MPT International 1/2017 (Feb)

Metallurgical Plant and Technology G 25074

ISSN 0935-7254

New direct reduction plant inaugurated in southern Texas, USA

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February 2017

Conversion of automotive shredder residues and use in the EAF

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EDITORIAL

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Sophisticated technologies promise JKIJGT RTQƂVCDKNKV[ KP steel production MPT International starts the new year with a report about one of the milestones achieved in 2016 – a greenfield project by Austria-based Voestalpine: the new direct reduction plant built in Texas, USA. The company is continuing to systematically drive forward its expansion in North America. What is more, the completion of the direct reduction plant in Texas marks the start of a new era at the company. Voestalpine has settled a powerful ironmaking base far away from their traditional integrated iron and steel works in Europe. The multi-year project was well-covered by business media in both regions, in the USA and in Austria. MPT International has summarized the main technical details in an article in this issue. We also provide links to highly informative videos about the plant and its process technology.

Another article, which goes even more into technical details, demonstrates the potential of automotive shredder residues used as chemical energy in the EAF. A competitive route has been developed to recycle and valorize such material. It comprises two stages: first, the recovery of the metallic share and, second, the conditioning of the plastic mixture to formulate synthetic carbon. This feed material has been tested as a partial substitute for the metallurgical carbon (i.e. pulverized coal) injected into the EAF.

Dipl.-Ing. Arnt Hannewald

There are more articles featuring very interesting steelmaking technologies and investments: Taiwanese specialty steel and alloys producer Gloria has started a fascinating minimill project. The company is the largest producer of specialty alloys in Taiwan and a globally leading supplier of specialty steels, superalloys and titanium alloys. The new melting, casting and refining facilities will set new standards in terms of both productivity and quality for this range of products. Commissioning is planned for spring 2018.

Another minimill will be built in Bangladesh for the production of completely different products: rebar and steel sections mainly for the construction industry. Here, GPH Ispat has opted for a revolutionary plant concept that not only allows virtually uninterrupted casting and rolling of long products, but also reduces investment and operating costs. In this project, the new “WinLink Flex” concept will be implemented for the first time worldwide.

Also the other articles in this issue illustrate how steel companies prepare for the challenges of global oversupply and increasingly stronger environmental regulation. Everywhere there is a firm belief that countries need state-of-the-art steel products today and in the future.

MPT International 1 / 2017

Advanced metallurgical and technological process know-how to perform in-line heat treatments, in-line inspection and in-line conditioning, resulting in higher value-added products.

Four main references out of total 37 JYXC CHINA 180-tph mill producing 120 to 250-mmdia rounds and equivalent squares for automotive and engineering applications, including finishing services with in-line heat treatment.

Long product rolling mills

NUCOR STEEL MEMPHIS USA 700-ktpy mill for the production of 58 to 232-mm-dia rounds and equivalent squares in a large variety of engineering and special steels, part of a complete Danieli minimill.

Danieli Headquarters 33042 Buttrio (Udine) Italy Tel (39) 0432.1958111

DANIELI MORGÅRDSHAMMAR BIG BAR MILL TECHNOLOGY FOR READY-TO-SELL SPECIALTY STEEL ROLLED BARS UP TO 500 MM DIA

LAIWU STEEL CHINA 1.0 Mtpy mill producing 120 to 280 mm rounds and RCS billets for automotive applications. Part of a milestone direct casting rolling plant.

DANIELI TEAM A CENTURY OF PARTNERSHIP EXPERIENCE

ABS ITALY 800-ktpy “Rotoforge” SBQ mill for the production of 120 to 500-mm-dia rounds and billets; fed by Danieli 850-mm dia bloom conticaster and ingots.

www.danieli.com

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››› CONTENTS

Cokemaking 28

Coke production re-starts in Trinec after comprehensive upgrade In October 2016, the pushing machines rammed the first coke after the extensive coke-oven battery overhaul at Trinec Iron and Steel Works, Czech Republic

Ironmaking 30

Opening of the HBI plant in Texas marks start of a new era at Voestalpine Coverphoto: Cutting-edge vacuum induction melting (VIM) furnace in operation at Tata Steel Speciality Steels, Stocksbridge, UK SMS group, DĂźsseldorf, Germany Contact: www.sms-group.com E-mail: communications@sms-group.com

With the completion of the direct reduction plant in Corpus Christi, Texas (USA), the Voestalpine group has set a further milestone in implementing its international growth strategy. The plant is already regarded as an environmental benchmark and is an important first step on the company’s path of reducing GHG emissions

Raw materials

Steelmaking

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36 ' PXKTQPOGPV HTKGPFN[ CPF GPGTI[ GHĆ‚EKGPV steel plant for the production of quality steel

Conversion of automotive shredder residues and use of synthetic carbon as chemical energy in the EAF Danieli has developed a competitive route able to recycle and valorize automotive shredder residue components. The plant consists of two parts: one dedicated to the recovery of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and one for the production of synthetic carbon – an optimum feed material for the EAF serving as partial substitution for the metallurgical carbon

IISCO Steel Plant, a SAIL group company, India, has successfully commissioned a converter shop for the production of quality steel grades at the Burnpur location in the Indian federal state of West Bengal

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Taiwanese minimill project for the production of specialty steel Gloria Material Technology Corp., producer of speciality alloys in Taiwan, has officially started a major minimill project for the production of 180,000 t/ year of special steel

Hot rolling

Automation

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44

New minimill project features virtually endless casting and rolling technologies for billets GPH Ispat in Bangladesh is going to erect a minimill with a total annual capacity of 815,000 metric tons of long steel rolled products and billets. The WinLink Flex concept from Primetals Technologies will be realized for the first time worldwide

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Sophisticated new section mill starts operation at FAICO Steel, Iran One specific feature of the plant is the reversible and shiftable breakdown mill stand to roll the billets in a maximum of seven passes to a prefinished dimension

MPT International 1 / 2017

Swiss Steel sets the course for “Steel Production 4.0�

To meet future customer demands for wire rod products and greater coil weights, Swiss Steel has invested 8.5 million euros at their EmmenbrĂźcke site. The entire coil handling division is now state-of-the-art

Special equipment 46

Risk assessment and safe installations can make the mill a safer and more productive workplace A proper risk assessment can help identify and remedy vulnerabilities in an equipment control system.

In the future, safety will have an increasingly interactive role in Industry 4.0

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Columns 10

International industry news

54

Literature service

48

Technical innovations

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In the next issue

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Cartoon

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Imprint

Advertisers’ index ABB Automation Technologies AB 25 AIST Association for Iron & Steel 51 Arabian German for Exhibitions & Publishing Ltd. 20 Combilift Ltd. 37 Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA 4, 5 Fabris Inc. 29 Friedrich Kocks GmbH & Co. KG 11 Julang Exhibition Design Co. Ltd. 16

KIRO-NATHAUS GmbH Messe Düsseldorf GmbH Metal-Expo JSC MORGARDSHAMMAR AB Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH Quaker Chemical Corp.

Siempelkamp Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH

22 17 45 39 8, 9, 56 21 33

SMS group GmbH 2 VeCon GmbH 16 Verlag Stahleisen GmbH 27, 32, 47 Walzengießerei Coswig GmbH 43 Franz Wölfer Elektromaschinenfabrik Osnabrück GmbH 49 WOKO Magnet- und Anlagenbau GmbH 13 Zumbach Electronic AG 23

MPT International 1 / 2017

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Below 1.2 mm

Above 1.2 mm

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››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

The Americas Brazil Gerdau Ouro Branco signs service contract. Gerdau Ouro Branco has signed a three-year contract with SMS group for servicing and maintenance work on the continuous slab caster and the beam blank and bloom caster at Ouro Branco. The services to be rendered by SMS group include the repair and coating of the copper plates in both casters. This will include the UNIGUARD™ technology, which significantly enhances the mould performance thanks to its unique hardness and heat resistance.

SMS group will also be responsible for the disassembly and assembly of the caster rolls, the replacement of spare parts and for dressing and welding work on the rolls. The repair work will be performed in one of the Brazilian service workshops of SMS group in Vespasiano, close to Belo Horizonte.

Chile CAP Acero to replace converter.

Primetals Technologies has received an order from Compania Siderurgica Huachipato (CAP Acero) to replace LD (BOF) converter No. 2 in the Talcahuano works, which after 40 years has reached the end of its service life. The new converter, which is scheduled to come into operation in November 2017, will have a tapping weight of 100 t and a larger reaction volume, which will improve the metallurgical process.

Primetals Technologies will be responsible for the detail engineering of the new converter vessel and the trunnion ring. The tilting drive will be equipped with new bearings.

Mexico. The hot-dip galvanizing line will produce 400,000 t/year of steel strips, most notably deep-drawing grades and high-strength steels for the automotive industry, including modern dual-phase steels. Furthermore, the line will be designed to process cold and hot strip material. Start-up is anticipated for the second half of 2019.

SMS group’s scope of supply includes the mechanical equipment and the complete electrical and automation package. The strip surfaces will either be galvanized or galvannealed. The furnace technology from Drever International features a highly efficient combustion system with recuperative burners and a powerful rapid gas jet cooling system.

USA U. S. Steel adjusts hot strip mill operating configuration. United States Steel will begin processing slabs on the currently idled hot strip mill at Granite City Works in Granite City, Ill., in February 2017. U. S. Steel is making adjustments to its hot strip mill operating configuration to provide better alignment with customer needs and improve service while increasing the pace of its asset revitalization plan. The company plans to take periodic outages at Gary Works (Gary, Ind.), Great Lakes Works (Detroit, Mich.), and Mon Valley Works (Pittsburgh, Pa.) to improve the capabilities and reliability of the hot strip mills. U. S. Steel intends to source slabs from its own domestic facilities.

The Granite City Works blast furnaces and steelmaking facilities were idled in December 2015 and the hot strip mill was idled in January 2016 in response to challenging global market conditions. The blast furnaces and steelmaking facilities will remain idled.

The pickle line, cold mill and finishing lines at Granite City Works will continue to operate.

Mexico Nucor-JFE orders hot-dip galvanizing and recoiling lines. NucorJFE Steel Mexico has awarded SMS group the order to supply a continuous hot-dip galvanizing line and a recoiling line for a new plant to be built in MPT International 1 / 2017

USA Steel Dynamics to upgrade galvanizing line. Danieli Fata Hunter has been awarded two contracts by Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) to supply a

News in brief Tenova Core Inc., Pomini Tenova Inc. (USA) and Tenova I2S will operate as a single company. The new company identity is Tenova Inc. and all of its business activities will be conducted as Tenova Inc. Thomas Bovalina, current Tenova Core president and CEO, will continue to serve in the same position for the newly formed Tenova Inc. Big River Steel, USA, has begun operations in its melt shop and hot strip mill. These are the third and fourth areas of the mill to be commissioned following the batch anneal facility and temper mill. The first hot rolled coil was purchased by Zekelman Industries and will be sent to Atlas Tube in Blytheville, Arkansas.

Thyssenkrupp Galmed, Spain, has brought back into operation its Sagunto hot-dip galvanizing line and is now ramping up production.

The site near Valencia was shut down in 2013 due to low capacity utilization.

Chandrapur Ferro Alloy, India, a SAIL company, has successfully commissioned the 45 MVA submerged arc furnace from Tenova Pyromet. Ramping up and tapping of SiMn is in progress.

The plant has an installed capacity of 100,000 t/year.

Abinsk Electric Steel Works (AEMZ), Russia, has issued the FAC for the Danieli H3 wire rod mill. The new 600,000 t/year mill has reached full contractual speed and exceeded daily capacity. It rolls wire rod of a wide range of steel grades at 110 m/s.

Bangkok Iron and Steel, Thailand, has granted SMS group the FAC for the newly built meltshop.

SMS group supplied a 60 t ladle furnace, a 60 t vacuum degasser, a 3(4)-strand continuous billet caster and a fume treatment plant.

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KNOW-HOW FOR TOMORROW

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››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

News in brief Uddeholm AB Hagfors, Sweden, has successfully commissioned phase one of the modernization of its EAF fume treatment plant with filter technology from SMS group. As phase one, SMS group had upgraded the roof canopy installing a high-efficiency EAF fume evacuation hood, replaced the existing secondary duct system, and installed an axial cyclone and a new pulse jet filter.

NLMK, Russia, has successfully completed guarantee tests of the blast furnace No.6 top pressure recovery turbine (TRT). The launch of the new unit brings the project for the introduction of green energy facilities at the Lipetsk site to its close. TRT is used to generate electrical power through the efficient use of blast furnace gas overpressure.

Aumund India has celebrated its 20th anniversary of business.

Opened 20 years ago in Chennai as a small sales organisation of only six people, it has since grown and developed to such an extent that its activities now include engineering, software development, manufacturing, and exports of engineering services and components among its activities.

Zhejiang Nisshin Worthington, China, has started up the Z-Hi reversing cold mill supplied by Primetals Technologies. The mill is designed to produce 120,000 t/year of precision specialty steels, mainly for automotive applications.

Duferdofin-Nucor, Italy, has successfully started operations with the new MORE injection system installed on their 100 t EAF. MORE supplied a new set of M-ONE sidewall injectors for combined oxygen and carbon injection, one OXYGENJET for supersonic oxygen injection and a new pneumatic lime injection system.

MPT International 1 / 2017

cleaning section and a post-treatment coating machine for galvanizing line No.1. This upgrade will allow the line to process a larger variety of substrates.

It will process cold-rolled steel sheet with a maximum width of 1,950 mm, a maximum base metal thickness of 5 mm and a speed of up to 137 m/min.

Equipment design will include an “on the fly” changing system of brush and squeegee rolls, and special features for future additional waste-heat recovery capacity. The new post-treatment horizontal coating machine, which will replace an existing one, allows off-line roll changes, resulting in a significant increase in line uptime. Both the cleaning section and the coating machine are scheduled to be supplied in early 2017.

Carolina. Built in 2000, the Hertford County mill produces 1.6 million t/year of carbon, alloy and high strength, low-alloy steel plates including quenched and tempered and normalized steel plates. Primetals Technologies will replace the mill’s existing drives and control system with Siemens drives, automation and human machine interface (HMI), a WinCC software system, and a level 2 automation system to control the mill’s side trimmer, cold shear, and shipment preparation areas. Nucor is also considering an option to add a quality assurance solution with a character-recognition camera to validate customer data on metal plates. The upgrade will be completed in May 2017.

USA USA CMC Oklahoma orders EAF technology package. CMC Oklahoma has recently placed an order with Danieli Centro Met for a new Motank technological package, which will enable safe EAF door cleaning operation avoiding the use of a manned forklift unit. Motank, which is part of Danieli’s Q-Melt automatic furnace technology, is designed to clear unmelted scrap and excess slag deposits from the EAF slag tunnel, prior to temperature or sample taking by an automatic sampling manipulator.

Commercial Metals Company CMC plans to begin production at its new Durant, Oklahoma, micro mill supplied by Danieli in the fall of 2017 and expects to begin shipping spooled rebar in the spring of 2018. The advantage of spooled rebar over loosely wound rebar is that it does not twist.

CMC’s hot-rolled, spooled rebar will be produced to ASTM specifications, and in 1.5 up to 4.8 t spools.

USA Nucor Steel to upgrade automation and drives in plate mill. Nucor Steel has selected Primetals Technologies to upgrade the automation and drives system in the finishing end of its plate steel mill in Cofield, North

Evraz Pueblo expands steel mill service contract. Evraz Pueblo has expanded its steel mill services contract with Harsco. The company has been supporting the mill’s production with a range of onsite metal recovery and slag handling services for nearly 15 years. The new services include scrap handling, processing and inspection.

Evraz Pueblo produces high-strength rail, seamless pipe, rod and coiled reinforcing bar. The plant can produce more than 300 different grades of steel.

USA Algoma secures term sheet for iron ore supply. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has approved a term sheet between Essar Steel Algoma and Cliffs Mining Company for the supply of iron ore pellets from 1 January 2017 through 31 December 2020, with a proviso for a one-year extension. The term sheet, when combined with the existing pellet sale and purchase agreement, provides surety of supply for 70% of Algoma’s pellet requirements. This term sheet comes as a result of a competitive process that secures the economic provision of this critical raw material for Algoma. In 2015 Essar Steel Algoma filed for creditor protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act.

INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

USA NLMK to build new reheating furnace. NLMK has signed an agreement for the purchase of the core process equipment for the construction of a new walking-beam reheating furnace to streamline the slab heating process at NLMK Pennsylvania, located in Farrell, PA. The new furnace will replace three outdated pusher-type furnaces currently operational at the facility. The reheating furnace, which will have a capacity of around 1.7 million t/year, will increase the quality of finished steel products due to the transition to a more advanced technology. It will also enable lower energy consumption and minimize environmental impact. The furnace is to become operational in 2018. The project also includes the construction of a warehouse for slabs supplied by Novolipetsk. Construction and installation work is planned for the third quarter of 2017.

USA U. S. Steel to start third-party iron ore sales. United States Steel has reached agreements to supply iron ore pellets to third-party customers. U. S. Steel will adjust its iron ore pellet production in order to take full advantage of these business opportunities. Included in the adjustments is a restart of the Keetac plant in Keewatin, Minn., which has been temporarily idled since May 2015. Production is anticipated to begin in March 2017.

Venezuela ICSID issues award on nationalization of Tavsa and Comsigua.

The International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes ICSID has released its final award in favour of Tenaris and Talta, upholding their claim that Venezuela had expropriated their investments in Tubos de Acero de Venezuela S.A. (Tavsa) and Complejo SiderĂşrgico de Guayana, C.A. (Comsigua) in violation of the bilateral investment treaties entered into by Venezuela with the Belgium-Luxem-

bourg Economic Union and Portugal.

Tenaris and its wholly-owned subsidiary Talta had initiated the arbitration proceedings in 2012. The award granted Tenaris and Talta compensation in the amount of US$ 137.0 million for the breaches and US$ 24.6 million in pre-award interest. In addition, Venezuela was ordered to reimburse Tenaris and Talta US$ 3.3 million in legal fees and ICSID administrative costs.

Tavsa is the sole producer of seamless steel tube products in Venezuela, and Comsigua is a producer of hot briquetted iron in Venezuela.

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Asia Azerbaijan Baku Steel to build new steel complex. Danieli will build a new metallurgical complex for Baku Steel in Sumgait. 50% of the production generated by the complex will be exported, primarily to Iran and Turkey.

Construction is scheduled to take three years.

Bangladesh GPH Ispat to build minimill.

GPH Ispat, a manufacturer of long products based in Chittagong, has commissioned Primetals Technologies to supply a minimill with a total annual capacity of 815,000 t of finished products and billets. The order includes an EAF Quantum electric arc furnace, a ladle furnace, a threestrand, high-speed continuous billet caster, and a bar and section mill.

WinLink Flex from Primetals Technologies will be installed for the first time worldwide. This concept not only allows virtually uninterrupted casting and rolling of long products, but also reduces investment and operating costs. The new minimill meltshop is scheduled to come into operation in early 2018. A special automation solution will be implemented so that the electric arc furnace can be charged with various combinations of diverse mixtures of scrap met-

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MPT International 1 / 2017

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››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

al, or with DRI and HBI. The threestrand continuous billet caster will be directly connected to the downstream rolling mill. In addition, there is secondary plant equipment, such as a mill workshop and laboratory, hydraulic and lubrication systems, special mechatronic packages, low-voltage supply, motors and drives as well as basic automation (level 1) and process automation (level 2). Primetals Technologies will also be responsible for supervising installation and commissioning work.

China Western Superconducting places order for forging press. Western Superconducting Technologies in Xian, Shaanxi province, has placed an order with SMS group for the supply of a high-speed 63/80 MN two-column push-down open-die forging press.

The order also includes two integrated 25 t rail-bound manipulators and an 8 t mobile loading and unloading manipulator. The machine will operate with a press force of up to 63 MN and a maximum upsetting force of 80 MN. Commissioning is scheduled for the end of 2017. The new press will be used for the production of high-quality semi-finished products for various industrial applications such as highgrade superconducting materials, e.g. titanium alloys for superconducting magnets used in the aerospace industry.

China Foshan Chengde to build new stainless steel line. Foshan Chengde Stainless Steel has contracted Fives as project manager of its new stainless steel line. The new cold annealing and pickling line (CAPL) with a production capacity of 500,000 t/year will produce 200, 300, 400 series stainless steel products intended for applications such as construction, machinery, automotive, household appliances, medical equipment, chemical containers, high-speed rail and aviation. The line is scheduled to be put into operation before the end of 2017. Fives is responsible for the proMPT International 1 / 2017

ject management as well as design and supply of an annealing furnace and terminal equipment, including an in-line skin-pass mill. The equipment will be manufactured by a Fives subsidiary in Shanghai.

of a wide range of products, such as equal and unequal angles, channels, H-beams, squares and hexagonal bars for the Indonesian market.

Taiwan India Bokaro Steel Plant orders twin ladle furnace. Bokaro Steel Plant, which belongs to SAIL Steel Authority of India, has placed an order with SMS group for the supply of a 130 t twin ladle furnace. The order comprises the engineering and the turnkey supply, including erection and commissioning. The supply scope includes not only the mechanical equipment, the X-Pact® electrical and automation package (level 1 and level 2) but also the civil engineering and building construction work. Commissioning is scheduled for summer 2018.

Indonesia Gunung Raja Paksi orders light section mill. PT. Gunung Raja Paksi, based in Cikarang City, has awarded SMS group the order to supply a continuous light section mill. The new mill will be installed at PT. Gunung Raja Paksi’s new industrial site close to their existing facilities, with production scheduled to commence in 2018. SMS group will supply a reheating furnace with a capacity of 100 t/h , a one-strand rolling mill equipped with 15 housingless (HL) stands in horizontal, vertical, convertible and universal arrangement, a cooling bed, straightening machine, cold saws, magnetic stacker and tying machines. The furnace will be a walking beam type. The rolling mill will include a roughing mill consisting of six HL mill stands, an intermediate mill consisting of five HL mill stands and a finishing mill consisting of four HL mill stands each equipped with multi-groove rolls. Between the stands of the intermediate and finishing mill vertical loop lifters will be arranged allowing tension-free rolling to closest tolerances. The mill will be designed to produce 500,000 t/year

Tung Ho Steel orders water treatment plant. Following the order for a new high-speed rolling mill for long products to be installed in the Phu My industrial zone, Tung Ho Steel has now contracted Danieli to supply a new water treatment plant to complete the rolling mill project. A filtration section featuring DanFilters® will perform efficient removal of suspended solids and oil, whilst package cooling towers will ensure cooling.

A dewatering section will reduce the volume of sludge for disposal and recover water from the process. Due to the short project schedule and in order to minimize on-site construction activities, Danieli will supply all the equipment with a highest level of prefabrication. The contract scope also includes detailed civil engineering.

Start-up of the rolling mill and the water treatment plant is scheduled to take place by the end of 2017.

Thailand Posco-Thainox upgrades skinpass mill. The skin-pass mill renovation at Posco-Thainox has been successfully completed. The upgrade, performed by GE, was completed within ten days, with the mill reaching nominal production well within schedule. Posco-Thainox’s skin-pass mill had been in need of renovation after being originally equipped by GE in 1993. The upgrade called for sophisticated automation and control systems to improve the quality of cold-rolled products as well as increasing the mill’s productivity, availability and reliability. Power Conversion supplied advanced solutions to help boost the overall performance of the mill, which included low-voltage AC LV7000 drives, a power electronic controller system (PECe) for large DC drives and a high-performance controller for au-

INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS tomation systems. The PECe controllers employ the same hardware and software as used for the automation system, ensuring standardization across the whole process.

Vietnam Vina Kyoei to upgrade wire rod mill. Seeking to improve wire rod quality and mill utilization, Vina Kyoei has contracted with Primetals Technologies to upgrade the pinch roll and laying head in its wire rod mill in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. The scope of supply includes a Morgan intelligent pinch roll and Morgan high-speed laying head with SR Series pipe, plus motors, drives and automation to interface with the existing control system.

The addition of SR Series pipe will extend the laying head pipe life and improve the laying pattern. An electrical and automation package also supplied will integrate the new equipment. The new equipment has a design speed of 120 m/s. Commissioning is scheduled to take place in early 2017.

Europe Austria Voestalpine to build forging line. Voestalpine is going to invest largely in a new high-tech, high-speed forging line at its subsidiary Böhler Edelstahl in Kapfenberg. The new facility will primarily be used to manufacture forgings as pre-material for extremely high load-bearing aircraft components, such as engine parts, or as workpieces for sophisticated products used in the oil and gas industry.

The forging line will process the material with a pressing force of 4,400 t and a speed of up to 120 strokes per minute, or 2 strokes per second. The new line is scheduled to go into operation in 2018.

Austria Voestalpine Stahl Donawitz to build pilot meltshop. Voestal-

pine Metal Engineering has awarded INTECO the order to engineer and supply a lab-scale meltshop with a 5 t heat size to be built at Donawitz. The plant will be used to develop, melt and cast new steel grades in a pilot scale meltshop called “Technikum Metallurgie”. The blooms produced in the pilot plant will be processed in the normal production plant for rails, pipes and wire. The production route will consist of an induction furnace, a ladle furnace with plasma heating, a DETEM-type vacuum plant and the segment caster, INTECO’s latest development in the field of casting. The project follows a very ambitious time schedule as the first heat in the pilot plant is already planned for the beginning of 2018.

Finland SSAB to modernize cooling section automation. Primetals Technologies has received an order from SSAB Europe to modernize the cooling section automation in the hot rolling mill in its steel plant in Raahe.

The scope of supply includes the process automation (level 2) hardware and software as well as the basic automation software including the software switch for shadow mode and smooth switchover to the new system. The supply will also include tools to handle and control the cooling section and provide functions to handle complex cooling functions for the different steel grades and the commissioning.

The project is scheduled for completion in April 2018.

Finland and Sweden SSAB invests in its Nordic operations. SSAB is going to invest in operations at the Hämeenlinna, Finland, and Luleå, Sweden, sites. At Hämmeenlinna, SSAB will modernize the first section of the pickling line. The investment is being made to support SSAB’s automotive growth strategy and secure the stable and long-term production of coated strip products. In Luleå, a new hot blast stove for hot metal production will be installed.

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News in brief Georgsmarienhütte(GMH), Germany, has successfully completed its DC EAF revamp carried out by SMS group. Modifications have been made to the arrangement of the secondary conductor of the EAF’s pin-type bottom electrode. The SMS group supply scope comprised the engineering, manufacture and installation of the equipment as well as monitoring of commissioning. The revamping work took place during the shutdown in summer 2016.

Atakaĵ, Turkey, has started up the new 1.2-million-t/year cold-rolling complex in Iskenderun, built

by Danieli. The complex consists of a continuous pickling line, two single-stand 6-high reversing mills, a vertical hot-dip galvanizing line and a colour coating line.

Tangshan, China, has issued the FAC for a cold rolling mill supplied by Primetals Technologies.

The mill is designed for an annual production of 1.6 million t of high-strength, high-quality steels for the Chinese automotive industry.

PT. Gunung Garuda, Indonesia, has successfully started the production of beam blanks on the new four-strand caster supplied by SMS group. SMS Concast supplied a four-strand caster as a replacement for an older caster.

The new beam blank caster is capable of operating in the mixed casting mode, casting two different sections simultaneously, or casting only three strands instead of four.

Steel Dynamics, USA, has successfully started up the new Danieli Fata Hunter coil coating line at its Columbus, Mississippi facility. The double-coat continuous coil coating line produced the first coated coil ahead of the planned schedule.

MPT International 1 / 2017

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

France Ecocem orders slag grinding mill. For the new Dunkerque cement plant, Ecocem France SAS has placed another order for a Loesche mill of type LM 46.2+2 CS. Ecocem France stands for sustainable development and is the first independent producer of ground granulated blast-furnace slag in Europe. The cement plant is designed for grinding cement clinker and granulated blast furnace slag at a capacity of 105 t/h. The gearbox will have a capacity of 3,150 kW. Not only the vertical roller mill, but also the complete mechanical equipment for the grinding plant starting from mill feed to the discharge into the product silos will be included in Loescheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scope of supply. The heater will be designed to burn natural gas as well as blast furnace gas. The burner will be supplied complete with fitting rack and local switch cabinet.

Commissioning of the vertical roller mill is planned for mid 2017. Ecocem has been operating the same type of

Loesche mill for dry-grinding granulated blast furnace slag at their production plant in Fos-sur-Mer.

France Vallourec to upgrade bloom caster. Vallourec has recently contracted Danieli to add a new 325 mm round section to the existing Danieli round bloom caster at St. Saulve. The original casting sections of the fourstrand, 12-m-radius continuous caster installed by Danieli in 2007 range from 180 to 310 mm in diameter. Danieli will now supply the new moulds and related auxiliary equipment, expanding the range of cast products and making the plant available to produce bars for the automotive industry. Engineered with a plug-and-play concept, the upgrade project will be handled on fast track basis in order to achieve the challenging target to restart the caster in February 2017.

MPT International 1 / 2017

France ArcelorMittal to revamp pickling line. ArcelorMittal has awarded Danieli Service the contract for the revamping of the entry section of its picking line in Fos-sur-Mer. The goal of the project, which includes the supply of high-performance leveller, is to improve the quality of the strip feeding the welder, increase the reliability of the line and significantly reduce maintenance and non-productive times. In addition to the supply of the new equipment, Danieli Service will be in charge of dismantling existing equipment, and install and commission the line.

These activities are scheduled to take place during the yearly maintenance stoppages scheduled for summer 2017.

Germany ArcelorMittal Hamburg to build walking-beam furnace. ArcelorMit-

INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS tal Hamburg has placed an order with Danieli Centro Combustion for the turnkey supply of a 175 t/h walking beam furnace for 16.5 m special steel billets and a Danieli Automation optimization model. The furnace will have an innovative thermal profile that achieves optimum heating efficiency thanks to improved convective heat exchange in the unfired zone and reduced environmental impact thanks to Danieli Centro Combustion’s proprietary flameless burners. During this year’s shutdown period, the existing mill will be connected to the new furnace. This upgrade will allow to increase the weight of the coil to 2 t and will improve both productivity and efficiency of the special steel wire rod mill at ArcelorMittal Hamburg.

Germany Bilstein to upgrade tandem mill. Bilstein has placed an order with SMS group covering a comprehensive modernization of its four-stand tandem rolling mill. SMS group will upgrade the system platform without changing the applications software.

This will be possible using the X-Pact® ProBAS automation platform which comprises hardware, operating system, system layer and applications software for the basic automation systems. The hardware at Bilstein will be changed from the X-Pact® CPCI motion system to the X-Pact® Embedded hardware platform. The application software will remain unchanged. All improvements and optimizations carried out jointly with SMS group over the last few years will be retained.

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worldwide

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The organizers of GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST wish to invite you to be part of The Bright World of Metals.

International Foundry Technology, Supplies and Castings Trade Fair

5–8 JUNE 2017 EXPOCENTRE Krasnaya Presnya Moscow, Russia www.metallurgy-tube-russia.com International Metallurgical Technology, Processes and Metal Products Trade Fair

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Germany Salzgitter Flachstahl orders process optimization system for RH plant. Salzgitter Flachstahl has commissioned Primetals Technologies to supply and implement a level 2 process optimization system for a twin RH degassing plant and its two downstream treatment stations. The RH process optimization system to be installed will monitor and optimize the vacuum treatment system in the RH plant. This optimization system is used all over

17–19 OCTOBER 2018 Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran, Indonesia www.indometal.net International Metallurgical Technology, Processes and Metal Products Trade Fair

27–29 NOVEMBER 2018 Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre Goregaon (East), Mumbai, India www.metallurgy-india.com

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www.messe-duesseldorf.de

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the world for the production of a wide range of steel grades, such as micro-alloyed special steel, ULC steel and other special steels. A system for recording all relevant process data, variable evaluation options and optimized temperature control are further features of this comprehensive automation system. It will be integrated into the existing SMIS (secondary metallurgical information system) automation environment, which was also supplied by Primetals Technologies a few years ago.

The new system is scheduled to come on stream in April 2017.

around 32.7 m. It has the possibility to cast slabs with thicknesses between 180 and 305 mm in widths ranging from 900 to 2,150 mm. The machine will be equipped with a straight Smart Mold with electromagnetic stirrers and a number of technology packages. DynaGap Soft Reduction 3D will improve the interior quality of slabs used to produce high-quality heavy plate. The 3D Sprays system has movable nozzles in the segments to ensure uniform, optimal cooling of the slabs over their entire width. The plant is scheduled for commissioning in March 2019.

Italy Poland Acciaierie di Verona to build wire rod mill and billet caster.

Danieli will supply Acciaierie di Verona, part of the Pittini Group, a new two-strand wire rod mill and a new sixstrand billet caster. The mill will feature an H-V rougher feeding two independent rolling lines made up of cantilever roll stands, with quick roll-change and temperature control along the mill and downstream. High-speed cropping shears will be installed downstream the twin-module sizing blocks. The variable pitch cooling conveyor features modular slow-to-ultrafast cooling.

The six-strand caster will produce 150 – 160 mm square billets. The Q3 intelligence system will provide integrated data collection of the whole plant, analysis, web reporting with key performance indicators and with powerful statistical tools to support decision making. Start-up of the new plant is expected by mid 2018.

Aluminium Konin/Impexmetal start up cut-to-length line. In October 2016, Aluminium Konin/ Impexmetal started up the new cutto-length machine which will enhance the efficiency of aluminium sheet production. With the new cutto-length line supplied by Georg, strip widths between 600 and 1,250 mm can be processed at a maximum speed of 100 m/min. The separation length is between 400 and 2,500 mm with pile weights of 2 x 5,000 kg (max. 1,600 kg/m). The cut-to-length line is equipped with a double decoiler and an edge-trimming unit. The line equipment also includes a pullthrough leveller, a drum shear for precise cutting to the desired board length and an air-blow stacker for precise stacking of the sheets on pallets.

locking the potential of MMK’s blast furnaces. Commissioning is scheduled to take place by the end of 2019.

At sinter plant 2, the reconstruction of the sulphur capture system No. 2 has recently been completed with the launch of the third absorption system. Now it is possible to process the total volume of gas coming from sinter plant 2, that is 1,400,000 m3(stp)/h, with purification of up to 95% for sulphur dioxide and up to 97% for suspended materials. This is in line with the highest standards and best technologies used in the EU. As part of the reconstruction, three cleaning systems were built, each comprising two cleaning steps, electric filter and scrubber.

This equipment was also supplied by Sinosteel.

Russia NLMK launches pelletizing facilities. NLMK has successfully completed the construction of a pelletizing plant at Stoilensky, the key investment project of its ‘Strategy 2017’. The launch of the new pelletizing plant will enable NLMK to reduce its costs of iron ore used in blast furnace operations at the company’s Novolipetsk steelmaking plant. The plant has a design capacity of 6 million t/year of pellets.

The equipment installed allows for a further 20% expansion of this capacity to reach 7.2 million t/year of pellets. This high-tech facility took two years to build. The plant is expected to achieve its design capacity in the first quarter of 2017.

Russia Russia The Netherlands Tata Steel IJmuiden orders slab caster. Tata Steel IJmuiden has awarded Primetals Technologies an order to supply a new continuous slab caster.

The plant will be constructed on a “process turnkey” basis. It will be designed to produce around 2.7 million t/year of slabs and cast high-quality grades for end applications in the automotive industry, for example.

The caster will have a machine radius of 9.5 m and a metallurgical length of MPT International 1 / 2017

Sinter plant projects at MMK. Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) has signed a contract with Sinosteel Equipment & Engineering regarding the supply of equipment for MMK’s new sinter plant No. 5. The new plant will have an annual capacity of 5.5 million t, allowing MMK to decommission outdated equipment at sinter plant No. 4. The new plant will help MMK process sinter more efficiently, reduce the production costs of pig iron by ensuring output of suitable materials, and fully un-

MMK signs HBI supply contract. Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) has signed a contract with Metalloinvest regarding supplies of hot-briquetted iron to MMK. The contract covers a period of one year.

During this period, MMK will purchase 200,000 t of HBI from Metalloinvest. Under the contract, pricing will be determined by a formula based on market indicators including domestic and global prices for metallurgical raw materials. This contract will help

INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS MMK to partly substitute metal scrap with alternative raw materials inputs.

Russia Evraz to build new blast furnace. For the development and balancing of their hot metal capacities at NTMK, Nizhnij Tagil, Evraz has recently decided in favour of building a new blast furnace which will become the No. 7 unit at that site. EVRAZNTMK and Paul Wurth have signed contracts for the design and supply of technology and key equipment for the new blast furnace. This will include a parallel hopper Bell Less Top® charging system, the hearth refractory lining with a ceramic cup and two sets of fully hydraulic tapping machinery as well as vertical copper stave coolers in the high-heat loaded bosh. The BF top gas cleaning plant with axial cyclone and annular gap scrubber as well as the dedusting systems for stockhouse and casthouse will ensure a minimum of environmental impact and a maximum of material return to the main process route. Commissioning of the new blast furnace is scheduled to take place in 2018.

Russia MMK signs strategic iron ore supply agreement. Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) and Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), a diversified natural resources producer, have signed a strategic agreement for the supply of iron ore. The agreement provides for the supply of more than 30 million t of iron ore, including pellets and concentrate, from the Sokolovsko-Sarbayskaya mine to MMK through 2020.

Sweden SSAB invests in carbon-dioxidefree internal transport. SSAB in Oxelösund, TFK Transport Research Institute and Kalmar, a part of Cargotec, are to initiate a project to develop and test carbon-dioxide-free internal

transport powered by hydrogen and fuel cells. SSAB has significant internal transport activities which consist of forklift trucks and other vehicles, which currently predominantly run on fossil fuels. A total of some 50 different vehicles are in use in internal transport in Oxelösund. During 2017 and 2018, SSAB in Oxelösund, together with Kalmar and TFK Transport Research Institute, will implement a demonstration project where a heavy 14 t forklift truck will be fitted with fuel cells and run using hydrogen. This means that the truck will emit water. The forklift truck will be in normal use in internal transport and operation at SSAB in Oxelösund and will be tested around the clock for a period of five to eight months. The effects of using fuel cells will be analyzed and assessed from the aspects of, among other things, energy efficiency, environmental impacts and operating costs.

Sweden SSAB orders flatness measurement systems. SSAB Special Steels has ordered five Shapeline VeriFlex systems for its heavy plate mill in Oxelösund. The new systems will replace five existing systems in plate levelling, finishing, normalizing and shearing lines. This is Shapeline’s biggest order ever. The new ShapeCAT-solution developed by Shapeline will provide high-performance automated flatness measurement.

United Kingdom Liberty House reopens steel works in Wales. International industrial and metals group, Liberty House has formally reopened a Valley’s steelworks shut down about a year ago when its former owners went into administration. Liberty is resuming the production of steel structural hollow sections and tubes at the plant in Tredegar with support from the Welsh Government. The site, which includes a 100,000 t/year rolling mill, was one of a number of former Caparo Steel Products sites acquired by Liberty from the administrators in late 2015.

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News in brief ArcelorMittal, Germany, has successfully completed the relining of its blast furnace 5A at Eisenhüttenstadt. In the context of this project, the last open-circuit cooling system of the blast furnace – spraying of the steel jacket in the hearth area – was replaced by a closed system. Water-cooled taphole plugging machines were installed and pneumatic taphole drilling machines were replaced by hydraulic equipment. The work was carried out in 72 days.

Hoa Phat, Vietnam, has upgraded one of its four Danieli rebar mills with an EWR/K welding unit in order to be able to perform endless rolling. The machine, supplied and installed by Danieli, welds 150 mm and 165 mm square billets to produce rebars from 10 to 32 mm.

Tata Steel, India, has inaugurated the second phase of its cold rolling mill complex BARA in Jamshedpur. During phase I, the reversing mill of 0.25 million t/ year capacity was installed. The phase II expansion included the installation of a 300,000 t/year hot rolled skinpass mill. In order to cater to the input requirement of the skinpass mill, the production capacity of the existing pickling line was increased from 500,000 to 680,000 t/year.

Qingdao Iron and Steel, China, has awarded SMS group the FAC for the supplied SBQ mill.

The new special mill produces a wide range of steel grades with tolerances better than 1/6 DIN. The mill is designed for an annual capacity of around 700,000 t of bar steel. The 3-roll precision sizing mill can roll practically any desired finished sizes between 16 and 100 mm in diameter.

MPT International 1 / 2017

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Companies Synalloy to acquire stainless steel pipe and tube operations of Marcegaglia USA. Synalloy Corporation, through its subsidiary Bristol Metals, LLC, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the stainless steel pipe and tube operations of Marcegaglia USA. The agreement will be structured as an asset purchase and will exclude galvanized product and ornamental tubing products. This deal is in line with the Marcegaglia Group portfolio strategy of focusing more on the most sizeable assets in

Europe. With Bristol Metals’ recent investment in its heavy wall operation, and the addition of Marcegaglia’s laser mill capabilities, Synalloy Metals will be well positioned to support the North American pipe and tube market for many years to come.

Nucor to purchase Republic Conduit. Nucor Corporation has agreed to acquire Republic Conduit, a leading manufacturer of steel electrical conduit in North America, from Luxembourg-based Tenaris. The purchase of Republic Conduit will complement Nucor’s recent expansion of

presence in the pipe and tube market. Republic Conduit’s products are primarily used to protect and route electrical wiring in various non-residential structures such as hospitals, schools, office buildings, hotels, stadiums, churches and shopping malls.

The company also serves the power and industrial sectors.

Materion Corporation to acquire Heraeus’ target materials business. Materion Corporation, headquartered in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, USA, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the principal portion of the high-performance target materials business of the Heraeus Group of Hanau, Germany. The acquisition is expected to be consummated in the first quarter of 2017.

Heraeus manufactures precious and non-precious metal target materials for the architectural and automotive glass, electronic display, photovoltaic and semiconductor markets at facilities in Germany, Taiwan, the United States and Singapore. Once acquired, the businesses will operate within the Materion advanced materials business segment. Not included in this agreement is Heraeus’ magnetic data storage business in Singapore. Here, negotiations will continue.

Vallourec acquires majority stake in Anhui Tianda Oil Pipe. Vallourec has closed the acquisition of a majority stake (50.61%) in Anhui Tianda Oil Pipe (TOP), China, thereby increasing its total stake in the company to 70.07%. Tianda Oil Pipe is a Chinese manufacturer of seamless tubes listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. TOP’s industrial assets include, in particular, a state-of-theart PQF®2 rolling mill with 500,000 t capacity as well MPT International 1 / 2017

INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS as a tube heat treatment and threading workshop. The company has 1,500 employees. This acquisition is part of Vallourec’s 2015-2020 Transformation Plan, which enables Vallourec to create a new production hub in China to supply the domestic market and export to Asian and Middle East markets. The integration of Anhui Tianda Oil Pipe fulfills a long-term strategic vision as it combines Vallourec’s leadership in premium solutions with TOP’s highly competitive operations.

Outotec finalizes employee negotiations. Outotec has finalized the employee cooperation negotiations in different locations in Finland related to the restructuring of the metals, energy & water segment and filters manufacturing units. As a result of the negotiations, approximately 50 employees will be made redundant in Finland. Depending on capacity utilization, employees may also be temporarily laid off during 2017. The negotiations to streamline certain units in Germany will continue in 2017. The restructuring may lead to the reduction of approximately 100 permanent posi-

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tions in Germany. Some individual redundancies will also be made in other countries.

SSAB launches sustainability initiative. A global sustainability initiative by SSAB is helping customers reap the environmental rewards of using high-strength steel. SSAB EcoUpgraded highlights the benefits of upgrading to high-strength steel. Manufacturing a product using SSAB high-strength steel ensures important characteristics such as reduced weight, improved fuel econ-

Quaker acquires Lubricor. Quaker Chemical Corporation has acquired Lubricor Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of metalworking fluids based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The company was established in 1998 and currently employs approximately 30 individuals.

Liberty House acquires specialty steels business. Tata Steel UK signed a definitive sale agreement to sell its speciality steels business to Liberty House Group for a total consideration of £100 million. The sale agreement covers several South Yorkshire-based assets including the EAF steelworks and bar mill at Rotherham, the steel purifying facility in Stocksbridge and a mill in Brinsworth as well as service centres in UK and China. Speciality Steels directly employs about 1,700 people making steels for the aerospace, automotive and the oil & gas industries. The business has an annual capacity of around 1.1 million t of liquid steel. The acquisition will be a significant step in realizing Liberty’s greensteel vision which promotes widespread recycling of UK domestic scrap, using arc furnaces powered from renewable energy sources.

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MPT International 1 / 2017

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omy and/or extended lifetime – all of which are key contributors to reducing the carbon footprint of the product.

During its use phase, an SSAB EcoUpgraded product will generate CO2 savings that exceed the CO2 emitted during production of the upgraded part.

The SSAB EcoUpgraded initiative will provide proof points relating to reduced CO2 emissions that will enable OEMs and their customers to benefit from improved environmental performance.

Unilux partners with Nelco Canada. Unilux, the designer and manufacturer of strobe lights for inspection, has added Nelco Canada to their worldwide sales network. Nelco will be Unilux’s exclusive sales representative in seven Canadian provinces.

Nelco Canada brings over 40 years of experience in the paper, steel, printing and converting industries, aligning with Unilux manufacturing markets. Unilux inspection lights use the stroboscopic effect to freeze images of

sections of webs moving at full production speed, making the smallest of defects clearly visible.

CMC Steel Fabricators acquires Continental Concrete Structures.

CMC Steel Fabricators, a wholly owned subsidiary of Commercial Metals Company, has acquired substantially all of the assets of Continental Concrete Structures (CCS). CCS is a fabricator of post-tensioning cable and related products for commercial and public construction projects with a facility in Alpharetta, Georgia. In addition, CCS provides professional design and value engineering services to the construction industry throughout North America.

Linde to resume talks with Praxair. The executive board of Linde AG has decided, after consultation with the supervisory board and on the basis of the proposal received from the Amer-

ican company Praxair, to resume talks about the essential conditions of a potential merger of equals between the two companies. Wolfgang Büchele offered the supervisory board of Linde AG to step down as a member of the executive board and chairman of the executive board. Aldo Ernesto Belloni was appointed as his successor on these posts.

WOKO celebrates 40th anniversary. Heavy-duty lifting magnets specialist WOKO celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2016. Established in 1976 in Duisburg, Germany, WOKO develops and produces electro magnets and equipment for various applications such as scrap yards and steel mills, fitting mobile as well as stationary cranes.

In 2009, WOKO joined the Swiss-based Heppenstall Technology Group, specialists in heavy-duty lifting equipment such as slab tongs, coil tongs, etc.

Today, WOKO is a leading manufacturer of lifting magnets in Germany with a global distribution network.

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INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS Klöckner and Arago cooperate in intelligent IT. Klöckner & Co SE, distributors of steel and metal products, and Arago, providers of artificial intelligence and intelligent IT automation solutions, have entered into an innovation partnership focused on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to further drive Klöckner’s digital transformation. By amplifying human IT knowledge through continuous learning and built-in self-optimization, Arago’s problem-solving AI platform HIRO will automate Klöckner’s IT operations. Klöckner plans an open industry platform and targets to handle more than 50% of its sales via online transactions by 2019.

other’s global infrastructure, scale and market access, driving new growth opportunities by offering an unmatched solutions competence to customers.

BASF completes acquisition of Chemetall. BASF has completed its acquisition of Albemarle’s global surface treatment business, Chemetall. BASF combines its know-how in chemistry and coatings applications with Chemetall’s expertise in surface treatment. The combined businesses will benefit from each

Merging of Josef Fröhling with W+K Industrietechnik into Danieli Germany. Danieli has merged Josef Fröhling with W+K Industrietechnik into Danieli Germany GmbH. The product lines for Danieli Fröhling, Danieli W+K and Danieli Wean United will remain self-standing brand names and product lines as business

Danieli Automation acquires Telerobot Labs. Telerobot Labs, an Italian company specialized in robotics and headquartered in Genova, is now part of Danieli Group. Telerobot designs, develops, manufactures, installs and starts up advanced robotic systems in the fields of mechanical and special devices, such as off-shore, nuclear and electromedical devices.

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News in brief ArcelorMittal Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, has started production with the VCC® (vertical compact coiler) line supplied

by SMS group. The new line is designed to produce compact coils at an hourly throughput of 60 t.

IISCO Steel Plant, India, and SMS group have successfully commissioned an X-Melt® converter shop for the production of quality steel grades at the Burnpur location in the Indian federal state of West Bengal. The new steelworks is rated for an annual production of 2.6 million t of liquid steel. It features three converters with a tapping weight of 150 t each.

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units within the company. Jointly, they will benefit by sharing cross-product line process areas in the company and within the worldwide Danieli Group.

Aperam to divest French tubes activities. Aperam has acknowledged a binding offer from Mutares AG to acquire Aperam Stainless Services & Solutions Tubes Europe, its French stainless steel welded tubes facilities located in Ancerville (manufacturing plant) and Annecy (distribution centre). The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the first half of 2017.

Schmolz + Bickenbach and Tsingshan form JV. Schmolz + Bickenbach and Tsingshan have formed a joint venture in China. The JV company, 60% owned by Schmolz + Bickenbach and 40%

by Tsingshan, will operate out of Shanghai under the name Shanghai Xinzhen Precision Bar Co. Ltd. The JV focuses on the production of a wide range of drawn bright bars with a reliable and flexible supply chain, leveraging technical expertise, operational excellence and deep customer and market knowledge of both parties.

Key feedstock will comprise stainless steel wire rods from Tsingshan as well as from Schmolz + Bickenbach’s business units Ugitech and Deutsche Edelstahlwerke.

Oryx Stainless PGI acquires Thai Metal Recycling. Oryx Stainless PGI (Bangkok) has entered into an acquisition agreement with Thailand-based Thai Metal Recycling (TMR). The acquisition is part of the implementation of Oryx Stainless’ international growth strategy and will increase its market share in one of the fastest growing markets for the recycling of stainless steel and its alloys.

Ovako sells ball mill. Ovako has reached an agreement to sell its ball mill in Forsbacka to newly formed Forsbacka Kulverk AB. The ball mill, which currently has six employees, mainly produces grinding balls for the mining and cement industries. Its total producMPT International 1 / 2017

tion volume in 2015 was nearly 4,000 t.

The agreement includes a five-year supply contract under which Ovako will provide 90% of the ball mill’s steel requirements. In addition, Ovako will be able to conduct sub-contracted rolling at Forsbacka Kulverk as necessary.

Outotec establishes services business unit. In order to strengthen its focus on service business, Outotec has decided to change its business structure and establish a services business unit as of 1 April 2017. The recruitment of the head for the new services business unit has started. Until the appointment, CEO Markku Teräsvasara will lead the design work of the new business unit.

SKW Metallurgie reaches breakthrough in negotiations with financing banks. The financing banks declare their willingness to conclude a standstill agreement with a maturity until 31 December 2017 in order to implement the refinancing. Cornerstone of this financial restructuring is an extraordinary debt repayment of the SKW Metallurgie Group based on the disposal of assets (mainly non-core activities). In addition, the financing banks have declared their general preparedness to issue a conditional cancelation of debt, if the repayment of the debt remaining with the banks is secured by a third party. The concept is subject to the approval by corporate bodies of financing banks. The implementation of the agreed measures will return the debt situation of the SKW Metallurgie Group, provider of primary and secondary metallurgy solutions for the steel industry, to a ratio that is economically bearable for its earning power.

Personalities Change on board of Schmolz + Bickenbach. Hans Ziegler has decided to resign from the board of directors of Schmolz + Bickenbach due to ongoing investigations relating to his person. He was first elected to the board in 2013. A potential successor will be pro-

posed for election at the annual general meeting in May 2017.

Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions CEO stands down. Jens Michael Wegmann has decided to stand down as CEO of the Industrial Solutions business area with immediate effect and leave the company. He took the decision irrespective of legal issues and the findings of the ongoing internal investigation. Stefan Gesing, CFO of Industrial Solutions, will assume Jens Michael Wegmann’s duties and serve as chair of the business area board on an acting basis.

Unilux expands sales network.

Unilux has added Rod Ambrose Industrial Sales to their worldwide sales network. He will be the exclusive Unilux representative in the US states of Arizona, California and Nevada.

Commercial Metals Company appoints new president and chief operating officer. Commercial Metals Company (CMC) has promoted Barbara R. Smith to the position of president and chief operating officer.

Barbara R. Smith has been the company’s chief operating officer since January 2016. In her new position, she will have the responsibility for all operational departments of the company, both domestically and internationally.

Inventor and EAF technologist Edgar R. Wünsche dies at 85. Edgar R. Wünsche, recognized as the pathfinder in technological innovation in the EAF world steel industry, died last year at 85 years of age. Edgar Wünsche developed cutting edge designs and ideas, including foamy slag practice, combined oxy-fuel burner/lances, scrap preheating, continuous charging and energy-saving water-cooled panels. He was an electrical engineer who had studied in Russia and began his steelmaking career at an electric arc furnace there. He eventually emigrated to Canada and went to work at Lake Ontario Steel’s steelmaking department.

In 1970, he left the company to form

INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

Edgar R. Wünsche

gium Holdings plate business, which includes NLMK Clabecq (Belgium) and NLMK Verona (Italy), and together with NLMK DanSteel (Denmark), comprises the NLMK Europe Plate division. Cornelius Louwrens will continue as member of the management board and director of operational efficiency for NLMK International B.V. Igor Sarkits, who previously held the position of CEO of NLMK Europe Plate, has been assigned the function of industrial development director in NLMK International B.V. and will also take the position of CEO of NLMK DanSteel. Giovanni Borinelli has tak-

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25

en over from Marcello Calcagni as general manager of NLMK Verona. Yarak Yarak, previously general manager of NLMK Coating (France), has been appointed general manager of NLMK Clabecq.

New CEO at ArcelorMittal BreEMPCO Engineered Metal Products. men. Reiner Blascheck is the new CEO Wünsche held several patents for develof ArcelorMittal Bremen, succeeding opments such as the split shell for Ultra Dietmar Ringel, who has moved on into High Power EAF (world’s first industrial the team of Geert van Poelvoorde, CEO use introduced at LASCO, and still used ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products in present day EAFs), electrode arms for Europe, and will sit on the supervisory EAF with electromagnetic shielding, forced cooling panel, the Unilance multipurpose oxygen lance and burner, horizontal tapping, and the multi-oxy/fuel power burner/injector/oxygen lance device, just to mention a few. He joined a predecessor organization of AIST in 1970 and had served on the association’s electric steelmaking technology committee.

Edgar R. Wünsche was recognized for his numerous papers dealing with milestone technologies such as high-power minimill steelmaking and quasi-submerged arcs, and for his book ‘Electric arc furnaces’ published in 1964. He received various awards in recognition of his contribution to the EAF industry through Stressometer® Systems. Turning steel into gold. innovative processes and designs that focus on energy efficiency, ecological friendliness, and improvements in safety and working conditions; e.g. the Billy Wallis Award presented by the Electric Metal Makers Guild and The golden jubilee offering of Stressometer Flatness Control System brings mill speed the 2012-Recognition in Inand productivity to a completely new level. Reduction of strip breaks, rejects and novation by the United States pass time, leads to rewards up to hundreds of thousands dollars/euros on the bottom line.

No wonder our customers believe we are turning steel into gold. Stressometer Flatness of America Steel ManufacturSystems – unstoppable for five decades. www.abb.com/stressometer ers Association.

Management changes in NLMK Europe Plate division. Cornelius Louwrens has been appointed as the CEO of NLMK Bel-

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

MPT International 1 / 2017

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››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

board of ArcelorMittal Bremen. Reiner Blascheck’s previous position was that of chief marketing officer northern Europe and member of the managing board responsible for finishing technology.

NLMK Europe Strip appoints CEO. NLMK has appointed Renaud Moretti as CEO of NLMK Europe Strip, the division which includes NLMK La Louviere, NLMK Strasbourg and the service centre NLMK Manage. The division was previously managed by Ben de Vos, who is now holding the position of CEO of NLMK International, the company which manages NLMK Group’s international operations.

utive board of Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe. He succeeds Herbert Eichelkraut as chief technology officer and will be responsible for upstream operations, i.e. steel production from pig iron to crude steel to finished slab.

#TPF -ÒƃGT

Events ›

Renaud Moretti

New head of NLMK Long Products. NLMK has appointed Dmitry Stopkevich as the new CEO of NLMK Russia Long Products division (NLMK Long Products). Dmitry Stopkevich has been with NLMK since September 2016, serving as deputy head of NLMK Long Products. In January 2016, Grigory Fedorishin was appointed head of NLMK Long Products, concurrently holding the position of CFO for NLMK Group.

Grigory Fedorishin will now focus on the development of NLMK Group’s new strategy, which will be presented to shareholders in early 2018.

Dmitry Stopkevich

Iran International Steel Exhibition. The trade fair will take place in conjunction with the 19th Iran Annual Steel Symposium. The events will focus on latest technology and developments in steel production.

›

MPT International 1 / 2017

23 – 25 March 2017 Istanbul, Turkey Organizers: Voli Fuar Hizmetler www.voli.com.tr

Istanbul RULO, BORU and TEL Fairs. Three exhibitions held under one roof: the co-located Istanbul Coil & Sheet Metal, Tube and Wire fairs will provide a comprehensive overview of technology, latest developments, processes and products in their respective technological fields.

›

New executive board member at Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe. Arnd Köfler has been appointed to the exec-

28 February – 1 March 2017 Tabriz, Iran Organizers: Balkh Exhibition Services; Iron & Steel Society of Iran www.iransteelexpo.com

25 – 26 April 2017 Düsseldorf, Germany Organizers: Smithers Apex www.eurocokesummit.com

2017 Eurocoke Summit. The 13th edition of the Eurocoke Summit will focus on topics such as the global outlook for the industry, battery repair

and maintenance, methods to reduce emissions from cokemaking, and latest R&D projects in Europe.

›

30 April – 3 May 2017 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Organizers: Arabian German Exhibitions and Publishing (AGEX) www.metalsteelsa.com

Metal & Steel Saudi Arabia 2017.

Held for the sixth time this year, the international exhibition for steel, steel fabrication and metallurgy will be putting on display new product launches, live demonstrations, technology innovations and professional expertise. The event will be staged concurrently with FABEX Saudi Arabia, the international exhibition for steel structures, tube and pipes, sheet metal and metal forming.

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21 – 23 September 2017 Beijing, China Organizers: Beijing Hiven Exhibitions www.bcime.com

CIMIE 2017. The China International Metallurgy Industry Exhibition will showcase latest metallurgical technology in three exhibition areas: steel and non-ferrous metals, innovative metallurgical technologies and equipment, and new metal materials and processing techniques. The 3rd Advanced Metallurgical Technology Conference will be held on the first day of the event.

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3 – 5 October 2017 São Paulo, Brazil Organizers: Messe Düsseldorf www.wire-south-america.com; www.tubotech-online.com

wire South America and TUBOTECH. The international wire and cable trade fair will feature machines and processes for the manufacturing and finishing of wire, innovations in process engineering, measurement and testing technology. It will be co-located with TUBOTECH, the international trade fair for pipes, valves, pumps, fittings and components.

MPT International

the leading technical journal for the global iron and steel industry

Metallurgical Plant and Technology

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Metalurgia, Processos e Tecnologias

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MetalĂźrji Prosesleri ve Tesisleri

PuriĆ&#x201A;caç¿o de gases com eĆ&#x201A;ciĂ&#x2020;ncia energĂŠtica, atravĂŠs de controle inteligente

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Fax: +49 211 6707- 517 E-Mail: mpt@stahleisen.de www.MPT-International.com

Also available as e-journal

28

â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş COKEMAKING

Coke production re-starts in Trinec after comprehensive upgrade ,Q 2FWREHU WKH SXVKLQJ PDFKLQHV UDPPHG WKH Ć&#x201A;UVW FRNH DIWHU WKH H[WHQVLYH FRNH RYHQ EDWWHU\ RYHUKDXO DW 7ULQHF ,URQ DQG 6WHHO :RUNV 7Ä&#x2013;LQHFNÂŤ ÄťHOH]ÂŁUQ\ 7KLV ZDV GD\V DIWHU WKH EDWWHU\ KDG EHHQ VKXW GRZQ LQ 6HSWHPEHU FRQFOXGLQJ DQ RSHUDWLRQDO FDPSDLJQ RI \HDUV Czech Trinec Iron and Steel Works (TrineckĂŠ ĹželezĂĄrny a.s.) has invested 1.2 billion Czech korunas (approx. 50 million US$) to revamp one of their two coke-oven batteries. The extensive overhaul was concluded in October 2016 by bringing the facility into its test run-up. The facility is fully operational now and set to work for the next 20 years at least. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This was one of the ironworksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; most significant investments in technology improvement in recent years,â&#x20AC;&#x153; said JĂĄn Moder, first vice chairman of the supervisory board.

The coke-oven battery No. 11 was shut down on 14 September 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 23 years after the previous general overhaul. The main part of the modernization was the new lining of the coke-oven battery and its 72 cokeovens (chambers), using 10,000 t of refractory material. â&#x20AC;&#x153;During this project, we replaced the operational facilities with new technology, including the installation of new coke-oven machines. Accordingly, the new battery fulfills all requirements of best available technology (BAT) and operates strictly within the applicable environmental thresholds,â&#x20AC;? said Jan Czudek, CEO of Trinec Iron and Steel Works. Applying the new technologies will contribute to a further reduction of emissions.

The upgraded battery is equipped with an exhaust system. Therefore gas resulting from the contact between the coal and the hot chamber is captured and purified. Coke gas is used as fuel and re-used in coke production together with the blast furnace gas.

Trinec Iron and Steel Works

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MPT International 1 / 2017

Coke-oven battery No. 11 can produce 350,000 t/year of coke. Each chamber has a capacity of 12.5 t of the high-quality crammed dry coke. The entire cokemaking process lasts approximately 21 hours at a temperature of 1,260°C.

At Trinec Iron and Steel Works, coke has been produced in what is called the â&#x20AC;&#x153;new coke plantâ&#x20AC;? since 1962. The two blast furnaces consume around 700,000 t of coke every year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that is the full production of both coke-oven batteries, No. 11 and No. 12. The latter was modernized in 2011.

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30

››› IRONMAKING

Opening of the HBI plant in Texas marks start of a new era at Voestalpine With the completion of the direct reduction plant in Corpus Christi, Texas (USA), the Voestalpine group has set a further milestone in implementing its international growth strategy. The plant is the largest investment ever made in the USA by an Austrian company. Each year the plant will produce two million tonnes of high-quality hot briquetted iron, a sophisticated pre-material used in steel production. The plant is DOUHDG\ UHJDUGHG DV DQ HQYLURQPHQWDO EHQFKPDUN DQG LV DQ LPSRUWDQW ƂUVW VWHS RQ WKH company’s path of reducing GHG emissions.

The 137-metre-high reduction tower has become a new landmark in southern Texas (pictures by courtesy of Voestalpine)

Voestalpine AG, Linz, Austria Contact: www.voestalpine.com E-mail: peter.felsbach@voestalpine.com Primetals Technologies, Ltd., London, UK Contact: www.primetals.com E-mail: rainer.schulze@primetals.com

MPT International 1 / 2017

Voestalpine is continuing to systematically drive forward its expansion in the NAFTA region. In accordance with Group Strategy 2020, it is intended to increase revenue generated in this region from its current level of EUR 1.2 billion (~ USD 1.4 billion) to EUR 3 billion (~ USD 3.4 billion) by the business year 2020/21. “Today’s opening of the direct reduction plant in

Corpus Christi is an important step for – and into – the future of our company.

The new plant will not only secure the Austrian Voestalpine sites by supplying premium pre-materials for steel production, it will also contribute significantly to further strengthening our position in the NAFTA region. Furthermore, over the long term it offers us new technolog-

IRONMAKING ical options for decarbonizing steel production,” says Wolfgang Eder, chairman of the management board of Voestalpine AG. From the business year 2017/18 onwards, Voestalpine Texas LLC, a company in the Steel division of the Voestalpine Group, will use natural gas to produce two million tonnes of premium HBI (hot briquetted iron: porous sponge iron, pressed into briquettes) each year, 40 percent of which (800,000 tonnes) will cover internal requirements. The remaining 60 percent of the production volume goes to external partners, with the corresponding offtake agreements already having ensured full capacity utilization for the next four years.

In contrast to the pure coke- and coalbased blast furnace route, the plant in Corpus Christi uses only comparatively environmentally friendly natural gas as the reducing agent. Across the group, using the HBI produced in Texas in Voestalpine blast furnaces and steel plants will lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions of around 5 percent. At the same time, the new plant opens up further technological possibilities for the future. “We are systematically working to gradually decarbonize steel production, first by the partial substitution of coal and coke with gas-based bridging technologies, and then by the long-term, gradual use of CO2-neutral hydrogen. With

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31

use electrolysis to produce hydrogen.

End-to-end hydrogen-based steel production is still a thing of the future.

From today’s viewpoint it could become a reality in around 20 years at the earliest and is dependent on energy being available at reasonable costs.

Largest and most state-ofthe-art plant of its kind The new plant, the largest and most modern plant of its type in the world, covers an area of two square kilometres. The three-digit million euro range order for the investment project was awarded to Primetals Technologies

Raw material iron ore pellets

1

1

Iron ore pellets – the raw material – are fed into the reactor

Natural gas is converted into reducing gas

2

Production of two million tonnes of HBI (hot briquetted iron) of the highest quality annually

Natural gas is converted into reducing gas and then injected Reducing gas circulates in a closed system and is recycled

3

The direct reduction process

3

&MR PCBSARGML E?Q kMUQ RFPMSEF RFC GPML ore, from the bottom to the top, ?AAMPBGLE RM RFC AMSLRCPkMU NPGLAGNJC Oxygen content is reduced = “sponge iron” is produced

4

Pressed into briquettes HBI = hot briquetted iron

2 4

Natural gas

Pellets

HBI Principle of the direct reduction process (the QR code links to a video on YouTube explaining the process)

Environmental benchmark and bridge to future technologies In addition to exceeding all current American and European standards regarding environment and technology, the direct reduction plant in Texas opens up new environmental and technological options for Voestalpine.

adequate availability, in future ‘green’ hydrogen could also replace natural gas as a reducing gas in Texas, making possible the emission-free production of HBI,” says Eder. In order to gain the necessary experience, a pilot facility worth about EUR 20 million (~ USD 23 million) will soon be installed at the Voestalpine site in Linz, Austria; it will

and consortium partner Midrex Technologies Inc. in July 2013. The consortium of Primetals Technologies and Midrex was responsible for engineering, supply of mechanical and electrical equipment, and advisory services for the direct reduction plant.

The investment also included comprehensive infrastructure improveMPT International 1 / 2017

32

››› IRONMAKING

The QR code links to a video on YouTube showing the whole production site in operation (https://youtu.be/mkI1HIjsYh0)

Opening ceremony on 26 October 2016, from left: Terry Simpson (Judge San Patricio County), Wolfgang Eder (CEO Voestalpine AG), Carlos H. Cascos (Texas Secretary of State), John LaRue (CEO Port of Corpus Christi)

ments for the project location, particularly the necessary port facilities. The plant’s own deep-sea port can currently handle 5 million tonnes of material each year (3 million tonnes of iron ore pellets and 2 million tonnes of HBI).

The 137-metre-high reduction tower forms the heart of the plant and is the highest building in southern Texas. Voestalpine Texas LLC is creating 190 new jobs at the plant, and will generate value in the region to the sum of

around USD 600 million over the coming decade.

Locational advantages in the USA A politically stable and predictable environment, professional cooperation with the authorities, cost-efficient energy supply and logistical advantages were the key reasons behind the decision to locate the plant in Corpus Christi. “As an

investor, during each phase of the project we were able to notice the intense efforts being made to reindustrialize in the USA. The USA has recognized that a sustainable industrial manufacturing base is essential to a country’s stable economic development over the long term,” says Wolfgang Eder. Compared to the USA, Austria and Europe will doubtless remain an expensive location in the long run, particularly in terms of energy supply: average industrial gas prices in Austria over the longer term are around three times as high, and electricity prices around twice as high as those in the USA. The annual costs of operating an identical direct reduction plant in Austria would be around EUR 200 million (~ USD 225 million) higher than in Texas, purely due to the price differences for gas, electricity, and logistics. “In Europe, however, increasing political and social detachment from anything to do with industry is at least equally problematic,” Eder concludes.

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MPT International 1 / 2017

Foto: georgejmclittle - Fotolia

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Our quick change tooling system enables customers to react quickly and meet the demands of even small batch sizes.”

Jim Kravec Global Sales Manager Ring Rolling

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››› RAW MATERIALS

Conversion of automotive shredder residues and use of synthetic carbon as chemical energy in the EAF Danieli has developed a competitive route able to recycle and valorize automotive shredder residue (ASR) components. The plant consists of two parts: one dedicated to the recovery of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and one for the production of synthetic carbon (SYNCA) from the clean plastic mixture. SYNCA is an optimum feed material for the EAF serving as partial substitution for the metallurgical carbon.

In the recent past, major steelmakers have been reassessing waste materials (such as the EAF and LF slags) to turn them into value and avoid disposal costs. This trend has meanwhile also become a legal obligation. The same applies to the treatment of automotive shredder residues (ASR) from the shredding of end-of-life vehicles (ELV).

Obviously, the scrap (i.e. 75 – 80% of the ELV) is a highly valuable EAF charge material. But also the remaining approximately 20 – 25% of the residues – ASR or fluff – are reused. ASR contains a mixture of plastics, rubber, paper, textiles, wood, as well as metals (ferrous and non-ferrous). Up until a few years ago the commonly accepted destination for ASR was the landfill, and this non-virtuous route is still in operation in many countries, but the rules have been changing rapidly. In Europe, the Directive 2000/53/EC has been in force since January 2015, establishing that vehicles are: ▪ reusable and/or recyclable to a minimum of 85% by weight per vehicle, ▪ reusable and/or recoverable to a minimum of 95% by weight per vehicle.

Only a maximum 5% per vehicle may be sent to disposal. To understand the variability in the composition of ASR, it is necessary to know that it contains many different plastic components, rubbers and synthetic textiles.

Alessandra Primavera, Danieli & C. S.p.A., Buttrio, Italy Contact: www.danieli.com E-mail: info@danieli.com

MPT International 1 / 2017

Copper

Steel

Aluminium

Sorting plant layout

The main components, i.e. metals, inerts and plastic fractions, have different chemical characteristics and calorific values. Typically, there is a metals content of approx. 10% and an inerts content of approx. 5%. The remaining fuel/reductant fraction (85%) is split into: ▪ heavy fraction (PP, PE, PVC, PET etc.), 35 – 45% w/w, 28 – 35 MJ/kg ▪ light fraction (PU, rubber, paper, textiles, wood), 35 – 45% w/w, 15 – 20 MJ/kg.

The patented solution developed by Danieli allows the quantitative recovery of the metals (ferrous and non-ferrous) and the treatment of the rubber/ plastic/textile fraction for recovery in EAF steelmaking. Its high calorific val-

ue and its reductant capacity are taken advantage of in the EAF as partial substitution of the carbon so that it can be considered as “synthetic carbon”.

The two fractions of synthetic carbon as described above (i.e. light and heavy fractions) are dependent on the densities of the mixtures. Danieli performed a comprehensive campaign of tests to optimize the steps for ASR treatments and to obtain a flexible layout of a plant for the ASR treatment and recycling into the EAF.

Metals recovery Various processes and technologies are applied to the ASR as pre-treatments, such as:

RAW MATERIALS ▪ grinding, ▪ air sorter – for the separation of the light plastic fraction, ▪ sorting table – for the separation of the heavy plastic fraction and metals, ▪ eddy current sensors – for the recovery of the non-ferrous metals (mainly Al and Cu), ▪ magnetic separators – for the recovery of the ferrous content.

By these sorting steps, the following ASR components are obtained, followed by the preparation of “synthetic carbon”: ▪ mixed ferrous fraction, ▪ aluminium-rich fraction, ▪ copper-rich fraction, ▪ light plastic fraction after briquetting, ▪ granulated briquettes, ▪ heavy plastic fraction after granulation.

Generally, the recovery of 10% of the ASR as metals is possible. The metal mixtures are marketable as Zorba (predominately aluminium), Zebra (brass, copper, zinc) and Zurik (predominately stainless steel) or can be further refined by additional steps to increase their values, depending on the customer’s request.

Light and heavy plastic fractions – characteristics and treatment Various conclusions can be drawn from the thermogravimetric characterization of the two (light and heavy) plastic fractions. First, the light fraction leaves a bigger amount of ash after oxidation, in comparison to the heavy fraction. Second, the velocity of thermal decomposition in Ar of the light fraction is lower than that of the heavy fraction and anthracite. The anthracite is used as reference for the conventional EAF utilization. The velocity in the temperature range of 450 – 550°C is: ▪ 3.2%/minute weight loss for the heavy fraction, ▪ 1.4%/minute weight loss for the light fraction, ▪ 0.6%/minute weight loss for anthracite (reference).

Finally, unlike the anthracite, the weight of which decreases only slightly during the thermal treatment in inert gas, the plastic mixtures react with the same mechanism in both air and inert gas treatments. In brief: whereas

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35

SYNCA fractions

Plant for production of SYNCA

the anthracite reacts in air producing CO/CO2, but does not react in inert gas, the plastic mixtures react in both inert gas and air to CnHm. The rate of the decomposition and the gas emissions represent the most important issues for the utilization of these materials inside the EAF. As a matter of fact, the developed gases allow foaming gas generation and deliver the rate of decomposition to keep the foaming slag stable. This provides for a significant saving of electrical energy inside the EAF because the loss of energy due to arc radiation is reduced.

A sequence of melting tests was performed using a 40 kg vacuum induction furnace (VIM). The tests demonstrated the fast reactivity of the synthetic carbon (SYNCA) fractions.

Moreover, the analysis performed on the products verified an average steel carburization potential of these mixtures amounting to 30%, with the material being directly fed into the liquid steel. The main part of the components leaves the steel bath as gases, improving foaming slag generation.

The two plastic mixtures have attractive calorific values (LCV: 18MJ/ kg ÷ 32MJ/kg). Feeding them into the EAF as partial substitution of the carbon is the best route for their valorization.

The light fraction of the ASR is the plastic material having the lowest density, such as polyurethane foam, textile etc. A dedicated device has been adopted to make this material dens-

er. Extruding this fraction, without any addition of agents, into briquettes provides much more flexibility for injecting the material into the EAF. The briquettes can either be filled into the basket or granulated for pneumatic transport.

The heavy fraction comes from the grinding of the high-density plastic fractions containing PET, PE, PC, PVC, etc. Feeding this fraction into the EAF is easy: only a grinding treatment is required to obtain a grain size distribution close to that of the carbon injected by pneumatic transport.

Utilization of synthetic carbon (SYNCA) in the EAF The melting tests performed while feeding SYNCA fractions into the EAF demonstrated the high reactivity of this material as well as its potential for generating gases and foamy slag with the consequent positive effect on electric energy consumption. Depending on the percentage of carbon substitution (10 – 30%) savings of electrical energy were in the range of 2.3 and 8.5 kWh/t of liquid steel. Consequently, per t of liquid steel 1.8 to 5.4 kg of metallurgical carbon (substituted by SYNCA) are saved.

Furnace productivity improves due to better operative conditions inside the furnace. This results in shorter operative time and a consequent increase in productivity in the range of 0.03 – 0.1 t/min.

MPT International 1 / 2017

36

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

X-MeltÂŽ converter steel shop from SMS group

Environment-friendly and GPGTI[ GHĆ&#x201A;EKGPV UVGGN RNCPV HQT VJG RTQFWEVKQP QH SWCNKV[ UVGGN IISCO Steel Plant, a SAIL group company, India, has successfully commissioned a converter shop for the production of quality steel grades at the Burnpur location in the Indian federal state of West Bengal. The steelworks comprises three converters, three stirring stations, two ladle furnaces, a vacuum degassing plant, primary and secondary gas cleaning systems, and a converter off-gas recovery system.

IISCO Steel Plant is a full-fledged integrated steel plant, one of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest. Former Indian Iron & Steel Company (IISCO), a SAIL subsidiary, was amalgamated with SAIL in February 2006 and renamed IISCO Steel Plant.

Recently, the company erected an environment-friendly and energy-efficient steelmaking plant for the production of quality steel. The new steelMPT International 1 / 2017

making facility is rated for an annual production of 2.6 million tons of liquid steel. The plant comprises equipment supplied by SMS group as follows: â&#x2013;Ş three converters (BOF), each with a tapping weight of 150 tons, â&#x2013;Ş three stirring stations, â&#x2013;Ş two ladle furnaces, â&#x2013;Ş an RH-TOP vacuum circulation degassing plant,

â&#x2013;Ş a converter off-gas recovery system, â&#x2013;Ş cleaning systems for primary and secondary off-gas.

The SMS group scope of supply comprised the complete basic and detailed engineering of the mechanical core components and the complete X-PactÂŽ electrical and automation systems. Delivery, erection, commissioning, commissioning supervision

STEELMAKING as well as training of the operating personnel were also part of the contract.

The BOF converters are equipped with the maintenance-free lamella suspension system developed by SMS group, with bottom-stirring systems for combined blowing and with the tilt drive systems manufactured in SMS group’s own workshop in Hilchenbach, Germany. The supply scope further includes the oxygen blowing lance system, the additives handling system, ladle lining repair facilities and the railbound ladle transfer vehicles.

The RH-TOP vacuum degasser (from SMS Mevac) is of a rocker-type design,

Environmentally friendly off-gas treatment system For primary gas collection (converter off-gas), use is made of the proven SMS group adjustable skirts for the recovery of the energy-containing CO gas. SMS group also supplied the off-gas cooling system, the wet-type scrubbers, the gas change-over and

SMS group, Düsseldorf, Germany Contact: www.sms-group.com E-mail: thilo.sagermann@sms-group.com

COMBi

using a hydraulic counterweight system for lowering the vessel into the ladle for treatment. The unit features a multifunction TOP lance combining oxygen blowing and oxygen fuel burner for vessel heating. The RH-TOP degasser is complete with an extensive alloy addition system. The scope of supply for SMS Mevac comprised all the technological equipment, including the vacuum pump and TOP lance system, and the complete supply of the first fill of the main refractory materials.

iF T

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37

export stations, and a gas tank with a volumetric capacity of 50,000 m³ (s.t.p.). With the aid of this technology, every year a volume of 200 million m³ (s.t.p.) converter off-gas can be used to replace other fossil fuels for energy production. Not only the energy costs but also the output of CO2 can thus be considerably reduced.

Secondary gas cleaning is performed by means of easy-to-maintain electrostatic precipitators, rated for a capacity of more than 1,870,000 m³ (s.t.p.) per hour.

The X-Pact® electrical and automation system has been specifically adapted to the mechanical components of the plant and, in addition to the technological control systems (level 1), it includes the metallurgical process models (level 2), ensuring economical production and a high steel quality.

The new converter shop was successfully commissioned in late 2016.

38

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

Taiwanese minimill project for the production of specialty steel Gloria Material Technology Corp., producer of speciality alloys in Taiwan, KDV RIĆ&#x201A;FLDOO\ VWDUWHG D PDMRU PLQLPLOO SURMHFW 7KH FRPSDQ\ KDV RUGHUHG D QHZ PLQLPLOO IRU WKH SURGXFWLRQ RI W \HDU RI VSHFLDO VWHHO DQG WKH UHYDPSLQJ RI WKH H[LVWLQJ VPDOOHU VWHHO SODQW Taiwanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gloria Material Technology Corp. (GMTC) has awarded INTECO the order for the engineering and supply of a new minimill for the production of 180,000 t/year of special steel and the revamping of the existing 35 t plant. GMTC is the largest producer of speciality alloys in Taiwan and a globally leading company with a product portfolio comprising more than 500 grades of specialty steels, superalloys and titanium alloys. The Gloria Group headquarters is located in the Liuying industrial zone, Tainan City, Taiwan.

The contractual scope of this project is not only remarkable but also unique and will set new standards in terms of both productivity and quality. INTECO will be responsible for the engineering, supply as well as supervision of erection, commissioning and start-up of the new special steel plant. The main equipment to be installed will be â&#x2013;Ş a 60 t electric arc furnace with spout, â&#x2013;Ş a diverse, multifarious secondary metallurgy complex (steel refining area), â&#x2013;Ş a casting area.

In detail the steel refining area will consist of an AOD converter, a ladle furnace as well as a VD/VOD plant, featuring mechanical vacuum pumps for the VD and the VOD process. The casting area will not only include a conventional ingot casting pit for ingots of up to 50 t, but also INTECOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innovative Advanced Teeming System (ATS), which provides high productivity and reliability in ingot casting and a high degree of work place safety. Last but not least, two segment cast-

INTECO special melting and casting technologies GmbH, Bruck a.d. Mur, Austria Contact: www.inteco.at E-mail: Kristin.Ammann@inteco.at

MPT International 1 / 2017

)/6% )NQTKC YQTNFYKFG UWRRNKGT QH JKIJ RGTHQTOCPEG OCVGTKCNU QHĆ&#x201A;EKCNN[ UKIPGF the contract with INTECO in 2016

ers with two strands each for blooms of up to 1,200 mm diameter will complete the casting area, contributing to high-yield production of speciality alloys. Also auxiliary equipment such as a scrap yard, material handling facilities and fumes treatment system will be delivered by INTECO.

Modernization of the existing steelmaking shop The revamping of the existing 35 t facility at GMTC will include major modifications to the EAF as well as some interventions to the existing ladle furnace and fumes treatment system, raising efficiency and operator safety to a high technological level, which even further will be enhanced

by INTECOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s process automation system. The INTECO Metals Application Suite (IMAS), which will be installed

for the brand new mill but also for the existing plant, provides level 2 and 3 software functionalities and applications such as production order planning, the entire tracking of the material and product flow in terms of stock management as well as a business intelligence suite. Of course, also typical level 2 process automation functionalities such as process data collection, process recipes, static and dynamic set point control and fully integrated metallurgical models will be integrated, making IMAS an innovative automation solution that will ensure a superior and holistic approach to the management of quality steel production.

Now, as this record breaking project has been kicked off, INTECOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engineers are going to complete detail engineering and start erection. Commissioning at GMTCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s site in Taiwan is planned for spring 2018.

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Morgårdshammar AB Sales office Krefeld

40

››› HOT ROLLING

New minimill project features virtually endless casting and rolling technologies for billets GPH Ispat in Bangladesh is going to erect a minimill with a total annual capacity of 815,000 metric tons of long steel rolled products and billets. The WinLink Flex concept IURP 3ULPHWDOV 7HFKQRORJLHV ZLOO EH UHDOL]HG IRU WKH ƂUVW WLPH ZRUOGZLGH 7KLV FRQFHSW not only allows virtually uninterrupted casting and rolling of long products, but also reduces investment and operating costs.

EAF Quantum electric arc furnace

Primetals Technologies, Ltd., a joint venture of Siemens, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Partners; London, UK Contact: www.primetals.com E-mail: rainer.schulze@primetals.com

MPT International 1 / 2017

GPH Ispat Ltd. is a manufacturer of long steel products based in Chittagong in southeast Bangladesh. It produces rebars and profile steels, and has a current annual production capacity of 168,000 t of billets and 150,000 t of finished products. The company has

commissioned Primetals Technologies to supply a minimill with a total annual capacity of 815,000 t of finished products and billets. The new minimill will allow the company to substantially increase its capacities, and become one of the country’s leading producers,

HOT ROLLING serving the growing domestic and export markets. The new minimill meltshop is scheduled to come into operation early 2018.

The order awarded to Primetal Technologies includes production facilities as follows: ▪ an EAF Quantum electric arc furnace, ▪ a ladle furnace, ▪ a three-strand, high-speed continuous billet caster, and ▪ a bar and section mill.

WinLink Flex from Primetals Technologies will be installed for the first time worldwide. This concept not only allows virtually uninterrupted casting and rolling of long products, but also reduces investment and operating costs.

Primetals Technologies will engineer and supply the processing equipment for the complete minimill meltshop. An EAF Quantum electric arc furnace with a tapping weight of 80 t and a tap-to-tap time of 40 minutes will produce steel at a rate of up to 36 heats per day. The EAF Quantum cuts operating costs with energy consumption figures as low as 290 kilowatt hours per metric ton. A special automation solution will be implemented so that the electric arc furnace can be charged with various combinations of diverse mixtures of scrap metal, or with DRI and HBI. Steel refining is performed in an 80-t ladle furnace with a heating rate of 4°C per minute. The three-strand continuous billet caster has a machine radius of ten metres, and casts round billets with diameters of 130 and 180 millimetres at casting speed up to 6 metres per minute. Nominal production capacity of the CCM is around 815,000 t per annum.

Induction billet heating technology The caster is directly connected to the downstream rolling mill. The high casting speed of up to six metres per minute and the compact size of the WinLink design allow two of the three strands to feed the downstream rolling line almost continuously. This has become possible because the usual reheating furnace has been eliminated; instead, the temperature of the billets is uniformly equalized for rolling in a compact, powerful induction furnace. Such plant configuration again is reducing investment and operating costs.

The third strand produces billets for subsequent further processing or for sale on the market. However, the bar and section mill has an annual production capacity of 640,000 t at a maximum production rate of 120 t per hour and a rolling speed of up to 27 metres per second.

The rolling line has 20 fifth-generation Red Ring stands, including horizontal, vertical, convertible and universal stands. If required, the line can be run in two-slit rolling mode. The scope of supply also includes a system for rapid stand change, water cooling, a system for transferring steel bars at speeds

‹‹‹

41

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WinLink Flex variant with induction furnace (left) and billet transfer system

up to 27 metres per second to the cooling bed, which is 78 metres long and 11.2 metres wide, and a multi-strand stretch leveler. Primetals Technologies will also supply hot shears for cropping and dividing, a cold shear, a disk for cutting steel sections, a machine for counting rounds, mechanical and magnetic solutions for stacking and bundling finished products, and a banding station. In addition, there is secondary plant equipment, such as a mill workshop and laboratory, hydraulic and lubrication systems, special mechatronic packages, low-voltage supply, motors and drives, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), as well as basic automation (level 1) and process automation (level 2). Primetals Technologies

will also be responsible for supervising installation and commissioning work.

Conclusion Primetals Technologies will supply a sophisticated minimill with an annual production capacity of 815,000 t of both, rolled long products and cast billets. The meltshop will be equipped with a highly energy efficient EAF Quantum. As a world premiere, the rolling mill will feature WinLink Flex technology to enable virtually uninterrupted casting and rolling of long products.

All these technological solutions will substantially reduce conversion costs.

GPH Ispat is set to become one of the country’s leading steel producers.

MPT International 1 / 2017

42

â&#x20AC;ºâ&#x20AC;ºâ&#x20AC;º HOT ROLLING

MWE housingless breakdown mill stand at FAICO

Sophisticated new section mill starts operation at FAICO Steel, Iran Foolad Alborz Iranian Company has commissioned a new continuous section mill with D FDSDFLW\ RI W \HDU 2QH VSHFLÆ&#x201A;F IHDWXUH RI WKH SODQW LV WKH UHYHUVLEOH DQG VKLIWDEOH EUHDNGRZQ PLOO VWDQG WR UROO WKH ELOOHWV LQ D PD[LPXP RI VHYHQ SDVVHV WR D SUHÆ&#x201A;QLVKHG GLPHQVLRQ IHHGLQJ WKH GRZQVWUHDP WHQ VWDQG FRQWLQXRXV OLQH ZLWK TXLFN VWDQG FKDQJLQJ V\VWHP Established in 2012, Foolad Alborz Iranian Company (FAICO) is one of the largest producers of rebar and

Michael Krampitz, MWE Magdeburger Walzwerk Engineering GmbH, Magdeburg, Germany Contact: www.mwe-gmbh.com E-mail: info@mwe-gmbh.com

MPT International 1 / 2017

steel sections in the country. FAICO is based in Sari, the provincial capital of Mazandaran, located in the north of Iran, only a few kilometres from the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, where FAICO has easy access to both domestic and international markets.

The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production units are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies in order to ensure consistency in quality; each stage of production

is computer controlled. FAICO operates two hot rolling plants, i.e. a rebar mill and a section mill, with a product mix ranging from dia. 8 mm to 32 mm for rebars (plain and ribbed) and various types of steel sections in heights from 100 mm to 320 mm. The products meet pre-determined specifications and are approved to be in compliance with national and international standards.

HOT ROLLING New section mill incorporating state-of-the-art housingless breakdown mill stands FAICO has ordered a continuous section mill with a design capacity of 500.000 t/year from MWE Magdeburger Walzwerk Engineering GmbH, Germany. The project was implemented in collaboration with the Turkish company CTS in Izmir. MWE delivered the complete design of the rolling mill. The plant was commissioned in May 2016.

The rolling mill produces angles up to 150 mm, I-beams and channels up to 300 mm and H-beams up to 160 mm.

One highlight of the rolling mill is the reversible and shiftable breakdown (BD) mill stand (dia. 850 mm, width 2,200 mm) to roll the billets (max. dimension: 280 mm x 220 mm, length: 6,000 mm) in a maximum of seven passes to a prefinished dimension suited to feed the downstream ten-stand continuous rolling line with quick stand-changing system. The rolls are driven by two 1,500 kW AC motors via a reducing and pinion gearbox and articulated spindles, transmitting a rolling torque of up to 1,800 kNm.

The new generation of MWE housingless BD mill stands allows high-efficiency bloom and ingot rolling in a full automatic mode. The installed equipment is approx. 50% lighter compared to conventional BD mill stands. Billet handling is performed in passline. Groove changing is carried out by stand shifting. Highly dynamic stand shifting is made possible due to the light-weight design of the housingless technology.

Roll changing is followed by the changing of roll units with a shop crane within 30 minutes. Further types of similar mill stands are available with roll diameters of up to 1,600 mm.

The process equipment includes two hydraulically actuated tilting devices in passline upstream and downstream of the mill stand. Tilting, stand shifting and billet handling is fully automated. No manual handling is needed.

In the MWE BD mill stands full use is made of the advantages of the renowned housingless technology: â&#x2013;Ş high rate of rigidity both in the axial and radial directions, thus produc-

â&#x20AC;šâ&#x20AC;šâ&#x20AC;š

43

ing finished products within close tolerances, â&#x2013;Ş transmission of high rolling forces due to the use of four-row cylindrical roller bearings and high load trust bearings, â&#x2013;Ş changing of the complete roll unit is possible by crane, â&#x2013;Ş passline is fixed for fully automated process, â&#x2013;Ş small width of roller table, â&#x2013;Ş simple tilting system, â&#x2013;Ş minimal investment costs.

The downstream continuous finishing mill comprises ten rolling stands of housingless design, universal stands and 2-high mill stands, a dividing shear and a 74-m-long cooling bed.

Also, a cantilever-straightening machine is available with an adjustable pitch of 800 to 1,200 mm.

Two cold saws, one fixed and one movable, are installed for cutting layers of sections. The final length of sections can range from 6 to 15 m. The sections are stacked by stacking systems equipped with electrical magnets. It is possible to produce packages weighing up to 5 t.

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www.walze-coswig.com MPT International 1 / 2017

44

››› AUTOMATION

Swiss Steel sets the course for “Steel Production 4.0” To meet future customer demands for wire rod products and greater coil weights, Swiss Steel has invested 8.5 million euros at their Emmenbrücke site. The entire coil KDQGOLQJ GLYLVLRQ LV QRZ VWDWH RI WKH DUW DQG SURYLGHV PD[LPXP ƃH[LELOLW\ GXULQJ IXUWKHU processing of the steel as well as during binding and packaging of the wire.

New wire rod handling system at the Swiss Steel rolling mill (picture by courtesy of Swiss Steel)

Customer orientation, flexibility and safety – these are the key words in focus in sustainable steel production.

With the modernization of their steel rolling mill, Swiss Steel AG, a company of the Schmolz + Bickenbach Group, are specifically focusing on future demands in wire production. The company’s core products include 5.5 – 44 mm diameter wire rod as well as 16 – 66 mm diameter bar steel. The product range also comprises rounds, hexagons and steel sections. Swiss Steel is a centre of excellence for the production of high-quality special steels for the automotive, manufacturing and apparatus engineering industries and has more than 150 years of experience in steel production.

Swiss Steel AG, Emmenbrücke, Switzerland Contact: www.swiss-steel.com E-mail: u.steiner@schmolz-bickenbach.com

MPT International 1 / 2017

New coil handling technology improves quality Apart from occupational safety, a high degree of automation, more flexibility in production and customer service are central elements in coil handling. Therefore it is crucial that the entire process parameters are electronically documented and the material flow is traceable at all times. Intelligent data analysis supports conceptual freedom in bespoke development projects – especially when it comes to configuring product properties to meet specific requirements and the needs of individual customers. Swiss Steel has taken a crucial step towards Industry 4.0 in steel production.

A new coil logistics system has been implemented downstream of the rolling mill. At the mill outlet, the wire rod bundles are transported by means of a vertical pallet system with 60 places and a smaller, horizontal hook conveyor to the state-of-the-art coil compactor press. The new handling technology has replaced the almost 40-year-old horizontal hook conveyor system.

Combined with the new coil compactor, the process is now faster and safer and ensures consistent quality while using much less energy. At the end, the loose wire is pressed into compact coils using two press plates to prevent damage to the product. The pressing power of this process can be adjusted as required. The coils are then bound with steel strips to obtain an even more compact package. Contrary to conventional binding with steel wire, binding with steel strips guarantees transport safety and surface quality at all times. Swiss Steel can now offer additional benefits to the customer in terms of higher efficiency during the initial wire processing step. The company is thus optimally prepared to cater to the increasing demand for higher coil weights and enhanced wire processing technologies.

Swiss Steel modernized the wire rod coil handling technology during the production stoppage of summer 2016, together with the modernization of the Kocks block commissioned in 2002. In taking this step, supply reliability has increased substantially, while maintaining the highest quality standards.

Occupational safety has also improved, now complying with the highest of health and safety regulations.

Conclusion There is a growing trend toward special steel products with customized characteristics. By investing in a new, fully automatic coil handling system at the wire rod mill, Swiss Steel has taken an important step towards implementing Industry 4.0 in steel production.

The recent investments are important prerequisites for developing and marketing customized steel products. By modernization Swiss Steel AG is further strengthening their technology leadership position.

46

â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

Risk assessment and safe installations can make the mill a safer and more productive workplace A proper risk assessment can help identify and remedy vulnerabilities in an equipment control system. In the future, safety will have an increasingly interactive role in Industry 4.0.

ROSS Controls is at the forefront of this revolution as they constantly develop new valve technology to push the safety curve higher. Like most steel mills: the goal is zero harm.

ROSS valves and air preparation units are recognized around the world for their reliability, repeatability, and robust design. Wherever in the world a mill project is located, ROSSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; global network of steel industry pneumatic experts, manufacturing facilities and distributors can help keep the mill running smoothly and productively and, what is more, they can help to define pneumatic control needs throughout the mill and develop turnkey pneumatic panels and stands ready for connection to the mill equipment. ROSSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; capabilities include panel/stand circuit design, mechanical arrangement, manufacture, testing, follow-up training as well as local service. Of course, ROSS industry experts focus on â&#x20AC;&#x17E;Safety in the steel industryâ&#x20AC;&#x153;, too, knowing from experience and interaction with industry specialists that the implementation of safety-related concepts is not only required by law (i.e.

Machinery Directive 2006/42/EG), but economically reasonable, too.

Improving safety does not compete with productivity CPF RTQĆ&#x201A;VCDKNKV[ IQCNU The economic climate places production optimization as a top priority for all steel mills. At the same time, safety is fully addressed and with an equal sense of urgency. A proper risk assessment can help identify and remedy vulnerabilities in an equipment control system.

When properly implemented, a risk reduction program can correct process inefficiencies, prevent serious accidents and their related equipment downtime, personnel injuries, legal actions, increases in workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; compensation premiums, as well as improve environmental concerns. Safety has been recognized as a cornerstone of any loss prevention program. Well-designed safety circuits will reduce risk, im-

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MPT International 1 / 2017

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT prove productivity and ultimately increase the bottom-line.

However, risk is subjective; risk is perception. In other words, one person’s idea of risk can be different from another person, thus the level of acceptable risk can vary. One way to mitigate such variability is by instituting objective risk assessment protocols and models.

2TQHGUUKQPCN TKUM CUUGUUOGPV Risk assessment is divided into two phases: ▪ risk anlaysis and ▪ risk reduction.

Risk analysis is a process by which the intended use of the machine (and foreseeable misuse), the tasks and hazards, and the level of risk are determined.

Risk reduction is the process of choosing and applying methods for mitigating hazards and hazardous situations identified during the risk analysis.

The appropriate documentation within the ISO, EN, ANSI, CSA and OSHA safety standards contains detailed information on risk assessment models.

There are also risk assessment professionals that can be brought into the steel mill to conduct risk seminars and assist the workforce in making the mill a safer and more productive workplace.

When in doubt, engineer it out. The above risk assessment process will identify areas of concern that may be eliminated by simply removing the hazard

altogether. For the most part, all mills have well documented procedures for lockout/tagout (LOTO), but it is prudent to revisit these simple, but critical,activities from time to time. Listening to worker suggestions is a good place to start. One example of a seemingly benign device, but found predominantly throughout many mills, are ball valves used as energy isolation devices. Adequate training and constant awareness is needed when relying on the long bleed-down time associated with a ball valve’s small vent port. Depending on the volume of the circuit, it could take several minutes before a ball valve dissipates hazardous energy compared to a handful of seconds associated with a large exhaust capacity energy isolation device.

A new frontier in the world of safety revolves around safeguarding during temporary stops. These are stops not included in the normal lockout/ tagout procedure. Mills need to keep production running, and international safety standards address this economic reality with alternative lockout measures. There may be applications that are safety protected with electrical door interlocks, light curtains, safety mats, limit switches or other devices that temporarily stop a machine or process, but care should be taken to understand the complete circuit and how these devices are connected. An example of a temporary stop controlled by an electrical interlock would be the

‹‹‹

47

in-process inspection area on a galvanizing line.

Safety does not end at the wire. Even if there is a dual channel electrical safety switch, the question must be asked; what does the wire control? If that wire is connected to a pneumatic valve that controls hazardous energy, then the pneumatic valve should be control reliable. What is a control reliable pneumatic valve? In basic terms, it is a redundant (dual) valve with status monitoring. Depending on the application, category 3 or category 4 protection may be needed. Piping two valves together in series, or in parallel, is not an acceptable substitute for the higher level of protection outlined in the various safety standards. In many cases, the solution may be as simple as installing a control reliable valve at the starting point (air entry) of the air circuit.

1WVNQQM Safety will have an increasingly interactive role in Industry 4.0. Pneumatic safety valves are getting smarter.

Safety valves are already communicating with process control systems.

Some valves even have internal diagnostics that signal the process control system when a potential valve failure may be approaching. New valve technology is constantly under development to push the safety curve higher.

Like most steel mills: the goal is zero harm.

STEEL MANUAL

STEELMANUAL

ISBN 978-3-514-00817-5

26.90 € Published by the Steel Institute VDEh Edition 2015 · 20.0 x 24.0 cm · 219 pages including many multi-colour illustrations

Verlag Stahleisen GmbH Sohnstraße 65 · 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany · Phone: +49 211 6707- 561 · e-mail: annette.engels@stahleisen.de

MPT International 1 / 2017

48

››› TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

#@S@ @BPTHRHSHNM RNESV@QD DMG@MBDC AX MDV HMSDQE@BDR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Iba has recently added two complex requirements and analyses, ibaPDA-PLC-Xplorer new interfaces to its ibaPDA-PLC-Xplorer data acquisition can be combined with other tools from Iba. The system is software. With the new TwinCAT-Xplorer interface, the user suitable for commissioning purposes and troubleshooting, has access to Beckhoff controllers with the Beckhoff-ADS as well as for long-term analysis and process optimization. protocol. Another new interface has been designed for B&R It is an economic entry-level solution for PC based acquicontrollers: the signals to be measured can also be select- sition and recording of various measurement data in autoed as symbols in ibaPDA’s symbol browser. The software acquires the signals of a controller without the installation of further hardware or software components. No interventions in the control system are needed. A total of 64 digital or analogue signals from up to 16 independent controllers can be recorded with the basic version. With appropriate licensing options, the system can be extended to much larger numbers of signals – up to several thousand. More interfaces, analogue connections and field bus sniffers can be integrated with appropriate additional components. This can turn out to be a major advantage in automation environments with different controllers by various manufacturers.

One unique feature of ibaPDAPLC-Xplorer is that the data are acquired and analyzed in two steps. The software for the acquisition of meas- Interfaces for data acquisition urement values records the signals, visualizes them online and generates the measurement data mated processes. It will be regularly supplemented by adfiles. Subsequently, the signals can be analyzed and evaluat- ditional interfaces. ed independently with ibaAnalyzer, which is licensed free of charge, either during the recording process or later. For Contact: www.iba-ag.com

/QNÖKD LD@RTQHMF RXRSDL QUALITY INSPECTION Zumbach Electronics recently sold a Profilemaster® SPS 800-S8 profile measuring system to Hoesch Schwerter Profile in Germany. The system was installed in the company’s hot rolling mill. It features eight cameras, captures any shape at a rate of up to 16,000 points per contour (5,734,400 points per second). The sampling rate is between 350 and 500 per second. Four different colours of the lasers avoid any interference. Calibration checks can be performed in just a few minutes.

Other special features include a mode for roundness/polygonality of rounds, shape fault detection (SFD) and compilation of a 3D model. Reliable operation is ensured in environments up to 1,200°C hot. The system can be networked with higher level systems and all production data can be logged for quality control.

Contact: www.zumbach.com MPT International 1 / 2017

Gauge for measuring the shape of rolled sections

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

‹‹‹

49

'HFG QDRNKTSHNM L@FMDSNRSQHBSHUD RDMRNQR HM QTFFDC RS@HMKDRR RSDDK CDRHFM MEASURING EQUIPMENT MTS Sensors has increased the scope of its programmable magnetostriction-based linear position sensors so that further applications can be addressed. These latest additions, referred to as the GB-N family, feature a sensor rod (along with the fitting flange) and a housing for the supporting electronics made of extremely robust 1.4404 stainless steel (AISI 316L), allowing their deployment in corrosive environments. These sensors use proprietary Temposonics® magnetostrictive technology. Supporting stroke lengths from 25 mm to 3.25 m, they deliver up to 1 μm resolution, ±0.005% (full scale) repeatability and ±0.02% (full scale) linearity. These sensors are available with either analogue or synchronous serial interface (SSI) output options for maximum implementation flexibility. Their operational temperature range spans from -40°C to +90°C. They have IP67-rated protection against water/dust ingress when supplied with an M12 or M16 connector. Alternatively, IP68-rated protection is provided for cable outlet versions. Devices based on the Temposonics® sensing mechanism, developed by MTS Sensors, offer outstanding robustness – in order that vibrations, shock, high

humidity levels, elevated temperature and strong pressures can be dealt with effectively.

Contact: www.mtssensors.com

5GPUQT YKVJ ƃCPIG CPF JQWUKPI

RELIABILITY IN DIFFICULT CONDITIONS — with motors from Wölfer

For 70 years now Franz Wölfer Elektromaschinenfabrik Osnabrück GmbH has been developing and manufacturing smooth-running electric motors for use in extreme demanding environments, like heat, dust or offshore-conditions. We apply our extensive know-how to produce robust reliable motors for individually adapted drive mechanism solutions. These motors are available in steel-welded reliable design as well as grey-

Wölfer moves the world

cast-iron, have high pull out torques and low moment of inertia, which makes it attractive to use them under special environmental conditions.

Feel free to put us to the test.

www.woelfer-motoren.com

MPT International 1 / 2017

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››› TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

'@MC GDKC 71% @M@KXYDQ ENQ KHFGS DKDLDMSR ANALYTICAL EQUIPMENT Spectro Analytical Instruments has introduced a new upgrade of the xSORT handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer, delivering improved speed and precision in the analysis of light elements. The design, performance and simple operation make it ideal for performing positive material identification (PMI) for infrastructure integrity testing at refineries, power plants, and petrochemical complexes as well as scrap metal analysis and sorting in the recycling industry.

The xSORT Alloy model delivers grade identification in seconds. The even more powerful xSORT AlloyPlus analyzes most alloys in two seconds, and identifies alloys based on light elements such as aluminium, magnesium, silicon, phosphorus and sulphur in seven seconds. Operators do not have to switch methods between samples. The compact, one-piece 1.64 kg design is optimized for easy use in the field, even in tight or less accessible spots. The optional Spectro Metal Database helps extend prepackaged libraries or create customized grade libraries.

XRF analysis

Contact: www.spectro.com

3DBGMNKNFX O@QSMDQRGHO HMHSH@SHUD SN HMUDRSHF@SD SQ@MR RDBSNQ ONSDMSH@K SN QDCTBD B@QANM DLHRRHNMR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ArcelorMittal, Evonik, LafargeHolcim and Solvay have formed a new Low Carbon Technology Partnerships initiative (LCTPi) across the steel, cement and chemicals industries. This new partnership will look at the potential synergies that exist between the manufacturing processes of these three energy intensive sectors, and how these synergies could be harnessed to reducing CO2 emissions. LCTPi is a set of programmes, gathering 150 global businesses and 70 partners under the auspices of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, to accelerate the development of low-carbon technology solutions to stay below the 2°C ceiling.

As a first step, and following preliminary research, the innovative partnership will produce a study to identify potential ways to valorize industrial off-gases and other by-products from their manufacturing processes to produce goods with a lower carbon footprint than through the fossil path.

The study is aimed at bringing a fact-based overview of carbon and energy sources from industrial off-gases (first at a

European level), and evaluating the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of different Carbon Capture and Usage (CCU) pathways and their potential.

The preliminary research already allowed identifying significant potential in selected trans-sector pathways.

Deploying cross-sector carbon capture and reuse opportunities on an industrial scale – something that does not happen today – could reduce up to 3 GT/year or 7% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Existing conversion technologies that could be deployed across the three sectors could utilize by-products in the off-gases to create building materials, organic chemicals and fuel. Increased availability and greater access to renewable energy sources would significantly boost net carbon reduction efforts by those three sectors, within a supportive legislative framework.

Contact: www.lctpi.wbcsd.org

(MRTK@SHNM NE RSQHO OQNBDRRHMF KHMDR THERMAL MANAGEMENT Continuous steel strip annealing and galvanizing lines have incorporated Saffil high-temperature insulation products for many years. Saffil products exhibit high temperature and chemical resistance, improved thermal conductivity performance compared to other insulation fibres and the lowest levels of “shot” (i.e.

MPT International 1 / 2017

non-fibrous materials) compared to other polycrystalline products on the market. The utilization of ultra-low shot content fibre can lead to a reduced potential for contamination and damage to metal strip products.

Contact: www.unifrax.com

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

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3@S@ 2SDDK OQNCTBDR TKSQ@ BKD@M RODBH@KSX RSDDKR VHSG MDV U@BTTL HMCTBSHNM LDKSHMF ETQM@BD STEELMAKING At its Stocksbridge site, Tata Steel’s Speciality Steels, UK, has successfully commissioned the VIM X-eed® vacuum induction melting furnace supplied by SMS Mevac. This new tertiary metallurgy facility produces high-purity steels and specialty alloys for the aerospace industry.

The VIM unit comprises an eight-ton vacuum induction melting crucible and the associated vacuum pumping, material charging and process control equipment. All core components supplied by SMS Mevac have been designed to allow Tata Steel to increase the melt size to 18 tons at a later date. Also ancillary equipment for crucible preheating and lining maintenance was included in the supply scope. The plant incorporates vacuum pouring equipment for both top poured and bottom poured ingots, in single or multiple ingot configurations.

An article about this plant and an interview is going to be published in the April issue of MPT International.

Production of speciality steels and super alloys at Tata Steel in Stocksbridge, using the new VIM X-eed® unit supplied by

Contact: www.sms-group.com

SMS group

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MPT International 1 / 2017

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››› TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

(MRODBSHNM NE RGHMX @MC L@SS RTQE@BDR QUALITY CONTROL Particularly in automotive production, perfect surfaces – whether matt or shiny – are imperative.

Even the smallest of defects must be reliably recognized. With the reflectCONTROL Automation surface inspection system, Micro-Epsilon offers a robot-guided system that projects a striped pattern onto the measurement object. Defects on the shiny surface cause deviations from the striped pattern which are recorded by cameras and evaluated by software. The compact deflectometry sensor, which consists of a monitor for the striped pattern projection as well as up to two cameras, is guided over the measurement object by a robot. The defects found are evaluated and displayed in a 3D model.

For inspection tasks on matt surfaces, INB Vision, a company belonging to the Micro-Epsilon group, has developed the surfaceCONTROL system. It comprises a modern 3D sensor and the software for the data analysis. This new 3D sen-

Devices for robotized surface inspection

sor achieves a significantly higher inspection speed, together with increased measurement accuracy by using a fast projection unit and new cameras. The sensor is optimized for both integration in assembly lines and for robot connection. The system alternatively includes

the DefMap3D analysis software for laboratories and the measuring room or inspection tools for automatic examination of surfaces being optimized for robot-supported inspection tasks.

Contact: www.micro-epsilon.com

BNTRSHB LNMHSNQHMF NE A@F ÖKSDQ BKD@MHMF SPECIAL EQUIPMENT Pulse-jet valves emit a specific sound spectrum while cleaning the bag filters in a dedusting plant. Inspecting the pulse-jet filter manually takes time because the maintenance personnel have to check

$CI ƂNVGT JQWUKPI CPF KPFWUVTKCN OKETQRJQPG

a complete cleaning cycle. In contrast, Acoustic Expert from Primetals Technologies facilitates a condition-based maintenance strategy. To this end, a microphone as an acoustic sensor is installed in the penthouse of the plant MPT International 1 / 2017

to continuously monitor the noises in the environment.

When the pulse-jet valves are activated, the sound spectrum they emit is recorded for several seconds. The recording is then analyzed in detail, and a report is generated to indicate whether or not the monitored equipment is functioning properly. The recorded data are then deleted. Acoustic Expert produces such a stable analysis that it is not impaired by background noises, and provides information about the current condition of each pulse-jet valve. The maintenance personnel receive direct information about which valves are working correctly and which need to be repaired. This reduces the cost of maintenance to the essential minimum.

Acoustic Expert was designed on a bionic basis. All sounds perceptible to the human ear are monitored continuously. Whereas people find it difficult to detect gradual wear, Acoustic Expert makes this possible by long-term analysis. Acoustic Expert can also be used on all equipment that emits a specific sound spectrum, such as the nozzles of torch cutting machines in continuous casting plants, switching relays, and leaks in valve stations.

Recently, an Acoustic Expert system was implemented at the secondary dedusting plant 3.1. of Voestalpine Stahl in Linz, Austria. The new system was installed in one day without any plant stoppages, optimized in just two days, and brought into operation two months before the scheduled date.

Contact: www.primetals.com

“How can advanced lubricants help to improve safety at our steel mill?”

Safety is a fundamental concern and the number one priority for operators in the primary metals sector. By extending equipment and components life advanced lubricants can help contribute to reducing employees’ exposure to hazardous maintenance procedures.

resulting in poor lubrication. As a result, mill operators were forced to decrease lubrication intervals, putting employees in contact with machinery more frequently.

There was also the additional risk to employees of leaked grease making the floor slippery.

Procedures carried out during both scheduled and unscheduled downtime have an inherent safety risk to employees. By reducing the contact with machinery, this risk is cut. High-quality lubricants, particularly synthetic lubricants, can help extend oil drain intervals, reducing the frequency of scheduled maintenance. They also help to protect machinery, reducing the likelihood of equipment repairs.

We recommended switching to Mobilgrease XHP™ 222 which has excellent high temperature performance and structural stability. This change resulted in multiple benefits including extended oil drain intervals, therefore decreasing the frequency of employee interaction with machinery. It also reduced leakage, making the workplace cleaner with reduced risk for slips.

In an Italian steel mill, we worked with operators to help improve on-site safety. Extreme operating temperatures and loads were softening the grease used on bearings

Response from Jarmo Vihersalo, ExxonMobil Industrial marketing advisor EAME and MPT’s expert Contact: www.mobilindustrial.com

Disclaimer: This advice is provided for general guidance only and should not be relied on for any specific situation. You should always contact your own lubricants supplier in relation to your specific issues and needs. MPT International and ExxonMobil companies do not accept any liability incurred by you as a result of relying on the advice in this column.

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››› LITERATURE SERVICE Forging and handling technology 12 pages, English A brochure summarizing the range of products offered by Dango & Dienenthal for use in open-die forges. Specially featured are rail-bound and mobile forging manipulators, transport manipulators as well as stationary and mobile turntables.

Contact: E-mail:

Quality Tracking System for Steel Coils

Supporting the zero defect vision Increasing the global resource efficiency of the steel supply chain

www.dango-dienenthal.de dds@dds-gmbh.com

Quality tracking system for steel coils 4 pages, English Initiated by steel coil users and based on a joint effort by major steel producers, a quality tracking system has been developed, capable of indicating steel coil users the position of unavoidable isolated “surface imperfections” in steel coils. Eurofer has been chosen to oversee the standardization process so that coil users can employ a single system on coils from all steel producers.

Contact: E-mail:

www.eurofer.eu mail@eurofer.be

Heat protection 24 pages, English, German A catalogue of products offered by Jutec for heat and splash protection, e.g. welding protection blankets, welder’s curtains, mats with insulation material and mats for pipe construction.

The product range also includes protective blankets for automotive parts and a wide range of protection clothing.

Contact: E-mail:

www.jutec.com info@jutec.com

150 years’ evolution toward a green future Book, English Outotec has published a book that tracks the development of the mining and metal industries, engineering science and technology from the mid-19th century to 2010. Outotec is intertwined with the economic history of industrialization in Europe as it has its roots in many widely known corporations.

Contact: E-mail:

www.outotec.com communications@outotec.com

Element analyzers for inline process analytics 12 pages, English, German A brochure setting out the line of elemental analysis instruments based on laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) offered by Secopta Analytics. The instruments are used for analysis of steel and stainless steel, aluminium alloys, monitoring of ablation and coating processes, etc.

Contact: E-mail:

MPT International 1 / 2017

www.secopta.de info@secopta.de

IN THE NEXT ISSUE…

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55

Steelmaking Tata Steel produces ultra-clean specialty steels with new vacuum induction melting furnace At its Stocksbridge site, Tata Steel Speciality Steels, UK, has successfully commissioned a new VIM X-eed® vacuum induction melting furnace. This new tertiary metallurgy facility produces high-purity steels and specialty alloys for the aerospace industry. The plant incorporates vacuum pouring equipment for both top poured and bottom poured ingots, in single or multiple ingot configurations.

Metallurgy Peculiarities in crystal structure of titanium alloys pave the way for new applications Metals which can be bent as gum pave the way for new industrial applications, for example in the aerospace industry.

These so-called gum metals exist but the mechanism behind this behaviour was still unsettled and thus difficult to be used for applications. Scientists from Germany have observed a new phase transformation within the crystal structure in a titanium alloy. The advancement in knowledge actually helps to understand the behaviour of the gum metals.

Surface treatment ArcelorMittal inaugurates world-first Jet Vapor Deposition line for the steel industry ArcelorMittal has opened a new production line – the Jet Vapor Deposition (JVD) line – at its facilities in Kessales, Belgium.

The JVD technology coats moving strips of steel in a vacuum chamber, by vaporizing zinc onto the steel at high speed. The JVD technology, which will be used to produce coated steels for automotive and other industrial applications, offers multiple advantages. Coating the steel under vacuum and at lower temperatures removes the risk of the steel or zinc oxidizing.

/CVGTKCN ƃQY NQIKUVKEU Truck handling goes digital: thyssenkrupp steel division is modernizing plant gates Many of the goods logistics to and from thyssenkrupp’s steel mill in Duisburg, Germany, are made by truck, and the number of trips is increasing. Processing delivery documents and weighing the inbound and outbound trucks was increasingly leading to congestion and long waiting times. To remedy the situation the company has decided a changeover to digital traffic control and automated self-handling by truck drivers as well as extensive structural improvements.

This preview may be subject to change.

Metallurgical Plant and Technology

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Published by: Verlag Stahleisen GmbH P.O. Box 10 51 64, 40042 Düsseldorf, Germany e-mail mpt@stahleisen.de Publisher: Steel Institute VDEh Executive Member of the Management Board: Dr.-Ing. Peter Dahlmann Internet: www.mpt-international.com Editorial Staff: Chief Editor: Dipl.-Ing. Arnt Hannewald

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MPT International 1 / 2017

AS ONE We are stronger

Two powerful companies in the metals industry have forged together. Mitsubishi-Hitachi Metals Machinery and Siemens VAI Metals Technologies have united to become the new global force in metals technologies.

Creating the future of metals as one. primetals.com