PIM Metals Feb/March 2023

PIM METALS

Welcome to the February issue of PIM Metals. With energy cost’s showing no sign of abating there are growing concerns that some producers and processors will

Metals production and processing is energy intensive and the switch to greener energy alternatives can be financially impossible, then there are the imposed environmental restrictions and emissions limits set to consider that also come at a cost.

Here in the U.K. , we had news that British Steel was considering closing it’s coke ovens at the Scunthorpe site citing high energy, labour and carbon costs, it was also stated that these factors represented around £190m

This is an ongoing and developing story as the UK government considers potential support packages so let’s see what happens in the coming weeks. Looking forwards to the April issue, we will be looking at Tube & pipe bending and forming technology, Milling, punching & drilling plus Mill safety and maintenance .

News submissions will be expected with us no later than Email: imtmagazine@virginmedia.com

Cover picture: Fronius p.19

Nukon fibre laser is clear choice for Steel & Glass Solutions

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Swiss Steel Group is producing the steel of the future

Stena Aluminium joins Polestar 0 project

Greenhouse gas balance for stainless steel production further improved

Greenhouse gas balance for stainless steel production further improved

Stainless steel recycling is considered to be a sustainable way to save CO 2 in the globally growing steel production.

As early as 2010, Fraunhofer UMSICHT researchers determined a savings potential of more than 4.5 t CO 2 per ton of blend on behalf of the Oryx Stainless Group. More recent calculations by the UMSICHT team even come to savings of over 6.7 t CO 2 -eq. per ton of blend for the reference year 2021. The results show: The recycling of stainless steel scrap has great potential to save greenhouse gases.

As the demand for stainless steel continues to rise, a responsible and efficient use of limited global resources is becoming increasingly important. One option for steelmakers to save greenhouse gases is to produce new stainless steel from high-quality secondary raw material blends instead of primary raw materials. Secondary raw materials are upgraded by combining differently alloyed stainless steel scrap to produce blends. These blends being in accordance with the technical specifications needed are used in steel mills as the main inputs in an electric arc furnace (EAF) pro cess. To a small extent, ferroalloys can be used for analytical fine-tuning.

Greater CO 2 savings after update of the greenhouse gas balance

In the project, the UMSICHT researchers have now calculated the greenhouse gas balance of the recycling of stainless steel

from the Oryx Stainless Group at the Dordrecht and Mülheim an der Ruhr sites - analogous to the study structure of 2010 - for the reference year 2021. The results show that compared with the calculation at that time, the greenhouse gas savings continue to increase. A corresponding study for the site in Thailand is in progress at UMSICHT.

Total savings by the Oryx Stainless Group at the two sites in 2021 amount to around 3,015,000 t CO 2 -eq.approximately one million metric tons CO 2 eq. more than in 2009 (2,026,000 t CO 2 eq.). One reason is the comparatively higher output volume. The average weighted savings have also increased to 6.7 t CO 2 eq./t blend in 2021. Thus, the

results also retroactively show larger savings for the year 2009.

“In order to be able to compare the values meaningfully and reliably with our earlier calculations, we have also recalculated the data for 2009 again with our new model,” explains Dr.-Ing. Daniel Maga, Group Manager Sustainability Assessment at Fraunhofer UMSICHT. “Among other things, the most recent data sets for the raw materials of primary steel production show a higher carbon footprint and the current electricity mix for 2020 shows a lower CO 2 footprint.”

Continuously developing stainless steel production

To compute the overall results, the researchers first calculated the total greenhouse gas savings from substituting primary material in the electric arc furnace (EAF) process. In a second step, they considered the entire Oryx process chain for the sites in Mülheim an der Ruhr and Dordrecht, from collection to production of the finished blends to their transport to the customers. “The results help us to quantify and communicate the benefits of stainless steel production from blends,” emphasizes Tobias Kämmer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Oryx Stainless Group. “The findings also form a basis for political decisions and strategic planning.”

More information:

https://www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de/en/ competencies/sustainability-participation. html

Alleima and Tenaris to supply Petrobras with corrosion resistant alloy OCTG tubing for offshore Brazil

As part of the strategic alliance with Tenaris, Alleima will be the supplier of Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) tubes with Corrosion Resistant Alloys (CRA) material in a new long-term frame agreement between Tenaris and Petrobras. The agreement includes the three-year supply for offshore Brazil, where pipes will be used in the customer’s various exploration and production (E&P) wells in the pre-salt fields.

The frame agreement entails

the provision of pipes produced by Alleima with CRA materials and finished with TenarisHydril Blue® premium connections and Dopeless® technology. The products will be manufactured by Alleima in Sandviken, Sweden, and threaded at Tenaris’s threading facility in Aberdeen, Scotland. The frame agreement for the three-year supply of plain end tubes from Alleima has an estimated value of up to SEK 1.3 billion, with the first order expected during first half of 2023.

Alleima and Tenaris have a

strategic partnership since 2003, to add value to the oil and gas industry through joint research, product development, and the manufacture of specialised tubular solutions for demanding applications.

“We are delighted to have been awarded this contract and to secure a long-term supply arrangement towards Petrobras, through our partnership with Tenaris. Our OCTG tubes fit perfectly for this project, with its high mechanical strength and excellent corrosion resistance”, says Nigel Haworth, President of

business unit Energy.

“This contract confirms our ability to supply a full range of tubular solutions for our customers operating in the most complex environments. Through strategic alliances such as the one with Alleima, along with our Rig Direct® service model and the unmatched capacity of our global supply chain, Tenaris has become the most comprehensive supplier of solutions for complex offshore operations, not only in Brazil, but worldwide,” says Renato Catallini, Tenaris President in Brazil.

Hertwich to supply fully automatic sawing line for aluminum billets to Century Aluminium

American producer Century Aluminum has placed an order with Hertwich Engineering GmbH, Austria, a subsidiary of SMS group, for a fully automatic sawing line for aluminum billets. The line, which also includes systems for stacking and packing the billets, is intended for Century’s site in Sebree, Kentucky, where another Hertwich saw has been in use since the year 2000.

Century Aluminum Company is the largest manufacturer of primary aluminum products in the United States. The aluminum smelter in Sebree has a production capacity of around 220,000 metric tons per year. This is more than a quarter of the company’s total output.

“One saw from Hertwich has been proving its worth at the US

facility for over 20 years. Now another latest-generation line from Hertwich is being added. Trust must be earned, and that’s something we achieved exceptionally well here,” says Gerold Keune, CEO of Hertwich Engineering.

The investment in the second sawing line from Hertwich aims to further enhance the Kentucky

facility’s operational efficiency. It is scheduled to go into service in 2024 and will replace an older line. The new Hertwich saw not only boasts higher productivity, it also requires less manpower. Its energy yield is also outstanding: the efficiency of the saw’s state-ofthe-art electric motors meets the premium requirements of

current US regulations. The line can process aluminum billets with a diameter of between seven and twelve inches. It has an hourly capacity of up to 225 short billets with a maximum length of 1.60 meters, or 60 long billets with a maximum length of 6.10 meters. After sawing, the aluminum billets can be weighed – ready for calibration – and stacked side by side and on top of each other using so-called transfer cars. The billets are then tied with PET straps and placed on supporting timber blocks so that they can be picked up and loaded by forklift truck. The billets, which are sawn to length, are further processed in press shops into profiles for the automotive or aerospace industries.

One for two

MultiTherm® replaces existing machines

When metalworking companies work much more productively with a few new machines than with several old ones, it is always something special. Jacquet Metallservice GmbH in Ohlsdorf, for example, is delighted about a new level of productivity with the MultiTherm® from Messer Cutting Systems.

Getting better

The two old plasma cutting machines could no longer cope with Jacquet’s increased requirements. “In order to further expand our market leadership, we set ourselves the goal of improving quality, significantly increasing our efficiency and optimising our services,” explains engineer Walter Petermeier, Managing Director and Project Manager at Jacquet Metallservice. “We also wanted to greatly reduce our response time by maximising machine utilisation with minimal downtime,” adds Markus Reitinger, the company’s workshop manager.

Therefore, it was important to find a productive system that would replace the two existing machines with one machine without a major loss of production. In times of Corona and the difficulties caused by interruptions in the supply chain, this was not an easy task.

Support in the selection of the machine came from the German colleagues in Bochum, Ohlsdorf’s sister company. They already had a machine from Messer Cutting

Systems in operation and were enthusiastic about price and quality.

Quick decision

The contact with Gerald Wimmer, the responsible manager, and Head of Messer Cutting Systems Austria, was quickly established and agreement was reached in no time: Jacquet decided on a MultiTherm ® with a working area of three metres wide and twelve metres long. The machine is completed by a Hypertherm HPR 800XD and a water table from Beuting. “We cut stainless steel up to one hundred and fifty millimetres thick with plasma under water, with nitrogen (N) and argonhydrogen (H35),” Reitinger explains.

Whether plasma (vertical or bevel), multi-torch oxyfuel

cutting, laser (vertical or bevel), marking, drilling or a combination of all the above processes: The MultiTherm® is designed for a wide range of applications thanks to its variety of equipment options. High-performance drives for speeds up to 50 m/min enable a high positioning speed. Optimum cutting speeds are achieved even with fine contours. Sufficient parking space for the units above the wheel housings ensures optimum use of the effective working width. Of course, multi-torch operation is possible in oxyfuel as well as in plasma mode and ensures high productivity.

A bulkhead wall was installed on the table at Jacquet Metalltechnik. This wall makes it possible to divide the table into two areas. This

reduces the standstill sides when removing components.

Fast implementation

Thanks to the exact preliminary planning of the project partners, the implementation was just as quick as the decision in favour of MultiTherm®. The high level of competence on both sides was a guarantee for the very short installation time: “Messer Cutting Systems handled everything thoroughly. The installation team worked excellently with our team and so we were able to dismantle the old machines and install the new one in a very short time. We only had a very short downtime and were quickly able to resume our normal production,” Reitinger and his workshop team are pleased to report.

“We are very satisfied with the system and the extremely good cuts,” Petermaier sums up.

MultiTherm® in use at JACQUET Metallservice

With the most powerful 4.3-meter heavy plate mill from SMS group, Tisco expands its product range in the stainless steel sector

Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Co. Ltd. (Tisco), located in Taiyuan, China, has successfully produced the first plate on its new 4.3-meter heavy plate mill supplied by SMS group. It is the most powerful hot rolling mill of its kind ever supplied by SMS. The rolling force of 109 MN in relation to the roll barrel length of 4.3 meters provides the mill a very innovative design and high environmental compatibility. A further distinguishing feature of the mill is the wide range of material it can roll, including carbon steels, quality steels, lowalloyed steels, grades for ship, bridge and pressure vessel construction, weather- and wear-resistant plates, pipe grades according to the API standard, as well as stainless steel and nickel-based materials.

The 4-high rolling stand with attached edger is the central production unit of the heavy plate mill. The vertical edger features combined mechanical/hydraulic roll gap adjustment to achieve extremely tight tolerances. To be able to process even very short slabs, the heavy edging stand is equipped with a newly developed, specially driven support roller table.

The rolling stand is characterised by high rolling forces and a correspondingly high forming capacity. The combination of a very large roll gap opening and the coaxial CVC®plus (Continuously Variable Crown) technology with integrated powerful work roll bending is a new development that allows rolling stock with initial thicknesses of up to 960 millimeters to be processed, providing for an outstandingly wide product range.

SMS achieved the extremely high stiffness factor of the mill by means of various technological design features, such as the use of 2.3-meter backup rolls. Another characteristic feature is the mill’s maintenance-friendly design. Being a market leader in heavy plate rolling technology for many decades, SMS was able to consider

comprehensive operating experience and feedback received from customers in the design of the new mill.

Tisco can now produce plates from a wide range of input material, from cast ingots of extreme dimensions to small slabs sizes, to achieve highly flexible and dynamic production in compliance with the tightest geometrical tolerances.

Designed for an annual production capacity of 700,000 tons, the mill can produce plates from 1,550 up to 4,200 millimeters wide within a thickness range from 5 up to 120 millimeters – and more, in the future. Thanks to the new mill, Tisco can provide the market with an extended portfolio of products. In particular, the mill’s capability to process advanced grades, such as stainless and duplex steels, nickelbased alloys and super-austenitic grades, into products that meet the needs of markets, such as infrastructure, chemical, shipbuilding and on- and off-shore wind turbine construction for fossil-free energy production, plays a key role for Tisco.

As a matter of fact, environmental compatibility and sustainable production have also been taken into account. The mill stand group is equipped with a newly developed integrated dust extraction system that collects the dust during the rolling process directly at the roll gap. This prevents the release of emissions generated during rolling of e.g. special alloys.

The X-Pact® automation system from

SMS provides fully automatic control of the rolling process, while ensuring high mill efficiency. Due to extensive X-Pact® Plug & Work integration testing performed by SMS group and precise planning and intensive cooperation between SMS group and Tisco, commissioning of the mill from the I/O check until rolling of the first plate took only one and a half months. This was two weeks ahead of the original schedule.

Level 1 automation is entirely based on X-Pact® technology. The X-Pact® Vision operating concept takes into account latest ergonomic findings, enabling the operator to operate the system intuitively to ensure optimal process control.

Level 2 process automation includes the technological process models X-Pact® Pass Schedule Calculation PSC®, X-Pact® Profile and Flatness Control PFC® and the higherlevel material tracking system.

Han Bingbao, Project Manager, Plate Mill Project Department at Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Co. Ltd., said: “We had already made very good experience working with SMS group on other projects in the recent past. That experience has definitely been reconfirmed during our 4.3-m heavy plate mill project. We have been able to jointly set a new technological benchmark for this class of plate rolling mills, thanks to the outstanding technological expertise of SMS. It was also very impressive to see how smoothly the international teams of SMS group and Tisco cooperated.”

For the SMS group order handling team, Michael Bohland, Project Manager at SMS group, added: “We are proud to see how our international team has succeeded in overcoming the mobility and travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic that made it difficult to visit the construction site. Here, our modern digital conference and communication facilities have proved their value, and they will continue to support us on our way to final acceptance.”

Steel plate quality and the latest laser cutting technology

C&T Channel Matrix (C&T), the world’s leading supplier of die consumables and creasing matrix, launched its range of 1mm steel cutting plates in the UK five years ago. C&T can now also offer inhouse plate cutting using the latest laser machinery – giving next day delivery in the UK.

The 1mm steel cutting plates are suitable for many makes of autoplaten including Bobst, Heidelberg, Sanwa, Iberica and Asahi machines. The plates

are available in three different hardnesses – soft 20 Rockwell, medium 35 Rockwell and hard 50 HRC Rockwell – and a range of standard sizes.

Simon Shenton, C&T Channel Matrix, Managing Director commented: “Our new inhouse machine offers precision and bespoke plate cutting, further enhancing our extensive plate offering. The quality of the C&T plates means we have quickly captured a large market share with leading carton and corrugated converters worldwide. Customers love

the quality of the steel, the accuracy of the laser cutting, and the flexibility of the sizes available, not only for Bobst machines but also for Heidelberg, Masterworks and other leading press manufacturers.”

As a group, C&T International sells plates around the world and in the US, and in the UK C&T has become the established market leader. The most popular product sold is the 35 HRC 1mm plate, but other qualities, such as 48/50HRC which come in a range of

thicknesses, are also in demand.

“One of our advantages is that we can now make customer specific plate designs to order – this is something very few competitors can offer. We also promote our consignment stock policy to larger end users where we are happy to put stock on the floor of the customer, ensuring they never run out of product”, concluded Simon.

For further details regarding C&T Channel Matrix and its innovative creasing matrix solutions visit www.candtmatrix. co.uk

are proving a successful combination for C&T Matrix

Unison and Nukon Lasers help access equipment maker, Redhill, reach new heights after factory fire

Redditch-based access equipment maker, Redhill Manufacturing, has purchased two British-built all-electric tube bending machines from Unison Ltd, and two fibre laser cutting machines from Unison’s sister company, Nukon Lasers UK. The new machines will be used by Redhill to meet increased demand for its products, with one of the tube benders replacing a machine that was lost in a factory fire in May 2022.

The first of the new fibre lasers, a Nukon ECO 315 4kW flat sheet metal machine, was installed at Redhill’s newly acquired facility in December 2022. The second laser, a Nukon NKT-125 2kW ¬3D tube cutting model, and the two Unison tube bending machines - both 30 mm tube diameter single stack models - will be installed later in 2023. Combined, the value of the four machines is in excess of £1 million.

Following the fire at its original manufacturing site, Redhill wasn’t simply faced with finding new premises. The Redditch business also needed quality CNC machine tools to maintain its standing as the only UK manufacturer of ‘kitemarked’ British Standard mobile safety steps.

“Incredibly, we were up and running again in just three weeks following the fire,” comments Redhill’s managing director, Andy Colley. “With temporary accommodation secured until we could move into our new manufacturing facility in winter 2022, and the insurance settled, we basically needed to source

new tube bending machinery –and quickly. This was because only one of our existing benders had survived the fire. It also seemed appropriate to end our reliance on outsourced laser-cut parts by investing in our own flat sheet and laser tube cutting capability.

Free loan of tube bending machine

“I’d read good things about Unison’s range of all-electric ‘Breeze’ tube bending machines, so got in touch with them with a view to ordering two machines; one to replace the machine we’d lost and a second for additional capacity,” adds Andy Colley. “As it would be several months before the new bending machines were ready, Unison kindly offered to lend us one of their showroom models. This was just what we needed to tide us over until the new tube benders were built.”

It was during a meeting with

Unison’s key account manager, Steve Haddrell, to discuss the specification of Redhill Manufacturing’s two new allelectric Breeze tube benders, that the conversation turned to laser cutting. “I obviously had a requirement for two fibre laser machines but wasn’t aware that Unison’s sister company had recently become the UK and Ireland distributor for the Nukon laser range,” says Andy Colley. “As I didn’t really know the Nukon brand, Steve Haddrell arranged to take me to a company in Sheffield that had been using a Nukon flat sheet metal laser for around a year –all so I could see the machine in action and chat to the operators about their experience of using it.”

of cutting complex precision components at the Sheffield business, Andy Colley then travelled to Nukon’s European manufacturing facility to see a Nukon ¬tube laser machine in action. “The tube laser machine was just as impressive as the machine I’d seen in Sheffield,” comments Andy Colley. “The build quality was very good. Both machines were competitively priced, and the features included nLIGHT fibre lasers with adaptive beam optimisation and Lantek Expert nesting software. What really gave me the confidence to place an order, however, was my belief that if Unison was happy to be associated with Nukon, there was absolutely no need for me to be concerned about machine quality or aftersales support. They were a given.”

Hearing glowing reports of how the Nukon flat sheet metal laser had streamlined the process

Redhill Manufacturing chose the Nukon ECO 315 4kW (3050 mm x 1530 mm) flat sheet metal fibre laser for its ability to cut

“If it’s good enough for Unison…”

complex shapes and pieces with speed and precision – supported by fast, easy programming, an essential requirement for a business dealing with small batch runs. Similarly, the Nukon NKT-125 2kW 3D tube laser machine was selected for its speed, easy programming and exceptional versatility whether cutting pipe of round, oval, square or rectangular profile. The machine will also be supplied with a fully automatic Nukon 8 m loading and unloading system.

Redhill’s two new 30 mm Unison Breeze single stack tube bending machines will be used in the manufacture of its British Standard (BS EN 131-7) kitemarked steps; mobile steps, portable steps and other access equipment. All Unison Breeze machines offer rapid setup, fast tooling changes, exceptional power, rigid mechanical design and all-electric control for rightfirst-time repeat sub-contract work, or immediately after producing a single trial part.

“The installation of

our Nukon ECO flat sheet metal laser was smooth and straightforward,” adds Andy Colley. “While thanks to the machine’s easy setup and the thorough training provided by the Nukon Lasers UK team, we were successfully cutting components almost immediately – a benefit that gave us excellent quality control and allowed us to stop outsourcing laser cutting. We’re now looking forward to the arrival of our second Nukon laser and the Unison

tube benders in the next few months.”

“It was a pleasure to assist Redhill Manufacturing in upscaling its manufacturing capability and replacing the equipment lost in the fire,” comments Unison’s Steve Haddrell. “When we heard how the business had lost one of its tube benders, we simply had to help out with a loan machine.”

www.unisonltd.com

www.nukonlasers.co.uk

www.redhillmanufacturing. co.uk

Researchers from University of Birmingham UK show novel adaptation for existing furnaces could reduce steelmaking emissions by 90%

Researchers from the University of Birmingham, U.K., have designed a novel adaptation for existing iron and steel furnaces that could reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the steelmaking industry by nearly 90%.

This radical reduction is achieved through a ‘closed loop’ carbon recycling system, which could replace 90% of the coke typically used in current blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace systems and produces oxygen as a biproduct.

Devised by Professor Yulong Ding and Dr Harriet Kildahl from the University of Birmingham’s School of Chemical Engineering, the system is detailed in a paper published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, which shows that if implemented in the UK alone, it could deliver cost savings of £1.28 billion in 5 years while reducing overall UK emissions by 2.9%.

Professor Ding said: “Current proposals for decarbonising the

steel sector rely on phasing out existing plants and introducing electric arc furnaces powered by renewable electricity. However, an electric arc furnace plant can cost over £1 billion to build, which makes this switch economically unfeasible in the time remaining to meet the Paris Climate Agreement. The system we are proposing can be retrofitted to existing plants, which reduces the risk of stranded assets, and both the reduction in CO2, and the cost savings, are seen immediately.”

The novel recycling system captures the CO2 from the top gas and reduces it to CO using a crystalline mineral lattice known as a ‘perovskite’ material. The material was chosen as the reactions take place within a range of temperatures (700800oC) that can be powered by renewable energy sources and/or generated using heat exchangers connected to the blast furnaces.

Most of the world’s steel

is produced via blast furnaces which produce iron from iron ore and basic oxygen furnaces which turn that iron into steel.

The process is inherently carbon intensive, using metallurgical coke produced by destructive distillation of coal in a coke oven, which reacts with the oxygen in the hot air blast to produce carbon monoxide. This reacts with the iron ore in the furnace to produce CO2. The top gas from the furnace contains mainly nitrogen, CO and CO2, which is burned to raise the air blast temperature up to 1200 to 1350oC in a hot stove before blown to the furnace, with the CO2 and N2 (also containing NOx) emitted to the environment.

Under a high concentration of CO2, the perovskite splits CO2 into oxygen, which is absorbed into the lattice, and CO, which is fed back into the blast furnace. The perovskite can be regenerated to its original form in a chemical reaction that takes place in a low oxygen

environment. The oxygen produced can be used in the basic oxygen furnace to produce steel.

The new system can be retrofitted to existing furnaces, with the addition of an array of additional gas separators and heat exchangers required to support the perovskite splitter.

Iron and steelmaking is the biggest emitter of CO2 of all foundation industrial sectors, accounting for 9% of global emissions. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), it must achieve a 90% reduction in emissions by 2050 to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

University of Birmingham

Enterprise has filed a patent application covering the system and its use in metal production and is looking for long-term partners to participate in pilot studies, deliver this technology to existing infrastructure, or collaborate on further research to develop the system.

Primetals Technologies, Fortescue, and voestalpine to jointly evaluate groundbreaking green ironmaking plant

Primetals Technologies, together with its strategic partners Mitsubishi Corporation, Fortescue, a global leader in the mining and heavy industries, and globally leading steel and technology group voestalpine, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The partnership is aimed at designing and engineering an industrial-scale prototype plant with a new process for net-zeroemission ironmaking at the voestalpine site in Linz, Austria. The collaboration will also investigate the implementation and operation of the plant.

The new ironmaking process will be based on Primetals

Technologies’ HYFOR and Smelter solutions. HYFOR is the world’s first direct reduction process for iron ore fines that will not require any agglomeration steps, like sintering or pelletizing. A pilot plant has been in operation since the end of 2021, and Primetals Technologies has run numerous successful test campaigns over the last year including successful trials on Fortescue’s Pilbara iron ore products.

The new Smelter technology from Primetals Technologies is a furnace powered by electrical energy. It is used for melting and final reduction of direct reduced iron (DRI) based on lower-grade iron ores. In that way, it produces alternative

green hot metal for the steelmaking plant.

Game-changing technology

“voestalpine has a clear plan to decarbonize steel production with the greentec steel program. An important first step is the incremental shift from the blast furnace route to a hybrid-electric steel pathway from 2027.Over the long term, our mission is carbon neutral steel production using green hydrogen, for which we are already undertaking intensive research into promising breakthrough technologies. With the joint project with Primetals Technologies and Fortescue, we are taking another new path towards achieving the goal of

CO2-neutral steel production by 2050,” says Hubert Zajicek, Member of the Management Board of voestalpine AG and Head of the Steel Division.

Dr. Alexander Fleischanderl, Senior Vice President and Head of Green Steel at Primetals Technologies, adds: “This is a decisive step for the transition to green steel production, and we are very excited to be a key part of it. Our HYFOR technology is a result of decades of work in the direct reduction and hydrogen space. The Smelter is another game-changing green technology we are developing.

By combining these solutions, we will enable a sustainable technology for green ironmaking over the long term”.

Fortescue’s main

responsibility in the new project is to provide knowledge about iron ore quality and preparation. In addition, Fortescue will supply various iron ores for the new plant.

Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) CEO Mark Hutchinson said the partnership was the perfect alignment of the company’s mining and renewable energy goals: “Fortescue has more than two decades of expertise in the iron ore industry, rising to become one of the world’s lowest cost exporters, now shipping more than 180 million

tons of iron ore a year. Global demand for iron ore and steel will remain strong for years to come, but we need cleaner, greener industry powered by green energy to eliminate emissions.”

An industrial prototype

The project planning phase will be used to design an industrialscale prototype plant with a capacity of between three to five tons of green hot metal per hour. It is the first solution to link a hydrogen-based direct reduction plant for iron ore fines

with a Smelter.

The main goal of the project planning phase is to develop the basis for decision to realize a prototype plant capable of continuous operation, and then to gain the know-how needed for the next step, a commercial full-scale plant. Another target is to investigate the use of various types of iron ores to produce DRI, hot briquetted iron (HBI), and hot metal and, as a next step, draw conclusions about the individual process steps as well as different combinations of them.

The hydrogen used in the new plant will mainly come from Verbund, voestalpine’s and Austria’s leading renewable energy producer, who operates a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer named H2Future. Located in Linz, this plant has a capacity of over six megawatts, and is still the world’s largest of its kind used at a steel plant. The H2Future plant will be upgraded to allow for the compression and storage of hydrogen gas before use in the combined HYFOR and Smelter plant.

Chevron awards deep water Tamar Optimization Project to Corinth Pipeworks

Corinth Pipeworks has been selected by Chevron Mediterranean Ltd. to manufacture and supply approximately 155km of 20” longitudinally submerged arc welded steel pipes for the Tamar gas field optimization development, in the Southeastern Mediterranean. The project will provide critical infrastructure, as it will connect the subsea manifold at a maximum water depth of 1,700

meters to the offshore platform where gas will be processed before being transported to shore in Israel.

The pipes will be manufactured in Corinth Pipeworks’ facilities in Greece, and installation work will commence according to schedule within 2024. Scope of supply also includes internal and external anticorrosion coating, applied at the same location as pipe manufacturing

at Thisvi, Greece.

“It is a significant project that highlights the leading position of Corinth Pipeworks as a Tier 1 supplier for complex offshore projects requiring high technological expertise” commented Ilias Bekiros, CEO of Corinth Pipeworks.

“This award, along with latest successful executions of offshore pipeline projects like Karish / Energean, Leviathan / Chevron Mediterranean

Ltd., Ashdod – Ashkelon / INGL, enhances further our strategic role in SE Med. We base our sustainable growth in being a trustworthy supplier, providing top quality along with innovative solutions and building long term customer relations. All of these are the main pillars of our strategy and provide an important competitive advantage for new projects in the Mediterranean and globally”.

Stena Aluminium joins Polestar 0 project

Stena Aluminium has signed an agreement to join the Polestar 0 project as a development partner. The Polestar 0 project aims to create a completely climate-neutral car by 2030, which means that all sources of carbon emissions throughout the supply chain must be eliminated. As partners, Stena Aluminium and Polestar will develop a commercially viable recycled aluminium alloy produced without carbon emissions.

Already today the alloys produced by Stena Aluminium has a low carbon footprint with an average of 0.7 tonnes of carbon emissions per tonne of aluminium produced. The aim with the partnership is to be able to produce an alloy with zero carbon footprint, which Polestar can use in the production of a completely climate neutral car.

”The Polestar 0 project is in line with Stena’s ambitions and strategies within sustainability. It’s of great advantage that Stena and Polestar as well as other partners cooperate in our common efforts to eliminate carbon emissions. Since our aim is to find climate neutral ways to produce a product, it’s likely that more partners will be engaged. The emissions do not only stem

from the processes of Stena but also earlier in the supply chain,” says Erik Petré, Head of sales and purchasing at Stena Aluminium.

“The Polestar 0 project is all about pushing the boundaries of sustainable transportation, and we are constantly on the lookout for partners who share our vision and commitment to this goal. That is why we are happy to welcome Stena Aluminium as a new partner on this project. Their knowledge in recycled aluminium is an important factor in ensuring that materials

can be reused, making them a great fit for the Polestar 0 project as we work towards our goal of reducing greenhouse gases to zero,” says Hans Pehrson, Head of the Polestar 0 project.

Read more about the Polestar 0 project: Polestar 0 project | Polestar Global More information please contact: Marie Vassiliadis, Communications Manager, Stena Metall Group, marie. vassiliadis@stenametall.se, +46 (0)72 163 98 30

Hans Pehrson

Erik Petre

Swiss Steel Group is producing the steel of the future at

the Steeltec AG mill in Düsseldorf

Ultra-fine-grained, high strength and tough steel thanks to XTP®

Lucerne. When standard steels need to have specific characteristics, expensive alloying additions and supplementary heat treatment are generally used. Steeltec AG, a company of the Swiss Steel Group, has developed an innovative, alternative technology for this very reason.

The company is progressive and trendsetting with its development of “Extreme Performance Technology (XTP®)” and with high-quality technology has found a way to produce an ultra-fine-grained and tough high-grade steel which makes the need for additional alloys and special treatment obsolete thanks to a controlled thermomechanical processing phase.

Systematic temperature control and alternative forming processes produce an extremely ultra-fine-grain microstructure with grain sizes of less than 5 µm. Steel produced in this way is noted for improved properties with better dynamic and mechanical characteristics, including:

• Improved tensile strength of up to 2,050 MPa

• Improved dynamic load capacity by at least 10 percent, leading to longer service life and higher operational safety

• Significantly improved properties despite higher tensile strength

• Formability and machinability Components can be redimensioned without losing mechanical-technical properties making component design more flexible

• Given the straightness of the bars, lengths of up to 8,000 (-0/+200) mm available with tolerances compliant to DIN EN ISO 286-2 *h11

• No thermal distortion and no need for additional heat treatment

While XTP®-treated steel looks like conventional steel on the outside, its true excellence is hidden beneath the surface: the ultra-fine-grained steel microstructure provides an unprecedented level of material resistance and strength. This creates possibilities and paves the day to versatile designs and unconventional

component engineering.

XTP steel withstands even difficult challenges, such as intense vibration, high internal pressure or extreme cold. Even at ultra-low temperatures of -101°C at which conventionally produced steel can become brittle and crack or break, the technically optimized steel grades have a high toughness (notched bar impact work of well over 27 joule in notched bar impact testing).

Treatment with XTP technology guarantees the highest resistance to crack propagation.

Xtreme Performance Technology is the future

Thanks to consistent ongoing development of thermomechanical process phases virtually any conventionally produced steel can undergo treatment and be considerably improved. In short, the formula is: heat+ force = ultrafine-grained steel

When subjecting steel to induction heating, the experts of the Swiss Steel Group use austenitization to determine material properties and grain size of the steel microstructure. The steel bar is then immediately cooled to the desired forming temperature and fed into the high-reduction roller unit.

The steel of the future ex works

Steels suitable for XTP® treatment are unalloyed steels, precipitation-hardened ferrite-pearlite steels, Bainitic steels, quenched and tempered steels, tool steels, Austenitic stainless steels, Ferritic stainless steels, and high-speed steels. Steel processing companies stick with the steel grades they are familiar with. Using the same chemical analysis, the properties of Swiss Steel Group steels are significantly optimized from the start thanks to XTP®. The processor saves on elaborate, cost-intensive heat treatment. We solve quality problems with XTP® technology.

XTP-treated steel opens up entirely new possibilities for the following industries and applications: spring manufacturing, hydraulics, connectors and fasteners, refrigeration systems, lifting equipment and lifting gear, cable car and aerial lift systems, wind power, the railway industry, agriculture and forestry, as well as for oil and gas extraction and recovery.

For more information:

Helmut Freiherr von Fircks, h.freiherrvonfircks@ext.swisssteelgroup. com, +41 (0)41 581 4161

Nukon fibre laser is clear choice for Steel & Glass Solutions

Dunstable-based Steel & Glass Solutions has taken delivery of a new Nukon Rex 315 6 kW 2D fibre laser cutting machine from Nukon Lasers UK. The machine was ordered at the UK’s MACH 2022 machine tool exhibition, with installation postponed until Steel & Glass Solutions moved into purpose-built new premises.

Steel & Glass Solutions is renowned for producing incredible architectural

metalwork for some of the UK’s most iconic building projects – an accolade which means there is never room for compromise on specification or product quality. Earlier this year, with a growing order book, the business decided it was time to invest in its own flat sheet metal laser cutting capability.

“Traditionally, we have relied on outsourcing the laser cutting of the high-end polished steel fabrications and steel cladding panels used in our designs,”

comments production director, Warren Few. “However, these would sometimes arrive with imperfections, meaning they would have to be sent back. Additionally, outsourcing laser cutting meant we couldn’t always react quite as quickly as we would like to customer needs. We were also aware that having our own fibre laser cutting capability on site would help us to remain as competitive as possible in these times of high energy prices.”

With MACH 2022 fast approaching, the Steel & Glass Solutions team decided that visiting the show would be the best way of comparing the various fibre laser technologies on offer. Knowing they would need a fairly powerful 2D flat sheet metal model, they drew up a shortlist of laser machines they would like to take a closer look at.

“Before going to MACH, we had only given a cursory glance to Nukon’s fibre laser machines

as, although built in Europe, the brand wasn’t one that was on our radar,” adds Warren Few. “However, at the show, we couldn’t ignore the quality, speed and value they offered – or the exceptionally low running costs. Perhaps the thing that really convinced us to order the Nukon Rex machine was meeting Alan Pickering from tube bending machinery manufacturer, Unison Ltd., on the Nukon stand. Alan explained how for quite some time Unison had been looking to

complement its British-built tube bending machines with highquality laser cutting technologies and how, after researching the market, established Nukon Lasers UK as the official Nukon dealer for the UK and Ireland.

“Having owned and operated an all-electric Unison Breeze tube bending machine at a previous company,” continues Warren Few, “I was well aware that Unison would only offer and support a product they had complete confidence in. It was a

pleasure to deal with like-minded people.”

Steel & Glass Solutions chose the Nukon Rex 2D fibre laser machine for its ability to cut intricate shapes and pieces with speed and precision, supported by fast, easy programming –essential for a business dealing with short product runs and complex, different projects. A Nukon 315 Series machine, the Rex is able to accommodate sheet dimensions of 3050 mm x 1530 mm and is equipped with

a powerful 6 kW nLIGHT fibre laser, with advanced cutline beam shaping technology for a superior edge finish. The machine also features the innovative Nukon NLCH cutting head that is fully field serviceable, further reducing running costs and downtime.

“Installation was quick and straightforward, and the training provided by Nukon Lasers UK’s Steve Haddrell was excellent,” says Warren Few. “In fact, considering no one at Steel & Glass Solutions had ever used a laser cutting machine before, it’s hard to believe that we were successfully cutting customer orders in 1.5 mm to 10 mm stainless steel within two days.

“We appreciate that the Nukon Rex is a very fast machine. But for us, the real benefit has been the quality of the parts produced and the ease of programming. The Nukon Lasers UK team helped immeasurably in getting our laser cutting capability up and running. Perhaps what’s most impressive is that if they don’t have an immediate answer to a cutting challenge, they don’t blag it, they solve it. For example, a nesting issue for a particularly complex design was resolved with a quick call to Lantek, who linked up with our PC in under 15 seconds.”

The Nukon fibre laser range includes 2D, 3D and laser tube cutting machines. High-spec standard features include: nLIGHT fibre lasers with adaptive beam optimisation and Lantek Expert software, which is one of the most advanced CAD/CAM nesting software packages on the market today. Nukon’s range of 2D fibre laser machines includes models designed for first-time laser users and businesses adding value to in-house manufactured products, as well as high-performance machines for demanding flat-bed laser metal cutting requirements in subcontract environments.

www.nukonlasers.co.uk

EcoAir® Biobased Outdoor Coating: seeking renewability and rust prevention in remote locations

No matter how technologically advanced today’s society is, corrosion remains a fact of life. Manufacturers and maintenance crews

continue to battle rust on metal components, equipment, and structures. While countless rust preventatives exist, Cortec’s EcoAir® Biobased Outdoor Coating powered by Nano VpCI® is one approach to corrosion

protection that specifically caters to renewability and worker convenience concerns for those in remote or difficultto-access areas.

Wet Film

Corrosion Inhibitor

EcoAir® Biobased Outdoor Coating powered by Nano VpCI® is a biobased temporary coating designed for severe marine and high humidity conditions. It leaves behind an oily protective film that does not dry and is temperature stable to 180 °F (82 °C). It can be used to spray a quick layer of rust prevention on practically any metal part that needs protection: nuts and bolts, spare car parts, or other exposed metal surfaces. It is also great for quick temporary touchup on equipment where chipped paint cannot be immediately restored.

Rust Prevention with Renewable Content

A key feature of EcoAir® Biobased Outdoor Coating powered by Nano VpCI® is that it contains 65% USDA certified biobased content. At this percentage, it is also a qualified product under the mandatory federal purchasing initiative of the USDA BioPreferred® Program,* which requires federal agencies and contractors to give purchasing preference to products with a minimum level of biobased content in 139 product categories. For those who like Cortec’s CorShield® VpCI®-369 but need a biobased alternative,

EcoAir® Biobased Outdoor Coating is a great substitute.

Convenient Coating Application

Another defining characteristic of EcoAir® Biobased Outdoor Coating is its packaging. EcoAir® Biobased Outdoor Coating comes in EcoAir® bag-on-valve (BOV) spray cans powered by compressed air rather than traditional chemical propellants. When the can is empty, the inside pouch can be thrown away and the can recycled.

Such packaging offers great convenience and portability. For example, workers doing MRO (maintenance, repair, operations) tasks on a rooftop unit may have to climb a ladder or steep stairway to reach the work area. While it would be impractical if not impossible to drag an air compressor and

spray equipment up to the top of the roof to spray-apply a coating, it is easy to grab a can of EcoAir® Biobased Outdoor Coating and do a quick application wherever corrosion protection is needed.

Offshore platforms or other remote worksites are also great candidates for EcoAir® Biobased Outdoor Coating. It is much easier to bring along a spray can of rust preventative coating than to haul an entire

drum of coating—not to mention spray-equipment that poses trip hazards. EcoAir® Biobased Outdoor Coating is also much easier and safer to store onsite than traditional aerosols—especially in high-

risk environments like the oil and gas industry—because it is classified as non-flammable (flash point: 257 °F [125 °C]).

The Battle Continues for Sustainable Rust Prevention

Corrosion never dies, but neither does Cortec® stop looking for ways to bring userfriendly, sustainable features to the battle. EcoAir® Biobased Outdoor Coating is one example of a convenient solution for environmentally conscious endusers or those simply looking for a way to comply with biobased purchasing mandates. Contact Cortec® to learn more about EcoAir® Biobased Outdoor Coating:

https://www.corteccoatings. com/contact-us-2/ More information, go to https://www.biopreferred.gov.

Pipe beveling machine clamps easily, self-centres and squares

Apipe beveler that is easy to operate for performing precision end preps on pipe from 114 mm I.D. to 610 mm O.D. to assure high-integrity welds has been introduced by Esco Tool of Holliston, Massachusetts, USA.

The Dictator II MILLHOG ® Pipe Beveler is an I.D. clamping welding end prep tool that aligns perfectly using self-

centering clamps and can incorporate four blades in order to bevel, face, and bore or create a compound bevel. Featuring an adjustable tool post for easily indexing the blades, it can perform 37.5º to 10º compound bevels on a 610 mm O.D. pipe with a 65 mm thick wall and is offered with air, electric, and hydraulic powered motors.

Equipped with a patented safety spring hanger for easy

positioning and clamping, the Dictator II MILLHOG ® Pipe Beveler uses one mandrel and a set of three wide clamps that provide six points of contact to the pipe I.D. to mount rigidly and ensure chatter-free operation. This machine requires no cutting oils and is well-suited for use in fabrication shops or on-site.

The Dictator II MILLHOG ® Pipe Beveler is priced from (USD) $23,995.00 and is

available for rent; rental inquiries invited.

More information contact: Esco Tool

A Unit of Esco Technologies, Inc.

Matthew Brennan, International Marketing Director

75 October Hill Rd. Holliston, MA 01746

(508) 429-4441e-mail: matt@escotool.com

www.escotool.com

wire and Tube go to Turkey – new investment business in May 2023 in Istanbul

Another important step has been taken towards globalisation with a focus on the international growth markets of the metal industry: from 24 to 27 May 2023 the new trade fairs wire Eurasia and Tube Eurasia will be held for the first time in Istanbul.

With this move Messe Düsseldorf expands its wire and Tube portfolio in the direction of Turkey and Asia.

wire and Tube Eurasia will initially be run as an investment business venture during the

two Turkish trade fairs Wire Tech Istanbul and Tube + Steel Istanbul. These two events are held by Tüyap Fair Istanbul, the leading Turkish trade fair organiser and venue operator, at the Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center. From 2025 wire and Tube Eurasia will then be organised as independent trade fairs at two-year intervals.

24 to 27 May 2023 will see the two Turkish trade fairs being extended to include the new trade fairs wire and Tube Eurasia with the focal segments wire, cable, their manufacturing and processing, tubes and pipes, pipe

production, pipe finishing and trade.

“The expansion of our metal trade fair portfolio towards

Turkey is important and necessary to ensure continued growth in the market and to match our exhibitors’ changed needs,” stresses Daniel Ryfisch, Director of Messe Düsseldorf’s wire, Tube and Flow Technologies portfolio.

The leading Turkish trade fair organiser and venue operator Tüyap has successfully organised fairs and conferences in the region since 1979.

By way of this cooperation Tüyap and Messe Düsseldorf strengthen their concentrated expertise in the metal fairs segment.

Expressions of interest in wire and Tube Eurasia can be addressed to Cem Bagci and Sarah Liehsem at: bagcic@ messe-duesseldorf.de and LiehsemS@messe-duesseldorf.de as of now.

Further information as well as registration documents will be accessible soon at: www.wireeurasia.com and https://www. tube-eurasia.com.

Press contact for all international wire and Tube satellites: Petra Hartmann-Bresgen

Tel: +49 (0) 211/45 60 -541

E-Mail: HartmannP@messeduesseldorf.de

Joining smart technologies in the era of sustainability and digitalization

Fronius Invites You to the 7th International Automotive Conference

Experts from the world of joining technology for the automotive industry will come together between May 10–11, 2023, at Fronius’ headquarters in Sattledt, Austria. Sustainability and digitalization are the key topics of this year’s international automotive conference.

Renowned speakers will present and discuss sustainability issues from a range of different perspectives. What are the emerging trends and developments in the world of joining technologies for the automotive industry? What are the challenges facing the automotive and supply industry in the shift towards increasing sustainability in production? How can digitalization help with this process? What are

the hidden opportunities and risks in digitally transforming production environments? Join the discussion and share your experiences with the experts.

The conference is being chaired by Dr. Florian Oefele (BMW

Sustainability and digitalization in joining for the automotive industry—these are the key topics for the Joining Smart Technologies conference series on May 10–11, 2023.

AG) and Daniel Rudolph (Audi AG), and Fronius International is hosting the Joining Smart Technologies event.

“The automotive industry is a key industry for us. Many of our product innovations have stemmed from intensive

“Interesting and stimulating lectures from the automotive and supply industry will form the core of the event and will be supplemented by excellent presentations from outside the industry, giving you an opportunity to look at the wider picture.

analyses of challenges facing the industry and its specific requirements. I’m delighted that this prestigious conference is

taking place in our own back yard,” said Fronius CEO Elisabeth Engelbrechtsmüller-Strauß.

Fronius has been offering this

Tube China 2023

unique platform for knowledge sharing and discussion to those in the automotive and supply industries since 2008.

Registration for the event is open on the conference website: https://www.joining-smarttechnologies.com/en/jst-2023

Leading trade fair for the regional tube and pipe industry starts in Shanghai in June 2023

From 14 to 16 June 2023, the leading regional trade fair for tubes and pipes, Tube China, will be held in Shanghai. On display will be machinery and equipment for tube manufacturing, processing technologies, raw materials, tubes and accessories, pipeline and OCTG technology.

The organisers, Messe Düsseldorf Shanghai and MCCCPIT, are increasingly focusing on trend themes such as green transformation and AI-based applications. Current solutions from the field of metallurgy are presented at Metallurgy China, which is held in parallel.

Visitors to Tube China come primarily from the automotive industry, the chemical industry,

the oil and gas industry, the energy sector, aerospace technology and the construction industry.

Further information can be

found on the internet portal at: www.tubechina.net

Press Contact Tube China in Germany: Petra Hartmann-Bresgen

+41-211-4560 541

A podium discussion with the conference leaders and some of the presenters will form the grand finale of the event.