automotive and machinery industries, as well as plant engineering.

‹‹‹

A ladle pouring liquid steel into the tundish of the belt caster

Hot strand exiting the caster (All pictures: Ansgar Pudenz, courtesy by Deutscher

This is how it works! In contrast to the conventional continuous casting of thick ingots, horizontal belt casting allows the molten steel to be poured around 20 times more thinly on to an intensively cooled belt moving at speed on an infinite ra-

Zukunftspreis)

dius roll. The already near-net-shape casting of the material in a thickness of around 15 mm dispenses with the need for onerous reheating and rolling steps on its way to becoming sheet steel.

The horizontal melt flow facilitates a good cooling process that exerts little mechanical strain on the hot steel. The belt caster and product move at the same speed, and the lubricants MPT International 5 / 2014

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Horizontal transfer bar of the belt casting plant

customarily required can be dispensed with. The cooling water does not come into contact with the cast product and is reused without further treatment. The swift cooling of the material has a positive effect on the casting quality. The casting thickness is, however, of sufficient dimension to allow the desired product properties to be securely achieved after rolling. Essentially these process advantages are what have made the production of a wide range of new, high grade and particularly sophisticated steel materials possible in the first place.

The advantage is high strength matched by high ductility The advantages of horizontal belt casting are put to use, for instance, in the production of an entirely new generation of lightweight HSDÂŽ steels. HSDÂŽ stands for high strength and ductility and for steels with a higher manganese content and small additions of aluminum and silicon. The product properties can be individually customized to suit the application in question. This solution also harbors deformation reserves which come into their own under different exposures to MPT International 5 / 2014

Downcoiler at the exit section of the line

stress â&#x20AC;&#x201C; take colliding vehicles or very low temperatures, for example. New design and lightweight construction potential can be tapped, also in the non-automotive sector, which opens the door to further energy savings and resource efficiencies. HSDÂŽ steels lend themselves particularly to automotive lightweight construction, especially heavily stressed components with complex geometries in the bodywork, interior and chassis. Automotive engineers enjoy greater scope for design without having to additionally heat up the material. In the weight-optimized utilization of materials, both the number of individual components and operations in the forming process can be reduced in production. Testing is typically under way for components relevant to safety, such as bumpers, door impact bars, car seats and load-bearing bodywork components. Weight savings of 17% to 38% can be made compared with todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s serial production.

Bright outlook Belt casting technology and high-performance steels have a doubly positive impact on sustainable environmental protection. The consump-

tion of energy during the casting and hot rolling stages can be reduced in the future by around one third through full process integration. In addition, the weight advantage of belt casted lightweight construction steels reduces the amount of gas needed to run a vehicle. The industrial-scale introduction of the belt casting technology in the Peine steelworks is progressing steadily and may be the genesis of a broader industrial breakthrough. The belt casting process is decidedly compelling due to its economical and compact design and comparatively low capital expenditure. The SMS group has the opportunity of developing this innovative casting technology into an industrial production method suitable for conventional and special steels and selling it successfully. Moreover, numerous ongoing product development projects have shown a lively interest in the belt casted lightweight steels from Salzgitter. The scope of the range of steel products achievable through this process currently defies prediction. Salzgitter Flachstahl is already working on other construction and functional materials that are perfectly suited to belt casting. ě??

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â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş HOT ROLLING â&#x20AC;&#x201C; AUTOMATION

Control optimization for twostrand wire rod mills Russula has developed an algorithm that improves control in two-strand wire rod PLOOV 7KH RSWLPL]DWLRQ PRGHO LV FRQĆ&#x201A;JXUHG XVLQJ D PDVWHU OLQH DQG D IROORZHU OLQH ZLWK upstream control. As the corrections between the two lines are distributed, the control HQVXUHV WKDW WKH PDVWHU PDLQWDLQV D Ć&#x201A;[HG VSHHG ZKLOH PLQLPL]LQJ WKH IROORZHU OLQHvV VSHHG FRUUHFWLRQV LQ WKH Ć&#x201A;QLVKLQJ EORFN DQG OD\LQJ KHDG 7KH REMHFWLYH RI WKH DOJRULWKP LV WR HQVXUH FRUUHFW DQG XQLIRUP FRLO IRUPDWLRQ LPSURYLQJ WKH TXDOLW\ RI WKH Ć&#x201A;QDO SURGXFW

Outlet of a 2-strand wire rod mill

In wire rod rolling, speed control is especially critical in the rod outlet section of the finishing mill. In this area, the material has a small cross section area, which makes it more flexible, and rolling takes place at very high speeds. Speed corrections may affect the ring dimensions and the mechanical properties (for example, by stretching during rolling with tension) or lead to defective ring formation at the laying head. To meet the required quality standards and avoid potential problems in the ring distributor and the coil forming area, it is essential to maintain the correct ring dimensions. In order to

Silvia FernĂĄndez, Jose RamĂłn GonzĂĄlez, Russula Headquarters Europe, A CoruĂąa, Spain Contact: www.russula.com E-mail: silvia.fernandez@russula.com jrgonzalez@russula.com

MPT International 5 / 2014

keep a constant ring diameter, the mill product speed must be synchronized with the laying head speed. Both the finishing block and the laying head equipment have great inertia, which leads to a slower response to sudden changes in speed. However, in simple configurations (such as single-strand rolling) this is not an issue, since the product speed is held constant by regulating the speed cascade upstream. The reason for having a two-strand wire rod mill is to maximize production capacity. Both strands have a common roughing and intermediate mill, where two bars pass through the stands at the same time. After this the mill divides into two separate finishing lines, each one typically consisting of a finishing block (six to ten stands), sometimes also including miniblocks (two stands), with a single bar being rolled at each outlet. The water boxes are located after the finishing stands on each of these outlets followed by a pinch roll and the laying head, which

deposits the rings on the cooling conveyor. When controlling the speeds of these machines, multiple factors may cause deviations from the initial cross section area of the theoretical calculation. Among these are the following: â&#x2013;Ş Roll wear may cause reduction variations over time, resulting in differences in the cross section areas between the lines. â&#x2013;Ş Imperfect stand rigidity of the roughing and intermediate mills may cause the rolls to separate more when rolling two bars instead of one. As a result this causes variations in the output section of the stock being rolled. â&#x2013;Ş Variations in the temperature of the bar may cause differences in the plastic deformation of the steel, which affect the final dimensions. All these changes in the product cross section reflect in variations to be compensated in the control loop or loops before the blocks or miniblocks. This inevitably involves changing the output speed of the lines independently in order to compensate for differences between them. In conventional installations, the adopted solution typically is to maintain a fixed speed at the last stand of the intermediate mill and adjust three lines separately based on a fixed speed. While in the common area regulation is implemented upstream, the two rod outlets are controlled downstream independently from each other. This configuration results in the fact that each lineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loop corrections are transmitted in cascade, strongly impacting the block and laying head speeds. Furthermore, this control method has its limitations because the fact that both the pinch roll and the laying head speeds change continuously may mask response problems in the drives

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of these units. By fixing the product speed, it is possible to “isolate” these elements and facilitate troubleshooting. Moreover, the two lines will never be exactly the same – not only because of the above mentioned different roll groove wear and the different stand rigidity. It may also happen that some of the drives react worse to process changes. This may lead to differences in the guiding of the rolling stock or in one of the two lines the loop may even exhibit more volatility. This difference may only be compensated with changes in the product speed.

Algorithm to compensate for differences between the lines Given these control difficulties and limitations, Russula’s algorithm consists of a full upstream control to prevent continuous and aggressive speed corrections by the downstream control. As it is not possible to maintain two speed controls in cascade that converge at the same point in the common area, one line must be configured as a master (with fixed product speed), while the other is configured as a follower. The system will compensate for differences between the lines and only slightly modify the product speed of the follower. This method will mainMPT International 5 / 2014

tain a constant speed in both laying heads for most of the time. The algorithm controls the master line as if it were a single-strand rod mill. The upstream control loop sends the necessary speed corrections to maintain a stable loop height. The output speed is kept fixed, so that the laying head will not suffer any variation unless the production rate is rising or decreasing. In the case of the follower outlet, the control is upstream. During rolling, only small corrections are made to the speed of the finishing block to compensate for the imbalances between the two lines. In addition, when there is no bar being rolled in the follower line, its speed remains coordinated with the master line by the usual R factors. The reduction factors of the stands, miniblocks and finishing block remain fixed, so that an increase/ decrease in the speed of the last stand in the intermediate mill will lead to an increase/decrease in the product speed of the follower line. This mode of operation involves the following functions: ▪ Recalculation of the R factor from the first drive of the follower line during rolling. ▪ Filtering the imbalances between the two lines to generate the correct product speed of the follower line.

In short, variations in the last common stand generated by the master line will be transmitted to the output speed of the follower line to the loop. Only when the production speed is increased, the control system will override and modify the speed of the follower without waiting for the speed change to be transmitted by the loop control. Another problem associated with this type of mill is that there are severe height fluctuations in the loops whenever a billet enters or leaves the other strand. It is imperative to have a stable loop when a front end arrives at the common stands, as these stands will “open” allowing more material through the second strand leading to the higher loops. Likewise when the tail of the bar leaves the common stands, these stands will “close” a bit. The situation may become dangerous if the loop grows so much that there is the risk of knots forming or cobbling. In addition, trying to lower the height of one loop and raise the other implies opposite effects as a result of which it will take longer to stabilize both. To avoid situations like this, the Russula algorithm decreases the set point of the loops when the arrival of a new billet head has been detected, forcing both loops to rise at once. 쐍

››› SURFACE TREATMENT

Drahtwerk St. Ingbert invests 13.5 million euros in state-of-theart surface treatment plant German wire rod producer puts new surface treatment plant into operation. Depending on the customers’ requirements, wire can be phosphatized, polymer-coated or soap-treated German wire rod producer Drahtwerk St. Ingbert GmbH (DWI), a subsidiary of Saarstahl AG, has constructed a new surface treatment line for the pickling and coating of wire. The investment amounted to 13.5 million euros. With the new surface treatment line, Drahtwerk St. Ingbert can manufacture 100,000 tpy of wire, mainly for use in the automotive industries and the durable goods sector. “The new plant allows us more flexibility and is helping us to generate additional fields of business,” managing director Peter Holz explains. “We want to expand our product range and to orientate our development towards higher quality grades.” The high-performance pickling line was built over a period of 18 months. The new line allows coatings of even higher quality and with greater homogeneity than previously. Depending on the customers’ requirements, wire can be phosphatized, polymer-coated or soap-treated. Combined with socalled bell-type annealing, in which wire coils are heat treated in a defined process in order to achieve particular material properties, Drahtwerk St. Ingbert now offers the latest technology in further processing of wire. “With this investment, we are well prepared for the future and for further developing our service for our customers,” Peter Holz comments. In particular, the manufacture of drawn cold-heading wire, which is primarily used in the production of components for the automotive industry (e.g. engine components, chas-

sis components, screws), has now been integrated into the possibilities offered in St. Ingbert. “Also, the new hall with

its modern facade has significantly enhanced the outward appearance of our plant,” Peter Holz concludes. 쐍

Drahtwerk St. Ingbert, Saarstahl AG, Völklingen, Germany Contact: www.draht-dwi.de E-mail: saarstahl@saarstahl.com 9KTG EQKNU VQ DG KOOGTUGF KP XCTKQWU DCUKPU HQT URGEKƂE UWTHCEG VTGCVOGPV MPT International 5 / 2014

THE

Edition 1/1

TECHNOLOGIST ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE

Electric arc furnaces (EAF) built by INTECO feature a very robust mechanical design which guarantees long term trouble free operation with special emphasis on ease of maintenance. Finite element calculations, which are carried out by INTECO‘s engineers, ensure the avoidance of unfavorable high stress peaks in the construction. Each single furQDFH LV VSHFL¿FDOO\ GHVLJQHG DQG GLPHQVLRQHG IRU LWV DSSOLcation with special consideration of available raw materials, production capacity and steel grades. The melt power supply is a tailor made solution to the client‘s requirements in regard of tap-to-tap time and optimized for the local power grid. Additionally the furnace can also be perfectly combined with INTECO‘s EPC (scrap preheating) system. Combined with INTECO’s mechanical and electrical engineering skills and automation solutions such as the INTECO Smart Electrod Control (ISEC) and Level 2 system ,17(&2¶V IXUQDFH RIIHUV \RX VHYHUDO EHQH¿WV VXFK DV PLQLmized energy- and electrode consumption, an overall cost reduction as well as operator safety. INTECO’s expertise in the engineering and supply of high quality steel plant technology is now matched with the knowhow of a true specialist when it comes to EAF appliances: Process Technology International (PTI) LLC. This Atlanta based company, now a member of the INTECO Group, has over 20 years’ experience in EAF applications, such as: PTI JetBOxTM, PTI JETburnerTM, PTI SWINGdoorTM, PTI TempBOxTM EAF Sampler System;

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Wheel on the hardening table

Enhanced process security in quenching and tempering of wheels for high-speed trains A mathematical model has been developed to calculate the optimum quenching parameters for hardening wheel rims. The model was implemented to control a fully automated quenching and tempering line installed at Taiyuan Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., 6KDQ[L &KLQD LQ 2SHUDWLRQ RYHU D SHULRG RI PRQWKV KDV FRQĆ&#x201A;UPHG WKDW WKH model renders previously required time-consuming tests in the pre-production and startup phases following product changes unnecessary Constant quality levels are especially important for wheels to be used on high-speed trains; extremely homo-

Friedrich Gerwin, Dr. Dominikus SchrĂśder, LOI Thermprocess GmbH, Essen, Germany Contact: www.tenova.com E-mail: friedrich.gerwin@tenova.com

MPT International 5 / 2014

geneous material properties over the cross-section of the wheel rim are essential. As the failure of a single wheel can already have disastrous consequences, â&#x20AC;&#x153;outlying valuesâ&#x20AC;? in production must be avoided. High quality also results in less wear and therefore a longer service life, which means savings in terms of material and maintenance expenses. From the manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point of view, this

also leads to an improved competitive position on the international market. While furnace systems for heat treatment have already reached a very high standard, the quenching stage on many manual or semi-automatic lines still depends to a great extent on the qualifications and experience of individual employees. In most cases, the required hardness values are reached, but the material microstructure does

HEAT TREATMENT

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not always meet the criteria defined by the relevant standards. Especially for high-speed train wheels, reproducible process parameters within tight tolerances are crucially important. To date, the development of recipes for new products and the pre-production and start-up phases following product changes have been time-consuming and have resulted in considerable material losses. Until the wheels met the required specifications, they had to be destructively tested so that the metallurgical parameters could be investigated over the cross section of the wheel.

The objective: reliable and reproducible quenching process Quenching has a decisive impact on the mechanical properties of the wheels. In the development of a new quenching and tempering line, the objective was

therefore to improve the process security of the quenching stage and to achieve high, reproducible quality levels irrespective of the individual operators involved. The quality of the wheels was no longer to be decided by chance or by the principle of “trial and error”. By adopting a targeted approach, Tenova LOI Thermprocess intended to exploit the potential of quenching as a process stage. Initial experience has been gained with the operation of a newly developed fully automated quenching and tempering line commissioned in 2013 at Taiyuan Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., Shanxi, China. This quenching and tempering line for wheels also features a second innovation – compact hardening tables that are extremely versatile and can be adapted to the properties of a wide variety of wheels. Since, a mathematical model and a quenching recipe computer for the hardening of wheel rims can be of-

fered. Using this approach, the quenching parameters can be calculated to ensure that all wheels immediately meet the required specifications, even following product changes. The mathematical model receives inputs including the properties to be met by the finished wheel and then calculates quenching parameters from the wheel geometry and the material composition. Using this approach, the requirements of any national standard can be met. The model initially calculates the cooling curve. Using the heat transfer properties of the nozzles at different pressures and flow rates, the model then calculates the ideal settings for the individual nozzles with a view to achieving the calculated temperature plot. The process of recipe development now takes place entirely on the computer. Time-consuming and cost-intensive experiments are no longer required. If MPT International 5 / 2014

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users are planning to treat new products, they simply inform LOI of the basic requirements. The model then calculates the appropriate parameters in line with the applicable standards. The customer uses the results of these calculations to set the process parameters. Previously, the time required for commissioning was up to one year; the new approach reduces the duration of this stage to a few weeks. The customer saves material and laboratory time and can also start production faster.

Hardening tables: different settings from batch to batch The design team responsible for the hardening table faced the task of deMPT International 5 / 2014

veloping an extremely sturdy system without any delicate mechanisms. As a result, the new hardening tables have significantly fewer moving parts than the systems previously used. The spindle drives of the nozzle units are installed on the outside and are therefore in a safe area. The nozzles do not have any internals, hence clogging is prevented. The new wheel rim hardening tables mainly consist of standard components available from stock. This improves operational reliability and ensures that spare parts can be obtained quickly. Thanks to the high degree of automation of the new hardening tables, it is possible to complete batch changes auto-

matically without any interruptions to production. Especially for plants located in countries with high ambient temperatures, it is important to note that the new tables operate within a water temperature range between 30 and 35Â°C. It is no longer necessary to cool down the water to 20Â°C. LOI installed a hardening table from its normal production at the plant of a cooperation partner in the hardening sector in order to test the model and the new hardening tables intensively under realistic conditions, for example with respect to nozzle settings and impact speeds. The new developments were tested rapidly at a plant in the vicinity. This plant can also be used by customers facing new challenges, for example new dimensions, new standards

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or materials. They can verify the parameters calculated using the model before starting production at their own plant. In addition, customers who have to take investment decisions can also clarify in advance which plant configuration will be the ideal solution and how a new process can be implemented.

6JG Ć&#x201A;TUV RNCPV GXGT[VJKPI from a single source The first quenching and tempering line supplied and commissioned by LOI using the new approach operates on a fully automated basis and has a throughput of 70 wheels per hour. The wheels weigh between 275 and 1,050 kg and have diameters up to 1,400 mm.

The main components of the line include a hardening furnace (56,000 x 4,800 x 1,600 mm, W x L x H), two tempering furnaces (37,800 x 4,800 x 1,600 mm, W x L x H), eight hardening tables and four manipulators. The furnaces are equipped with natural gas firing systems. A special feature of the first plant is the degassing furnace which was installed in accordance with local conditions. The line is fully automated. Manipulators take the wheels from the forge and transfer them from station to station through the entire process. At the end of the line, the manipulators transfer the wheels to the hardness testing stage. There are no manual interventions throughout the entire process.

This represents an improvement in terms of health and safety as it is not necessary for any personnel to be near the hardening tables. The quenching and tempering line receives its settings from the material management system (level II). Normally, the wheels pass directly from the forge to the quality assurance unit. In addition, the process control system provides for the possibility of charging warm or cold wheels, taking cooled wheels from the press or cold wheels from storage. The heat treatment control system features a number of different process routes to allow different types of heat treatment. These include: â&#x2013;Ş degassing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; austenitizing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; quenching/hardening â&#x20AC;&#x201C; tempering â&#x20AC;&#x201C; cooling, MPT International 5 / 2014

››› HEAT TREATMENT

▪ degassing – tempering – cooling, ▪ degassing – cooling, ▪ with cold charging: austenitizing – quenching/hardening – tempering – cooling. The quenching and tempering line is not operated in the traditional sense of the term but only supervised by one person. This person monitors the process on the screen and also has direct visual contact with the plant in order to be able to intervene in the event of unforeseen occurrences – for example in the case of the mechanical or electrical failure of individual components. Also an optical wheel detection system has been installed to read the number stamped on the wheels, in order to track the wheels.

Experience: high precision The mathematical model and the new hardening tables proved them-

selves in practice immediately on the first plant built in line with the new approach and commissioned in January 2013 at Taiyuan Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., Shanxi, China. Prior to the commissioning of the plant, LOI had already calculated the parameters for the customer’s individual products using the mathematical model and confirmed these parameters in practice by tests at the test plant in Witten. Thus, the entire quenching and tempering line was equipped with the correct parameters. Commission was significantly faster than for conventional lines. Operation over the first year and a half has confirmed that the mathematical model determines parameters for new wheel types which only need a small degree of fine tuning in subsequent operation. The model therefore saves time, ensures the quality of the wheels and also saves costs. All the recipes which have been de-

veloped can be called up at any time, which means that the quality which has been achieved is also reproducible at any time. With individual nozzle settings, the wheel rim hardening machine is sufficiently flexible to deal with wheels with almost any dimensions. The control system allows the recipe for the quenching tables and the settings of the nozzles to be changed from batch to batch. Nevertheless, the quenching and tempering process for each specific batch remains precisely reproducible. With the new quenching and tempering line, the customer can meet the requirements of any international standard and can access markets with higher quality requirements with new products. The customer has now achieved certification under certain European standards which it could not meet before the commissioning of the 쐍 new plant.

â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş MATERIAL TESTING

Flux leakage test for large OCTG tube and pipe Meeting one of its biggest challenges to date, MAC recently completed and successfully SDVVHG SUH DFFHSWDQFH IRU D QHZ GLDPHWHU PP Ĺ&#x2022; WUDQVYHUVH DQG ORQJLWXGLQDO Ć&#x192;X[ leakage test system. It is destined for a new tube mill at a major OCTG producer in Russia The 500 mm size rotary is the largest diameter Magnetic Analysis Corporation (MAC) has ever developed. It required new mechanical designs to provide for the greater magnetization and detection capabilities, along with substantially new software. Initial assembly of the two flux leakage units was handled in MACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plant in Elmsford, NY/USA. Final assembly, adjustments, and check out of the entire system took place in MACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subsidiary Magnetic Analysis Nordicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ă&#x2013;stersund, Sweden plant. Additionally, a new demagnetizer design was implemented to meet the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requirements. This 500 mm system also features MACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest wireless transmission of test signals between the test probes and the rotating head, a major improvement over traditional transmission by brushes and rings. The result is much better performance, lower maintenance costs and downtime, and less noise. Flux leakage technology is well suited for inspecting high-permeability ferromagnetic metals such as heavy wall carbon steel pipe used in the oil and gas industry. MACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RotofluxÂŽ can detect seams, laps, pits, scabs, rolling skins, cracks, weld line defects, and transverse and longitudinal defects as small as 5% of the wall on the outer and inner diameter, allowing pipe producers to meet critical API 5CT, 5L, and ASTM E570 requirements. As the oil and gas industry has expanded in recent years with the development of new fields and extraction techniques, the demand for high quality tube and

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pipe that meets industry standards has grown dramatically.

1RGTCVKPI RTKPEKRNG QH Ć&#x192;WZ leakage testing During the test, the pipe first passes through the multiplexed 48 channel RotofluxÂŽ TRFX transverse flux leakage rotary where it receives a high level of magnetic saturation which creates intense magnetic flux flow within the material. Some of this flux extends or â&#x20AC;&#x153;leaksâ&#x20AC;? beyond the tube surface when interrupted by a surface or internal defect. This â&#x20AC;&#x153;leakage fluxâ&#x20AC;? generates test signals which are detected by the test probes rotating around the pipe. The signals are wirelessly channeled to the RotofluxÂŽ test electronics for analyzing, processing, and data management, followed by display in real time vivid color on screen. The pipe then passes through the multiplexed 24 channel Rotoflux

LRFX longitudinal rotary to detect signals from longitudinally oriented seam type defects, followed by a demagnetizer to remove any residual magnetization. A fully automated flaw tracking system with end suppression is used to control output sorting, alarm and marker functions. This 500-mm system is designed to handle tube and pipe ranging in size from dia. 125 mm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 500 mm (5â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 19.6â&#x20AC;?) with wall thickness of 6 mm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 40 mm (0.23â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1.57â&#x20AC;?) at speeds that can range up to 60 m/min (200 fpm), depending on the wall thickness of the test pipe. Straight or upset ends can be successfully tested. The testers are mounted on constant center automated triple drive roll benches that adjust to align the testers and drives with the level of the incoming test material, an important requirement for accurate tests. MAC also has dia. 190 mm and 360 mm model Rotoflux rotaries for smallě?? er diameter tube.

High performance clad rolls

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Complete quality measurement â&#x20AC;&#x201C; designed for hostile mill environments NDC Technologies has brought all the manufacturing of the metals product line to its central facility in California/USA to take advantage of the manufacturing expertise and ISO program. A metals center of excellence will soon be opened in Belgium, Europe NDC Technologies is a leading global supplier of productivity enhancing instrumentation and solutions for online process measurement and control. The metals product line include x-ray and optical gauges and a range of XRF sensors for the on-line measurement of thickness, coat weight and width and optical flatness measurement for the ferrous and non-ferrous metals industries. NDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s metals gauging systems enjoy a long heritage in the business with over 60 years experience that includes the legendary AccuRayâ&#x201E;˘ and IRMâ&#x201E;˘ brands. NDC established several key objectives when it acquired IRM Group S.A. in August 2011. The manufacturing has been relocated to its central facility in the USA to take advantage of NDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manufacturing expertise and ISO program. The IRM range of products was modernized by incorporating the same NDC system architecture to improve overall system performance and reliability, while simplifying the design. However, NDC has retained the strong Belgian development and support teams and relocate them to a new and better facility more suited to their development and support focus. Meanwhile, NDC reports significant progress has been made towards all of these goals. Today, all NDC Metals systems and upgrades are produced in Irwindale, California, USA. To date complete documentation and manufacturing procedures have been es-

Ray Shead, NDC Technologies â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Metals, Irwindale, CA, USA Contact: www.ndc.com E-mail: rshead@ndc.com

MPT International 5 / 2014

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tablished for the main metals product lines, including the AccuRayÂŽ x-ray thickness gauging systems and the Rometerâ&#x201E;˘ flatness gauges. In addition, a reliable, expanded supply chain has been established. While work is still ongoing to incorporate all the metals products into NDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ISO program, significant progress has already been made and NDC expects ISO certification for the full product range within a year. Further, all metals products now incorporate NDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total distributed intelligence (TDiâ&#x201E;˘) technology. The TDiâ&#x201E;˘ architecture creates a simpler, more powerful and more reliable system by distributing state-of-the-art processing technology throughout the products. A small, high-powered controller called a D-BRICâ&#x201E;˘ is added to each sensor, smart camera, and C-frame to capture and process gauge measurements at the

highest possible rates and accuracies. This creates a simpler, modular system and frees the HMI PC to efficiently manage the operator interface, alarm and event logging and long-term coil archiving. Ahmad Shishegar, NDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vice president, R&D, stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Integrating the metals product line to TDi was no simple task, but was achieved on schedule due to the tightly-coupled development work orchestrated between the Belgium and the USA-based R&D teams. We have met all of the goals set out in the program, and customers who have experienced the new equipment are delighted with its performance.â&#x20AC;? The grand opening of the new center of excellence for metal industry gauging systems in Loncin, Belgium will be held on October 23, 2014. NDC is part of Spectris plc, a leading global supplier of productivity-enhancing instrumentation and controls. ě??

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

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Butt welding machine to increase wire coil weight WIRE PRODUCTION Deutsche Edelstahlwerke is expanding coil production at their Hagen facility through the addition of a type SS 120 double upset wire butt welding machine from Strecker. The new system, to be installed during 2014, is designed to weld 8 and 25 mm specialty steel wire for applications requiring high-quality weld seams. In the past, wire coils with a maximum weight of 1.2 t and an outside diameter of 1,300 mm could be produced. With the new SS 120, it is possible to customize the unit weight up to 2.3 t. The process is suitable for many weldable steel grades. Typical materials for cold heading applications are e.g. Firmodur 7076 (32 CrB 4), Firmodur 5535 (23MnB 4) and Firmodur 7034 (37 Cr 4). The double-welding technique produces an excellent quality weld. Because the temperature of the material is controlled, the seam is forged as

a form fit, thereby pressing virtually all of the material out of the welded seam. Tests have shown that the homogenous basic structure is fully present once again after the integrated annealing treatment but with a different grain orientation. No impurities have been detected in the weld zone. The monitoring system of the SS 120 and other controls ensure that quality remains reliable throughout the processing of an order. The system stores the desired parameters such as welding and upset pressure or primary and secondary stress for every material and every size. The system records tolerance values as well. The actual parameters obtained are also saved for every coil so that tracking is possible at any time. Contact: www.strecker-limburg.de

a) welded, not yet deburred wire; b) deburred wire; c) machined, polished wire

The new sample preparation for steel and iron samples

HS-F 3000 • Designed for fully automated laboratory operation • 3-axis milling machine for the perfect sample preparation • Tool changing system for the preparation of all steel grades

www.herzog-maschinenfabrik.de Germany

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HERZOG Maschinenfabrik

HERZOG Automation

HERZOG Japan

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Your partner for automatic sample preparation – Leading in automation of steel work laboratories

››› TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

Tuyere phenomena detection system IRONMAKING A new monitoring technology for the tuyeres and raceway area of blast furnaces has been developed by Paul Wurth. An integrated system employing digital cameras provides continuous visualization of all tuyeres on any computer connected to the network. Machine vision methods are applied for automatic phenomena detection, which is backed by an integrated mathematical blast furnace model for the raceway zone. This feature also includes detection algorithms especially designed for the use with tuyere-injected auxiliary reducing agents like pulverized coal. A direct link to the furnace automation system helps implement additional emergency measures, such as

immediate shut-off of pulverized coal injection, improving the safety for the personnel, equipment and plant. In the course of normal operation, continuous remote monitoring of the tuyere area improves the stability of the blast furnace process and provides potential for higher PCI rates with reduced hot metal cost. Paul Wurth’s new tuyere phenomena detection system (TPDS) has been operating for more than eight months on four blast furnaces in Belgium and Germany, altogether on 117 tuyeres. Contact: www.paulwurth.com

Stressometer® Systems. From hot to cold. Measurement made easy.

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 5 / 2014

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German Engineering on top

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Measurement of surface cleanliness QUALITY ASSURANCE A measurement system that confirms that surfaces are adequately clean to accept coatings and emerge from annealing furnaces free of stain is offered by Star Tool. The Tolket ELAL system measures and digitally quantifies the cleanliness of metallic surfaces, online, continuously in production. It is now possible to instantly monitor, trouble-shoot and optimize cleaning section performance by the actual pertinent metric: surface cleanliness. Immediate feedback is provided on cleaning section changes. There is no risk of substrate surface damage and no limit for line speed. The system measures soiled film layers and particulates, including iron fines. It is essentially maintenance-free, re- Measuring head quiring infrequent, easy calibration. Optional features include sheet width scanning capability, customizable HMI/ format to suit user preferences. It is compatible with sheet, longs, pipe, plate, blanks or piece parts. The ideal ELAL configuration is a four-head system that enables measurement of input and output loads on both sides of sheet. Alternatively, the ELAL can be operated with a single head or dual heads. Heads can be added to single or dual head systems at a later time. Finally, the head(s) can be mounted in a fixed position or scan transversely across the sheet width.

Precise, Reliable, Repeatable

Too Hot to Handle? No Problem with Polytec

Contact: www.startoolanddie.com

Solvent extraction ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY A new standardized and modularized solvent extraction plant has recently been launched by Outotec. The new VSF®X plant is designed to handle flows from 100 m³/h up to 10,000 m³/h and metal contents from 1 g/l up to 50 g/l in a highly sustainable and safe method. All metals for which an extraction reagent is available can be extracted. The new technology is based on a predefined concept in modular design. It provides increased availability and enhanced safety based on proven environmentally sound technology. Contact: www.outotec.com

Non-contact Length and Speed Measurements Improve yield, reduce scrap, and increase profits. Polytec’s Laser Surface Velocimeters measure surface velocity and length from a safe distance without contact. Measure with Confidence!

Learn more: www.velocimeter.us Schematic illustration of the modularized solvent extraction plant

››› TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

ICP-OES analyzers for axial, radial or the combination of axial and radial viewing ANALYTICAL EQUIPMENT For environmental and industrial laboratories, three versions are now available of the Spectroblue inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) offered by Spectro Analytical Instruments for high-throughput multi-element analysis of liquids and solids such as water, waste water and soils. Spectroblue EOP, the axial interface version, provides high sensitivity and detection limits for superior analysis of industrial and environmental trace elements. Spectroblue SOP, the radial interface version, offers precise performance at higher sample concentrations, exhibiting excellent tolerance for high saline and organic fractions plus superb analysis of suspensions and slurries. Spectroblue TI, the twin-interface version, automatically performs both axial and radial viewing of the plasma. This optimizes linearity and the dynamic range, while enabling high-sensitivity measurement of toxic elements. This model is especially suitable for environmental analyses. It minimizes the easily ionizable element (EIE) effect that may decrease linearity. It also cuts cost and contamination by eliminating ionization buffers. Contamination, and thus cleaning and maintenance, is also greatly reduced by offsetting the analyzer’s switchable three-mirror periscope at a 45°

Technology at the cutting edge

BRAUN high-performance abrasive cut-off machine

Bar end quality after cutting

Ground billet surfaces

BRAUN high-pressure grinding machines

• High-performance abrasive cut-off machines (up to 2000 mm cutting wheel diameter and above) • High-pressure grinding machines • Flexible and innovative solutions for fully-automated turn-key-facilities • Consulting engineering and life cycle service support

www. braun.at

A-4840 Vöcklabruck, Austria, Tel. +43(0)7672-72463, E-mail: office@braun.at

MPT International 5 / 2014

Contact: www.spectro.com

ICP-OES analyzer for multi-element analysis

BRAUN Innovations vations for Steel

MASCHINENFABRIK

angle. The new flexible design allows field conversion of a Spectroblue EOP model to full TI version functionality. The analyzer’s robust generator design handles extreme plasma loads with exceptional uptime, stability and reliability. Its innovative air-cooled technology eliminates expensive external water-cooling systems. Its sealed optical system eliminates expensive gas purging and ensures long-term stability. Finally, its adaptable software provides easy operation for users at all experience levels.

Burner control unit with control and safety functions SPECIAL EQUIPMENT A new smart burner control unit, developed for applications with modulating single burners of unlimited capacity, has recently been launched by Elster Kromschröder. The compact BCU 570 combines extensive control and safety functions in a single device. It is suitable for both intermittent and continuous operation. In a nutshell, the BCU 570 is the result of consistently focusing on obtaining the highest safety standards, ease of operation and sustainable interface communication. The unit efficiently and reliably controls the commissioning and ongoing operation of the burner, and also performs important central safety functions in accordance with EN 746-2 and EN 676. When controlling the combustion air fan, the device monitors the correct pressure of the combustion media air and gas as well as initiating and checking pre-purge in compliance with standards. The valve control integrated in the BCU 570 is responsible for the actuation of a connected air control valve. The compact housing is designed for installation in control cabinets using DIN rails. The separate operator-control unit (OCU) allows the device to be conven-

W E iently operated directly from the front of the control cabinet or burner hoods. A plain-text display, which is available in many languages, gives convenient commissioning support. Manual operation of the device is also possible as is direct access via an optical interface. The configuration tool BCSoft offers extended visualization and diagnostics options for maintenance work in addition to parameterization.

C O N V E Y

Q U A L I T Y

Hot Sinter Transport

Contact: www.kromschroeder.com

Dry vacuum technology HEAT TREATMENT Modern dry vacuum technology helps manufacturers optimize their processes and lower cost of ownership. Edwards offers a great variety of innovative products and customized solutions to vacuum technology questions. With advanced temperature control, low maintenance and long service intervals, the compact and highly intelligent GXS vacuum pump is Edwardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most robust and economical vacuum pump for industrial applications with pumping speeds from 160 m3/h to 3,450 m3/h. The GXS vacuum pump uses patented screw technology to deliver high vacuum performance and increased capacity from a smaller sized pump. It offers increased speeds at lower pressures, low ultimate vacuum and has low gas and power consumption. Its vibration and noise levels are less than 64 dB(a), which extends bearing life. It has a service interval of up to five years without user intervention. Contact: www.edwardsvacuum.com

AUMUND Pan Conveyors s #APACITY UP TO T H s 0AN WIDTH UP TO MM s -ATERIAL TEMPERATURE UP TO Â˛# s &INES AND LUMPS s -INIMIZED HEAT LOSS s .O GENERATION OF l NES .OVEMBER -OSCOW

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Sintered and agglomerated Materials

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››› TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

Straightness measurement of bar and pipe products QUALITY ASSURANCE Manufacturers of pipe and steel bar products are constantly faced with the challenge of ensuring straightness of their products as this is a significant quality criterion. Here, the “Bendcheck” non-contact measuring solution, a laser-based system developed by Zumbach, provides manufacturers numerous advantages. The basic function of the Bendcheck system is the measurement of any bend or deflections in round products. The system measures the position and diameter of the product at three different locations along its axis. It calculates the deviation of position measured by the central measuring head from a virtual straight line projected from the position measured by the left head to the position measured by the right head. Based on this information, the bend of the product is continuously calculated and graphically displayed. As soon as the product leaves the measurement field, a complete data log file is released for each product, including position, diameter and bend measurements. The relevant data is visualized on a clearly structured display. Diameter, absolute bending value, bending angle and the current measurements by each of the three measuring heads are visible at a glance. The system scans the

production process in real time right after the straightening process. It is suitable for a direct, customer-specific integration into the production process. Contact: www.zumbach.com

Set-up of measuring heads and typical screen display

Cartoon

Experts say that the main trend in the industry during the next ten years will be “Smart Manufacturing”. This means bringing together intelligent machines, advanced analytics, cyber-physical systems, the industrial internet and people at work. MPT International 5 / 2014

Metallurgical Plant and Technology

Metalurgia, Processos e Tecnologias

Metalürji Prosesleri ve Tesisleri

10 years PQF P ® technology: international symposium m on tube and pipe production technology g

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MPT International the leading technical journal for the global iron & steel industry

Please contact us for further information MPT Headquarters Advertising Manager: Sigrid Klinge Phone: +49 211 69936-125 Chief Editor: Arnt Hannewald Phone: +49 211 69936-120 E-Mail: mpt@stahleisen.de

Verlag Stahleisen GmbH P.O. Box 105164 D-40042 Düsseldorf Phone: +49 211 69936-125 Fax: +49 211 69936-129 www.MPT-International.com

â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş LITERATURE SERVICE Tube and pipe mill equipment 6 pages, English A brochure outlining mill solutions and equipment offered by Fives for the production of ERW tubes from 4.75 mm to 686 mm (27â&#x20AC;?) OD and wall thicknesses from 0.4 to 2.1 mm. The range of equipment includes tube and pipe mills for carbon and stainless steels, fully automated entry lines and cut-off units. Contact: E-mail:

www.fivesgroup.com fivesoto@fivesgroup.com

Lifting platforms 4 pages, English, German This brochure provides concise information on lifting platforms manufactured by SLF OberflĂ¤chentechnik. It specifically describes the range of swivelling lifting platforms and scissor-type lifting platforms, providing technical data, examples of applications and special solutions. Contact: E-mail:

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www.slf.eu info@slf.eu

Measurement of surface cleanliness 2 pages, English

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A flyer available from Star Tool & Die Works providing technical information on a device which measures cleanliness of a metalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface online, in real time and without contacting the surface. There is no risk of substrate surface damage. As an optional feature, the device can be upgraded with sheet width scanning capability. Contact: E-mail:

www.startoolanddie.com ealmquist@startoolanddie.com

Industrial valves for the iron and steel industry 4 pages, English, German GroĂ&#x;armaturen fĂźr die Eisen- und Stahl-Industrie Industrial valves for the iron and steel industry

A brochure summarizing the range of TDCo Technology, Development & Construction, manufacturer of industrial valves, such as hot blast valves, goggle valves, cold blast shut-off valves, waste gas valves, bleeders, combustion air valves, mechanical burners for stoves, burner shut-off valves, eccentric and lever valves, etc. Contact: E-mail:

www.td-co.de info@td-co.de

Low-energy cardan tuyere stock 4 pages, English A product brochure featuring the low-energy cardan tuyere stock from Paul Wurth for blast furnaces. It includes a summary of the key features, main components as well as the benefits of this tuyere stock for the blast furnace operator. Contact: E-mail:

MPT International 5 / 2014

www.paulwurth.com paulwurth@paulwurth.com

Engineered Solutions for competitive and high quality iron and steel making

Iron making 4 Stock house and material

handling 4 Coal grinding and drying 4 Pulverised coal injection 4 Heat recovery 4 Engineered cast house

dedusting systems

Waste recovery in OXYCUP® furnace of 4 Fe-oxide waste fines 4 Sludge

We agglomerate your valuable dusts and fines

4 Skulls and metallic wastes 4 Scrap

Steel making 4 Hot metal desulphurisation 4 TBM combined converter

bottom blowing 4 OTCMB Converter blowing

model 4 Alloy batching 4 Slag conditioning 4 Hot briquetting of converter

In the metallurgical industry we briquette e. g. steel mill

dust

residues, sponge iron (hot and cold), chrome ore, nickel

Energy and Environmental Technology

powder, copper concentrate, and other ﬁnes.

4 High temperature technology 4 Heat technology

Briquettes are used for feeding shaft furnaces, BOFs, RHFs, EAFs, and other reduction or melting units. Köppern – Quality made in Germany.

4 Waste gas technology 4 Sinter off-gas cleaning 4 Process automation

• State of the art technology • Process technology know-how • High plant availability • Quick roller replacement

www.koeppern.de

Küttner GmbH & Co. KG, Essen/Germany Phone +49 (0)201 7293 0 info@kuettner.com www.kuettner.com

››› IN THE NEXT ISSUE…

Cokemaking Numerical modelling of non-recovery/heat-recovery coke ovens Numerical calculations of the combustion process inside the coke oven were carried out in order to gain an improved understanding of the internal thermodynamic behaviour. In doing so, scientific/engineering tools are created which help both improve the oven design and optimize the coking process. As a result, a uniform heat flux distribution both above and below the oven charge was achieved. It is associated with short gross coking times of less than 60 hours using compacted coal charges, thus guaranteeing high process efficiency and low investment costs at the same time.

Heat treatment Results of rail hardening process optimization achieved at the Dalmine-CSM pilot plant, Italy Siemens VAI Metals Technologies and Centro Sviluppo Materiali S.p.A. (CSM), an Italian technology centre, jointly developed production processes and technology packages for rolling and in-line hardening high-quality steel rails. The goals were to improve the overall toughness and the rail head surface quality. The performance results obtained on rail samples after the pilot plant tests simulating the inline industrial process are comparable or better than those measured on off-line treated rails.

Continuous casting The evolution of the thin slab route The CSP® thin slab technology was originally introduced as a plant concept for the cost-efficient production of simple ordinary steel. Since, the direct combination of the casting and the rolling process has developed into a leading process for the production of high-quality thin slabs. Nowadays, this technology is capable of producing almost all steel grades required by the markets. The effectiveness of this concept is also proved by the energy efficiency, profitability and productivity. Today, 27 plants of this kind are in operation worldwide. Thanks to the permanent further development and a multitude of modular concept components for a market-oriented design, the CSP® concept continues to be considered a leading technology in the steel industry.

This preview may be subject to change.

Published by: Verlag Stahleisen GmbH P.O. Box 10 51 64, 40042 Düsseldorf, Germany

+49 211 69936-200, Fax +49 211 69936 -128 e-mail mpt@stahleisen.de Publisher: Steel Institute VDEh Executive Member of the Management Board: Dr.-Ing. Peter Dahlmann Editorial Staff: P.O. Box 10 51 64, 40042 Düsseldorf, Germany e-mail mpt@stahleisen.de Chief Editor: Dipl.-Ing. Arnt Hannewald

+49 211 69936 -120 Assistant Editor: Edith Mielke

+49 211 69936 -121

MPT International 5 / 2014

Publishing Staff: Managing Directors: Jürgen Beckers, Arnt Hannewald Advertising Manager: Sigrid Klinge

+49 211 69936-125, Fax +49 211 69936 -129 e-mail sigrid.klinge@stahleisen.de Distribution Dept.: Gabriele Wald

+49 211 69936-260, Fax +49 211 69936-262 e-mail gabriele.wald@stahleisen.de Production Manager: Burkhard Starkulla e-mail burkhard.starkulla@stahleisen.de Production/Layout: Mike Reschke e-mail mike.reschke@stahleisen.de Advertising rate card No. 37 of 01.01.2014 Publication: Every 2 months Annual subscription rate (incl. postage): Germany: € 199.00 incl. 7% VAT Member states of the EU: subscribers with VAT ID number € 185.98; subscribers without VAT ID number € 199.00 Other countries: € 199.00 Single copy: € 38.00 Minimum subscription period 12 months. Termination of subscriptions can only be made from 31st December and notice of termination must be received by the Publishers by 15th November. Otherwise, the subscription is automatically renewed and payable for a further 12 months.

© 2014 Verlag Stahleisen GmbH, Düsseldorf This journal and all articles and illustrations contained in it are protected by copyright. With the exception of statutory allowable cases, utilization without the consent of the publishers is a punishable offence. This is particularly applicable to reproductions, translations, microfilming and storing and processing in electronic systems. Upon acceptance for publication, the author agrees to grant, transfer and assign to the pub-lisher all exclusive rights to publish the work during the lifetime of the copyright. In particular, the publisher will have full authority and power to reproduce the work for commercial purposes in copies of any form (microfilm, photocopy, CD-ROM, or other means) and/or to store the work in electronic or other databases. Certification of circulation by the German Audit Bureau of Circulation (IVW) Permit number: 011-224, ISSN 0935-7254

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