MPT Internatioal 5/2020 (November)

No. 5 | November 2020

In focus: DRI for the Future – Part III

North Africa – hot spot for HBI-making | 24

Tubes for the Hydrogen Age

Dedicated products from Mannesmann | 44

Danieli Annual Performance

Plantbuilder takes an optimistic look ahead | 20

Wiremaking around the Globe Field reports from India, the United States, and more | 29

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EDITORIAL

Dear Readers,

It is with regret that we must accept the definitive cancellation of the Wire+Tube trade fair. This has not come as a surprise, as many companies had already communicated that they would not be participating, even before Germany announced stricter COVID-19 regulations in autumn.

It is the second time the fair has been cancelled. You may remember that the first issue of MPT this year featured tubes as the main topic when shortly before the deadline, it became clear that Messe Düsseldorf had to surrender to the first wave of coronavirus. It has now had to surrender to the second wave as well.

Nevertheless, this issue of MPT is sticking to the topics we prepared in anticipation of the fair, and this time, the focus is on wire. Check out the multi-page special titled—not without some irony that suits these strange times—“Golden Summer”.

We are also continuing our ongoing series on direct-reduced iron technology, this time with a report from the partners Midrex and Paul Wurth on the flourishing DRI activities in North Africa.

As a related topic, Danieli presents a study on producing high-quality steel grades with low residual elements on the electric-arc furnace route. On the corporate side, Danieli also gives insights on its performance in the business year 2019–20 and its prospects for the future.

SMS group, next in line to present its financial figures in the upcoming issue, has now broken ground for its “Campus”, its new and modern home in another couple of years.

We would also like to congratulate Paul Wurth on its 150th anniversary!

Christian Köhl Editor in Chief, MPT International

MPT International / November 2020

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CONTENTS

12

NOVEMBER 2020

SMS group announces the groundbreaking for its new headquarters

NEWS

METALLURGY

6 People, Places and Profiles

14 EAF VS. BOF

Liberty Steel, Salzgitter AG, Messe DĂźsseldorf

7 International Industry NLMK, Liberty Seel, Thyssenkrupp, Tata Steel Europe

9 Orders & Commissionings Baowu Steel, Voestalpine, Acciaierie di Sicilia, Nucor, SSAB, and others

BUSINESS & COMPANIES 10

Paul Wurth Anniversary The Luxembourg plantbuilder turns 150.

12 SMS group Campus Construction work for the new headquarters has been kicked off.

20 Danieli: Annual figures & outlook The company is upbeat on business with emerging markets and Green Steel.

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Danieli presents a way to keep capability for producing high-quality grades with low residual element contents using different charge materials.

24 DRI For the Future, Part III A look at the flourishing DRI activities in North Africa.

INNOVATION 22 Early detection of inclusions in cold-rolled strip steel IMS Messsysteme GmbH has developed a detection system based on the principle of magnetic leakage flux.

PLANT MANAGEMENT 28 Emirates Steel wins Safety Culture and Leadership Award 2020 The steelmaker in the United Arab Emirates was recognised by Worldsteelorg for its AMAN Safety Culture Transformation project.

November 2020 / MPT International

24

20

Algeria and other North African countries have become the hotspots of DRI technology development

Despite COVID-19, Danieli remained profitable in 2019/20

SPECIAL: GOLDEN SUMMER 2020 29 News and field reports from the wire and tubes segments: SAIL and Primetals tell about the production of wire rod, Mannesmann presents tubes dedicated to hydrogen, IMS explains its tubes surface inspection system, and more.

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The AMAN project of Emirates Steel has snatched Worldsteelorg’s Safety Award 2020

OPINION / A THOUGHT FOR THE ROAD 49 The Steel Market in Autumn A paradox: Although the demand for steel in Northwestern Europe has fallen to an eleven-year low, delivery times have become extremely long.

Special

COLUMNS 3 Editorial 50 In the next issue / Advertisers’ index / Imprint

2020

COVER STORY: No Wire+Tube fair this year, but still plenty of news and insights from the two sectors of steel application

Source: Shutterstock

MPT International / November 2020

5

NEWS

PEOPLE, PLACES & PROFILES

New head of trade fair group GIFA, METEC, Thermprocess, Newcast Gerrit Nawracala (46) will take over the leading trade fairs GIFA, METEC, Thermprocess, Newcast, organiser company Messe Düsseldorf GmbH has announced.

He succeeds Friedrich-Georg Kehrer, who has been responsible for the trade fair quartet and its international portfolio in metallurgy and foundry technologies since 1999. As Global Portfolio Director for Wire/

Tube and Flow Technologies, Kehrer will in future develop new markets and projects in this area. Gerrit Nawracala is already well known to the industry. In 2008, the graduate historian and communications expert began his professional career at Messe Düsseldorf. The fair quartet is scheduled to take place next time from 12 to 16 June 2023, in Düsseldorf.

Gerrit Nawracala

Former Thyssenkrupp Steel CEO crosses Channel Gupta Family Group (GFG) Alliance, the parent company of UK-based Liberty Steel has appointed Premal Desai as its new chief operating officer Business Development, starting January 1, 2021. Desai until spring this year for a temporary period was the CEO of Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Steel. His appointment at GFGcoincides with a takeover offer by Liberty Steel for Thyssenkrupp Steel. Alongside

Premal Desai

the oversight and expansion of GFG Alliance’s global footprint, Premal Desai will focus on the sustainable transformation journey of the group. “I have observed the continued success of GFG Alliance in transforming a challenged sector to create long-term economic, social and environmental sustainability. I look forward to contributing to the green journey of GFG,“ Desai says.

Vattenfall manager to become CEO of Salzgitter AG

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Gunnar Groebler, executive at Vattenfall, will leave the Swedish-based power utility in spring of 2021 to become CEO of German steelmaker Salzgitter AG. Groebler joined Vattenfall in 1999 and has been essential in making Vattenfall a leading company in renewable energy production. He currently heads Vattenfall’s business area Wind.

Heinz Jörg Fuhrmann will step down as chief executive of Salzgitter at the end of June Gunnar Groebler 2021, after reaching the age of 65. A strategy of “…solidity and innovation, along with social and economic responsibility” pushed by Fuhrmann at Salzgitter will be continued, says the company’s supervisory board chairman Heinz Gerhard Wente.

“Especially for this reason, I am delighted that Mr. Groebler has been gained as his successor.” “Gunnar has had a long career in Vattenfall and has played a key role in driving our development and growth within wind and solar,“ says Magnus Hall, president and CEO of Vattenfall. „His strong commitment to Vattenfall’s strategy and to lead his team to new wins and successes has contributed strongly to what we are as a company today. We wish him all the best in his new position.”

NEWS

INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY

Liberty Ostrava launches tender for hybrid furnace Liberty Ostrava has launched the public tender to procure two hybrid furnaces, Kallanish learns from the Czech steelmaker. The two hybrid furnaces will replace the plant’s existing four tandem furnaces by 2023, providing the same combined production capacity of 3.5 million tonnes/year „This is a major step in Ostrava’s journey of transformation towards new low-carbon technologies in line with the group’s overall target to become carbon neutral by 2030,“ said Sanjeev Gupta, executive chairman of Liberty Steel when announcing the tender in Ostrava on 10 November.

According to Liberty, the two hybrid furnaces will be the first of their kind in Europe. The modern hybrid technology will have a significantly lower environmental footprint, reducing particulate emissions by 60% by 2023 due to a new dedusting plant. Once the 400kV electricity line is installed by 2025, carbon emissions will be reduced by 50% as the furnaces will be able to use 70% scrap. Full carbon neutrality will be achieved once the plant has transitioned to using 100% scrap or captures and recycles the CO2 from its primary units while offsetting residual carbon produced through GFG’s peat restoration project at JAHAMA Highland Estates in Scotland. Liberty plans to invest a total of €750 million in the development of its Ostrava steelworks over the course of the next ten years. In addition to the modernisation of the steel shop the transformation will also include an extensive modernisation of the steel rolling mills, which will improve the quality of steel and expand the product portfolio with high added value products.

Sources: Liberty Ostrava; NLMK Novolipetsk

NLMK Lipetsk launches anhydrous cooling system for blast furnace slag

The system will enable it to reduce hydrogen sulfide emissions in the corresponding area by 3.5x and keep the smell from this chemical compound to a minimum, the company states. The implementation of the complex marks the full transition of the mill’s blast furnace shop No. 1 (three blast furnaces) to dry slag cooling technology. The new system completely eliminates the need to use water. Advanced excavators will be used for slag handling and loading, capable of working in high temperatures and with increased productivity. Investment in the project exceeded RUB 2 billion ($26 million).

EQUIPMENT: ORDERS & COMMISSIONINGS

Americas USA

Andritz Herr-Voss Stamco, a member of international technology group Andritz, has commissioned a new cutto-length line delivered to Rolled Alloys for their facility in Fairfield, OH, USA. The new line processes 0.125’ x 48’ wide stainless steel and nickel alloys and has an incoming coil capacity of 20,000 lbs. Its “backbone”, Andritz says, is a precision roller-leveler technology. According to this, the line includes two precision levelers, both with the manufacturer’s “Punch-N-Go” leveler control system. The line also comprises a precision roll feed system coupled with a high-speed shear that can cut both long and short blanks.

AIC supplied and commissioned the process automation solution for the rolling mill of CHS Chicago Heights Steel in Chicago heights, IL, USA. The project included the automation system and equipment for the revamping of the rolling mill, starting rougher group and going through the takeout of the bar on the cooling beds. AIC was also involved in installation supervision and commissioning phases within the project schedule, which took place in October 2020.

cisive criteria for placing the order was Georg’s latest technology “Georg Smart Control”. It is based on the machine control system “Sinumeric One” by Siemens and integrates a digital twin in the company’s roll grinding machines.

Europe AUSTRIA

Continuous annealing line 1 (KGL1) at Voestalpine in Linz

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Walking beam furncace designed by Tenova

Strip Mill 2, “meeting the strictest requirements for the production of premium sheets to be used in the automotive industry”, Tenova says. The scope of the contract includes engineering and the largely turnkey delivery of all equipment as well as the erection and commissioning including training. The plant replaces an old reheating furnace and will be installed directly next to an existing Tenova walking beam furnace.

ITALY

AIC completed the second phase of the revamping project at Ecoacciai in Pontedera, Italy. The full scope of the project included the replacement of the scrapping mill automation

CHINA

Georg’s “Smart Control”-technology in operation

Tenova has received a major order from Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe for the supply of a walking beam furnace, designed for the heating of slabs, which will be located at the Thyssenkrupp Beeckerwerth plant, Duisburg. The plant will be build in Hot

The Steel Division of Voestalpine awarded Primetals Technologies an order to modernise the basis automation systems of the continuous annealing live 1 (KGL1) in the Linz plant in Austria. The replacement of the now obsolete systems will improve the operational safety and availability of the annealing plant as well as in-

Asia Baowu Steel Group (former Baosteel) and Shanghai Court Roll Surface Treatment entrusted the machine builder Heinrich Georg with the engineering and realisation of five roll-grinding machines of the manufacturer’s ultragrind type. Background was the planned plant expansion of the Zhanjiang site in Guangdong province with the target to build the world’s most modern CRM roll shop. For both Baowu Steel and Shanghai Court the de-

GERMANY

crease personal safety. All the sequence controllers will be modernised, and the KGL1 safety concept will be implemented. Amongst others, the signals will be interconnected via decentralised I/O systems which are linked to the automation system by a fieldbus. The existing sensors and actuators will be linked into the newly supplied control cabinets. Also some of the local control desks will be modernised and the central I/O modules of the automation system will be replaced by new decentralised hardware. The project processing is especially challenging, Primetals says, because work can only be executed during ten- to twelve-day plant shutdowns which only take place about every six months. (17. November 2020)

Scrapping mill at Ecoacciai in Pontedera, Italy.

part, the hardware integration, the software security and safety systems installation. More specifically, this stage of the modernisation consisted of the installation of the safety access with electronic doors and coded key system to access the area as well as the activation

November 2020 / MPT International

Sources: Heinrich Georg; Voestalpine; Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe; AIC; SSAB; ABB

NEWS

of the entire security system. AIC also provided access control to production areas for maintenance and operation activities due to the full controlled safety system. (27. Oktober 2020) Acciaierie di Sicilia chose to ATS Mechatronics to supply and integrate two tying machines (TMB 400) and AIC to upgrade the electrical and automation system of the cooling bed exit and bundle forming areas of the rolling mill in Catania, Italy.

These were follow-up measures to the installation of six new roughing stands and the renovation of the automation system in 2019. The upgrade aims to increase performance and improve troubleshooting by replacing obsolete equipment and upgrading the automation system. All tying machines of ATS Mechatronics were tested in its workshop prior to shipment to the site, reducing start up time and costs, AIC says. According to the project schedule, AIC was also involved in installation supervision and commissioning phases.

NETHERLANDS

Laura Staalcenter Maastricht has purchased a new levelling machine from the German manufacturer Kohler, which is represented in the Netherlands and Belgium by the company Hevami Surface Technology. With the machine, type PeakPerformer 100P.2500-RB-C, Laura Staalcenter can level sheets up to 2500 mm width, whereby in practice a maximum of 2100 mm will be processed as this is the maximum width of the decoil lines. The new Kohler levelling machine has a width to make optimal use of the existing crowned roll system which has been purchased to remove wavy edges and centre buckles from the sheet. Depending on the yield strength of the steel, sheets of 2000 mm wide can be processed up to a thickness of 12 mm. It is scheduled to be operational by mid2021.

SWEDEN

SSAB has chosen Paul Wurth to carry out a revamp of parts of its coke battery at Luleå steel works in northern Sweden, which focuses on battery life extension and emissions reduction. The replacement works were planned in two steps including preparation activities to remove existing constraints in summer 2020 and the main intervention for replacing the raw gas

Coke oven at SSAB’s Luleå steel works

system and the oven refractory roof in summer 2021. In September, during a planned blast furnace shutdown, a project team already replaced the old gate valves on the off-takes. In addition, without proceeding with hot tapping activities, a new coke oven gas (COG) feeding line could be connected to the suction main, thus creating a long bypass on the exhauster system.

SWITZERLAND

ABB has been selected to supply its Flow Control Mold (FC Mold) electromagnetic stirring and braking solution for one of the world’s widest thick slab continuous casters at the new Nucor Corporation steel plate mill at Brandenburg, Kentucky, USA. With capacity for slabs of up to 305 mm thick by 3,150 mm wide, the caster is “the widest ever to be equipped with FC Mold”, ABB says. The order, placed by caster supplier SMS Group, will be operational by 2022. In continuous slab casting, conditions in the meniscus area of

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BUSINESS

COMPANIES

Paul Wurth Celebrates 150th Anniversary

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or Paul Wurth 2020 should have been a very special year with appropriate festivities. Unfortunately, everything came completely different. Even today, the company can only hope that in spring/summer 2021 it will be back in a safe situation and in a positive mood to celebrate this important anniversary in a festive way, even with a year of delay.

Nonetheless, in a statement on the occasion of this jubilee day it extends heartfelt thanks to current and former employees and workers worldwide for the commitment they display in their everyday work, whatever challenging the situation is. As a company, along with all ist employees, can proudly look back on 150 years of excellence, made of sound achievements, revolutionary

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150 developments and fruitful working together. All this in a pioneering spirit that lives on today.

Of course, the Paul Wurth also wishes to thank ist customers and partners for the faith they have placed in the company and in its technologies during so many years. From supplying metal structures to local steelmakers at the beginnings, through developing and providing key technologies for the worldwide iron & steel industry, up to the present transformation of the indus-

try towards decarbonised production processes, „the prime objective of our business strategy has always been to listen to our customers and meet their requirements with added-value solutions,“ it says. „What was true in the past is still true today: only close dialogue and trustful exchange bring us and the world of science and technology forward – in terms of performance, quality and eco-friendly solutions. As a leading partner, we will continue this passionate journey with you!“ Finally, Paul Wurth would like to thank ist successive shareholders for their unwavering support and constructive assistance they have given the company during the decades.

Happy Birthday, Paul Wurth!

November 2020 / MPT International

Source: Paul Wurth

The 4th of November officially marked the 150th anniversary of the Paul Wurth company, as it was on 4th of November 1870 when the judicial authorities of Luxembourg cleared the way for the creation of the “Kesselfabrek”, a boilermaking facility by the founder Eugène Muller in Luxembourg-Hollerich. Some years later his firm was taken over by and named after Paul Wurth, the farsighted industrial leader, who not only paved the way of the company, but also impacted the Luxembourg economy and the steel industry in general.

BUSINESS

COMPANIES

The modern space concept is designed to provide the perfect atmosphere for creative and collaborative working. ©Renderings Hartmann Architekten

Construction work on the new SMS group Campus has been kicked off With the start of the construction work for its new Campus, SMS group is setting a new milestone just ahead of the company’s 150th anniversary. As MPT reported in December 2019, Mönchengladbach, North Rhine Westphalia, will become home to a new technology, service and digitalisation centre built on the SMS premises and providing 1,500 modern workplaces.

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s from 2023, the competences of With a modern space concept, the five locations in the region will company aims to create an atmosphere be brought together at this cen- that promotes creative and collaborative tral location in the Rhineland. Today, work, explains Torsten Heising, Member the company already has over 1,200 em- of the Managing Board of SMS: “Our ployees in Mönchengladbach. “We see recent experience with various forms of huge growth potential from the interac- mobile working options has shown us tion of technical service and digital solu- that we can actually get our work done tions. Our Campus will enable us to wherever we are. For creative processes, connect these technologies closely with though, we still need a shared environour product units, bringing together ment that makes us feel inspired. The specialists from all over the world to open architecture of the new Campus form interdisciplinary teams via virtual promotes living our corporate culture infrastructures,” says CEO Burkhard and enables us as an employer to take Dahmen. into special consideration what our “One of the reasons our company has highly skilled workforce expects from a become the world market leader in met- modern workplace.” SMS is currently allurgical plant engineering is because working with its employees to develop we are a reliable partner for our custom- the workplace of the future – including ers and, as a family business, take special for its location in Hilchenbach. A correcare of our employees,” emphasizes sponding employee survey is already Heinrich Weiss, Heinrich Weiss, Chair- underway. The results from this survey man of the Shareholders’ Committee of will flow into the design of the interior SMS Holding GmbH. “With this new layout and the infrastructure. complex we are providing a significantThe SMS Campus will cover a gross ly enhanced working environment, mak- surface area of around 44,000 square High-speed castingattractive in eight strands on an SMS Concast casting ing us an extremely employer meters and consist ofmachine five module buildfor future talent.” ings. The core of the complex will be a

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covered atrium serving as a meeting and communication area. A membrane-type roof with a diameter of 82 meters will connect all buildings to create a unique campus.

An adjoining staff car park will offer sufficient parking space for cars, motor cycles, and bicycles. It will be equipped with charging stations for electric cars and bicycles. Given the future investments in the infrastructure of the immediate neighborhood by the city of Mönchengladbach, the whole district will be upgraded and the new Campus will become well connected with the local public transport system.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, one could already get an impression of the dimensions of the future Campus from the ring-shaped area of removed ground.

In the coming months, around 70,000 cubic meters of soil will be removed, with shell construction work for the five module buildings due to start in the spring of 2021. The shell construction will be completed as early as by the summer of 2022. The Campus will be ready for occupancy in mid/end-2023.

November 2020 / MPT International

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MPT International / November 2020

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METALLURGY

EAF TECHNOLOGY

Electrical Steelmaking in place of Basic Oxygen Process – Danieli Vision from Quality Point of View Integrated iron and steelmaking production represents the globally predominant technology. Global requirements for CO2 reduction will influence needed changes in iron and steelmaking philosophy using new technologies that generate less CO2.

Based on forecasts, hydrogen application in primary steelmaking and scrap melting process will have higher shares in parts of the world where the integrated iron and steelmaking process is considered as traditional. A transition from traditional and well-established processes to the process based on DRI / HBI production, together with scrap melting in electric arc furnaces, must be followed by the means for producing high quality grades with low residual element contents. Danieli presents a way to keep capability for producing high-quality grades with low residual element contents using different charge materials.

AUTHORS: Bojan Vucinic, Franco Gan-

din, Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.p.A CONTACT: Bojan Vucinic, Senior Tech-

Team Manager, phone (0039) 04321955519, b.vucinic@danieli.it

A

pproximately 30% of the world’s crude steel production is carried out via electrical arc furnace (EAF) as the primary unit for steelmaking. The ratio between the two main primary steelmaking units, basic oxygen furnaces (BOF) versus electric arc furnaces, has changed in recent years and this trend seems to be confirmed for upcoming years due to changed conditions in raw material price and production costs, and due to strict requirements for pollution control. Making high-quality steel always has been the domain of integrated mills organized by the blast furnace-converter-secondary metallurgy-casting route. Now, numerous electric steelmaking operations around the world have successfully entered this product market. The main reason for this progress is the high flexibility in operation and raw materials options available to EAF steelmakers.

Table 1 shows allowable content of residual elements for some steel grades(1) which are mainly produced via BOF steelmaking process and must be pro-

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Element, %

IF steel

DDQ

Drawing Commercial Structural Fine wire

Rebar

Cu

0,03 0,04 0,06

Ni

0,03 0,04 0,06 0,08 0,1 0,07 0,35

Mo

0,008

0,1 0,12

0,07

0,4

0,01 0,015 0,015 0,04 0,015 0,08

Cr

0,03 0,04 0,06 0,08 0,1 0,08 0,15

Sn

0,008 0,015 0,015 0,02 0,03 0,015 0,08

Table 1. Typical allowed residual elements content for most flat steel grades

duced via electric arc furnaces as well.

Nitrogen absorption during melting can be reduced by the application of controlled slag foaming, controlled carbon removal rate during process, carbon boiling control, proper EAF design, and controlled raw material application. The installation of vacuum degassers (RH or VTD) in the EAF steelmaking route improves the quality of steel products with ultra-low carbon and low-gas contents.

Sulphur contents of lower than 10 ppm for certain steel grades can be produced in vacuum tank degassers (VTD.)

Integrated plant – Converter melt shops The first step in the oxygen blow of the BOF process is silicon oxidation. The results show that no nitrogen is removed during the initial phase of the blow, when silicon oxidation is the primary reaction.

The rate of nitrogen removal jumps as soon as carbon oxidation is increased. As the dissolved carbon content decreases,

the decarburization rate, and therefore the CO evolution and nitrogen removal rates, also decrease. At the end of the oxygen blow process nitrogen present in the oxygen jet dissolves in the liquid bath, when the nitrogen removal efficiency of the bath is reduced due to lower CO generation rate(2). Usually, nitrogen contents before tapping from the BOF are in the range of 15 to 40 ppm, including reblown heats.

Figure 1 shows the typical nitrogen content before tapping from BOF (1.a.), and sulphur content after sulphur removal from hot metal and before tapping from BOF (1.b.)

Thanks to low nitrogen and sulphur content before tapping from the BOF, sulphur removal during secondary metallurgy and nitrogen removal during the vacuum process usually are not required for BOF based melt shops. The charge mix for the electric arc furnace process is different than for the BOF process so nitrogen content before tapping from

November 2020 / MPT International

1.a. Nitrogen content before tapping - 2 s area | As average: 20% scrap

1.b. Sulphur content in hot metal (12,134 heats) and in steel before

in charge mix | Tapping temperature: 1,650-1,700°C | (12,134 heats)

tapping from BOF (12,040 heats.)

2.a

2.b

Figure 2: Content of metallic residuals for different charge mixes during EAF process 2.a: Minimum required hot metal participation in charge mix (simulation with two different assumed charge mixes) 2.b: Copper content before tapping for charge mixes with different DRI and scrap ratios (Danieli – process based on HBI, DRI and scrap)

EAF is based on carbon removal control during process, or very often the removal of nitrogen and sulphur must be considered as part of the secondary metallurgy process.

Electric Arc Furnace Low content of metallic and non-metallic residuals The electric arc furnace was developed mainly to recycle scrap. Application of virgin materials, such are DRI (cold and hot) / HBI / hot metal / Pig Iron, was introduced later, mainly for two reasons: operating cost control and scrap shortage. Process flexibility based on the possibility of using different raw materials, together with customized EAF design with confirmed short tap-to-tap time and less generated CO2, favours the electrical arc steelmaking process compared with the BOF process.

To lower the tramp elements in steel, different methods can be applied: • Dilution with virgin iron units • Improved scrap sorting (scrap purchasing and automatic scrap monitoring practice)

MPT International / November 2020

• Mechanical and or chemical scrap pre-treatment In electric steelmaking, the improvement in scrap sorting and the dilution of tramp elements by mixing the contaminated scrap with virgin iron material are possible methods for reducing the concentration of tramp elements in the steel products. The direct reduced irons (DRI/HBI) or hot metal application have been used to produce several flat-product steel grades. The next two

charts show hot metal participation for two different scrap mixes (scrap mix A, with higher HMS scrap, compared with scrap mix B) and copper content before tapping for charge mixes with DRI only, versus charge mix with different amount of scrap (scrap participation is reported as well.)

Improved scrap sorting could be based on automatic scrapyard control, starting from scrap monitoring (photo recognition), proper scrap sorting (dedi-

Figure 3: Impact of different scrap types on the metallic residuals content (plant A – Danieli database: rail steel application, 1,835 evaluated heats)

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METALLURGY

EAF TECHNOLOGY

cated location per scrap type) and followed by mathematical modelling with continuous chemistry monitoring versus maximum allowed content of metallic residuals, versus available scrap (Q-Charge.)

There are several ways that nitrogen can be controlled during the EAF steelmaking process. Figure 4 is a pictorial representation of key drives needed to minimize nitrogen content at the end of EAF process.

Nitrogen content at the end of EAF process can range from 20 ppm to 110 ppm.

The wide range of nitrogen contents at the end of the primary steelmaking process is driven by the type and quality of raw material applied during the process, equipment design and level of process control.

Thanks to confirmed know-how with numerous different EAF designs for different applications (from extremely highly productive low-medium quality steel meltshops up to the melt-shops with demanding steel quality and low-medium-high

Figure 4: Strategies for minimizing nitrogen content at the end of EAF steelmaking process

productivity) Danieli is able to confirm application of EAF instead of BOF for high-quality grades, including steel with low nitrogen contents.

A study conducted by Pilliod has demostrated the change in nitrogen content in the steel bath during the melting and refining period of EAF process (see figure 6)(3). During the first melting period in region B, where a small molten steel pool forms, nitrogen increases significantly. In the second melting period the nitrogen is diluted thanks to minimized nitrogen pickup into the bath (due to more molten slag-covered electric arc) and increased liquid steel mass due to new solid scrap melting. As the final charge is melted and a foamed slag layer is formed, nitrogen pick-up is inhibited. When region E is reached, significant boiling and foaming of the slag

occurs, which drives the nitrogen out of steel and significantly lowers the partial pressure of N2, resulting in significantly lower nitrogen. It is important to highlight that during tapping the nitrogen pickup is considerable and tapping procedure must be developed to minimize this phenomenon (automatic tapping control inlcuding monitoring of caryover slag and fast back tilting).

The results of a study by Pilliod gives us the main process and equipment design guidline needed to reduce nitrogen content before tapping: • Boring period reduction Vs. flat bath condition application: • 100% continuous - endless scrap charging (flat bath condition) • CO boiling: • Virgin material application with high carbon content (this is the best

Figure 6: Nitrogen content of the steel during the operating Figure 5: Danieli EAF process reference list

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practice of the EAF

November 2020 / MPT International

and more efficient way to introduce carbon into the molten bath) • Carbon addition (in form of raw material) per different process step: always keeping a higher level of carbon in the system in order to maintain a high rate of nitrogen removal.

• Slag coverage index: • Electric Arc Stability and Coverage and radiation index control • Slag viscostity and MgO saturation control (advanced process, level 2 cotrol using continious process control loop) • Closed process loop: electrical (electrode stability) vs. chemical (oxygen supply vs. carbon injection is slag) Nitrogen pick-up reduction during the first stage of the EAF steelmaking operation is possible with a high hot heel and flat bath EAF concept. Compared with a standard bucket process, endless scrap charging and scrap melting during the entire process (EAF ECS) has less nitrogen content before tapping. The main reasons for lower nitrogen content before tapping are shorter duration of the boring stage, slag generation in early stage of process, and better arc coverage index starting from early stage of melting process. Figure 7 displays the applied power and arc coverage index for a process with bucket charging (first bucket) and in a case of continuous scrap charging. Compared with the EAF bucket process (100% scrap-based process), during endless scrap charging (EAF ECS), scrap is melted by heat convection and conduction, and not by arc radiation, as it is in a case of bucket process. During the continuous scrap feeding operations, the arc is kept covered by foamy slag and scrap falls into the hot heel.

Figure 8 shows the reduction of nitrogen content before tapping for two different scrap-charging practices, with the same scrap type per both analyzed pro-

Figure 7: Nitrogen pick-up during boring and first melting operating stage versus power stability and arc coverage index for bucket process (first bucket) and for EAF ECS (endless scrap charging with scrap preheating.)

Left to right: Nitrogen pick-up (see Fig. 6); Bucket process applied power and arc stability; Endless scrap charging (EAF ECS) applied power and arc stability

Figure 8: Nitrogen content: fully continuous scrap charging versus combined scrap charging practice: single bucket (30-40% from total scrap amount) together with continious scrap charging (high hot heel practice.) (Plant B: Danieli database – 591 evaluated heats.)

cess: fully continuous scrap charging with scrap prehetating process, versus scrap charging with a single bucket (3040% from total required scrap amount) and continuous scrap charging. Thanks to scrap charging via bucket with a high hot-heel and due to low amount of added scrap in this way, the difference in nitrogen content is in the range of 5 ppm, which means that nitrogen content at the end of the continuous scrap-charging process is less by approximatelly 10-15 ppm, compared with a standard two-bucket process with stand-

ard hot heel in the range of 15-20% from tapped heat size.

Apart from reduced nitrogen content at the end of the process, scrap preheating can reduce the power consumption of EAFs by using the waste heat in the furnace off-gas to preheat the scrap. Thanks to a dynamically optimized boring phase and stable covered arc, without peaks of current absorption, from early the operating stage electrode consumption is less compared with bucket process. Both savings make a significant contribution to a reduced CO2 footprint.

Figure 9: (Plant C) / EAF ECS in operation

MPT International / November 2020

17

METALLURGY

EAF TECHNOLOGY

Figure 9 shows a chemical package layout for an EAF process with endless scrap preheating and charging, a project commisioned in 2019 (plant C) together with equipment described in table 2.

Standard practice for reducing nitrogen content at the end of the EAF process is to promote CO boil. This involves a vigorous reaction between carbon and oxygen deep in the bath. Generated bubbles of CO absorb nitrogen as they ascend to the surface, releasing both gases to the atmosphere. At the same time CO

10.a

Type of EAF AC EAF ECS

Material addition Scrap Raw material

Continuous Continuous feeding -> 5th hole

Tap-To-Tap time

40 minutes

Electrode diameter

710 mm

Tap weight

150 t

Argon stirring

Three plugs

Hot heel

80 t

Sampling

Automatic (during process)

230 Auxiliary Systems Total steel capacity

Q-Reg (electrode regulation system / arc stability evaluation)

Lower shell diameter

7000 mm

1 Supersonic Oxy-Carbon

Panel inner diameter

7100mm

Chemical package

Movable lance (O2-C) 3 M-ONE – fixed wall injectors

Table 2: EAF ECS (Endless Scrap Charging and heating) equipment description

10.b

Figure 10: Nitrogen content with a process based on DRI (hot and cold) and based on hot metal.

10.a Nitrogen content before tapping for process with 100% cold DRI and 100% hot DRI – 1 s data population (plant D) 10.b Nitrogen content before tapping for process with different hot metal vs. scrap ratio (plant E)

from the liuqid steel together with CO generated by reduction of FeO with injected powdered carbon generates a foamy slag. The purpose of foamy slag is to shield the steel from the atmosphere and to cover the arc, which minimizes the dissociation of nitrogen molecules and nitrogen content pick-up in steel.

Raw material with high carbon content needed to promote CO boil are cold and hot DRI, HBI and hot metal. Figure 10 shows nitrogen content before tapping from the EAF for two processes: Figure 10.a shows 100% hot DRI and 100% cold DRI, and on figure 10.b shows the process with hot metal. Pig iron usually is applied as the raw material, to dilute content of nitrogen and metallic residuals.

Capability of nitrogen removal during EAF process is influenced: a. By raw material composition (carbon content) and temperature

There are two reasons for nitrogen reduction with higher carbon content in raw material: higher amount of CO bubbles generated during process, and less power-on applied (less electrical energy consumption.) The impact of carbon content in DRI on nitrogen content

18

before tapping is confirmed by many authors (4). Figure 11 shows the carbon removal rate with different hot metal consumptions for fixed tap-to-tap times, steel temperature and chemistry, and with different bottom sheel diameters (Danieli simulation.) In order to keep the same production rate (same tap-to-tap time) for full range of hot metal in the charge mix, the shell diamater has to be increased with increasing hot metal share. b. By content of non-metallic part in DRI: the higher the gangue content, the higher the Electrical Energy Consumption and hence the related nitrogen pickup due to longer power-on time;

c. By equipment design (EAF design) • For example, in order to boost carbon removal rates in case of high hot-metal consumption, the available surface area has to be enough in order to keep violent reaction under control and to avoid steel and slag splashing out of the EAF. Violent reaction control is linked with the carbon-removal rate per surface area (figure 11.)

• Slag door: It has to be in the closed position during the entire process in order to reduce nitrogen absorption into the liquid steel from the air (appliction of advanced Danieli slag door).

The impact of above-explained carbon content (from raw material) on nitrogen

Figure 11: Carbon removal rate with different total charged carbon (different specific hot metal consumptions) - Danieli simulation

November 2020 / MPT International

Figure 12. Nitrogen content, specific electrical energy and oxygen consumption for three different charge mixes with same scrap consumption (plant D – charge mix with scrap and DRI and plant F – charge mix with scrap / HBI / DRI) 12.a: Nitrogen content before tapping (avg/StDev)

levels in steel at the end of the EAF process is reported in Figure 12. Typical carbon content in HBI is in a range of 1.5%, which generates less volume of CO and due to less generated chemical energy caused by carbon oxidation requires higher electrical-energy consumption.

Higher nitrogen content before tapping for a charge mix with cold DRI can be explained with higher electrical energy consumption. The highest nitrogen content (average) is for a charge mix of cold DRI with HBI and scrap. The reasons for this are: less carbon content with raw material and higher electrical energy consumption. Different raw material densities have a strong impact on electric arc stability as well, and therefore on nitrogen content before tapping.

Phosphorous content before tapping from the EAF is driven by phosphorous content in the raw material, and process parameters such as: FeO content in slag, temperature and slag basicity. It is important that the gangue (non-metallic) material content should be as low as possible, to avoid either using excessive amount of slag builders or (very often) to reduce final slag basicity due to compromise between slag viscosity (impact on slag foaming index) and slag weight.

Sulphur content before tapping from the electric arc furnace depends on sulphur content in the raw material. Compared with BOF process, wherein hot

12.b: Electrical energy consumption

metal is pre-treated and charged sulphur content with hot metal could be up to 0.003%, in the case of EAF process sulphur content depends on the quality of raw material. Needs to pay strong attention on raw material purity from sulphur content point of view is driven by: 1. Capability of secondary metallurgy process to removal sulphur 2. Type of product mix For example, in the case of interstitial free grades with process route tappingLF-VD(RH)-casting destination, sulphur content must be controlled during the EAF process having clean material.

Conclusion According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the iron and steel industry accounts for approximately four to five percent of total world CO2 emissions.(5) Internationally, the steelmaking process has been optimised with respect to energy intensity over time. Currently, the process operates close to the thermodynamic limits, so further significant reductions in CO2 emissions for conventional technologies will be difficult. This suggests that only fundamentally new processes or “breakthrough” technologies will make a significant, further reduction in emissions. The key ‘breakthrough’ directions being investigated by the World Steel Association include:

a. Replacement of some of the carbon-based fuels in the steelmaking process with hydrogen; a. Use of biomass, such as char, to replace coal in the iron and steelmaking processes; a. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

According to forecasts, integrated iron and steelmaking processes will remain dominant with regard to crude iron and steel productivity. The Eleectric Arc Furnace process is part of the “breakthrough” technology mainly thanks to low CO2 footprint, and the flexibility to use different raw materials with high productivity per hour, supported by strong and continuous improvement in metallurgical process control.

Based on strong and accumulated experience by Danieli with the EAF process for high-quality grades, it is clear that the EAF can be implemented for most high-quality grades, together with modern secondary metallurgy stations provided with state-of-the-art, adaptive self-learning technology and models. Apart from the primary steelmaking unit, secondary metallurgy applied for BOF or for EAF-based melt shops is different mainly due to different output from EAF, and this is why secondary metallurgy performances must be excellent and reliable.

References 1. Alvarez, I.: HBI/DRI value economics of HBI/DRI use in the EAF. ISS Short Course: Direct Reduction. 27th April 2003.

2. Hydrogen and Nitrogen Control in Steelmaking at U. S. Steel; Siddhartha Mishra, Yun Li and Sohn; AIST November 2009.

3. Pilliod, C F, Variables Affecting the Nitrogen Content of Carbon and Low Alloy Acid Electric Arc Furnace Steels, 46th Electric Furnace Conference Proceedings, Pittsburgh (USA), 6-9 December 1988, The Iron and Steel Society, pp. 107-110 4. The production of Steel Applying 100% DRI for Nitrogen Removal, The Experience of Arcelor Mittal Lazaro Cardenas Flat Carbon; R. Lule, F. Lopez, J. Espinoza, R. Torres and R.D. Morales; AISTech 2009.

5. Assessment of Opportunities for CO2 Capture at Iron and Steel Mills: An Australian Perspective; Dianne E. Wiley, Minh T. Ho, Andrea Bustamante; Science Direct, 2011.

MPT International / November 2020

19

BUSINESS

COMPANIES

Danieli: Upbeat on Business with Emerging Markets and Green Steel In the near future, Italian plantbuilder company expects a change on the European market focusing on green investments and fully automated, increasingly intelligent plants,.

The new trend will be the driving force that will motivates mill operators to invest.

A

nd this will not only be true for Europe, CEO Giacomo Mareschi Danieli believes. „It’s almost certain that the world will follow the European trend,“ he said in an online conference on the company’s performance in the fiscal year 2019/20 and its plans for the near future. On the coporate culture, he noted that stakeholders „are rewarding excellence and proactiveness while discouraging superficiality and lack of discipline.“ The company has been restructuring divisions that do not bring sufficient value to the group and customers.

On measures taken, he reiterated that some product lines have been restructured and downsized. But, „if results are positive, they can expand again. It was decided not to yield ground on any technology considering that our complete product portfolio is one of the company’s strengths,“ Mareschi Danieli said. „Metaphorically speaking, we must not invest in areas we are unfamiliar with because we are no longer able to get satisfaction from the current ones.“ Hence, Danieli will be continuing to innovate to come up with tomorrow’s solutions, concentrating on green aspects, he empasised.

Danieli’s main achievements in 2019/20 „The Danieli Digital Melter, which replaces the traditional EAF (electric arc furnace), has overcome the initial inertia typical of all innovative technologies and is increasingly appreciated by the market. We can therefore expect its success to grow, in both new and existing electric meltshops.“ „The MI.DA. (Danieli Minimill) has consolidated its success as confirmed by a contract for a Hybrid MI.DA. (H MI.DA) in the USA. Thanks to the Danieli Digital Melter, this plant will be the first to operate with alternative renewable energies (solar panels, wind, own energy production with gas, water, etc.).“ „The Digi&Met project, which aims to achieve full automation and digitalization of meltshop processes and logistics, is advancing as foreseen.“

20

From left to right: Camilla Benedetti, Giacomo Mareschi Benedetti, Gianpietro Benedetti, Allessandro Brussi, Rolando Paolone, Carla de Colle, Antonello Nordegaglia, Anna Mareschi Danieli, Stefano Scolari

He highlighted that the group in its research centre has more than 100 currently ongoing projects, and is testing more than ten prototypes industrially all over the world. – Including projects like the MIDA mill, Q One, a thin slab caster to produce exposed auto parts, and a high speed caster for long products running at speeds higher than 10 m/min.

More human capital overseas Internationally, new service centres have been opened in the USA, Mexico and Vietnam while others have been enlarged – in the UK, Russia and Brazil. „The Covid-19 issues made these decisions even more strategic, our continuous local presence helped to keep sales, manufactring and customer service going,“ said Camilla Benedetti, Danieli ASIA and Ethics Audit.

She highlighted growth ambitions in Asia by investing in local teams and proposing new products and services. One example the new joint venture in robotics and digital solutions with China’s Jianlong Steel, alomng with miscellaneous enhancements of acivities in Thailand, India and Vietnam.

Finances The last fiscal year ended with an EBITDA not significantly affected by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, reaching €188 million, on a revenue of €2.8 billion. The essential plantbuilding activities accounted for €2.14 billion, and saw an increase of 5% in the reporting period. The group’s net profit came to €62 million.

In the current fiscal year, 2020/21 – the group banks on a revenue of €2.9 to 3.1 billion, with sales rising in both segements, plantbuilding and steelmaking (ABS), says group CFO Group CFO Alessandro Brussi. The EBITDA is forecast to reach

November 2020 / MPT International

Source: Danieli

„Our target is not to have a cash cow but to continue growing“

US steelmaker CMC orders its third MI.DA ECR Minimill from Danieli.

Hybrid-ready,featuring the Q-One Digimelter

€210-220 million, and he also expects to see „ a good net profit.“ And, when looking further ahead, Brussi forecasts an again higher pre-tax profit in the fiscal year 2021/22, in both the group’s activity segments.

Danieli makes more steel, too A Danieli feature not known to everyone internationally is that it also operates as a steelmaker with its subsidiary ABS, which is about to boost ist capacity with an all- new mill The year that ended 30 June was a „special“ year for ABS. „This is not quite unusual in an industry subject to fluctuations but it leads to decidedly different scenarios where structual market changes can be seen on the horizon,“ said ABS vice chairwoman Anna Mareschi Danieli at the conference.

The year 2019 brought a revenue of €661 million, with 1m tonnes of product shipped, which includes a production stoppage from March to April.

ABS is in the process of building a new quality wire rod mill - project QWR4.0 – that was due to be started up in recent weeks. This meant an investment of €190 m for 500,000 t/y of wire rod. According to ABS’ CEO Stefano Scolari, it will be the only in Europe to provide products from 5 to 500mm. ABS is also ramping up the Sisak facilty in Croatia to maximum ca-

pacity with the target of producing 350,000t per year as soon as 2021, to bring it up to 450,000t in the years to follow.

Group chairman Gianpietro Benedetti gave a summary of Danieli’s vision of the past five years, which points very much towards Green Steel. „We are proud to have received two important orders that put an exclamation mark on the investment in research, made in the last two years. Basically, he referred to the order from CMC in the USA for its third MI.DA mill, which will be the first to produce sections in endless mode, even in hybrid mode, and will allow to use renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

The other main contract was concluded in September 2020 with OMK (Russia) for a direct reduction plant equipped with an endless charging system directly feeding the EAF, with 64% lower emissions than the best integrated complexes. It will be the first “green steel” plant in Russia and the European region, Danieli claims. „ It’s more or less what has been dicussed for years in relation to the Taranto works in Italy,“ Benedetti noted. And he added that „In the next few years in Europe, the USA and I’d say significantly also in China, the theme of green steel production is progressively becoming paramount.“ In his closing remarks, Benedetti said that the company keeps trying to maintain „management developed in-house that can share the company’s spirit and character, which must certainly evolve while maintaining its supportive pillars.“

Since more than 50 years!

Russia’s OMK has contracted a new DRI plant, to be installed at Vyksa Steel Works, as part of the new complex for the production of slabs, seamless pipe and rail wheels

The market for steelmaking plants Demand is maintaining appreciable growth in the BRIC and North African countries for new generation integrated large plants whereas in the USA and EU for mid-sized flexible plants and modernisation of existing plants to enable environmental-friendly, higher quality production with high finishes used in mechanical engineering, car making and infrastructure.

The anti-dumping policies now activated by all major steel producing countries have stimulated demand for new plants that must also guarantee low emissions for sustainable production in line with the trend of CO2 reduction required today by every production chain and which will lead to many investments in innovative plants already during 2020 and in the following years.

CRANEFRIGOR™ – AC-unit for severe duty conditions works.

AZ_S+T_CRANEFRIGOR_85x128_ EN_RZ.indd 1

FrigorTec GmbH • info@frigortec.de • www.frigortec.com

02.04.19 11:22

INNOVATION

STRIP TECHNOLOGY

Early detection of inclusions in cold-rolled strip steel Thin, cold-rolled strip steel can contain internal inclusions or hidden shell defects that are not critical for most further processing. However, if such a thin sheet is processed further by, for example, deep-drawing – and thus with high degrees of deformation – these internal defects can lead to material fracture, considerably disrupt the production process and even cause expensive damage to tools.

I

MS Messsysteme GmbH has developed a detection system based on the principle of magnetic leakage flux to detect and visualise internal defects: the Inclusion Detection System (IDS).

“Even the smallest, non-metallic inclusions can lead to serious problems in further processing at our customers. The ability to detect and precisely evaluate such defects in the material during ongoing production is therefore essential for delivery of high-quality end products. The challenge for IMS Messsysteme GmbH to develop a technically powerful system exactly tailored to our requirements is accordingly high.

The first tests of the inclusion detector installed in our plant have already met our expectations to the full! The detection and visualisation – and thus the possibility of evaluation – of non-metallic inclusions by this novel system are impressive.” (Anonymous quote from a reference customer in the steel industry)

Inclusions in cold-rolled steel strip hold a high risk potential for further processing involving high degrees of deformation

Field of application and functional principle of the Inclusion Detection System The Inclusion Detection System (IDS) is the latest high-tech development from IMS. The intelligent measuring system, which is based on magnetic leakage flux (MLF), detects and analyses internal material defects such as non-metallic inclusions (NMI) and hidden shell defects at speeds of up to 1,000 m/min.

The latest test results show that inclusions are already detected reliably in sheets with a thickness of up to 0.5 mm.

It is the internal goal of IMS to also provide manufacturers of sheets up to 1 mm thick with a highly efficient system for the detection of internal defects in the medium term. Sheet thicknesses, such as those used in the automotive industry.

22

In this principle, the material is exposed to an external magnetic field that is measured directly above the material surface.

A change in the cross-section or magnetic properties of the material changes its magnetic resistance and causes the magnetic field to escape from the material surface. This method is already used in the form of magnetic particle testing, but only small parts of the manufactured strip can be tested offline with it. In addition, this pro-

cedure is time-consuming and limited to the testing of individual selected samples.

The leakage flux is measured with highly sensitive GMR sensors. At the same time, these enable a high resolution in transverse direction with a distance to the strip of at least 0.5 mm. Forty-eight GMR sensors are combined in a sensor block and encapsulated for protection.

The magnetisation transverse to the strip direction achieves a maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for elongated defects as they typically occur in rolled steel.

By using electromagnets, the magnetic field strength can be adapted to the thickness of the material. They are switched off for cleaning or maintenance.

The magnet, the GMR sensor block as well as the amplifiers and digitalisation are combined in a compact sensor module. Every sensor module measures a range of 48 mm. By arranging the sensor modules in two rows, the strip can be detected seamlessly. The sensor modules are measured precisely in IMS’s factory and can therefore be exchanged with a quick-change device without further alignment.

Eight modules are combined and work as magnetic line scan cameras. The image data is transferred to the image processing computer via a standard GigE interface.

State-of-the-art image processing software classifies and visualises the internal defects found in a very impressive way.

The measurement is performed on a non-magnetic roller. The sensor modules are arranged in two rows and can be positioned exactly at the required distance. An upstream wrinkle detector reports major unevenness in the material to be measured, such as wrinkles, at an early stage so that the measuring frame can be lifted for the moment this point passes. This reliably prevents damage to the sensors.

November 2020 / MPT International

BUSINESS

METALLURGY

COIL PROCESSING SOLUTIONS

SLITTING LINES aluminium serie s

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MPT International / November 2020

Special solutions to have low inertia and soft handling of the material to avoid any scratch on its surface 23

BUSINESS

METALLURGY

HBI trade routes from North Africa to the EU

DRI for the Future – Part III

North Africa – Focus on Direct Reduction Ironmaking North Africa is in the forefront of the modern age of iron¬making. Eleven direct reduction modules, with a total rated capacity of almost 14.7 million tonnes, are either installed or under construction in Algeria, Egypt, and Libya. By comparison, there are only two blast furnaces (one each in Algeria and Egypt), with a total installed capacity of 2.0 million tonnes (TABLE). DRI production in 2019 was 6.46 million tonnes compared with approximately 0.75 million tonnes of hot metal.

AUTHOR: Guido Bonelli, Head of Ironmaking Technical Sales, Paul Wurth Italia CONTACT: Guido Bonelli,

Tel.: +39 010 640 9642, guido.bonelli@paulwurth.com

D

irect reduction of iron – extracting metallic iron from iron ores without melting the material – is one of the first industrial processes developed by humans. Early ironmakers were unable to achieve the high temperatures required to melt iron ores, so they heated them together with charcoal to produce a pasty, metallic substance which they could hammer into tools and other implements. Today, direct reduction is the fastest growing, most innovative and environmentally clean method

24

to produce high quality metallic iron for steel production.

North African Steel Industry since WW2 Since the end of World War II, Egypt and Algeria have been the leading steel-producing countries in North Africa. The Egyptian Iron and Steel Company, founded in 1954, established the region’s first classically integrated steel mill based on the blast furnace/basic oxygen furnace (BF/BOF). The philosophy at the time was state involvement for generating profitability in the social sense, while economic profitability was secondary. Since the 1990s, as the private sector was granted more access to the steel industry, there have been huge investments in new technologies with the aim of enhancing economic profita-

bility. As a result, direct reduced iron (DRI) production has taken over as the dominant ironmaking method and the electric arc furnace (EAF) in combination with a DRI plant has become the preferred steelmaking route. Beginning with start-up of the first MIDREX Module in El Dikheila, Egypt, by Alexandria National Steel Company (ANSDK) in 1986, the ability to match steel production to market requirements with the EAF and the opportunity to derive added value from natural gas resources with DRI plants has stimulated growth and self-reliance in the North African steel industry. ANSDK went on to add two more MIDREX Modules in 1997 and 2000, which along with the associated steel mill are now owned and operated

by Ezz Steel. The company also operates DRI/EAF facilities in Adabia and Ain

November 2020 / MPT International

North African Iron Production (DRI vs. HM)

Sokhna, Egypt, which include HYL/Energiron Plants, bringing the total installed DRI capacity of Ezz Steel to 5.1 million tonnes.

Libyan Iron & Steel Company (LISCO) began operating two MIDREX Modules in 1989-90 to feed DRI to its new EAF melt shop in Misurata, Libya, and added a MIDREX HBI Plant in 1997, to take advantage of the growing merchant metallics market. Although the DRI/EAF complex has been disrupted by restricted natural gas supply and civil war in recent years, LISCO increased DRI production in 2019 by more than 55% over 2017. Algeria is the newcomer to DRI/ EAF steelmaking in North Africa. Tosyali Algérie, which has been producing steel rebars in Bethioua (Oran), Algeria, since 2013, began commissioning the world’s largest simultaneous discharge (hot and cold product) DRI plant in July 2018, and commenced cold DRI (CDRI) operation in November 2018. The first hot DRI (HDRI) was transferred to the nearby melt shop in February 2019, and the 2.5 million tonnes per year MIDREX Plant set the world record for daily DRI production in July 2019 – one year after start-up. A second 2.5 million t/y simultaneous discharge MIDREX Plant is nearing completion in Bellara, Algeria, for Algerian Qatari Steel (AQS), and is expected to start operation in the near future. Additional details of the two plants are included later in this article.

MPT International / November 2020

DRI/EAF Steelmaking in North Africa There is no doubt that the technology of the blast furnace/basic oxygen (BF/BOF) route has improved steelmaking efficiency, productivity, and product quality compared to the open-hearth furnace.

However, the direct reduced iron/electric arc furnace (DRI/EAF) route is a better option for North Africa and the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region. What makes the DRI/ EAF combination attractive when compared to traditional BF/ BOF steel production?

• Value-added use of associated natural gas • Capacity sized to market needs • More flexibility to deal with market conditions • Lower capital cost • Fewer emissions, less solid byproducts • Less water required • Capable of meeting the most stringent steel specifications The abundance of natural gas and the low cost of electricity for industrial use are two of the main reasons for the dominance of DRI/EAF steel production in the MENA region. Algeria had the world’s third lowest natural gas price in 2018, as shown in Figure 1, and Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are among the 10 lowest.

Egypt had the 26th lowest natural gas price in 2018.

Algeria – the rising star in DRI production Reasons Algeria is in ascendency: 1. Political stability to boost confidence of foreign investors 2. Availability of natural gas resources – weight of NG cost in a traditional DRI OPEX (Figure 2) • Algeria has world’s third-lowest wholesale NG price (only Venezuela & Turkmenistan are lower) 3. Strong governmental policies favoring the industrial sector • Competition with exporting natural gas at higher prices (revenues for the state) vs. using it for national industry development • Long-term pricing policies for electrical energy for the industrial sector

The price of electricity for business in Algeria is $0.036/ kWh, and $0.073/kWh in Egypt (www.globalpetrolprices.com). However, the reliance on imported iron oxide pellets is a source of concern for the region’s steel producers (iron oxide pellets

25

BUSINESS

DRI

typically make up 70-80% of DRI OPEX).

The development of a regional source, such as in Morocco and in Algeria (Gara Djebilet site), is under consideration.

What’s next for DRI in North Africa Algeria If the Algerian government keeps supporting local industry by selling natural gas at low prices, there is the real possibility to have new plants in Algeria for DRI/HBI production in the mid-term.

The possibility of exploiting local iron ore deposits, such as Gara Djebilet in Tindouf Province would further reduce the OPEX for DRI production.

Libya With an abundance of natural resources, its economic future depends on stabilising the political and social structure in the next years.

Morocco As one of the highest rated countries for political stability in the region, it could have a future as a DRI producer thanks to new gas resources found in the southeast (Tendrara, with near-term potential up to 3-4 trillion cubic feet of gas (Figure 2).

Opportunities: • Abundant natural gas resources • Close to Mauritanian iron ore mines • Development of automotive industry (PSA, Renault, Fiat)

Fig 1: The thirty lowest natural gas prices. Source: IGU Wholesale Gas Price Survey 2018

Challenges: • Availability of natural gas for iron & steel industry • Economics of exporting natural gas to Europe vs. internal use (pipelines in place)

Opportunity arising from EU CO2 reduction guidelines A major challenge for all industries worldwide is how to comply with more stringent environmental emissions standards. The Paris Agreement, which entered into force on 4 November 2016, has a goal to increase the global response to the “threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels” [1]. Reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by the industrial sector is widely recognized as a key to achieving these targets, especially in the iron and steel industry, which is among the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. Iron and steelmaking accounts for almost 7% of mankind’s entire carbon footprint [2].

Ironmaking alone constitutes 80-85% of

iron and steel’s total CO2 output. Integrated mills are the largest producers of CO2 by both volume and percentage.

Mitigating CO2 emissions is becoming critical, especially in Western Europe, as the cost of CO2 emissions continues to increase. For example, emission allowance prices quadrupled in 2018 (see Figure 3). The general consensus is that emissions restrictions will get tighter globally and this will severely affect the sustainability of many industries, particularly traditional integrated steelmakers because of their reliance on refined coal (coke) as both an energy source and a reductant to produce high carbon (~4.5%) metallic iron from iron ore.

European ironmaking is largely based on the traditional integrated route (BF/ BOF). Based on the world steel industry’s coal consumption, it is estimated that BF ironmaking (including the processing step to make the coke from metallurgical coal) generates approximately 1.8 tonnes of CO2 for every ton of iron produced. As no proven carbon capture system exists for blast furnaces, the best way for integrated steelmakers to reduce

Sources:

Egypt The strongest, fastest growing economy in North Africa already has about 8 million t/y of DRI capacity and many years of operating experience, both producing and using DRI. In recent years, production was increased from 30% to almost 60% of rated capacity. However, the issue of natural gas shortages will need to be solved for full utilisation of the existing DR plants and the possibility of new construction.

Fig 2: Natural gas resources in Morocco.

Source: World Energy News 2015

26

Fig. 3: European CO2 Emissions Allowances Prices

November 2020 / MPT International

CO2 emissions is simply by not creating the emissions in the first place.

Shuttering a certain percentage of BF capacity will no doubt be necessary in the next few decades, but economics will prevent simply replacing BF/BOF works with DRI/EAF mills. A practical way to keep efficient BFs operating is needed.

The solution would still involve the benefits of DRI but from an operational standpoint rather than as an outright replacement of BF capacity.

European Union (EU) steelmakers have started to make plans for a gradual shift over the next 20 years to EAFs but there is serious concern about scrap availability. Steel produced with end-oflife (obsolete) scrap in an EAF has the lowest CO2 emissions; however, a plateauing of steel stocks in mature economies coupled with a strong demand growth for steel in developing economies means that scrap supplies are sufficient for only approximately a 22% share of metallic input for global steel pro-duction. Scrap supplies are forecasted to grow but the availability of obsolete scrap lags steel demand by 10-50 years following production, depending on the application. [3] A long-term solution is to produce DRI with hydrogen to supplement scrap supplies. However, a near-to-mid-term solution is available now – merchant HBI produced in North Africa for use in the BFs and EAFs of the EU.

Paul Wurth and Midrex – a powerful relationship Midrex has a long and successful history of partnering with leading international companies to develop, finance, and construct DRI plants based on the MIDREX Process. These companies are acknowledged leaders in their fields – from design and engineering of iron and steelmaking equipment to development and management of full turnkey iron and steel plant projects. Midrex partners are highly regarded for their technical expertise, adherence to project schedules, and exceptional performance.

Tosyali Algérie and Algerian Qatari Steel, the two largest and most recent MIDREX Plants were supplied by the consortium of Paul Wurth and Midrex. Paul Wurth, headquartered in Luxembourg

since its creation in 1870, has developed over the course of its history into an international engineering company. Its considerable know-how and effective policy of innovation has made the Paul Wurth Group one of the world leaders in the design and supply of the full-range of technological solutions for the primary stage of integrated steelmaking. Paul Wurth has been a member of the SMS group since December 2012 and a Midrex construction licensee since 2014.

The Paul Wurth scope of supply for the two Algerian projects included engineering (basic for civil and buildings; detail for piping, structural steel, and electrical), equipment and materials supply, and local services.

Summary North Africa is emerging as a focal point of direct reduction-based ironmaking. Algeria and Egypt are transitioning from the blast furnace/basic oxygen furnace (BF/ BOF) steel production route to take advan-

TOSYALI ALGÉRIE Main Features: • World’s largest combination HDRI/CDRI plant • 7.65 meters diameter MIDREX MEGAMOD furnace • 8 rows x 18 bays MIDREX Reformer Tosyali Algérie, a subsidiary of Turkey’s Tosyali Holding, started production of steel rebar in Bethioua, near Oran, Algeria, in 2013, using scrap as feedstock. It subsequently added 500,000 t/y of wire rod production capacity, which was started up in 2015. The decision was made to add a direct reduction plant, which was commissioned in 2018 and began production in 2019. It is the world’s largest single module MIDREX Plant (2.5 million tonnes/ year) in operation.

A 4 million tonnes/year pellet plant was constructed to produce iron oxide pellets for use in the DRI plant and went into effect at the end of 2018.

The pel¬letizing and DRI facilities

tage of the economy of scale of EAF-based steelmaking and the operating cost advantages of producing and using DRI. Algeria is a rising star in the world of DRI production, with the two largest MIDREX Plants in the world located in the steelworks of Tosyali Algérie and Algerian Qatari Steel (AQS) in Bethioua (Oran) and Bellara, respectively. The potential exists for Morocco to emerge as a significant player due to its natural gas resources, proximity to iron ore mines in Mauritania, and political stability. The guidelines for CO2 reduction in the European Union (EU) could have a positive effect on North African DRI production, as the use of HBI in the blast furnace presents an immediate-to-medium term solution for EU steelmakers.

Libya already exports HBI to Europe, and producers in Algeria and Egypt could follow suit. The partnership of Paul Wurth and Midrex has the local experience and proven track record to continue assisting North Africa in its emergence as a direct reduction ironmaking region.

will significantly contribute to the economy ALGERIAN QATARI STEEL (AQS) Main Features: • World’s largest combination HDRI/CDRI plant • 7.65 meters diameter MIDREX MEGAMOD furnace • 8 rows x 18 bays MIDREX Reformer AQS, a joint venture between Qatar Steel International; SIDER, an Algerian in¬vestment group; and the National Investment Fund of Algeria, contracted with Midrex and Paul Wurth to supply a 2.5 million tonnes/ year direct reduction plant capable of producing cold DRI (CDRI) and hot DRI (HDRI). The MIDREX Plant is part of an integrated EAF-based steel mill in Bellara, Algeria, 375 kilometers east of Algiers. Construction of the DRI plant was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in spring 2020, and is expected to begin production in the near future.

References: 1. United Nations Climate Change website (https://unfccc.int/) 2. ArcelorMittal Climate Action Report 1 2018, page 10.

3. Robert L. Hunter, “Massive Savings in CO2 Generation By Use of HBI,” Direct From Midrex, Midrex Technologies, Inc., Charlotte, NC, 3-4Q 2009, pp 9-11.

MPT International / November 2020

27

PLANT MANAGEMENT

SAFETY

Emirates Steel wins Safety Culture and Leadership Award 2020 Emirates Steel, a leading integrated steel plant in the United Arab Emirates, has won the Safety Culture and Leadership Award 2020 by the World Steel Association (Worldsteelorg) in recognition of its AMAN Safety Culture Transformation project.

A

cknowledging industry excellence in safety and health since 2008, the award aims to highlight steel companies with superiority in occupational safety management, occupational health management, as well as process safety management.

Emirates Steel was recognised for its AMAN Safety Culture Transformation project. In a bid to boost safety standards and reduce Loss Time Injury (LTI) across the organisation, the two-year transformative project which was conducted between January 2018 to January 2020 enabled Emirates Steel to adopt a riskbased approach and to introduce several critical safety management processes – achieving an interdependent level of safety culture development.

Emirates Steel’s AMAN project provided training to Emirates Steel’s employees on hazard identification and risk assessment. In addition, as part of the initiative, 80% of Emirates Steel employees and contractors were trained on enhanced Permit-to-Work procedures, and more than 700 coaching sessions were delivered for supervisors and shop floor personnel. The project also led to a 56% reduction in the LTI rate over a two-year period from 2018 to 2020, and to a 26% decrease in the total number of injuries during the same period.

Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, CEO of Emirates Steel

Speaking on the occasion, Engineer Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, CEO of Emirates Steel, said: “We, at Emirates Steel, are honoured to win this outstanding award given by the world’s leading global steel association, adding a new and significant milestone in our journey towards excellence in all fields. Winning this award, despite the fierce competition with the biggest global steel manufacturers, proves the effectiveness of our safety culture transformation programme. This also highlights our unwavering commitment to leading safety

protocols and forward-thinking capabilities throughout the organisation.”

AMAN introduced a set of effective safety measures including a new HSE governance and performance programme with a standard dashboard that captures KPIs, facilitating effective performance discussions and driving the required actions and outcomes. HSE Principles and Life Saving Rules including rewards and recognitions for significant contributions to the company’s safety efforts were also launched. This initiative encouraged employees to make an extra effort and contribute to the overall improvement process.

Integrating safety into the daily operational processes; and introducing updated procedures on risk assessment, inspections and observations, health and safety reviews, permit-to-work, and incident investigation processes were also adopted as part of the programme. Moreover, through the AMAN project, Emirates Steel launched the MySHEQ digital platform to boost safety performance and manage HSE critical processes.

Established in 1998, Emirates Steel makes wire rod, rebar, heavy sections and sheet piles. Per year, it produces 3.33 million tonnes of crude steel. It is is part of ADQ , one of the region’s largest holding companies.

www.kuettner.com The entire world of iron and steelmaking

Special

2020

SPECIAL

WIRE ROD PRODUCTION

Strategic automation interventions at 4-strand Wire Rod Mill at Bhilai Steel Plant (SAIL) Automation systems have been designed and implemented in stages at the 4-strand Wire Rod Mill at Steel Authority of India Limited’s Bhilai Steel Plant to improve the overall performance of the mill. Developed and implemented inhouse by SAIL R&D Centre for Iron and Steel and Bhilai Steel Plant, the innovations incorporate advanced controls in strategically selected operations for maximum benefits at an optimised capital investment and minimal mill shutdown.

AUTHORS: Archana Sharan, Ashit Prasad, Anup Prasad, Subrat Kumar Saha, Shyamalesh Saha, Sanjoy Parida, R&D Centre for Iron & Steel, SAIL, Ranchi; Anupama Kumari, Xavier Beck, Deepak Jain, R K Rajdhar, M Hussain, Bhilai Steel Plant, SAIL, Bhilai CONTACT: Archana Sharan,

archana1433@sail.in

S

uccessfully implementing such systems in an operational mill is not straightforward and requires an innovative, multi-pronged

30

approach with a tailor-made control, display and reporting system. The improvised cost-effective measurement and automation interventions include automation of the Charging area, Billet Distribution Control System, Screwdown control for Roughing and Intermediate stands and an advanced looper control system in one of the finishing strands. The efficiency of the control systems has been further reinforced with an improvised operation and maintenance management facility. The systems have enabled a major reduction in mill downtime and improve-

ment in productivity as they were gradually put into operation.

The Wire Rod Mill (WRM) at Bhilai Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is a 4-strand continuous mill comprised of a charging area, pusher-type reheating furnace, common Roughing Group (RG) (Stands 1-9) & first Intermediate Group (IG) (Stands 10-15) stands. The mill is then divided into four strands—A, B, C & D—capable of delivering quality finished product at high speed. In RG & Intermediate IG, four billets are rolled simultaneously.

The mill design is highly complex, as

November 2020 / MPT International

ic, new AC motors to replace select DC motors, new ergonomic operator desks and human-machine interfaces. All required coordination between the Charging Grate section operators, the Furnace Pusher operator and the Ejector RAM operator have been simplified through built-in algorithms and interlocks in the new PLC system, eliminating poor coordination and operation.

(Figures in Slides 4, 5, 6)

are the controls. Over the years, the mill’s finishing strands have been selectively modernised. No interventions were planned in the charging, furnace, RG, IG sections, as these arterial sections cater to the entire mill and would require a full production shutdown.

However, the downtime, difficult fault diagnostics, obsolete measurement system and general under-performance of this primary area affected the mill’s performance. In response, measurement and automation systems were designed and selectively introduced to help improve the mill performance at an optimised capital investment and minimal mill shutdown.

Automation schemes for billet charging and feeding sections Mill Layout The Mill comprises a solid hearth reheating furnace, and only one billet is discharged from the furnace at any time. The furnace entry side charging equipment comprises 2 Charging Grates (CG) and corresponding Billet manipulators with Rejectors (BR), Draw In Roller (DIR), Roll Tables (RT) sections 1-4, Furnace Pusher (FP), Ejector RAM and Displacement (ERAM). The exit of the furnace features a Billet Distribution Table (DT), Draw Out Roller (DOR) and Pinch Rolls (PR). The furnace has a capacity of 170 billets, and the rolling is carried out at a rate of approximately 120 billets per hour. Cold billets from the billet mill are placed on CGs 1 and 2 with a magnet crane. The CG is operated by the operator, placing the billets on Roll Tables 1-4. Defective billets are removed with BRs 1 and 2. RTs 1-4 move the billets through the DIR, to feed the billets into the Pusher-type furnace. The Twin Pusher FP 1-2 pushes the billet forward towards the furnace exit door.

The heated billet just in front of the

MPT International / November 2020

Furnace Exit door is pushed out of the furnace with ERAM. This billet is drawn out into the 4-strand rolling stand with the help of DT, DOR and PRs for rolling in the RG. (Figures in Slide 2) Upgradation of Charging equipment controls The charging section is comprised of outdated equipment and control systems installed when the mill was commissioned. Frequent system breakdowns and time-consuming diagnosis affected the operation of the entire mill, as the section is an arterial segment for all the strands. A revamp of the outdated control architecture was designed and carried out using a state of the art control system to increase mill availability, eliminate safety hazards and provide improved operational and maintenance management. The integrated automation system is designed with Digital AC and DC Drives to replace the contactor control scheme, a PLC with FO-based industrial network backbone instead of relay log-

Improvised billet length measurement scheme The billets are placed on charging tables by crane before moving to the roll table section to be fed into the furnace.

Billets that are defective or too long must be identified and removed from the roll table by the billet rejector mechanism. Each charging grate has one billet rejector. Long billets were identified manually in practice, which sometimes led to oversized billets not being identified and being fed into the furnace. While pushing these billets into the furnace, they would get stuck in the furnace door leading to delays, damage to the refractory and hampered production. An improvised online billet length measurement facility has been designed using LASER based sensors. (Figures in Slide 8) Precise positioning of billet distribution table and reliable control system Upon discharge from the furnace, billet feeding into the four strands is accomplished with a Draw Out Roller (DOR), Distribution Table (DT) and Pinch Rolls (PR). DOR is a single roller at the bottom of the roll table. There are four

31

SPECIAL

WIRE ROD PRODUCTION

Pinch Rolls (A, B, C, D), one for each strand, which grasp the billets from above, pulling them into the corresponding strand in Stand 1. The billet is positioned into a strand by the DT. All these operations, along with billet charging side coordination, are carried out from Operator pulpit PP2. Continuous and fool-proof operation of these mechanisms is a must for mill operation, which necessitated a highly accurate alignment of the distribution table with the stand 1 entry guide to prevent cobbles and misfeeds and ensure 100% availability of equipment. In the existing system, the distribution table was positioned through an outdated contact CAM switch-based method which did not deliver the desired accuracy and repeatability in positioning and required frequent maintenance and adjustments to achieve proper positions. The electrical equipment was based on slip ring AC motors and a relay logic system. The desk for operating the table, draw out roller, pinch rollers, strand bypass, other auxiliary controls for furnace door operation, permission for billet pushing, etc., was hardwired to relay panels in machine halls. The system was completely revamped to PLC-based control and industrially proven speed & position feedback sensors, as well as a new control desk, inverter grade motors and AC drives. Complete logic for operation of the Distribution table including calculation of instantaneous table position, calculation of speed setpoint for motor, the logic of operation in case of bypass of different strands and other appropriate interlocks have been incorporated to ensure fool-proof system operation. (Figures in Slide10,11,12)

32

PLC-based control for Mill setting mechanisms of Stands 1-15 The roughing and intermediate groups of the mill are comprised of stands 1-9 and stands 10-15. The stands are individually and manually set for rolling, based on the desired pass schedule. To set the stands, each stand has two Screw Down (SD) mechanisms at the top left and top right, and one Stand Displacement (DISP) at the bottom. The stands are set for rolling from three independent posts. In the existing scheme, all the commands switches from the posts were connected using multi-core cables to hardwired Relay Logic based control panels in machine halls through congested cable galleries which were prone to fire hazards and earth faults.

The control system for these mechanisms was also upgraded to a PLC & network-based system. The existing schemes that had no feedback or diagnostics features were reinforced with motor protection components.

State of the art looper control system for A-Strand Loopers are critical for proper rolling and maintaining dimensions of wire rods. The enhancements in the product basket at the Wire Rod Mill of Bhilai Steel Plant meant that the existing looper control schemes of Strand A needed to be upgraded to cater to the requirement of increased range of loop formation and rolling temperature flexibility.

The standalone, analogue controller and obsolete IR Loop scanners were replaced with a new looper measurement and control scheme for the strand’s vertical and horizontal loopers. The new system is based on state of the art Loop Scanners with configurable scanning angles to enable the use of the same sensor for both locations, optimising the inventory and sensitivity adjustment to facilitate reliable detection of the metal at different rolling temperatures. The PLC-based control loop system tracks the metal using proprietary SAILPHOS HMD sensors at different points. Calculation of setpoints for Loopers is then carried out based on angle feedback from scanners, interface done with all interlocks, and the speed of the finishing stands is controlled. On-line displays of the looper angles, finishing stand speeds & loads and status of all interlocks have been provided on the operator desks and the control panel for enhanced operation and maintenance management. (Figures in Slide 14) Enhanced operation & maintenance management schemes In a rolling mill such as a Wire Rod Mill, operations & controls are complicated, with a large amount of equipment and mechanisms widely distrib-

November 2020 / MPT International

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Sprechen Sie uns zu unseren nachhaltigen Stahlprodukten an: sales.gmh@gmh-gruppe.de

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SPECIAL

WIRE ROD PRODUCTION

uted over several pulpits, machine halls and control rooms. A lot of inter-pulpit coordination is required during operation through proper communication about the state of rolling equipment, status and position of billets, etc. Instantaneous information about equipment status is also necessary to identify and eliminate faults as soon as possible. An integrated automation architecture, coupled with information systems, is considered a necessity in today’s scenario. The successful implementation of such systems also depends on the reliable availability of information from the lower levels in the automation hierarchy.

Information regarding the status of equipment and operation must be instantaneously available under a single window at strategic places for coordinated operation. This is especially important because the rolling is carried out at a very high speed with multiple billets in the line simultaneously. In the event of failure of any in-line equipment, the status should be instantly known and corrective action taken to reduce downtime. Information about facilities for lubrication, cooling, furnace, cranes and other auxiliaries is also essential for maintaining the desired productivity and quality

ww.velco.de www.velco.de www.velco.de

such as hydraulic and lubrication systems in the Roughing Area, Finishing Strands, Critical Power Supply Systems, Strand wise Rolling Count, Furnace operating parameters, metal-tracking, permission information, and stand loading during rolling of different sections & sizes. The centralised monitoring schemes have enabled efficient operation and maintenance management in the shop. (Figures in Slide 16, 17, 18)

Benefits accrued

levels. To further enhance the performance of the mill, improvised monitoring systems were designed and introduced. The facilities were based on customised Mimics Displays and Human Machine Interface (HMI) stations.

Instantaneous status of all major equipment, mechanisms and parameters from charging to the intermediate stands are available. The system also provides important rolling and process information as well as the status of important utilities across the shop

Technologies Technologies Technologies forfor for electric electric electric steel steel steel plants plants plants

The modifications to the mill have been carried out over the last five years, and each of the systems has yielded significant technological benefits in the areas concerned. Overall mill performance has witnessed gradual improvement in terms of reduced downtime through reliable control and automation schemes, better diagnostics and maintenance management, improved rolling rate, reduced generation of cobbles as well as improved energy efficiency. The contribution in terms of techno-economic benefits amounts to a 10% increase in annual production through reduction and controllable delays and improved mill availability, thereby boosting productivity.

Forming Forming Forming of foaming ofof foaming foaming slag slag slag Injection Injection Injection installations installations installations for fine forcarbon for fine fine carbon with carbon with with 1 – 4 conveying 1 –1 4– conveying 4 conveying lines lines lines Injection Injection Injection technique technique technique Installations Installations Installations for injection forfor injection injection of filter ofdust, of filter filter dust, dust, additives additives additives etc. into etc. etc. furnaces into into furnaces furnaces or ladles oror ladles ladles Pneumatic Pneumatic Pneumatic addition addition addition of lime ofof lime lime Injection Injection Injection of coarse ofof coarse lime coarse via lime lime thevia furnace via thethe furnace furnace roof roof roof for thefor protection for thethe protection protection of the of hot of the spots the hothot spots spots Refractory Refractory Refractory repairrepair systems repair systems systems SlingerSlinger machines, Slinger machines, machines, gunning gunning gunning machines machines machines and and and gunning gunning gunning manipulators manipulators manipulators for thefor quick for thethe quick and quick and and effective effective effective repairrepair ofrepair EAFofand of EAF EAF ladles and and ladles etc. ladles etc. etc.

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SPECIAL

ROLLING MILL TECHNOLOGY

Automated Coil Trimming System for Wire Rod Mills in the Digital Era Final material properties of coiled rod is one of the most important aspects of product quality in a long rolling mill. The rolling process itself produces wire with differing properties at the head and tail of each coil. While advancements in water cooling technology have reduced the number of head and tail rings that may not match the main body of the coil’s tensile values and metallurgical properties, they are still produced and need to be removed before further processing. Alternatively, coils with too many rings removed impact the mill’s process yield. A new patent-pending approach responds to this coil trimming challenge.

AUTHORS: Sudhakar Teegavarapu,

Matthew Palfreman, William Shen and Jason Zelle, Primetals Technologies USA LLC CONTACT: Rainer Schulze,

Tel. +49 9131 9886-417, rainer.schulze@primetals.com

Coil ends need trimming Coil end rings cool faster compared to the rest of the coil as it moves on the cooling conveyor, so the ends of coiled rod possess mechanical properties inconsistent with the body of the coil. These differences in

Figure 2 High speed shear location

Smooth rings

Scaled rings

Figure 1 Coil end rings with low surface quality

38

metallurgical properties present as low surface quality for certain grades of steel being rolled, as shown in Figure 1, sometimes referred to as “bubble scale.”

In addition, the presence of tension/ compression in the mill during rolling can mean front and tail ends are usually out of size tolerance. In order to deliver quality product to end customers and also meet internal and industry standards, a typical rolling mill would trim and scrap these coil end rings before shipping to customers.

The trimming operation needs to be located after the end of water and air cooling to ensure metallurgical properties are well-established, and surface defects can be easily identified.

Standard coil trimming systems There are currently two approaches to trimming the coil in a wire rod mill.

The first is the use of high-speed trim shears, generally positioned before the laying head and after quenching, as shown in Figure 2. The second method is the manual trimming operation, generally carried out downstream in the coil handling area at a dedicated trimming station, as shown in Figure 3. This is a mundane, repetitive task that can lead to strain and other injuries, lack of attention to detail and mistakes.

The automatic trimming system When developing a robust, repeatable solution to the challenges associated

November 2020 / MPT International

Figure 3 Operator counting rings prior to trimming

with accurate material removal from wire rod coils, it was paramount to preserve the quality of the finished product. This meant that whatever method of material removal would be employed, it must take place after the cooling conveyor and determination of the material’s final metallurgical properties In order to trim the correct amount of material from the head and tail of each wire coil produced, a system would be needed that could detect and count individual rings of the coil, move to a defined position, cut the coil and remove the waste in a safe, efficient and repeatable fashion. Given the recent developments driven by digitalization, vision systems and automated functions, it is possible with the correct process to link a vision system directly to an automated function to accurately distribute, count, cut and discard waste material, with a repeatable accuracy that far exceeds an operator’s ability or the ability of a high-speed shear.

System components

TrimRob workcell

The patent pending coil end trimming system (TrimRob) consists of two vision-guided robots, one for each end of a coil. The coil handling area, before the coil compactors, where manual trimming operations are typically stationed, is an ideal location for such a system. A typical TrimRob system layout is shown in Figure 4. The layout needs to be custom designed for a mill, depending upon the type of coil handling system, coil transfer system for tail end trim, and the available floor area.

The robotic workcell is designed according to the industry standard ANSI/RIA 15.06-2012 [1]. All components of the TrimRob system are enclosed in an eight-foot-tall, see-through mesh guard fence as shown in Figure 4. Safe distances from the robot and moving parts are maintained according to the standard.

Movement of a coil in and out of workcell is controlled through smart safety light curtains. Specific areas within range of the light curtains are muted for the coil to pass through, at the same time sensing entry of operators into the workcell. The robot goes to safe position or stops instantly, depending on the type of trigger. Access gates are provided with a push button access, allowing the operators to enter the workcell safely for maintenance or other reasons.

Vision system At the heart of TrimRob is the vision system. It consists of cameras with an associated vision process software. The cameras can be mounted on an independent stand, as shown in Figure 4, or on an existing coil handling structure.

They are enclosed in a special climate-controlled box to protect from

Figure 4 Automatic trimming robotic workcell typical layout

MPT International / November 2020

heat, scale, and dust. Two cameras are mounted a set distance apart to cover an overlapping field of view. The coordinate systems of the cameras and the robots are synchronized through a calibration process. The vision process is designed to count rings starting from the end of the coil and output the (x,y) coordinates of the desired number of rings to be cut. The vision system hardware could be standalone or built into the robot controller. The cameras take snapshots of the coil at various points in the TrimRob program.

Robot arm and controller Six axis industrial robot arms are used for trimming, as shown in Figure 5.

Maximum payload of these robots exceeds the weight of the end effector and force required to spread rings. The range of motion is mechanically locked for added safety to avoid accidental movement outside the required area.

Figure 5 Robot arm with end effector

39

SPECIAL

ROLLING MILL TECHNOLOGY

The hydraulic pump system can be mounted on axis 1 casing and hoses routed through a dresspack to the end effector. The hydraulic valve and control system along with the dresspack can be mounted on axis 3 arm and/or casing of the robot mechanical unit.

Each robot has an individual controller unit and a handheld teaching pendant.

Cables from the robot mechanical unit, vision system, HMI, and teach pendant are plugged into the robot controller.

These cables can be routed through a trench or a walkable cable tray to avoid tripping hazards. The controller is located outside the guard fencing and next to an access gate.

Coil transfer for tail end trim Regardless of a vertical or horizontal coil handling system, the coil needs to be transferred to an intermediary holding structure to trim tail ends. Figure 4 shows a coil transfer hook installed in a pit for a horizontal coil handling system. Other types of coil transfer system can also be integrated into the TrimRob workcell, as per mill’s requirement. The safety light curtains are muted for the coil transfer to pass through during a trimming cycle.

Scrap removal system The robots trim a specific number of rings from both ends of coils depending on the size, grade, and customer requirements. These trimmed scrap rings need to be removed from the TrimRob workcell at regular intervals. The turntable scrap removal system shown in Figure 4 is one among several options.

Three scrap carriers are placed on the turntable at a 120-degree angle, separated by guard fencing. The front end and tail end robots can independently deposit scrap on the carriers, while a forklift replaces them at the same time.

A low height swing gate next to the turntable allows a forklift to replace the scrap carriers without interfering with operation of the TrimRob. This scrap removal system, as designed, seems to be most efficient in terms of timing sequence requirements.

holding the scrap rings. All actuation functions as part of the TrimTool are driven by hydraulics. Design of the TrimTool is optimized to keep weight to a minimum, while isolating reaction forces away from the robot’s wrist. The replaceable cutting blades can trim rod products up to 28mm diameter. The TrimTool is universal, making it possible to use the same design for both front and tail end trimming, which simplifies spares.

Sample collection system Rod mills typically test physical and mechanical properties of their product at regular intervals to meet quality requirements. TrimRob automates sample collection along with trimming.

Figure 4 shows a sample chute, which is essentially a slide with one end extending into the TrimRob workcell, while the other end is bolted down to the floor outside the workcell. The length of samples to be collected dictates the angle and width of the sample chute.

Human Machine Interface (HMI) The TrimRob system has a customized HMI that acts as a bridge and ties together the mill coil handling, coil transfer, scrap removal, robots, hydraulic, and safety systems. The HMI has the master program that governs operation of entire TrimRob system. It also has a safety PLC that monitors and activates the safety-related features.

Installation Whether the coil orientation in the system is horizontal or vertical, the system can be easily retrofitted within the confines of an existing coil handling system with minimal impact to

the existing equipment and process cycle. The robot mechanical unit is mounted to a baseplate that can be installed on the existing concrete floor using expansion bolts. Turntables, scrap chute, and safety fencing can also be installed directly using expansion bolts. The TrimRob system is designed to minimize civil foundation work.

Walkable cable trays instead of trenches eliminate the need for excavation.

TrimRob process Although the process of automated trimming is flexible and may vary from mill to mill, a typical TrimRob process is detailed below. Obtaining information on the number of rings to be trimmed is the first step in the TrimRob process. There are four possible means of communicating this information to the TrimRob HMI: 1) Manually enter the number of rings to be trimmed for a particular run.

2) Send that information to the TrimRob HMI through the mill PLC by calculating the time taken for waterboxes to turn on after the rod entered. This time can be converted to length of rod and in effect number of rings to be trimmed.

3) Count rings that were not cooled according to specifications, when they are laid down on the cooling conveyor. A vision camera mounted on top of the conveyor can identify the color difference between uncooled and cooled rings and count the uncooled rings. This information can be passed on to the TrimRob through Ethernet.

4) The ideal method is to use a vision camera mounted directly on the robot to identify the difference in

End effector tool The trimming end effector tool (TrimTool) is mounted on the wrist of the robot mechanical unit as shown in Figure 5. The TrimTool consists of a cutting head, a pinch roll assembly for sample cuts, and an arm clamp for

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Figure 6 Snapshot from a typical vision process

November 2020 / MPT International

Figure 7 5.5 mm diameter product coil on TrimRob test facility

surface quality of cooled and uncooled rings. However, this method might not be suited for all grades of steel being produced.

At the beginning of the trimming process, the robot is in home position, having completed the previous trim cycle.

Once a new coil enters the TrimRob workcell, a proximity sensor mounted on the coil handling structure indicates that the hook is in position for trim.

This triggers the vision camera to take a snapshot that can identify the end ring of the coil. Figure 6 shows a snapshot from a typical line locator vision process. As can be seen, each line closely represents a ring. The robot maneuvers to penetrate the coil with the cutting head of the TrimTool. The TrimTool moves towards the open end of the hook to spread the rings. The vision camera takes a snapshot and locates the ring to be cut based on information from the HMI. After positioning and penetrating the coil next to the ring to be trimmed, the latter is guided into the cutting chamber of the TrimTool.

After the specific ring is cut by firing the main cylinder, the clamp closes to grab all scrap rings. The robot maneuvers to remove the scrap rings from the

hook and carries them over to the sample chute. While the robot is in motion, the sample pinch roll rotates to pull through a predetermined length of the rod. The main hydraulic cylinder fires for the second time to cut the sample rod length. The cut sample slides down the chute and collects at the base outside the workcell for an operator to pick up. The robot maneuvers to the scrap handling system and drops the scrap rings on a carrier. The robot then returns to home position ready for the next trimming cycle. The entire duration of one trim cycle is approximately 45 seconds, which is close to the time a typical steel mill takes to make a coil.

All system actions and functionalities are fully automatic and require no human interaction. The vision system is configured to recognize interlaced rings during the ring spreading process. There is a predefined process carried out by the robot using the end effector to remove them.

There is also a process to overcome buried front and tail end rings that can occur during coil formation and handling.

Proof of concept Primetals Technologies USA LLC commissioned a fully operational robotic

test bench at its Worcester, Massachusetts, USA facility, as shown in Figure 7. Closely replicating steel mill conditions for accurate and reproducible results, extensive testing and end effector prototyping resulted in a fully automated, repeatable and accurate trimming process. The test bench consists of a vision-guided robot mounted on an adjustable base. Several kinds of cameras, mounts, and lightings were available for testing various applications.

There is a viable alternative to the current high-speed shear systems for automated trimming of wire rod coils.

The system is less intrusive, less maintenance- and process-intensive, and utilizes state-of-the-art equipment that is well proven in other industries, including foundries and steel making.

The system is self-contained, accurate and repeatable, and provides the best quality final wire rod with its location after final metallurgical properties are defined. More importantly, for those mills that cannot fit a high-speed shear or have doubts about its use, there is now an alternative solution that removes the need for operators to work within a congested, hazardous area.

REFERENCES 1. ANSI/RIA R15.06-2012 American National Standard for Industrial Robots and Robot Systems- Safety Requirements (revision of ANSI/RIA R15.06-1999) https://webstore.ansi.org/Standards/RIA/ANSIRIAR15062012

MPT International / November 2020

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SPECIAL

NEWS

Construction of new European wire rod mill still on hold Dutch company Van Merksteijn International (VMI) in 2018 placed an order with Danieli to supply the technical equipment. for the construction of a greenfield wire rod mill in the Netherlands. The project was temporarily suspended last year, after troubles with necessary permits due to nitrogen issues, a largely local matter as a result of a recent verdict is¬sued by the Dutch Council of State, but also general insecurities concerning potential carbon dioxide taxes.

Van Merksteijn recently signalled that the debates with the local authorities are close to completion, and that construction could be resumed soon. The Dutch maker of wire and wire mesh has long been protesting against a shortage of wire rod for independent processors in Europe, which forces it to import large volume (see box).

The complete project will include scrap-based steelmaking with an electric arc furnace, and a wire rod rolling mill. VMI has chosen the port of Eemshaven in Groningen with an area of around 50 hectares. The capacity of phase one will be up to 900,000 tonnes of wire rod. It will be a “… green steel mill,” that will meet all strong environmental standards in the northern Netherlands, the company said upon announcement oft he project. The total investment is estimated at around €260 million.

EU industry association fights for wire rod exports Four years ago, a group of non-integrated European processors of wire rod founded EUNIRPA, the European Non-Integrated Wire Rod Processors Association, with the aim of maintaining wire rod imports from non-EU countries, given a lack of material supply from within the European Union. EUNIRPA’s initiator is Kris Van Ginderdeuren, managing director of Van Merksteijn International in the Netherlands. EUNIRPA on several occasions has since been in discussion with the association of European steelmakers in Brussels, Eurofer, the driving force of trade restrictions for imports to the EU. Given the notorious shortage of wire rod in the EU, imports from non-EU countries are basically the only alternatives available in commercially acceptable quantities, EUNIRPA argues.

Steuler builds world’s largest pickling plant for steel wires Steuler Anlagenbau, a medium-sized engineering German company, is currently building a fully automatic tunnel pickling plant for steel wires for German wire manufacturer Westfälische Drahtindustrie (WDI), based in Hamm, North Rhine Westphalia. The new pickling plant will have an annual capacity of

approximately 550,000 tonnes of different grades of carbon steel, making it the largest continuous pickling plant in the world once it has been commissioned, the plantbuilder claims. WDI, had not originally planned this investment in a new plant – around Easter 2019, welding work caused a major fire in Hamm

which completely destroyed the existing 40-year-old pickling plant and made an urgent replacement necessary. According to Scheuler, the order is worth more than €10 million.

Polish-German cooperation strengthens presence in wire industry EJP WIRE Technology GmbH, and Italmec Sp. z o.o in have entered a strategic alliance with the aim to supply the wire processing industry with complete plants to produce carbonaceous wires.

With the drawing lines from Poland’s Italmec and the cleaning systems from Germany’s EJP WIRE Technology, previously known as EJP WITEC GmbH, the companies now offer complete production lines for the entire process chain from wire rod to finished coil. Among other things, they are thus closing the gap that was created this year by the insolvencies of well-known German manufacturers of wire rod machines. Found-

42

ed in 2006 by Daniele Costantin in Katowice / Poland, Italmec Sp. z o.o. is focused on the production of straight-line drawing machines in all common sizes.

The product portfolio also includes process technology and machines to produce welding wires of all kinds. The product range of EJP WIRE Technology, based in Schwerte, complements the range with equipment for mechanical cleaning of wire surfaces. Ist parent EJP Maschinen GmbH makes blasting systems and butt-welding machines. In addition to machines and systems to produce rods, tubes and profiles, the company now also produces systems for the wire industry at

its main plant in Baesweiler near Aachen.

Jacques Paraskevas, managing director of EJP Maschinen GmbH, sees great benefits for his customers in the cooperation: “The product ranges of the three companies complement each other ideally. For example, wire manufacturers now have a single contact for the entire process chain of drawing and treating wire.“ Lothar Köppen, managing director of EJP WIRE Technology, has known the wire industry for over 35 years: “The company is young, but our employees have many years of experience in the production and treatment of wire - they know what it’s all about“.

November 2020 / MPT International

Blast Furnace - Direct Reduction (DRI) - Hot Iron Transport - Ingot Casting: Steuler is one of the international innovation leaders in the field of refractory systems for the iron and steel industry. From the development of the materials and their surefire selection, to application engineering consulting services, all the way to delivering complete engineering concepts for all lining details and processes, offering in-house production and, not least, professional assembly – Steuler plans, develops, coordinates and installs progressive refractory lining technology for its customers’ production processes.

STEULER-KCH GmbH Berggarten 1 56427 Siershahn | GERMANY Phone: +49 2623 600-586 E-Mail: info@steuler-kch.com www.steuler-linings.com

SPECIAL

TUBES

MANNESMANN H2READY

MANNESMANN H2READY

HFI-Welded Steel Pipes for the Transportation and Storage of Hydrogen The increased use of hydrogen calls for corresponding infrastructure for the medium’s transportation and storage. This creates enormous demand for new gas pipelines suitable for hydrogen conveyance. „Mannesmann H2ready“ steel pipes from Mannesmann Line Pipe offer maximum flexibility and safety for the transport and storage of gaseous hydrogen and of hydrogen admixed to natural gas.

H

ydrogen is available in almost unlimited supply and is ideally suited as an energy carrier for the transport and storage of renewable energy. Power-to-gas technologies make energy usable where it is needed.

The safe transport of hydrogen plays a central role in a future with an increasingly renewable energy mix. In a simulation of a hydrogen network infrastructure with mass-storage facilities for Germany, the possible future scenario looks like this: for the complete conversion of mobility to hydrogen as an energy source by the year 2052, with 33.9 million fuel-cell vehicles, 9,450 H2 filling stations would be required nationwide.

Since hydrogen technology is also being seriously promoted in countries with extremely high traffic density, such as the USA, Japan, China and India, new pipelines are needed. High-fre-

44

quency induction-welded “Mannesmann H2ready“ line pipe from Mannesmann Line Pipe, with chemical, mechanical and geometric properties specially adapted to the transport of hydrogen, is ideally suited to the imminent expansion of pipeline capacity.

Proven welding technology and the use of modern steel grades resistant to the corrosive effect of hydrogen make its line pipe a cost-effective and environment-friendly solution, the company claims.

Critical tests passed Steel pipes from its division Mannesmann Line Pipe offer maximum flexibility and safety for the transport and storage of gaseous hydrogen and of hydrogen admixed to natural gas. Previous tests and existing standards already show that the use of line pipe grades up to API 5L X52 (L360) is

non-critical, even if there are restrictions on the alloy content (EIGA Guideline, DVGW tests, EU project NaturalHy). The behaviour of higher-strength materials of grade X70 (L485) was tested on exposure to pure compressed hydrogen and hydrogen/natural gas mixtures in slow strain rate tensile tests at 80 bar. Neither the base material nor the HFI weld or standard girth weld showed signs of increased susceptibility to hydrogen in the structurally relevant area. The group’s own research institute, Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung, was involved in the testing and realisation of the quality standards.

The company states that the mechanical properties of its steel pipes exceed the requirements of the European Industrial Gases Association, (EIGA), and guarantee optimum safety and service life.

November 2020 / MPT International

The mechanical material properties of Mannesmann’s pipes are designed for transporting hydrogen. They present clearly defined strength levels in quasi-static tensile tests. Even in the longterm result, slow strain rate tensile tests show no negative influence of hydrogen on our “Mannesmann H2ready” steel pipes.

Utmost corrosion resistance For lasting durability in hydrogen transport, the inner surface is free of any discontinuity (in accordance with ISO 3183). Furthermore, internal points which are vulnerable in relation to hydrogen are reduced to a minimum by the phosphorus and sulphur content levels being guaranteed to remain below those specified in the EIGA guideline. A carbon equivalent that has also been further reduced ensures excellent weldability of our pipe material. This guarantees a long service life and leads to low-maintenance operation. In order to achieve greater freedom in pipeline design, Mannesmann offers grades up to X70 (according to API 5L) or L 485).

If required, suitability for the hydrogen atmosphere (e.g. 100 bar, room temperature, 100% pure gaseous H2) is proven in a comparative test for the application.

Innovations in energy storage and transportation are therefore decisive for a successful energy transition. In the power-to-gas sector, hydrogen in particular is proving to be an excellent medium. New fields of application can be found, for example, in the conversion of electricity, the heat market, automotive industry (fuel cell technology), steel industry, glass industry, chemical industry and food industry.

Especially in Germany, increasing the use of hydrogen makes good sense

Stress-strain behavior in slow strain rate tensile test of X70 in 100 % hydrogen (H2) compared to an inert nitrogen atmosphere (N2) on base material specimens (GW) and HFI weld specimens (SN).

for several reasons: • The country has over 100 years’ experience of the commercial handling of hydrogen • It ranks among the group of global leaders in the development of H2 and fuel cell technologies • There are salt caverns for large-volume H2 storage in northern Germany • Energy-intensive premium steel production and further processing

Non-stop wind energy from the pipeline As the energy carrier of the future, H2 only becomes truly environmentally friendly with the conversion of renewable energies (e.g. wind energy) into hydrogen. After that, the intended purpose is merely secondary. In terms of mobility, where hydrogen is used or is likely to be used for cars as well as for aircraft, trucks, buses, trains or ships,

it is where it is needed quickly, safely and cleanly. With the Mannesmann H2ready pipeline.

Mannesmann steel pipes transport (wind) power in the form of hydrogen.

Eco-friendly hydrogen can be produced using power-to-gas technology, as this involves the use of renewable energies (e.g. wind, sun). Water is split here into oxygen (O2) and hydrogen (H2) by means of electrolysis. The environmentally friendly hydrogen produced by this means serves as a chemical storage medium and can be reused as fuel or for reconversion into electricity. In addition, the power-to-gas process enables subsequent methanation, with which regenerative natural gas can be produced from the hydrogen downstream.

Mannesmann’s H2 pipeline also enables the transport of conventional methane or gas which has largely been decarbonised by electrolysis and converted to hydrogen.

SPECIAL

TUBES TECHNOLOGY

Surcon 3D Tube Surface Inspection system In tubes production, surface defects are often perpetuated through the complete process chain. Non-stop surface inspection from billet to finished tube is therefore critical for the quality of the final product.

A

prerequisite for the economical and future-oriented production of pipes is specific knowledge of the production process. In particular these are the product properties after each of the typically three forming stages. Only through precise, reliable and durable measuring equipment can the ever-increasing demands on the finished product “tube” in terms of uniformity and adherence to low tolerance limits be met.

Accordingly, the objectives are always the continuous recording and storage of all measured values, production parameters and system events, feedback of the measured values to the pre-control and / or tracking of the control equipment of the rolling units, support of the operator by targeted fault diagnosis and high availability of the measuring system.

In the 3D surface inspection system “Surcon 3D Tube”, IMS provides tube manufacturers with another high-quality inspection tool. The system enables you to detect surface defects at a much earlier stage of the rolling process than before and to counteract them early and effectively through precise corrective measures.

In particular, the three-dimensional information on the spatial extent of

Height profile of a defect in the form of a “shell”

46

the defects enables far more reliable decisions to be made on the extent to which a surface defect can still be

tolerated or whether immediate intervention in the production process is necessary.

In addition, 100% surface inspection ensures that immediate knowledge is available as to whether a detected defect occurs once, recurs several times on a tube or at the same length position from tube to tube – information that is almost impossible to determine reliably by manual inspection. Especially in tube production, surface defects are often perpetuated through the complete process chain. Non-stop surface inspection from bloom to finished tube is therefore critical for the quality of the final product.

November 2020 / MPT International

Advantages of Surcon 3D Surface Inspection System: • Automatic detection and classification of defects and geometric data (including depth and position) • Detection of defects directly in the rolling process • Continuous acquisition of all measurement data, product parameters and system events

Height profile of a defect in the form of “scale“

Height profile of a defect in the form of “impression”

• Archiving of the data for process optimization • Substitution of manual inspection possible The exemplary types of defects shown here as examples for seamlessly rolled tubes are only a selection of concise samples of how they can be detected with the help of 3D surface inspection on finished tubes of different dimensions. Depending on the error type, the cause of the error can be determined as quickly as possible

MPT International / November 2020

Height profile of a defect in the form of “washout”

and a corresponding countermeasure can be taken, e.g. a change of roll stands if all the following tubes were

rolled out with the same significant defects in the case of a roll breakage or bearing damage.

47

„We are committed to sustainability – and we act. For the environment and for our customers.“ Johannes Nonn

Spokesman of the Board of Management, Wuppermann AG

We take action Highest corrosion protection with lowest CO2 emissions: Our innovative Heat-to-Coat strip galvanising process saves more than 30 percent CO2 compared to comparable procedures.

Wuppermann AG Ottostrasse 5 51381 Leverkusen Germany

Tel +49 (0) 21 71 50 00 800 Fax +49 (0) 21 71 50 00 802 info@wuppermann.com www.wuppermann.com

OPINION

A THOUGHT FOR THE ROAD

Steel Market Paradox: Supply Shortages in a Lull of Demand Steel processors cannot believe their eyes and ears: while the demand for steel in northwestern Europe has fallen to its lowest level in eleven years, buying coil has become a challenging job, German steel expert Andreas Schneider of Stahlmarkt Consult observes.

R

eports of extremely long delivery times are mixed with concerns that the ordered quantities of steel will not be delivered on time. The cause of this is an asynchronous development of supply and demand in combination with declining import volumes. What initially looked like a brief summer episode has continued into late autumn.

In Germany, Europe’s biggest single market, steel demand this year is seen to fall below 30 million tonnes – compared with more than 40m tonnes in good years, last seen in 2017. The road out of this low will most likely be long and arduous.

Accordingly, there should actually be enough steel available to cover current demand. But feedback from the market indicates that this is currently not the case, especially for flat steel. The loudest complaints about supply shortages come from the automotive value chain. Delivery times quoted by steelworks already extend far into 2021, and additional requirements can often only be met with great difficulty. Steel buyers currenty face hefty price premiums on the spot market.

Supply and demand: recovery at different speeds The reason for this paradoxical situation is that supply and demand have not been developing in sync for months. Production in some steel user sectors has recovered more quickly than was feared in the spring. This is particularly noticeable in the automotive and automotive supply sectors, which are benefiting from the strong performance of the Chinese market.

However, there can be no talk of a boom: even between May and September, car production and exports were more or less significantly below the previous year’s figures.

One explanation is that inventories were drastically reduced during the first Covid-19 lockdown period, so that the

MPT International / November 2020

current need for restocking is driving repurchasing activity beyond the demand of downstream users. According to the statistics office, order intake at mills in August were approximately on the previous year’s level, although there has been not much of a recovery at industries like pipes or mechanical engineering.

The production of blast furnace-based oxygen steel, which forms the basis of flat steel production in Germany, is increasing less rapidly. In August and September approximately 16% less steel was produced on this route than in the previous year. This means that the slump suffered between April and July has only been recovered by about half.

By contrast, the scrap-based electric steel plants already produced more steel in September than in the same month last year.

How much longer?

Not least in view of the upcoming contract and price negotiations for 2021, many market participants are asking themselves how long the unusual situation will continue.

But the ball is first in the court of the EU producers. The question here is to what extent the mills are deliberately keeping supply tight in order to strengthen their starting position for price negotiations.

The technical reasons often cited as the reason for the slow increase in production in the complex process of blast furnace control are convincing for a period of some weeks, but not over many months.

However, given the high costs of shutting down and starting up blast furnaces, it is understandable that such decisions should be taken with caution.

On the other hand, the strained earnings situation of many manufacturers should provide a strong incentive to bring every profitable tonne of steel to market. Especially since there is a great risk that frustrated customers will sooner or later turn to suppliers from outside the EU. In the not too distant future, structural oversupply will resume in the EU, and the supply problems will disappear.

But the timing of this turnaround cannot be predicted accurately.

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IN THE NEXT ISSUE

IMPRINT

Annual figures of SMS group

Special coating protects steel from hydrogen ‘attack’

Purified Metal Company (PMC) has developed a method of cleaning steel scrap contaminated from asbestos or other hazardous components like mercury, PCB or chrome VI.

Atomic hydrogen often induces brittle behavior in metals at high temperatures. Institute Fraunhofer IWMhas now developed a robust coating that effectively protects steel from the penetration of hydrogen.

This preview might be subject to change. Photo: Fraunhofer

The company is taking a look back at its miscellaneous activities in 2019/20. Its traditional engineering business has been augmented by preditive maintenance, artificial intelligence, digital documentation, and other features. We will report from the group’s (online) press conference.

Netherlands open recycling plant for contaminated steel scrap

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Aumund Fördertechnik GmbH

35

Keller HCW GmbH

Friedrich Kocks GmbH & Co. KG

52

Kuttner GmbH

F.I.M.I. S.p.A

23

Maschinenfabrik Gustav Erich

FrisorTec GmbH

21

GmbH & Co. KG

Georgsmarienhütte Holding GmbH

33

Micro-Epsilon Messtechnik

Hydrowatt AG

36

GmbH & Co. KG

IMS Messsysteme GmbH

45

NLMK Europe

Keller& Bohcek GmbH & Co. KG

37

SMS Group GmbH

6 28

Steuler -KCH GmbH

43

The Coating Company

51

Karl Diederichs GmbH & Co. KG 7

11

Velco GmbH

34

Wuppermann AG

48

9 13 2

Beihefter: Paul Wurth S.A.

IMPRINT MPT International is published by Maenken Kommunikation GmbH, Cologne/Germany. www.mpt-international.com Publishing House: (responsible for editorial, advertising, production and circulation) Maenken Kommunikation GmbH Von-der-Wettern-Straße 25 51149 Cologne/Germany www.maenken.com Phone +49 (0) 22 03/35 84-0 Fax +49 (0) 22 03/35 84-185 Frequency: 6 x per year Circulation: 9,840 copies

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November 2020 / MPT International

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