Brazil’s Aço Cearense Group’s Siderúrgica Norte Brasil (Sinobras) has officially produced the first steel coil at its rolling mill #2 in Marabá, Pará state, Brazil.
A press release said that Sinobras invested in the new mill from Italy’s Danieli to increase its annual production capacity from 380,000 tons to 850,000 tons per year of wire rod and spooled rebar in coils. The mill features an innovative, full cantilever stand configuration with a total of 26 passes. It has 10 cantilever stands arranged in H/V configuration, followed by a series of Delta-type, fast-finishing blocks, with a 45° design, for the remaining 16 passes of the reduction sequence.
The new mill will produce wire rod from 5.5 to 16 mm, and rebar from 6.3 to 16 mm, at a maximum finishing speed of 110 m/s. The project includes a new substation and 230kV transmission line to meet the new electrical load needs of the steel producer and facilitate the use of energy from the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant, of which it is a partner as a self-producer.
Sinobras Industrial Director Milton Lima described the expansion as a transformative moment for the Group. “This achievement represents a significant milestone ... taking us to an even higher level. By doubling the size of Sinobras, we are not only expanding our operations, but we are also transforming our company into a powerhouse, generating new opportunities.
Italy’s Danieli reports that it has received orders for two high-productivity and H3 rolling mills to be installed and put into operation in Russia during 2020.
A press release said that AEMZ (Abinsk Electric Steel Works Ltd.) ordered a new 600,000-tpy H3 wire rod line to be installed at Abinsk, in the Krasnodar region. The new mill will produce wire rod coils, 5.5- to 16-mm, smooth rounds, and 6- to 12-mm, quenched and microalloyed rebar, for construction, welding wire and CHQ grades.
The second order is from NPZ (Novorossiysk Rolling Plant LLC), which ordered a new 500,000-tpy H3 wire rod mill to be installed at Novorossiysk, also in the Krasnodar region. The mill will roll 150 x 150 billets into 5.5- to 16-mm wire rod and deformed wire rod in coils weighing up to 2.1 metric tons.
Depending on customer requirements, Danieli notes that its H3 mills operate at over 100 m/sec. They consist of an ESS (Energy Saving System) cantilever-type and SHS housingless stands and fast-finishing blocks; a water-cooling line suitable for wire-rod quenching and controlled cooling, and a loop-laying head, rotary reforming tube and easy-down system for a perfect coil pattern.
Danieli’s H3 mills are typically supplied along with Danieli Centro Combustion reheating furnaces equipped with the latest-generation, ultra-low NOx emission, flat MAB flameless burners. Danieli Automation provides process control, power and instrumentation—like medium-voltage Q-DRIVE, HiPROFILE LITE and HiSECTION measuring devices—for in-line tracking and product monitoring, and optical system for rolling guides set-up, and for rolls and guides alignment for the finishing block.
Italy’s Danieli Group reports that production has begun for the new high-speed wire rod mill it supplied to Acciaierie di Verona (the Pittini Group) that represents the 500th rolling mill the company has now supplied.
A press release at the Danieli website reports that the first coil was recently produced, some 19 months after the contract signature. “The timely start-up and the following hot-test period of seven weeks, during which 25.000 tons of finished wire rod in quality have been produced, reflects the long-term cooperation between the Pittini Group and Danieli,” it said.
Regarding the rolling mill, it was designed to hold strict end-product size tolerances, employing the most advanced wire-rod technology and in full compliance with Industry 4.0 requirements, the release said. It noted that the plant is capable of annually producing 750,000 metric tons (mt) of plain wire rod from 5.5 to 25 mm and rebar from 6 to 18 mm at rolling speed of 100 m/sec, and further outlined the capabilities as follows.
The mill has a high-speed rougher feeding two independent rolling lines that consist of cantilever roll stands, featuring quick roll changes and temperature control along the mill and downstream. High-speed shears, installed downstream the multi-drive, high-speed, twin-module sizing blocks, perform wire-rod head and tail cropping. The fourth-generation loop layers guarantee extended pipe life, quick rotor changes, and no vibration during rolling, resulting perfect loops from heads to tails. The variable-pitch cooling conveyor features modular slow-to-ultrafast cooling.
The Danieli Automation Q3 Intelligence system is used for integrated data collection of the whole plant, analysis, and web reporting with Key Performance Indicators and powerful statistical tools to support decision making. The new plant automation ensures consistent product quality consistency, high utilization factor and yield, and workshop coordination, and establishes a link to “Big Data” and plant digitalization practices.
South Korea’s SMS Group has won a contract from Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO)—the fifth largest steel producer in the world and the largest in South Korea—to modernize its existing wire rod mill at its Pohang works.
A press release said that the project calls for the replacement of some equipment along the mill (existing descaler and additional one on the rolling mill), a new cropping shear, a shiftable water cooling line, pouring reel machines with walking beam conveyor, cooling fans and hoods assuring in-line treatment of coils. The plant now produces 540,000 tons per year of wire rod and bar-in-coils for automotive applications from 14 up to 42 mm, with coils up to two tons.
The project, the release said, will allow POSCO to widen coiled round products up to 55 mm, and smaller products rolled at 22 m per second. The mechanical areas will be connected with a scratch-free conveying system that, combined with the automation package supplied by SMS group, will grant POSCO a quality improvement on the rolled surface of the bars and a better coil shape and formation. Further implementations are the off-line simulation process with CCT® (Controlled Cooling Technology) and quick changing system of the water cooling line in less than five minutes to grant better plant efficiency. These features will give POSCO the possibility to better supply the automotive and special steels market.
“This latest modernization project further underlines SMS group’s upgrade expertise and its position as a leading supplier of rolling mills for quality steels in all size ranges,” the release said.
The SMS Group, a group of companies internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and nonferrous metals industry, has some 14,000 employees. The sole owner of the holding company SMS GmbH is the Familie Weiss Foundation.
U.K.-based Liberty, part of the global GFG Alliance that also owns Georgetown Steel, announced that it has agreed to buy four European steel plants, including a wire rod operation, from ArcelorMittal.
A press release said that the "landmark transaction" that raise Liberty’s total annual rolling capacity to over 15 million metric tons (mmt). The deal includes Mittal’s integrated works at Ostrava in the Czech Republic, which has some 6,000 employees. Products made there include wire rod, hot-rolled coil, sheets, rebar, merchant bar and light rail. More than half the production is exported.
The deal also includes three other plants—one in Galati, Romania, and two (Skopje and Piombino) in Italy—that produce a range of other steel products. The collective plants have some 12,500 employees. The deal was related to requirements for ArceloMittal, which is seeking to buy Ilva, a huge yet long-troubled steel giant in Italy.
JSW Steel Limited has signed a contract with Primetals Technologies for a two-strand wire rod mill to be located in Toranagallu, India.
A press release said that Primetals Technologies will supply the complete wire rod mill. That includes all mechanical and electrical equipment for two-strand production from a single-stand roughing mill. Two independent rolling lines will then join at the coil-handling area for further compacting and unloading. Among other Morgan-branded equipment, the mill will include a new design of individually driven pre-finishing mill that eliminates the need for uploopers, a faster cooling nozzle clamping and unclamping method for shorter change
times, the latest generation 6 Morgan high-speed laying head with SR Series pipe technology, and a recently patented stepless reform design.
The contract also includes site supervision and spare parts, the release said. Designed for a guaranteed maximum speed of 115 m per second, the mill will run at 220 tons per hour for an annual capacity of 1.2 mmt. Start-up is scheduled for the end of 2019.
The release said that this represents the third such purchase by JSW Steel from Primetals Technologies, which previously installed a single-strand wire rod mill and a bar mill.
Part of the JSW Group, JSW Steel was founded in 1994 and exports to more than 100 countries on five continents. At its website, JSW notes, “We are India’s largest steel exporter and ship to over a hundred companies across five continents. And we are just warming up.”
JSW Steel Limited has signed a contract with Primetals Technologies for the supply and installation of a two-strand wire rod mill that will be located in Toranagallu, India. Start-up is expected at the end of 2019.
A press release said that Primetals Technologies will supply the complete wire rod mill. That includes all mechanical and electrical equipment for two-strand production from a single-stand roughing mill. Two independent rolling lines will then join at the coil-handling area for further compacting and unloading. Among other Morgan-branded equipment, the mill will include a new design of individually driven pre-finishing mill that eliminates the need for uploopers, a faster cooling nozzle clamping and unclamping method for shorter change times, the latest generation 6 Morgan High Speed Laying Head with SR Series pipe technology, and a recently patented stepless reform design.
The contract also includes site supervision and spare parts, the release said. Designed for a guaranteed maximum speed of 115 m per second, the mill will run at 220 tons per hour for an annual capacity of 1.2 mmt. Start-up is scheduled for the end of 2019.
The release said that this represents the third such purchase by JSW Steel from Primetals Technologies, JSW Steel, which previously installed a single-strand wire rod mill and a bar mill.
The new mill will be built in JSW Steel, based in Mumbai, India, is a leading integrated steel manufacturer in India with a capacity of 18 million metric tons per year. Owned by JSW Group, JSW Steel was founded in 1994 and exports its products to more than 100 countries on five continents. At its website, JSW notes, We are India’s largest steel exporter and ship to over a hundred companies across five continents. And we are just warming up.”
Liberty Steel USA said that preparations continue for the restart of Georgetown wire mill, South Carolina, with a new general manager and more than 100 recruits.
The company said that the new general manager, Revansidha “Rohit” Gulve, has joined the operation from Gerdau Steel in Beaumont, Texas. Staff is getting the previously shuttered melt shop, casters and rolling facilities ready for recommissioning.
“I’m really excited about this project because it is one of those great challenges,” Gulve said. “Anytime you restart a mill like that after three years down, it is a memory for life. My objective is to make the plant profitable in both good markets and bad and to have the best people working in the safest environment. I am very eager to understand and improve the cost structure, so it becomes a sustainable business for the long term.”
Michael Setterdahl, chief executive of Liberty Steel USA, part of Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance, said that “Rohit is a great addition to our management team. “We look forward to working with him as we build our business in Georgetown and across America.”
Liberty acquired the Georgetown plant from ArcelorMittal in December 2017 as the first part of its plan to bring its GREENSTEEL vision for low-carbon steel production to the U.S.
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