Steel Times International May June 2021

INDIA UPDATE

INNOVATIONS

ENVIRONMENT

PERSPECTIVES Q&A

Steelmakers divert oxygen to COVID hospitals to fight pandemic.

The latest contracts and new products news.

Eco-friendly acid regeneration.

We talk to Ralph Foehr, product and development manager, NEXTSENSE

Since 1866

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STEEL TIMES INTERNATIONAL – May/June 2021 – Vol.45 No4

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CONTENTS – MAY/JUNE 2021

INDIAN STEEL INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS

ENVIRONMENT

PERSPECTIVES Q&A

Steelmakers divert oxygen to COVID hospitals to fight pandemic.

Eco-friendly acid regeneration.

We talk to Ralph Foehr, product and development manager, NEXTSENSE

The latest contracts and new products news.

Since 1866

1

2 Leader

www.steeltimesint.com May/June 2021 - Vol.45 No4

STEEL TIMES INTERNATIONAL – May/June 2021 – Vol.45 No4

SandMan at the ladle of Badische Stahlwerke, Kehl, Germany.

Cover photo courtesy of Badische Stahl-Engineering (taken by Daniel Vogel SV Art & Design).

STRUCTURAL STEEL IN THE USA STI Cover.indd 1

10/05/2021 10:54:44

EDITORIAL Editor Matthew Moggridge Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855151 matthewmoggridge@quartzltd.com Consultant Editor Dr. Tim Smith PhD, CEng, MIM Production Editor Annie Baker Advertisement Production Martin Lawrence SALES International Sales Manager Paul Rossage paulrossage@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855116 Sales Director Ken Clark kenclark@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855117 Managing Director Tony Crinion tonycrinion@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855164 Chief Executive Officer Steve Diprose SUBSCRIPTION Elizabeth Barford Tel +44 (0) 1737 855028 Fax +44 (0) 1737 855034 Email subscriptions@quartzltd.com

4 News round-up The latest global news.

34 Structural steel Infrastructure will aid recovery.

11 Sustainability Building a net zero future.

38 Architecture and design ‘Each autonomous, and yet together’

12 Latin America update Tenaris is in good shape.

44 Transportation and handling ‘Material Flow How’ in action.

14 India update India’s oxygen crisis.

47 Environment Eco-friendly acid regeneration.

17 USA update Praise for Biden’s infrastructure plan.

53 Electric steelmaking Improving ladle preparation safety.

21 Innovations Contracts and products news.

56 Perspectives Q&A: Ralph Foehr from NEXTSENSE.

28 Innovations Special A pressing need for automation.

59 History A festival of ancient smelting.

Steel Times International is published eight times a year and is available on

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Tel: +44 (0)1737 855000 Fax: +44 (0)1737 855034 www.steeltimesint.com Steel Times International (USPS No: 020-958) is published monthly except Feb, May, July, Dec by Quartz Business Media Ltd and distributed in the US by DSW, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville, PA. POSTMASTER send address changes to Steel Times International

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LEADER

Sustainability and sustainable steelmaking...

Matthew Moggridge Editor matthewmoggridge@quartzltd.com

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Sustainability is ubiquitous, it’s everywhere and, like a virus in a sense, albeit a good one, it’s affecting (and infecting) the steel industry. Reducing emissions to zero is a good thing, it’s going to make the planet a better and safer place to live, and if hydrogen steelmaking is the big success we all hope it will be, we’ll have a steel industry to be proud of; although we’re already in awe of steel and everything it does for us. In a nutshell it’s an amazing product. It is 100% recyclable and is used in all aspects of our lives: our cars, railways and trains are made of steel, our knives and forks, our bridges, you name it, steel is involved. We cannot live without steel, so it makes sense for the steelmaking process to be as green and efficient as possible.

And who am I to start preaching the gospel of sustainability? I’m no expert on the subject, far from it, all I do is write about what the experts are doing and try to make sense of it all. Suffice it to say that there’s plenty happening across the globe. In China, Xinyu Iron & Steel and Hangda Iron & Steel are investing in EAF technology with a view to reducing emissions, bringing to the fore the increasingly important role of electric

steelmaking in the greener future of our industry.

In South Korea, POSCO is focusing on steel for electric cars and hydrogen energy; Tata Steel in India is hoping to reduce emissions by 40% across all of its sites by 2030, and in the UK Jonathan Maxwell, CEO of Sustainable Development Capital, argues that energy costs in steelmaking can be slashed by up to 70% through generating power on-site from blast furnace gases and by recycling waste heat, using tried and tested technologies (see page 11).

US Steel is hoping to be carbon neutral by 2050 through a mix of electric arc furnaces, DRI, carbon-free energy sources and carbon capture, sequestration and utilization. And if that’s not enough, the World Steel Association has recognised nine steelmakers as its ‘sustainability champions’ (see page 6).

With great things happening and the global steel industry coming together on this important issue, please register for the Sustainable Steel Strategies Summit by visiting https://www.steeltimesint.com/ sustainable-steel-strategies-summit to learn more about this important subject.

2/9/21 2:16 PM www.steeltimesint.com

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4 NEWS ROUND-UP

QUOTE OF THE MONTH “Roughly 110,000 steelworkers [in the USA] have lost their livelihoods since 1990, with a nearly 7% drop in steel jobs since the pandemic started.” Chicago Tribune, 2 April 2021.

• Xinyu Iron & Steel and Hangda Iron & Steel are two Chinese steelmakers pushing ahead with the development of EAF steelmaking in line with China’s plan to reduce emissions in steel manufacturing. The Xinyu EAF will produce 960kt/yr of finished steel and the Hangda facility 950kt/yr. It is expected that large-capacity EAF development in China will accelerate, according to an online report by Kallanish.

Source: Kallanish, 30 March 2021.

• Nationalisation of Liberty Steel Group is very much still on the cards, according to UK business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, who said that the British Government was looking at all options. A request from Liberty for £170 million in financial support from the government has been rejected because of the opaque structure of the steelmaker’s parent, GFG. Kwarteng said that the Gupta Family Group was opaque and not helpful.

Source: BBC.co.uk, 30 March 2021.

• Tata Steel Europe has announced what it regards as an ambitious move to reduce CO2 emissions by 5Mt (roughly 40%) at all of its industrial sites by 2030.

Source: Montel News, 30 March 2021.

• 2020 operating revenue for Chinese steelmaker Shandong was up 22% year-on-year at RMB 87.317 billion (US$13.3 billion). Net profits were up 24.8% at RMB 723 million (US$110.2 million). The company produced 13.84Mt of pig iron, 16.27Mt of crude steel and 16.01Mt of finished steel. For 2021, Shandong is planning to produce 14.25Mt of pig iron, 16.55Mt of crude steel and 16.32Mt of finished steel.

Source: Steel Orbis.com, 31 March 2021.

• Plans by JFE Steel and Chugoku Electric Power Co. to build a gas-fired power station in Chiba, near Tokyo, have been scrapped. A 2018 plan to build a coal-fired power station was also scrapped. The two companies are now of the opinion that a gas-fired power plant would not be feasible in terms of wholesale power prices and utilization.

Source: Financial Post.com, 31 March 2021.

• Steel for electric cars, secondary battery materials and hydrogen energy – three areas that South Korean steelmaker POSCO will focus on going forward. The company hopes to become a leading player in ecofriendly businesses, especially secondary battery materials, according to recently reelected chair Choi Jeong-woo as he announced restructuring plans a day before the company celebrated its 53rd anniversary. Source: Korea Times.co.kr, 1 April 2021.

• Privately-owned JSW Steel looks set to become India’s biggest steelmaker following various expansions and acquisitions. The company’s recently opened Dolvi hot strip mill has boosted the company’s production capacity to 23Mt/yr and by the end of the 2021/22 financial year that figure is likely to reach 27Mt/yr, according to Argus Media.

Source: Argus Media.com, 1 April 2021.

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NEWS ROUND-UP

• Jefferson Marko, Gerdau Diaco’s executive president, says that Columbia’s economy is resilient and will revert to pre-pandemic production levels. If such a scenario materialises, the company will melt 350kt of ferrous scrap to meet construction and infrastructure sector demand.

Source: Recycling Today.com, 1 April 2021.

• TV Narendran, CEO and MD of Tata Steel in India and his wife Ruchi have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

TV said it was a simple and painless process.

Source: Daily Pioneer.com, 2 April 2021.

For more global steel news, log on to our news website, www.steeltimesint.com

• An article in the Chicago Tribune claims that foreign steelmakers stand to benefit most from President Joe Biden’s infrastructure spending because US-made steel is simply too expensive.

Joe Deaux’s article claims that steel from Vietnam and Taiwan has already landed at the Port of Houston and that more is on the way from South East Asia – and it’s all demand-driven.

Source: Chicago Tribune, 2 April 2021.

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• A steelworker in China has committed suicide by jumping into a furnace. The man, 34-year-old Wang Long, worked for Baojang Group in Baotou and was having money issues having lost over 60,000 yuan (roughly US$9,000). The incident took place on 24 March. According to an online report, there have been several stock marketrelated suicides in China in recent years.

Source: Gulf Today.com, 3 April 2021

• The president of the Brazil Steel Institute, Marco Polo de Mello Lopes, says that the American steel industry is not self-sufficient in raw material and will need to import ‘much more semi-finished steel’. Lopes is hoping that Joe Biden’s plan to invest trillions of dollars in US infrastructure will mean a review of quotas that limit steel imports imposed by former president Donald Trump. Source: The Rio Times, 5 April 2021 • Harsco Environmental, a division of Harsco Corporation, has announced that it has renewed a multi-year contract with Indian steelmaker JSW’s Dolvi mill to process steel melt shop slag. The existing contract expires June 2022. The new contract will include the processing of SMS-2 slag, starting in July. The idea is to support the mill until it develops a large metal recovery plant at a new location. Metal recovery, scrap management and underfurnace digging are all services HE currently provides to the Dolvi facility. Source: Global Newswire.com, 6 April 2021 • There is now talk about Posco weighing up its options regarding links with Myanmar through its JV with Myanmar Economic Holdings. One online media report suggests that Posco C&C might sell its 70% share in the company or buy out its partner’s stake.

How much the 30% holding is worth is unknown.

Source: Regina Leader-Post, 5 April 2021 www.steeltimesint.com

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• South Korean steelmaker POSCO’s continuing links with the Myanmar military is still dominating headlines. The Financial Times reports on Dutch pension fund APG, one of a group of investors worried about its holdings in POSCO and whether it would undermine responsible investing commitments following the February coup. The root of the problem is Posco C&C, a Posco subsidiary, that runs a steel joint venture with Myanmar Economic Holdings.

Source: Financial Times, 5 April 2021

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NEWS ROUND-UP

• POSCO Chemical, part of Korean steel giant POSCO, is to supply cathode material to Ultium Cells, a battery company formed by General Motors and LG Energy Solutions in the USA. The material will be used to make lithium-ion batteries for GM electric vehicles (EVs). The batteries are made using natural graphite, which is claimed to offer high storage capacity.

Source: Hindustan Times Auto news, 6 April 2021

• And sticking with POSCO, the Korean steel giant claims that the highly profitable gas field it operates in Myanmar is nothing to do with the country’s murderous military junta. POSCO claims that the gas field, a rice processing plant and a hotel, run by POSCO International were all operating 20 years before the February coup led by General Min Aung Hlaing.

Source: Korea Times.kr, 6 April 2021

• Now under scrutiny from shareholders and human rights activists alike, Posco International is still actively engaged in business with

• Tata Steel, JSW Steel and Bhushan Steel have all rejoined the Indian Steel Association. ISA president Dilip Oommen said the organisation was pleased to have them back. Tata Steel left the ISA over mining policy differences, it is claimed.

Source: Economic Times/India Times.com, 8 April 2021

Myanmar. The company plans to send a second deep-water drilling rig to what Energy Voice is calling ‘the troubled Southeast Asian state’.

Source: Energy Voice.com, 12 April 2021

• For the quarter ended 31 March 2021, Indian steel giant Tata Steel claims its production has remained flat when compared to the same period in 2020. The company produced 7.4Mt between January and March this year compared with 7.37Mt the year before.

Source: Business Standard. com, 6 April 2021

• Nine steelmakers have been recognised by the World Steel Association as Steel Sustainability Champions.

The companies are: JFE Steel Corporation; JSW Steel Limited; Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK Group); Outokumpu Oyj; Severstal (PAO); Tata Steel Europe; Tata Steel Limited; Tenaris; and Ternium.

JFE, NLMK, Outokumpu and Severstal are recognised for the first time.

Source: MarketScanner, 13 April 2021

• A lot of people moan about the policies of Donald Trump, the former president of the USA, but not the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), according to an online report by Yahoo Finance. An EPI report claims that Trump’s Section 232 tariffs protected the US domestic steel industry from chronic global excess capacity in major exporting countries.

Source: Finance.yahoo.com, 6 April 2021

• JSW Steel Italy, a member of the JSW Group, has completed its acquisition of GSI Lucchini SpA having acquired the remaining 30.73% of the business. The deal was signed in December 2020 and completed on 13 April this year. GSI is located in the port city of Piombino in Tuscany.

Source: Business Standard, 14 April 2021

• Raymond S Napolitan, executive vice president of Engineered Bar Products and Digital at Nucor Corporation has announced that he is retiring from the company on 5 June this year. He started his career with the company in 1996 as engineering manager of Nucor Building Systems in Indiana, USA. Leon Topalian, President and CEO of the company praised his ‘dedication and exceptional leadership’.

Source: Nucor Corporation, 14 April 2021 May/June 2021

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NEWS ROUND-UP

• Will Biden revise Section 232 tariffs or not? It’s a big question, but Fastmarkets seem to think that he might if the European Union increases tariffs on US imports, including Jack Daniels and flat rolled steel. The EU claims it will increase tariffs on US imports from 25% to 50% unless the US removes the EU from Section 232.

Source: Fastmarkets AMM, 13 April 2021

• In a letter to the UK Financial Times, Jonathan Maxwell, CEO of Sustainable Development Capital, said that energy costs in steelmaking can be slashed by up to 70% through generating power on-site from blast furnace gases and by recycling waste heat, using tried and tested technologies.

He name-checked Cleveland Cliffs and US Steel operating in Indiana, USA, claiming they saved 76,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, improved their bottom line and enjoyed a more reliable energy supply.

Source: Financial Times, 14 April 2021 www.steeltimesint.com

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• Integrated steelmaker Gerdau has created Gerdau Graphene, a company that will form part of its Gerdau Next business division, which operates separately from the steelmaking arm of the operation. Graphene is a ‘nano product’ and can be used in steel coating and welding.

Source: Steel Orbis, 15 April 2021

• Steel Dynamics Inc plans to invest US$225 million on two galvanising lines to support its new flat-rolled steel mill in Sinton, Texas. There will be a 300kt/yr (short tons) galvanizing line and a 240kt/ yr (short tons) paint line. Both lines will be up and running during H2 2022.

Source: Argus Media, 15 April 2021

• A merger between two Chinese steelmakers, Ansteel and Benxi, will make the world’s third largest steelmaker and China’s second largest according to online media reports.

Currently, the merger is in the planning and preparation stage, according to Steel Orbis, which claims that plans could be finalised over the coming year. Based on 2019 figures, Anshan produced 39.2Mt and Benxi 16.2Mt. Put them together and you have 55Mt, making the merged company number three in the world, ahead of Nippon Steel and HBIS, but after Baowu and ArcelorMittal. It will be China’s second largest company.

Source: Steel Orbis, Caixin Global, 16 April 2021

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• POSCO Coated and Colour Steel is hoping to become the sole owner of Myanma Economic Holdings Public Co Ltd, the company currently 30% owned by the Myanmar military junta. POSCO has come under a great deal of pressure recently to relinquish ties with the company because of its Myanmar military link. The Myanmar military staged a coup in February to oust the government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. To date, 751 people have died protesting.

Source: Nikkei Asia, The Star Online, 18 April 2021

For more global steel news, log on to our news website, www.steeltimesint.com

• Voestalpine Rotec is to shut down its plant in Lafayette, Indiana, USA and permanently lay off 70 employees citing pandemic-related reasons.

Source: The Fabricator, 19 April 2022 • Many steelmakers in India have been supplying much needed oxygen to hospitals fighting COVID-19 in India. Tata Steel is supplying between 200 and 300 tonnes/day, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel is doing the same. Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has supplied more than 33,000 tones of liquid medical oxygen of 99.7% purity from various integrated mills around the country. Source: CNBCTV18.com, 19 April 2021 May/June 2021

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• Electric arc furnaces, direct reduced iron, carbon-free energy sources, carbon capture, sequestration and utilization – all tools in US Steel’s armoury to ensure that the steelmaker will be carbon neutral by 2050.

According to an online report

by SPGlobal. The North American steelmaker claims that its goal is achievable, but will be dependent upon ‘public-private collaboration across industries and global stakeholders’.

Source: SPGlobal, 21 April 2021 • Harmful gas detection has traditionally been a dangerous manual procedure, but not any more. South Korean steelmaker POSCO has developed a bright orange tennis ball-sized ‘smart safety ball’ that can be thrown into an enclosed space to detect anything nasty. The device weighs 100g and has a diameter of 60mm. It can detect the saturation level of oxygen,carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulphide and can communicate with smartphones or tablet PCs. Source: Aju Business Daily, 21 April 2021

NEWS ROUND-UP

• A report in the Hindustan Times claims that Indian steelmaker JSW is supplying 400 metric tonnes of liquefied oxygen daily to hospitals in the Indian state of Karnataka where it will be used to treat COVID-19 patients. Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh R Nirani asked steel companies to produce oxygen ‘on a war footing’ and said there was a need to produce oxygen ‘in huge quantities’.

Source: Hindustan Times, 21 April 2021

• A number of online media reports focus upon Tata Steel taking Liberty Steel to court over missed payments related to the sale in 2017 of the former’s Rotherham steel facilities. The Times of London reports that Sanjeev Gupta’s UK steel empire is facing further destabilisation as a result of the alleged legal action.

Source: The Times, 22 April 2021

• Iran is claiming 10th position in the global steel output rankings, according to IMIDRO, the country’s state-run metals and mining conglomerate. The IRNA news agency reported that steel output was up 10.7% in Q1 when compared to the same period in March 2020.

Source: Presstv.com, 24 April 2021

• ArcelorMittal, the world’s biggest steelmaker, along with Swedish utility company Vattenfall, Shell, Airbus and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have teamed up to cut emissions using hydrogen.

The consortium consists of 12 members and one objective will be to produce carbonneutral steel in the port city of Hamburg where it is estimated 1Mt of CO2 will be saved annually.

Source: Bloomberg, 26 April 2021

• Hard to fathom why, but British-made steel will not be used in the production of seven Astute hunter-killer submarines for the British navy. Furthermore, it won’t be needed for 500 Boxer and 589 Ajax fighting vehicles, according to an online media report from the Scottish Sun, a UK tabloid newspaper.

Instead, the steel required will likely come from Sweden.

No British company produces the right kind of steel, said defence Minister Jeremy Quin.

Source: Scottish Sun, 25 April 2021

• Russian steelmaker Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) produced just over 1Mt of steel from its hot rolling mill 2500, which is located at sheet rolling shop number four. The figure represents the highest quarterly production figure for this unit in its entire postSoviet history, the company claims.

Source: MMK, 26 April 2021

• State aid is still on the cards for ThyssenKrupp’s ailing steel unit. The company has been engaged in talks with the North Rhine-Westphalia regional government and is likely to take things further after federal elections in September, according to Manager Magazin. Source: Global Banking & Finance Review, 23 April 2021 May/June 2021

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ROUND-UP

NEWS

• Indian steelmaker JSW is cutting production in order to meet the oxygen demands of hospitals fighting the COVID-19 pandemic that is raging throughout India at present. Output is being reduced in order to provide over 900 tons of liquid oxygen per day. The move follows news that Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has temporarily shutdown it’s Bhilai plant to boost supplies of oxygen.

Source: Bloomberg, 27 April 2021

• The Turkey-based hot rolling facility of MMK MAGN. MM is back in action having been suspended since late 2012 because of high costs and weak demand. Higher demand in Turkey has seen its return to active service and it’s estimated that it will be producing 30-50kt of hotrolled steel per month in four months and at full capacity in April 2022. Full capacity is 2.3Mt of crude steel and 2Mt of hot rolled coil.

Source: Nasdaq.com, 27 April 2021

• Russian steelmaker Severstal has acquired a 20% stake in LLC Production Association Nizhne-Volzhsky Pipe Plant (NVTZ) based in Volzhysky in southern Russia. According to NVTZ, the plant covers 60% of the construction pipe market in Russia’s Southern Federal District.

Source: Severstal, 27 April 2021

German steelmaker thyssenkrupp Steel, HKM and Port of Rotterdam are jointly investigating setting up international hydrogen supply chains. The aim is to explore hydrogen import opportunities via Rotterdam as well as a possible pipeline corridor between Rotterdam and TKS and HKM steel sites in Duisburg.

Source: thyssenkrupp Steel, 4 May 2021.

A school operated by Jindal Stainless in Hisar is to be converted into an emergency COVID hospital. The OP Jindal Modern School will be transformed into a 500-bed facility equipped with 50 ICU beds. The Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, has instructed officials to complete the necessary process as soon as possible in view of increasing cases in the Indian state.

Source: Jindal Stainless, 4 May 2021.

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• ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel has set up a 250-bed COVID-19 hospital. The new facility will receive an uninterrupted supply of oxygen gas from the company’s steel mill in the port city of Hazira in Gujarat, India. The hospital was inaugurated virtually by Gujarat's chief minister Vijay Rupani.

Source: Times of India, 28 April 2021

• Doyle Hopper, who has spent almost the last 30 years working for Nucor Corporation, the largest producer of steel in the USA has been hired by Brilex Industries as chief executive officer. Read more on this story on our Innovations pages in this issue.

Source: Brilex Industries, 30 April 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic has slashed steel consumption forecasts and the overall economic outlook across the EU, claims EUROFER. Shutdown measures implemented by governments that began in earnest in March 2020 severely impacted manufacturing activity and steel-using industrial sectors. However, some of the measures that had the greatest impact on the economy were loosened as of June 2020, and data show initial steps towards a return to growth in the second half of the year.

Source: EUROFER, 6 May 2021. www.steeltimesint.com

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OPINION

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Building a net zero future

Energy costs in steelmaking can already be slashed by up to 70%, says Jonathan Maxwell* through installing tried and tested energy efficient solutions that lower emissions, improve reliability and improve the bottom line.

THE UK Government’s recently published industrial decarbonisation strategy placed the steel sector firmly within its sights with the announcement that it wants the country’s steel makers to reach net zero by 2035; an ambitious target that risks relying on blue sky thinking and yet to be proven transformations to the way steel is produced. As the sector will already be aware, this target will only be achieved through untested technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage.

Meeting the Government’s vision for a world leading low-carbon steel sector through these solutions risks placing unnecessary investment burden on the sector and will likely drive-up the price of UK steel, undermining its future competitiveness in the global market.

British steel is already contributing to a decarbonised future through being used in the production of electric vehicles, offshore and onshore wind farms, and green buildings. The sector should be supported by sensible solutions to ensure that it can continue to grow and provide good quality jobs.

We encourage the Government to instead pursue a just and economically productive transition to net zero through exploring existing and proven technologies that can make a vast difference to the sustainability of steel plants quickly, including to their financial sustainability.

Energy costs in steelmaking can already be slashed by up to 70 per cent through installing tried and tested energy efficient solutions that lower emissions, improve reliability and improve the bottom line of steel plants. To improve reliability of supply and improve thermal efficiency, energy can be generated on site by utilising waste heat from coke ovens and waste gas from blast furnaces, which are supplied to steam turbines and highly efficient CHP plants.

Other industrial energy efficiency solutions such as coke pulverisation can be integrated into the steel making process, which ensures blast furnace gas has a higher energy content, thus further increasing energy recovery potential.

Implementing these efficiency changes at just two plants in Indiana, USA (Cleveland-Cliffs and US Steel) has saved

76,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, improved their bottom line and delivered a more reliable supply of energy. These enhancements firmly place these plants on the path to contributing to a lower carbon industrial future, while maintaining their economic viability and reducing their environmental impact now, rather than waiting for an indeterminate solution to be introduced.

If the UK Government is to meet its carbon targets without disrupting its remaining industrial base, it must support companies to make proven demand side energy efficiency improvements and secure decentralised power generation so that they can reduce their energy requirements, in turn reducing their emissions and reducing their cost of operating, which can help save and create jobs in the long-term.

With the introduction of a net zero target and by hosting COP26 later this year, the UK has proven to be a world leader on combatting climate change. It must also be a world leader on supporting its sectors that will be necessary on the journey to a decarbonised future. �

*CEO Sustainable Development Capital www.steeltimesint.com

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LATIN AMERICA UPDATE

Tenaris is in good shape

Luxembourg-based Tenaris has two remarkable peculiarities in comparison with its Latin American steelmaker peers. First, it has the highest degree of internationalisation and is not, therefore, dependent upon its original country (Argentina) or even Latin America as whole.

Second, it has a large dependence on the oil and gas industry, a sector seriously impacted by the pandemic. Third, the company, in which Techint group has a 60.5% stake, has recently unveiled a decarbonisation goal for 2030. By Germano Mendes de Paula* TENARIS’ net sales decreased from $7.29 billion in 2019 to $5.15 billion in 2020 (or a 29% diminution). According to a recent press release: “Our sales and results in 2020 were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the measures taken around the world to contain it, the impact this had on global oil demand, which caused a collapse in prices and rapid build-up of excess inventories, and the consequent drop in investments in drilling activity by our oil and gas customers”.

Sales of seamless tubes decreased from 2.6Mt in 2019 to 1.9Mt in 2020 (a 26% cut), whereas the respective figures for welded tubes were 671kt and 480kt and 28%. Considering the two categories of tubes together, the company had a 27% decline in tonnage sold last year.

EBITDA, as expected, has also deteriorated from $1.4 billion in 2019 to $638 million in 2020, including the impacts of $142 million of restructuring charges last year. Thus, the EBITDA margin plummeted from 18.8% and 12.4%, respectively. The company recorded a net profit of $743 million attributable to shareholders in 2019, followed by a net loss of $634 million in 2020. This latter amount included an impairment charge of $622 million on the carrying value of goodwill and other assets in the US, mainly related to the former IPSCO business and welded pipe operations. Tenaris’ financial situation is

quite comfortable, as its net cash position reached $1.1 billion ($1.7 billion of liquid assets minus $0.6 billion of debt), even after having paid $1 billion for the acquisition of IPSCO in January 2020.

Looking specifically at Q4 2020, Jefferies International highlighted in a report released on 26 February 2010 that Tenaris had a strong performance, as it significantly exceeded expectations with a better product mix and tight cost control leading to an EBITDA 44% higher than the market consensus. Even though, at that moment, the bank believed that share prices had already considered the EBITDA recovery and for that reason it has reiterated a ‘hold’ recommendation. However, Tenaris’ share price amplified from $18.76 in the day it unveiled its last financial report to $23.14 on 1 April 2021 (a 23% jump), when its market capitalisation achieved $13.4 billion.

Regional performance Tenaris disclosed its tubular products’ net sales by region, which represent 94% of total net sales in 2020. It declared: “Net sales of tubular products and services decreased 29% to $4,844 million in 2020, compared to $6,870 million in 2019, reflecting a 27% decline in volumes and a 4% decrease in average selling prices. In North America, we had lower volumes and prices across the region where activity was severely affected by the downturn in oil

prices and the pandemic.

In South America we also had lower volumes and prices across the region where activity was severely affected by the downturn in oil prices and the pandemic, except in Brazil where offshore drilling activity continued. In Europe, while sales of OCTG in the North Sea and line pipe for downstream processing remained stable, sales of mechanical and other products declined. In the Middle

* Professor in Economics, Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil. E-mail: germano@ufu.br May/June 2021

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LATIN AMERICA UPDATE 13

East and Africa, while sales in Saudi Arabia declined, they were compensated by higher OCTG sales in the rest of the Middle East. Line pipe for deepwater product in West Africa and downstream projects through the region declined. In Asia Pacific, our sales declined mainly driven by lower sales in Thailand”.

While total net sales diminished by 29% in 2020 year-onyear, South America registered a 47% drop, followed by North America (36%), Europe (12%), Middle East & Africa (11%) and Asia Pacific (9%). Therefore, one of the crucial benefits of a high degree of internationalisation is a low dependence on a given region.

South America was definitely the most affected region regarding Tenaris’ net sales performance. In fact, sales to customers in South America accounted for 18% of sales of tubular products in 2019 and 13.6% in 2020. Its largest market in South America is Argentina, followed by Brazil and Colombia. According to UBS: “Financial challenges at YPF, Argentina’s biggest oil and gas producer, could be a headwind for Tenaris’ Latin America region. Investors are likely to be concerned around liquidity issues at YPF even if payment terms and conditions mean that there should be little risk to cash collections for Tenaris (…) Since the end of 2019, the Argentina rig count, a leading indicator for activity, is down more than 40%, although there were signs of stabilisation in December with the rig count currently at 29”. UBS forecasts that South America will contribute with 11.8% of Tenaris’ sales of tubular products in 2021, 12.2% in 2022, 13% in 2023 and 12.8% in 2024, far below the level observed in 2019.

Decarbonising plan Tenaris announced that it approved a medium-term target to reduce the carbon emissions intensity rate of its operations by 30% as of 2030, compared to its level in 2018, considering scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. The company aims to use a higher proportion of recycled steel scrap in its metallic mix, invest in energy efficiency and utilise renewable energy for part of its energy requirement.

Tenaris is planning capital expenditure (capex) of about $200M this year, including some investments in energy savings as well as those related to the consolidation of Canadian tube production in Tenaris Algoma Tubes, after closing the Prudential mill. For the coming four years, the company intends to invest $150 million annually, with the aim of reaching the aforementioned emission reduction target.

In the long-term, Tenaris wants to achieve carbon neutrality via developing technologies that use hydrogen and carbon capture together with Tenova (another Techint Group affiliate).

It also plans to participate in the recently announced pilot project to use hydrogen in its Dalmine steel shop in Italy.

In order to accelerate the fulfilment of these targets, the company will implement the use of an internal carbon price at a minimum of $80/t for evaluating investments and more generally in its operations.

A robust financial condition and a substantial degree of geographic diversification shows that Tenaris appears to be in good shape to overcome the COVID-19 crisis and engage in a challenging decarbonisation plan. � May/June 2021

LA Update.indd 2

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14

INDIA UPDATE

India’s oxygen crisis India’s steel production is likely to decline by 12-15% in the financial year April 2021 - March 2022 due to the diversion of a key input – oxygen – from steel plants to hospitals for treatment of life-battling coronavirus (Covid-19) patients. By Dilip Kumar Jha* WHILE, integrated steel mills have cut a large portion of oxygen from their daily consumption quota to convert the same into liquid form for its direct use in hospitals, mini and micro steel mills have shut their plants indefinitely due to the shortage of oxygen as merchant suppliers have diverted the gas for critical patients in the intensive care units (ICUs) in hospitals.

Oxygen menace in steel mills After a sustained growth in the last couple of years, India’s steel production is estimated to have declined by 10% to 93-94Mt for the financial year April 2020 March 2021 as two months of nationwide lockdown last year disrupted raw material supply to factories and also finished steel transportation to consumer sites. Not only steel mills, but also consumption sectors went into a standstill for over two months which resulted in huge stockpiles of finished products at steel factories, thus a slowdown in steel production. This year, however, the situation is precarious as the second wave of Covid-19 created an oxygen emergency with thousands of new critical cases, setting a fresh record every day.

Since merchant supply of oxygen is halted completely, mini and micro steel mills - contributing nearly half of India’s steel production - have shut their plants.

Thus, around 50% of India’s steel output is impacted directly with no hope of its revival in the near future. According to R K Goyal, managing director, Kalyani Steels, “We have shut our plants due to unavailability of oxygen. Thousands of micro and mini steel mills with their annual production capacity between 100kt and 500kt and operating on merchant oxygen supply have closed their production facilities.”

The other half of India’s steel production comes mainly from half a dozen large integrated mills with huge oxygen production facilities and these operators were also impacted due to diversion of oxygen to hospitals. India’s prime minister Narendra Modi convened a meeting of integrated steel producers on 23 April directing them to cut a large portion of their daily oxygen consumption and divert the same to hospitals. Modi also directed steel mills to ramp up oxygen production to meet its growing demand from Covid-19 patients across the country. Currently, India is self-sufficient in oxygen with its output estimated at 200Mt (metric tonnes) as against consumption of 180Mt (metric tonnes). But, the sudden spurt in Covid-19 patients across the country has created a shortage of oxygen as its production remains the same despite a sharp increase in its consumption. Oxygen is used in steel

plants to reduce carbon content and thus increase the percentage of iron in the molten metal and eventually the efficiency of the blast furnace (BF) and electric arc furnace (EAF). Many small and mediumsized steel plants that could not afford to set up integrated plants, normally depend upon merchant oxygen suppliers to operate their mills.

Naveen Jindal, chairman of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL), commented, “We have committed to supply 500 tonnes of liquid oxygen to hospitals across the country.”

Other integrated steel mills including Tata Steel, JSW, Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) and Vizag Steel Plants have also committed to cutting their captive consumption and diverting a large quantity of oxygen to hospitals.

“Being an integrated plant, we have sufficient stock of oxygen to meet the demand for our own steel plants. But, we have started supplying oxygen to hospitals also for use on patients in ventilators,” said a senior official at the public sector steelmaker SAIL. Normally, steel mills use oxygen in gas form to reduce impurities in the furnace.

But, oxygen gas is converted into liquid form for direct consumption in hospitals.

Basic oxygen steelmaking is a method of

* India correspondent May/June 2021

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INDIA UPDATE

primary steelmaking in which carbon-rich molten pig iron is made into steel. Blowing oxygen through molten pig iron lowers the carbon content of the alloy and changes it into low-carbon steel. The process is known as basic because fluxes of burnt lime or dolomite, which are chemical bases, are added to promote the removal of impurities and protect the lining of the converter.

The blowing of oxygen helps increase the productivity of both BF and basic oxygen furnaces (BOF) and thus steelmaking. The use of oxygen also reduces carbon content, which allows the production of low carbon steel. Thus, oxygen plays a pivotal role in all iron making processes such as sponge iron plant/blast furnace and steelmaking in a BOF or any other processes in the steel melt shop.

Rising demand to create steel shortage Steel consumption in India was hampered in H1 2020 because of the stoppage of infrastructure and construction activity following the nationwide lockdown. When operations resumed, India’s steel demand

Financial year

15

Production

Import

2017-18

95.01

7.48

2018-19

101.29

7.84

2019-20

102.62

6.77

2020-21*

66.56

3.21

(April - March)

* April - December 2020 Source : Ministry of Steel, Government of India

India’s finished steel scenario (million tonnes)

surged, which continued towards the end of 2020. Since the infrastructure and construction sectors consume nearly twothirds of the country’s steel production, the pent up demand from this sector prompted steel mills to raise their prices by 15-20% in a short span of three to four months in 2021.

Now, in the second wave of Covid-19, beginning March 2021, the government exempted the construction and infrastructure sectors, which means steel demand is going to continue albeit intermittently.

Following steel mills, the government-

owned iron ore miner the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) has raised its prices by 20-25% since the beginning of 2021. Experts, however, believe that the ongoing trend of lower production and an increase in demand would create a shortage of finished steel in India by the end of 2021, which could be met through imports.

Conclusion While an oxygen shortage is temporary, it will create a long-term negative impact on steel production and consumption in India. �

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May/June 2021

10/05/2021 06:57:16

USA UPDATE

17

Biden infrastructure plan praised The Biden Administration will continue with Section 232 tariffs because they have helped the steel industry. By Manik Mehta* PRESIDENT Joe Biden’s speech to the US Congress in late April raised the hopes of the steel industry, which had eyed the modernization of the nation’s infrastructure that would generate demand for steel.

Kevin Dempsey, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the ‘voice’ of the steel industry, welcomed President Biden’s commitment to ‘improving our highways, roads and bridges and ensuring taxpayer-funded projects use products made in America – especially the use of American steel which is among the cleanest steel in the world’.

Dempsey cited the example of US made structural steel, which ‘typically contains 90% or more recycled content. Our industry provides good paying jobs, and our workers are critical to the development of the sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy solutions that the president has supported’.

“We were also encouraged to hear President Biden’s remarks on advancements in technologies in the automotive market, including through electric vehicles (EV).

As EVs continue to be part of many automakers’ future sustainability plans, steel remains the preferred material for battery pack protection due to its inherent strength.”

The $2 trillion infrastructure plan

proposed by President Joe Biden in March would increase steel demand in the US and prop up the sagging private sector nonresidential investment.

The eight-year plan, embracing broader initiatives such as high speed internet connectivity alongside traditional infrastructure projects, including road and rail projects, would raise demand for long steel products such as reinforcing bar (rebar) and wire rod.

By end April, the steel industry appeared confident that Biden would not abruptly dismantle all the measures put in place by the previous administration to bolster the steel industry’s position. When Biden assumed the Presidency, the steel industry was not sure if he would continue with President Donald Trump’s Section 232

tariffs on steel imports. The scrapping of Section 232 tariffs, as one steel insider told Steel Times International, would have caused a ‘major upset’ to the industry.

Section 232 tariffs would be retained, at least for some time, until a proper answer is found for protecting the steel industry’s interest and the overall demand-and-supply situation in the country which is facing steel shortages and rising prices.

Supporters of Section 232 tariffs argue that keeping these measures in place is vital for the nation’s economic recovery, its national security and the president’s ‘Build Back Better’ agenda.

They contend that a new study from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) confirms that Section 232 steel tariffs are effective. The tariffs prompted American steel producers to make new investments, and upgrade, modernize, expand and re-open idled facilities in at least 15 states. American steel producers created thousands of jobs and plan to invest more than $15.7 billion in new and upgraded facilities.

These supporters also repudiated critics of Section 232 tariffs who claimed that prices for downstream products had risen sharply, and used the new EPI study data to argue that prices were unaffected across the broad array of steel-consuming industries and that steel tariffs had no measurable

* USA correspondent www.steeltimesint.com

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18

USA UPDATE

impact on downstream steel-consuming industries or on consumer prices.

The Biden administration, aware of the effectiveness of these measures, seems to be in no rush to remove the three-year old tariffs of the previous administration.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo recently stated: “Let me say those tariffs have been effective. The data shows that those tariffs have been effective.” Indeed, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai called tariffs a ‘legitimate tool’ of trade policy.

Removing the tariffs may help importers of foreign steel cut down their costs, but it would also subject US steelmakers to fierce competition from cheap foreign steel made, as in China, with huge state subsidies, which, American steelmakers say, give Chinese suppliers an “unfair trade advantage”. Because the global market is flooded with cheap subsidized steel, American steelmakers call for government protection to compete.

Another reason for the Biden administration to retain the tariffs is that it wants the support of the United Steelworkers’ Union (USWU), a strong force in the industrial Midwest.

Tom Conway, the USWU president, recently described the tariffs as “a hamfisted approach to the problem” of too much global steel that nonetheless cannot be lifted until a lasting solution is found.

The Biden administration could use Section 232 tariffs as a bargaining chip in climate change negotiations with a number of countries, including China. At least one Congress representative, Bill Pascrell Jr., a Democrat, has suggested using section 232 tariffs to discourage imports that bear a high carbon footprint.

Todd Tucker of the Roosevelt Institute, a member of Biden’s Commerce Department transition team, said the ‘steel and

aluminium industries would be at the top of anyone’s list’ as potential targets of a climate tariff.

Steel industry organizations credit the existing tariffs with creating 3,200 jobs and spending $15.7 billion on mill upgrades and reopening of idled facilities.

While steel consumers understand the Biden administration’s perception that dropping the tariffs would not resolve all the steel supply problems, they say that it is something the president can do immediately, as called by a coalition of steel users, including the Precision Metalforming Association, though experts do not expect any quick results.

The strongest argument for retaining tariffs is that they help in keeping steel production strong and driving American steelmakers to invest in their domestic plants For instance, US Steel Corp. started production at its new facility in Fairfield, Alabama, using the latest steelmaking technology – an electric arc furnace (EAF) – with a present target of 1.5Mt of steel a year.

Another major player, Nucor Steel, with its new plant in Brandenburg, Kentucky, could employ 400 workers while

Commercial Metals Company’s second rebar steel mill in Mesa, Arizona, could hire 185 workers.

While some experts take the pessimistic view that America’s steel industry is in decline, there are others who insist that tariffs have revived the steel industry’s fortunes aided by the emphasis on using the latest technology that will create wellpaying jobs for new workers.

The pandemic has, apparently, also influenced the Biden administration in not withdrawing the tariffs at this point. The pandemic had badly hit the steel industry last year, forcing manufacturers to shut down production as they struggled to survive the imploding economy. It would hit the domestic steel industry, a vital lifeline of economic recovery, if tariffs were rescinded, tariff supporters say.

But US Steel caused some dismay among Republican senators in Pennsylvania, when it announced on 30 April that it was giving up plans to spend $1.5 billion for upgrading its Mon Valley Works. Critics say that this move could lead to job losses and impact the long-term viability of the outdated ageing production facility.

Critics blamed Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, a Democrat, for his ‘liberal energy agenda’ for the US Steel move.

Meanwhile, based on the Commerce Department’s Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) data for April, the AISI reported that steel import permit applications for the month of April totaled 2.45Mt (net tons), down 9.9% from the 2.72Mt (net tons) recorded in March.

Import permit tonnage for finished steel in April was 1.6Mt (net tons), down 9.5% from the final imports total of 1.78Mt (net tons) in March. Imports last year accounted for 18% of US steel consumption, down from close to 30% in 2018. �

May/June 2021

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21

INNOVATIONS

Start-up phase complete at Italian rolling mill Italian automation specialist AIC has successfully and safety completed the scheduled start-up phase of the rolling mill at Cogne Acciai Speciali, Aosta, Italy, a leading producer of stainless steel long products.

The work, based on a detailed risk analysis performed last year with the technical support of NECSI, an Italian company, was completed in January 2021 and was focused on the upgrading of the mill’s PLC control systems in the finishing area for both wire rod and Garrett lines.

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innovations - may june.indd 1

The scope of the work included upgrading existing automation and control systems and replacing obsolete S5 controllers with a Siemens S7-1500 PLC. The work embraced the design, manufacturing, supply, electrical erection and commissioning of new safety and PLC control cabinets, and the revamping of network interfaces and communications between the new PLCs of the mill and water treatment plant. A new Profinet/ProfiSafe network implemented between the new PLC Master and local equipment was

equipped with fail-safe cards. Safety fences and protections as well as access gates to segregated areas were also taken care of and an interface with existing power controls was established.

According to AIC, after dismantling and replacing the obsolete systems and equipment, the upgrade increases the quality and reliability of the entire system.

For further information, log on to www.aicnet.it/rassegna-stampa/

May/June 2021

10/05/2021 11:27:19

22

INNOVATIONS

Paul Wurth teams up with University of Luxembourg

Paul Wurth, part of the SMS group, and the University of Luxembourg have entered into an agreement to create and finance the Paul Wurth Chair in Energy Process Engineering. The five-year agreement was signed on 4 March 2021 by Yves Elsen, chairman of the board of governors of the University, Prof. Stéphane Pallage, rector of the University, Georges Rassel, CEO of Paul Wurth Group, and Hans-Jürgen Leßmann, senior vice-president, Global Human Resources of Paul Wurth Group.

The chair will be hosted at the University’s Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM) in the Department of Engineering. It aims to conduct cutting-edge research in the field of hydrogen processing and related aspects of carbon-neutral industrial processes. The team attached to the chair will also engage in teaching at Bachelor, Master and doctoral level.

In addition, the chair will participate in outreach activities to stimulate interest in key challenges in the field of engineering.

The partnership supports Luxembourg’s ambition to develop a centre of excellence in fields surrounding the emerging hydrogen economy, to stimulate industrial development in process engineering and hydrogen and low carbon emission technologies, and to increase the output of skilled engineers.

The chair ties in with the University’s strategy to develop research and an educational offer with a focus on sustainability. Hydrogen is conMay/June 2021

innovations - may june.indd 2

sidered a crucial factor in future energy systems and energy transformation and in the transition to greener energy sources. One game-changing solution lies in Power-to-Liquid applications for the production of synthetic fuels and downstream products. Hydrogen also promises to become an alternative to coal – both as a reducing agent in steelmaking and as a driver of the largescale transformation of the steel industry, which today is a large emitter of CO2. This co-operation will be instrumental for Paul Wurth to become a global innovation centre for metallurgy and hydrogen within the SMS group and to continue the technology-driven initiatives already started by dedicated taskforces.

By bundling their respective expertise, Paul Wurth and SMS group strive to lead the transformation of the industry towards carbon-neutral production processes.

“The creation of the new chair is well aligned with the University’s research strategy and will contribute to the development of the University’s Department of Engineering, in particular in the area of process engineering and hydrogen processing. It will enhance our international visibility, contribute to academic excellence and make a lasting impact on the academic and industrial landscape of Luxembourg,” says Prof. Stéphane Pallage, rector of the University.

“The new chair builds on an existing longterm co-operation between Paul Wurth and the University, in particular in Bachelor and Master

teaching as well as the Hydrogen Think-tank initiated within the Department of Engineering.

It will be a catalyst for new research activities related to the future hydrogen economy which is important to industry and to the economy in Luxembourg and beyond,” states Prof. Jean-Marc Schlenker, Dean of the FSTM. Prof. Hans Ferkel, CTO of SMS group commented: “The Paul Wurth headquarters in Luxembourg is home to SMS group’s global hydrogen competence centre. Together, we are working on the decarbonisation solutions of tomorrow, with the clear goal of enabling CO2-free steel production worldwide. We look forward to working closely with the University of Luxembourg and are committed to staying in the lead in the global challenge of making green steel.”

Claude Meisch, Minister of Higher Education and Research, said: “Climate change and its consequences call for new models of production and resource management. With its ecological and sustainable aim, this collaboration between Paul Wurth and the University of Luxembourg perfectly fits into the national priority research areas and is fully in line with the R&I-ambitions of the Luxembourg government. Furthermore, with this chair and the resulting education offer we are going to take a major step towards a longterm and diverse knowledge society.”

For further information, log on to www.paulwurth.com www.steeltimesint.com

10/05/2021 11:27:25

INNOVATIONS

23

Major’s new Middle East dealer MAJOR, a global manufacturer of wire screens for the aggregate, mining and recycling industries, has appointed Haver & Boecker Middle East FZE as its new aggregate and mining screen media authorized dealer. Haver Middle East FZE will serve customers in the Middle East region, including Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The company will offer MAJOR’s screen media solutions, including FLEX-MAT high-vibration wire screen tensioned and modular versions.

Haver & Boecker Middle East is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the German-based Haver & Boecker, a leading developer and manufacturer of mineral processing and packing technology for the minerals, chemicals, building materials and food industries.

Haver & Boecker Middle East was founded in 2008 in the UAE, and aims to provide local service and sales support for customers in the Middle East.

“Our experienced team can assess your overall operation to increase screening performance and profits,” said Eng. Wajdi Jumeian, Haver & Boecker Middle East.

For further information, log on to www.havermiddleeast.com

Next-generation coating from PPG PPG has announced the North American introduction of the PPG HI-TEMP 1027™HD coating, which is a next-generation, ambient-cure coating engineered for challenging corrosion-under-insulation (CUI) conditions.

A high-build product that offers dry film thickness of 10 to 12 mils in a one-coat application, PPG HI-TEMP 1027HD is said to provide excellent protection against corrosion on pipes, vessels and construction parts when plants are in operation.

The coating is claimed to be highly durable and formulated to withstand severe temperature cycles ranging from -320 F (-196 C) to 1,000 F (540 C) and resists dry exposure with intermittent temperature peaks of up to 1,200 F (650 C).

PPG HI-TEMP 1027HD also protects coated pipes, parts and assemblies in changing ambient temperature conditions. This is critical during shipping, as these materials are commonly transported between continents and exposed to months of rain, snow, ultraviolet (UV) light and other environmental hazards. PPG claims that the coating protects those same components from damage and wear before and during new construction, when they are stored, handled and erected on the building site.

“Oil and gas, chemical processing, power generation and industries such as paper mills

and steel mills rely on insulated pipelines, which are always vulnerable to corrosion-related leaks and pipe failure,” said Bart Martens, PPG global product manager, protective and marine coatings. “Because of its hardness and resistance to thermal shock and cycling, PPG HI-TEMP 1027HD coating more effectively protects these critical assets against corrosion. This can extend maintenance intervals and minimize the risk of unexpected shutdowns.”

PPG protective and marine coatings (PPG-

PMC) are claimed to protect customer assets in some of the world’s most demanding conditions and environments, such as projects in energy, infrastructure and marine markets. PPG-PMC’s product lines include PPG PSX™, PPG AMERLOCK®, PPG PITT-CHAR™, PPG NOVAGUARD™, SIGMATHERM™ and PPG HI-TEMP™ series.

For further information, log on to www.ppgpmc.com

www.steeltimesint.com

innovations - may june.indd 3

10/05/2021 11:27:35

24

INNOVATIONS

Tools upgrade from Sandvik Sandvik Coromant, part of global industrial engineering group Sandvik, is upgrading its range of tools for steel tapping operations with two updates to its solid round tools range. The next generation CoroTap® T200 spiral point tap and T300 spiral flute tap for ISO P deliver improved process security, longer tool life and a reduced cost per component, it is claimed.

Part of Sandvik Coromant’s solid round tools offering, the CoroTap range delivers material-specific solutions for threading a variety of metals.

In particular, the CoroTap T200 and T300 are optimized for ISO P1 and P2 steel workpiece materials, making them suitable for machining components in the automotive and general engineering industries. This includes crankshafts, steering knuckles, and general engineering components such as housings and flanges. Both tools are suitable for mass production.

The CoroTap T200 has a spiral point, while the T300 is a spiral flute tap. While the spiral point of the T200 is suited for machining through holes, where chips are pushed forwards, the T300 is used for blind holes, where there is no exit hole and chips must be pulled backwards.

As part of the upgrade, both have a new surface treatment, as well as improved edge rounding for better finishing inside the machined hole. An improved flute form offers better overall performance.

As a result of these upgrades, manufacturers will benefit from improved process security with increased resistance to edge chipping, leading to fewer tool breakages and an improved quality of the machined thread. In addition, cutting speeds are higher than previous versions of the tool and there is an overall reduction in the cost per part.

May/June 2021

innovations - may june.indd 4

Coromant Another major difference compared to previous versions of the CoroTap range is that the improved CoroTap T200 and T300 can benefit from Sandvik Coromant’s Tailor Made web assortment. Serving the industry with tailored manufacturing tools, the Tailor Made service gives customers the freedom to specify their own dimensions, without paying for a specialist tool.

The taps can be adjusted to meet the demands of multiple industries and are adaptable to specific requirements.

“Performance case data demonstrates significant improvement for the tools,” explains Lisa Belfrage, global product manager at Sandvik Coromant. “In fact, a comparison of the new and existing T200 tap demonstrates a 121% increase in tool life, with the potential to machine over double the number of threaded holes using a single tool. Productivity is also increased with the upgraded T200 — with cutting speeds increasing from 18 m/min to 24 m/min with machining P2 steel.

“The new generation of the T300 has seen a significant increase in tool life compared to the previous version,” added Belfrage. “What’s more, when compared to a competing tool on the market, Sandvik Coromant’s upgraded CoroTap T300 demonstrates a 57% increase in tool life and higher cutting speeds.

“With demonstrated process improvements, and the ability to offer tool customisation with the Tailor Made service, the new generations of the CoroTap tools will make thread cutting faster and more efficient for our customers”.

For further information, log on to www.sandvik.coromant.com

www.steeltimesint.com

10/05/2021 11:27:44

INNOVATIONS

25

Second Quantum EAF for Turkish steelmaker Turkish steel producer Tosyali Demir Celik Sanayi has placed an additional order with Primetals Technologies to supply a second EAF Quantum electric arc furnace with a capacity of two million metric tons of liquid steel per year. The company also wants to expand the production capacity of a recently ordered two-strand slab caster to 3.4 million metric tons per year.

The new order follows hot on the heels of an order placed in 2020, which encompassed a first Quantum EAF, a twin vacuum-degassing plant with oxygen blowing, and the original version of a two-strand slab caster. All of this equipment will be erected at a flat steel greenfield site in Iskenderun, Turkey. Commissioning is expected late in 2022.

Tosyali Demir Celik, part of the Tosyali Group, operates the TOSCELIK steel mill in Osmaniye, Turkey, as well as a DRI direct hot-charge melting plant in Algeria, Northern Africa, named Tosyalı Iron Steel Industry Algerie. The company runs a number of rolling mills and is well established in the flat products and welded pipes markets. In order to increase capacity for semi-finished products – like slabs for existing downstream facilities – Tosyali Holding has decided to set up a new greenfield facility in Iskenderun, Hatay Province.

The Quantum EAF is designed to handle metallic scrap and virgin materials such as HBI, and pig iron in different compositions and quality. The electrical energy requirement is extremely low,

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innovations - may june.indd 5

thanks to a scrap preheating system, but also because of other features, such as a fast tapping system, continuous foaming slag and continuous submerged electric arc (flat bath operation). This reduces operating costs and CO2 emissions. The Quantum EAF is claimed to be a highly productive furnace that will reach the lowest of possible power-off times. The twin vacuum-degassing plant provides further treatment and improved steel quality to the production portfolio of Tosyali Demir Celik, enabling the company to produce steel grades ranging from ULC grades up to high carbon grades, peritectic grades, API grades, dual phase grades and also high-strength low-alloyed steel grades. The two-strand continuous slab caster has a capacity of 3.4Mt/yr of slabs and can process a wide range of steel grades.

The EAF Quantum was developed by Primetals Technologies and combines proven elements of shaft furnace technology with an innovative scrap charging process, an efficient pre-heating system, a new tilting concept for the lower shell, and an optimized tapping system, meaning very short melting cycles. Electricity consumption is considerably lower than conventional electric arc furnaces. Together with lower consumption of electrodes and oxygen, this gives an overall advantage in the specific conversion cost of around 20%. In comparison to conventional EAFs, total CO2 emissions can also be reduced by up to 30% per metric ton of crude steel. An integrated de-

dusting system with automatic off gas control is claimed to fulfill all environmental requirements.

The 10m radius slab caster produces slabs with a thickness of 225mm in widths ranging from 900mm to 1,800mm. The production capacity increase to 3.4 million metric tons per year will be achieved by adding additional segments. The maximum casting speed is 2.6m/min. The plant casts ultra-low carbon to high carbon steels, peritectic, and HSLA steels, as well as API grades. The straight cassette-type Smart Mold is equipped with a Mold Expert breakout detection system, DynaWidth for automatic width adjustment, and a DynaFlex mold oscillator. A LevCon automatic mold-level-control system with ‘autostart’ casting functions and auto-adaptive dynamic bulging compensation, and Mold Expert on-line automatic breakout pre-detection, will also be implemented. The strand-guiding system uses Bender and Smart Segments as well as I-Star rollers.

A Dynacs 3D secondary cooling system calculates and controls the temperature profile along the entire strand. DynaGap Soft Reduction 3D is used to improve the interior quality of the slabs.

The roll gap is adjusted during final solidification in accordance with operating points calculated

by Dynacs and this minimizes segregation in the centre of the strand.

For further information, log on to www.primetals.com

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INNOVATIONS

Scheuerle expands PowerHoss series SCHEUERLE has expanded its SPMT PowerHoss series with the addition of a six-axle version featuring a width of 3,000mm. These transport modules now offer up to 330 tonnes of payload per unit and can also be used in a vehicle combination to comfortably handle the most difficult tasks in intralogistics. SPMT PowerHoss 330 modules are ready for immediate use and offer up to 40% more stability than comparable products.

Up to now, SCHEUERLE, a subsidiary of the Transporter Industry International Group (TII Group), has always offered SPMT PowerHoss modules with two and four axles; however, a version with six axles now complements the series. While the two and four-axle versions offer payloads of up to 85 and 174.9 tonnes per module respectively, the six-axle vehicle accommodates up to 330 tonnes of payload. In addition, individual SCHEUERLE SPMT PowerHoss modules can be operated in an uncomplicated manner according to the plug-and-play principle either

mechanically or electronically in a loose coupling mode as well as being coupled to one another both laterally or longitudinally in order to meet even higher payload requirements. Thus, a vehicle combination of four SPMT PowerHoss 330s is able to move loads with a unit weight of up to 1,320 tonnes.

According to SCHEUERLE, the intelligent design of the SPMT PowerHoss means it is ready for immediate use and is extremely safe. The PPU drive unit is integrated into the transport platform meaning that the SPMT PowerHoss can be used immediately and the operator only requires a short briefing. Through its width of 3,000mm, PowerHoss 330 modules offer 40% more stability than comparable container-wide solutions from other manufacturers.

According to SCHEUERLE, the ‘highly manoeuvrable all-rounder for intralogistic operations’ can also be used on a wide range of surfaces both outdoors and in production halls regardless

of whether the road surface is gravel, asphalt, concrete or similar materials. For this reason, reloading is not required when transporting from a building into open spaces, making the self-propelled SPMT PowerHoss units the specialists for all transport tasks in intralogistics. They are designed for use in shipyards, the construction industry, power plants, mining and steel industries and the petrochemical sector.

SCHEUERLE claims that its SPMT PowerHoss transport modules are based on tried and tested SPMT technology and thus offer the advantages of conventional SPMT transporters, including robust construction of the pendulum axle chassis as well as an electronic multi-directional steering system complete with all known steering programmes which, it is claimed, facilitate highly precise navigation.

For further information, log on to www.powerhoss-show.com

SCHEUERLE, inventor of the SPMT series, now offers the SPMT PowerHoss series also with six axles. In this version, loads of up to 330 tonnes can be moved in one piece using just one module.

May/June 2021

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27

INNOVATIONS

Nucor banks on service from SMS group US steel giant Nucor Corporation has awarded a multi-year maintenance contract to SMS group for its new continuous slab casting machine, currently being installed by SMS group in Nucor’s new heavy-plate mill in Brandenburg, Kentucky.

The primary focus of the contract will be maintaining and repairing the continuous caster molds and containment segments. The new casting machine will be one of the largest and most advanced in the world.

Maintenance by SMS assures that it will always be state-of-the-art, as technical service provided

by SMS also includes the transfer of the latest technological developments to existing production equipment.

In November 2019, SMS group received the order from Nucor covering the supply of a single-strand caster for ultra-wide and thick slabs.

The new, green field steel mill broke ground in October 2020 with commissioning scheduled for 2022. SMS will begin supporting the customer with on-site maintenance and pre-commissioning operations early in 2022.

The caster will produce slabs of 200mm to 305mm (8in to 12in) thickness and up to 3,150mm (124in) width. Slab lengths will vary from 2.6 to 15 metres (104in to 600in).

Several special technological features will be incorporated into the new vertical bending caster

to meet Nucor’s project objectives. These include robotic applications on the casting platform and an HD mold with fibre optics and electromagnetic stirring. A customized roller apron, a quench-

ing unit and a cutting line will be included.

For further information, log on to www.sms-group.com

Former Nucor exec joins Brilex Group Doyle Hopper, who has spent almost 30 years working for Nucor Corporation, the largest producer of steel in the USA, has been hired by Brilex Industries as chief executive officer.

In his new role, Hopper will be the CEO of Brilex Industries Inc, Brilex Technical Solutions LLC and Taylor-Winfield Technologies Inc and will leverage nearly 30 years of steel industry and manufacturing expertise to drive strategic growth and commercial excellence across the group of companies.

Alex Benyo, co-founder of the Brilex Group said he was thrilled to have Doyle on board as CEO. “Doyle’s role will drive integration and synergies between our companies, maximizing the value delivered to our customers and will lead to additional opportunities in the marketplace,” he said.

Brian Benyo, co-founder of the Brilex Group commented: “His values and proven leadership combined with his knowledge of the steelmaking and automated manufacturing processes align perfectly with our Group’s values, growth strategies and industries served.”

Hopper started at Nucor straight from college, joining as an entry level welder and fabricator and working his way up the ladder into expanded roles. He eventually reached executive positions and became vice president of VULCRAFT and

Cold Finish in Norfolk, Nebraska, Nucor Connecticut and most recently Nucor South Carolina.

"I am thankful for the past three decades I have spent with Nucor," said Hopper. “The experiences and insights I gained into the ongoing evolution of steelmaking and manufacturing have prepared me for the exciting opportunities in the marketplace for the companies within The Brilex Group.

I am honoured to be joining these organizations that have earned their reputations for excellence

in engineering and manufacturing innovation.”

The Brilex Group of Companies is headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio and is a trade name umbrella for Brilex Industries Inc, Taylor-Winfield Technologies Inc, Brilex Technical Solutions LLC and BBM Railway Equipment LLC. Each company is independent of one another, but share a common set of values and goals in terms of manufacturing and industrial excellence.

Hopper, who graduated from Arkansas Northeastern College and holds his Six Sigma Black Belt Certification, joins the Brilex Group as economic optimism returns to the manufacturing industry as the USA edges closer to pre-COVID levels.

With big infrastructure spending looming, the companies under the Brilex umbrella are claiming to be 'well-positioned for growth in 2021 and beyond’.

For further information, log on to www.thebrilexgroup.com

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28

INNOVATIONS SPECIAL: AUTOMOTIVE

Mitsubishi Electric and local system integrator AR Controls have provided a steel sheet press automation solution to Unipres, a major player in the global automotive industry. The upgrade allowed the car part manufacturer to significantly increase uptime, productivity and energy efficiency of its transfer press, while also empowering operators to have greater insight and control over the production processes.

The Q Motion controller is networked to the MR-J4-DU servos to regulate the process. Mitsubishi Electric’s MR-CV power regeneration converter unit is used to recover braking energy from the servo axis and feed it to the mains supply, replacing the brake resistors that were previously in use.

[Source: Unipres (UK) Limited; AR Controls Ltd ]

A pressing need for automation

A

B

Images A and B: The new control panel cabinet (Image A) is a quarter of the size of the original one (Image B). [Source: Unipres (UK) Limited; AR Controls Ltd ]

In its facility in Sunderland, Unipres produces around 560 tonnes of steel press-formed automotive components for global manufacturers, such as Nissan and Honda. In order to keep pace with production demands, the company needed to upgrade its factory automation.

The pressed parts are produced by using a fully automated, continuous multi-die stamping process. Metal sheets are placed in a multi-axis transfer press, where they are automatically moved across different stations. Each station uses a specific die to press the object into shape.

As the metal sheets go through the various die stations, more details are added to their design, until they reach their final form.

In order to deliver product quality and consistMay/June 2021

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ency, it is necessary to have a reliable, accurate and responsive motion control system in place.

After many years of operation, the existing solution at Unipres (a legacy Reliance system) couldn’t support the quality and productivity levels expected by the company.

Gregg Wallace, senior supervisor for maintenance and engineering at Unipres, explains: “The motion control system had become obsolete and unreliable. We were experiencing regular failures and had to stop our operations on a daily basis, greatly affecting our uptime and productivity.

Also, when the control system was encountering issues or anomalies, it was impossible to interrogate it to get to the root cause of the problem, further extending unwanted downtime.”

This situation was a major limit to Unipres’ competitiveness. In effect, as an automotive tier 1 supplier, the company is committed to justin-time deliveries, which can be compromised by unexpected downtime. Also, in the case of system failure, the company would not be able to access spare parts or replacement equipment from Reliance, as the company no longer exists.

With support from the original control system provider not an option, Unipres turned to Mitsubishi Electric and local factory automation integration company AR Controls for advice with a view to recommending a viable upgrade solution.

The companies all have a longstanding relationship that dates back to when the Unipres plant in Sunderland was built, so AR Controls was familiar www.steeltimesint.com

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INNOVATIONS SPECIAL: AUTOMOTIVE

The multi-axis operations of the transfer press in its de-stacking, pressing and transfer activities are controlled by three networked Q series PLCs. [Source: Unipres (UK) Limited; AR Controls Ltd ]

ABOUT MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC

The GOT 2000 HMIs from Mitsubishi Electric offer key diagnostic tools to operators so they can address issues quickly and efficiently if they arise. [Source: Unipres (UK) Limited; AR Controls Ltd ]

With nearly 100 years of experience in providing reliable, high-quality products, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) is a recognized world leader in the manufacture, marketing and sales of electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation and building equipment. Embracing the spirit of its corporate statement, Changes for the Better, and its environmental statement, Eco Changes, Mitsubishi Electric endeavours to be a global, leading green company, enriching society with technology. The company recorded consolidated group sales of approximately US$40.7 billion dollars* in the fiscal year ended on 31 March 2019.

Mitsubishi Electric Europe, Industrial Automation – UK Branch is located in Hatfield, United Kingdom. It is a part of the European Factory Automation Business Group based in Ratingen, Germany which in turn is part of Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Japan.

The role of Industrial Automation – UK Branch is to manage sales, service and support across its network of local branches and distributors throughout the United Kingdom. *At an exchange rate of 111 Yen = 1 US Dollars, last updated 31.03.2019 (Source: Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market)

with the factory and was able to quickly take stock of the issues the equipment was causing.

Reverse engineering a legacy control system

The upgrade was particularly challenging, due to the complexity of the transfer press and the need to thoroughly understand the existing control system. As Mike Dickinson, business development manager at AR Controls explains: “Unipres’ old solution was not a particularly common system and there aren’t many specialists around that have experience with it.”

A substantial portion of the project involved reverse-engineering all the functions offered by the legacy motion control system as well as what www.steeltimesint.com

Innovations Mitsubishi.indd – read MM....indd 2

parameters were being regulated. As sometimes key data or pieces of information were missing, we had to create a resilient system that would be able to handle any variables.”

Ian Patterson, key account manager at Mitsubishi Electric, adds: “Sometimes we faced gaps or inconsistent details about the movement of each axis. For example, the existing documentation on press feed speed was not accurate enough.

We were able to address this issue by making the system flexible in controlling the speed while ensuring that this would not have any impact on the mechanical components of the transfer press.”

Another challenge consisted of completing the upgrade without affecting the whole plant uptime. Advanced simulations and offline testing were used to assess and adjust the new motion control system. More precisely, the project greatly

benefitted from Mitsubishi Electric’s simulation tool to evaluate software performance in combination with a full-size mechanical test rig built by AR Controls.

Advanced automation for better control The resulting motion control system for Unipres’ transfer press combines Mitsubishi Electric’s PLCs, servos and HMIs. To control the multi-axis operations of the transfer press in its de-stacking, pressing and transfer activities, three Q series PLCs were selected. These are often installed in similar applications due to their high speed and accuracy as well as their ability to handle large volumes of data. The controllers are networked together as well as with MR-J4-DU servos to regulate the process. Each PLC is linked to its own GOT 2000 HMI to deliver visibility and diagnostic tools.

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INNOVATIONS SPECIAL: AUTOMOTIVE

Mitsubishi Electric’s MR-J4 servo motors deliver torque and inertia matching in line with the machine requirement.

[Source: Unipres (UK) Limited; AR Controls Ltd ]

In addition, the project features the first application in the country for Mitsubishi Electric’s MR-CV power regeneration converter unit. This is connected to the servos to recover braking energy from the servo axis and feed it to the mains supply. This solution replaces the brake resistors that were previously in use.

More than a simple upgrade With the installation of the new motion control system completed to a set time schedule, the downtime and maintenance issues of the previous system have become a thing of the past. Ian Holt, supervisor – engineer press maintenance at Unipres, commented: “Transfer press operations

are now completely reliable, and our uptime has skyrocketed. Also, the HMIs from Mitsubishi Electric offer key diagnostic tools to our operators so they can address issues quickly and efficiently if they arise.” Even more than fixing the system that was in place, process speed has now increased from 21 to 26 cycles per minute, greatly improving productivity and production capacity.

The new set-up also delivered additional benefits. The HMIs offer a convenient way to change process parameters and support future modifications and expansions. In addition, the power regeneration converter unit greatly increases the energy efficiency of the transfer press system while using less components. As the MR-CV sends the energy directly to the mains supply, resistors, brake units and other pieces of equipment are not needed. As a result, Unipres can rely on a system with lower maintenance requirements as well as optimise its manufacturing footprint. In fact, the new control panel cabinet is a quarter of the size of the original one.

Paul Armitage, deputy general manager – maintenance at Unipres, comments: “We are delighted with the solution provided by Mitsubishi Electric and AR Controls. So much so that we are talking to the same team about upgrades on the control systems for two other transfer presses.”

Further Information: www.gb3a.mitsubishielectric.com

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Driven by innovation and experience. We are here for you and ready to build the future together. www.zumbach.com • sales@zumbach.ch

Innovations Mitsubishi.indd – read MM....indd 3

10/05/2021 08:22:42

DANIELI MIDA HYBRID MINIMILL FOR FLAT PRODUCTS Unique performances using patented

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A Green Steel technology for quality products at competitive OpEx

Featuring the Q-One power unit, Q-Melt intelligent controller and continuous scrap or DRI charge, Digimelter runs the melting processes automatically, in a stable and adaptive way, with minimal impact on the electric network.

Thanks to the unique flexibility of three rolling modes in a single line, QSP-DUE® technology

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STRUCTURAL STEEL

Infrastructure will aid recovery

All indications are that this year will be an increasingly challenging one for the US structural steel market with work on in-process non-residential construction projects starting to wind down and fewer than desired new projects being added into the pipeline, at least at this time. There is, however, hope that federal stimulus money and the potential for Congress to pass a comprehensive infrastructure spending bill could limit the market’s downturn and speed up its recovery. By Myra Pinkham* US structural steel demand was relatively stable last year even with the Covid-19 pandemic, which is better than was originally anticipated, Phil Gibbs, an equity research analyst for KeyBanc Capital Markets, observed. But he estimates that with non-residential construction activity already falling by mid-single digits year-todate, 2021 real structural steel demand will also likely decline by a mid- to high-single percentage rate year-over-year, pointing out, “While this year was strong to start, it will likely be slow to finish.”

John Anton, director of IHS Markit’s pricing and purchasing service, agrees that structural steel demand will likely be harmed later this year, especially if, as expected, beam prices start to retreat and if non-residential construction activity weakens.

While likely, that is not necessarily a given. In fact, Mark Millett, president and chief executive officer of Steel Dynamics Inc., said during the steelmaker’s recent first quarter earnings conference call that at least certain non-residential construction sectors, particularly those that support online retail, computing activities and healthcare, including the construction of large distribution and warehouse facilities, remain strong.

Gibbs also noted that there are other factors that could influence structural steel demand over the next year to 18 months.

He said that depends upon whether infrastructure spending comes back alive and how much of that spending will be for projects that use structural steel or will be for the much broader definition of infrastructure, as seems to be the case in

President Biden’s $2.25 trillion proposed legislation. It is, however, possible that it could be severely pared down to a more conventional infrastructure bill, such as the $568 billion plan that was proposed by Senate Republicans in mid-April.

As far as the US construction sector is concerned, Alex Carrick, chief economist for ConstructConnect, points out that it has been very segmented over the past year. Residential construction, which is a sector that uses little structural steel, has, and continues to, hold up surprisingly well, with, by some estimates, spending increasing over 11% year-on-year, despite the pandemic, due to low interest rates and more people who are working from home moving to the suburbs.

On the other hand, spending in most other construction segments were down

* USA correspondent May/June 2021

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STRUCTURAL STEEL

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last year and are typically even worse this year, Scott Hazelton, managing director for IHS Markit’s construction service, declared, observing that overall construction spending for structures is down 7.6% year-to-date following a 3.6% decline last year. This includes a 16% decline for office construction, a 19% decline in retail and a 12% decline for hotels and motels.

This is not all that surprising given that prior to February the American Institute of Architects’ Architecture Billings Index (ABI) had been below 50 points, indicating an impending market decline, for about a year – even with the ABI crossing into positive territory in February and moving

amount of structural steel. This, he explained, is because, even with bricks and mortar retail sales being so weak, Internet sales are up over 30% year-on-year.

“We haven’t heard of many owners cancelling existing projects,” Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), said, although it is possible that, especially as prices for steel and other raw materials continue to escalate and as material lead times continue to stretch out, that some projects could be put on an indefinite hold.

He said that the pandemic has upended a lot of markets in many ways, noting that 77% of the respondents to a recent AGC

But that is not just structural steel, but various steel products. In fact, Anton pointed out that of the $2.25 trillion infrastructure spending bill that Biden has proposed, only $621 billion would be for transportation infrastructure and of that only about $100 billion would involve using steel at all, with only about 20% of that steel being structural steel.

Simonson observed that the public side of non-residential construction spending has been largely unchanged year-onyear due to the first big drop and then a rebound in public budgets. That is better than what had been anticipated about a year ago when the American Association of

even further up to 55.6 points in March.

KeyBanc’s Gibbs, however, warned that this recent upturn in the ABI won’t translate into increased non-residential construction spending for a while – probably not for another 12 months – which is consistent with the fact that at this point the market downturn is still in its early stages.

“There is always a lag,” he pointed out, noting that this is because once someone starts a project, they tend to finish it. “It is the pipeline of new projects behind those that are already under construction that is getting less robust,” he explained.

This isn’t surprising given the Covid-19 pandemic, which, according to Hazelton, accelerated certain previously expected market trends, resulting in some things that would have occurred over 10 years to happen in just three. He noted that, for example, retail store construction was already in long-term decline. Also, even before the pandemic, more employees were working from home, reducing the need for additional office floor space.

Meanwhile, Carrick points out there are certain non-residential construction sectors that are holding up well, including warehouses, distribution centres and data centres, all of which use a significant

survey said they had cancelled or postponed at least one project since the beginning of the pandemic with 17% saying that at least one of their projects that was scheduled to start in the first half of 2021 had been cancelled or postponed.

Overall, non-residential construction activity is likely to remain on the weak side this year, Hazelton said, especially for structural steel-intensive projects, although there is potential for some recovery next year.

But one real wild card is infrastructure, which has been said to be the centrepiece of Biden’s Build Back Better plan and has a big impact upon steel – including structural steel – demand, especially given that, according to the executive order that Biden signed on 25 January, public infrastructure projects, as well as other taxpayer-funded projects, must use domestically melted and poured steel – an order that was followed by the Senate introducing its Build AmericaBuy America bill in mid-April. That could be significant given that, according to Kevin Dempsey, president and chief executive officer of the American Iron and Steel Institute, every $1 billion in infrastructure spending requires approximately 50kt (net tons) of steel.

State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) was predicting there would be a $49 billion gasoline and diesel tax, vehicle registration and excise tax revenue loss through the end of fiscal 2021 due to the huge drop in the driving of both cars and trucks during the pandemic.

In fact, he said that revenues have actually rebounded to the point that there haven’t been any cancellations or deferrals recently on the highway and bridge side, although airport construction spending is still heading downward.

The nation’s infrastructure is clearly in need of repair, as is apparent by the American Society of Civil Engineers’ latest report card that gave America’s infrastructure a grade of C minus, which is why the concept of infrastructure investment has long garnered bipartisan support with the biggest question being how to pay for it.

Gibbs pointed out that US infrastructure construction projects are traditionally funded by state and local governments; with that money either matched by federal government or a public-private partnership.

In addition to the American Jobs Plan Act, infrastructure bill the FAST Act, otherwise known as the highway, bill,

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STRUCTURAL STEEL

Population change by State, July 2019-July 2020 (US: 0.35%).

Source: US Census Bureau. ©2021 The Associated General Contractors of America, Inc

which is traditionally funded by gasoline taxes, comes up for reauthorization this Fall, although Hazelton said it currently remains uncertain whether the two will be melded together.

If not, it is possible that several shortterm band-aids would be approved – which has happened in the past – as opposed to a full reauthorization.

“While I believe increases in gasoline and diesel taxes are long overdue, I see no appetite in this administration or Congress to do that,” Simonson said, adding that anyhow that is becoming less of a solution for paying for highways and bridges as the electric share of vehicles grow. “But there hasn’t been a willingness to go with a tax on vehicle miles travelled or other ways of taxing EVs,” he explained.

Partly because of the somewhat lukewarm non-residential construction demand, structural steel supply is not nearly as tight as that for flat-rolled steel products, Anton said, with mills largely matching supply to demand in an effort to keep prices decent.

But while average structural steel operating rates in mid-April have moved up to nearly 75%, slightly below the overall US steel capacity utilization rate of about 78%, Gibbs noted that it reflects the restocking of inventories that have recently been taking place.

“Once that restocking is completed and we start to see a down patch in demand in the back half of the year, structural steel capacity utilization rates are likely to fall,” Gibbs predicted.

How much, however, depends on whether imports continue to be muted, as they have been ever since the Section 232 www.steeltimesint.com

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tariffs were imposed in 2018. Imports are also less of an issue for beams than other steel products, Gibbs maintained, given that they don’t travel very well.

As for tariffs, it is widely believed that, at least over the near term, Biden will keep them in place. How long, however, is uncertain given that he has been getting pressure from both sides. While US steel trade groups are pushing for him to keep them in place, other groups, such as the American Metals Supply Chain Institute – formerly the American Institute for International Steel – and some manufacturing trade associations, including the Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users, are pushing for their removal.

“Biden has a number of other things on his table right now, including infrastructure and climate issues, that he is likely to address before even considering lifting the Section 232,” Anton said, adding that while

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he believes tariffs could be either repealed or greatly reduced by 2024, they are likely to remain in place this year and most likely next year given that, by all indications, the Biden administration is systematically and cautiously looking at its trade policy.

“It is possible that Biden might keep them in place,” he said. One such indication of that possibility could be the fact that during a television interview last month US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo had described the Section 232 tariffs as being effective.

Given the market dynamics, Anton said that structural steel prices are currently very elevated – up about $300 per short ton from last year’s trough, largely being pushed up with the upward movement of obsolete scrap. “Given that we are expecting scrap to decline across the second quarter, structural steel prices could also fall later this year,” he said.

That is despite both Nucor Corp. and Gerdau Long Steel North America announcing in mid-April that they were increasing prices for most structural products by $50 per ton.

Gibbs, however, called that move ‘an opportunistic raise around a broader inflationary backdrop’ prompted by headlines about increased infrastructure spending. “While they might get some of the increase, it doesn’t seem justified to me,” he said, given that private nonresidential construction through the first couple months of this year was down about 10%,” he said, predicting that while there has recently been a burst of activity, shortly mill shipments are likely to start pulling back as that pent up demand begins to die off. �

State construction employment change, Feb 2020-Feb 2021. 6 States up, 44 states and DC down (US:-4.0%) Source: BLS state and regional employment report ©2021 The Associated General Contractors of America, Inc

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ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

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ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

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‘Each autonomous, and yet together’ At the inauguration of the Nordic Embassies in Berlin in the autumn of 1999, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark formulated this motto for the future cooperation of the five Nordic countries. Twenty years later, this unique project is still making a statement about international friendship – and the lasting, low maintenance beauty of molybdenum containing stainless steel. By Martina Helzel* THE Nordic Embassies are a complex of buildings where you can not only learn about collaboration between countries, but also see this concept expressed in architectural form. A green copper band, which has since become a famous landmark, encompasses the cluster of individually-designed embassy buildings.

The supporting structure of this 15-meter

Street view of the copper band encircling the Nordic Embassies.

high band is made of molybdenumcontaining stainless steel, just one of its numerous applications at the Nordic Embassies.

Both united and unique After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the

reunification of Western and Eastern Germany in 1989, it was decided to relocate the seat of government back to Berlin. The five Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden – used this opportunity to realize the idea of a joint embassy complex. This unique cooperation was initiated not out of necessity, but rather out of a sense of common heritage, common languages, and shared values and convictions.

The overall concept of the site, designed by the Austrian- Finnish architects Berger and Parkkinen, perfectly captures the idea of a strong community. Arranged according to their location on the map, the embassy buildings are complemented by a shared cultural center and event venue called “Felleshus”. These six, uniformheight structures are built in such a way as to create the illusion of sections that have been carved out of a single block.

Intersecting paths and shallow ponds representing the seas simultaneously divide and link the buildings.

Each embassy building is designed by architects from its respective country and has its distinctive identifying features. What unites the buildings is the consistent use of materials typical of the Nordic region like wood and natural stone, combined with glass and stainless steel. In this interplay of materials, stainless steel can show off all its versatile properties: an elegant appearance in plain, perforated façade panels, its corrosion resistance at almost invisible fixing points, and its strength in huge load bearing structures.

Linked by stainless steel Wrapped around the site and enclosing the six buildings is a curved, 226-meter long band consisting of louvers with around 4,000 prepatinated copper slats. Generous openings and different angles of inclination among these louvers offer light, air, and protection. These apertures also provide visual relationships between the outside and the inside of the embassy buildings.

The slats are fixed to a 15-meter high vertical support structure made of Type 316Ti stainless steel hollow-sections. A variety of reasons prompted the architects’ material choice. In terms of functionality, the benefit is that copper and stainless steel do not suffer from galvanic corrosion and stainless steel is regarded as virtually maintenance-free. Additionally, a stainless steel frame proved to be only slightly more expensive up-front than construction in coated steel, which would have required regular recoating, a near-impossibility given that thousands of slats would have to be removed and reattached. Design considerations were the final deciding factor. The materials concept for the embassy complex called for the use of uncoated, unfinished surfaces, thereby allowing the natural properties of the individual materials to shine.

While other materials, especially wood, developed their natural patina over the years, the stainless steel retained its clean and bright appearance. Washed regularly once a year with plain water to remove any dirt, the stainless steel shows no traces of staining or corrosion. Even stainless steel elements like the mounts of the flagpoles

*Engineer and contributor to MolyReview www.steeltimesint.com

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ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

Aerial view of the embassy complex

or railings, which are close to the ground, have resisted de-icing salt exposure over the years thanks to the 2% molybdenum content of Type 316Ti. Stainless steel complements the range of building materials used for the Nordic Embassies. Knowledge of the materials’ properties was key to expressing the concept of “each autonomous, and yet together” in the design. The blend of strengths and weaknesses of each material become something greater than the sum of their parts, which also serves as a metaphor for the relations between the five nations.

Although the buildings are highly-secured, the design creates a minimalistic and light atmosphere that feels inviting and relaxed – typical of the Nordic countries. The high copper band does not come across as an insurmountable wall but instead offers the entire complex an appropriate, urban presence in the heart of Berlin. At one end of this band, the Felleshus, which is open to the public, welcomes people to exhibitions, readings and other events related to the Nordic culture, or just to have a coffee in the bar and enjoy the Scandinavian design.

Overall, the Nordic Embassies’ Type 316Ti stainless steel elements have performed beautifully during the 20 years since inauguration. The consistent use of stainless steel throughout the complex is reminiscent of the shared cultural elements between the member countries. And like the friendship between these Nordic nations, the stainless steel will continue to endure. �

Copper slats and a stainless steel frame are a perfect combination: The materials have a similar coefficient of thermal expansion, avoiding stresses with temperature variations and the pairing does not suffer from galvanic corrosion.

Stainless steel is used in many components in this project: fasteners, drain pipes, anchoring for flagpoles, support profiles for the glass wall which separates the courtyard from the public spaces, and not least, in the perforated facade of the Danish embassy in the background.

May/June 2021

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www.steeltimesint.com

10/05/2021 10:35:47

Join the Sustainable Steel Strategies Online Summit

As the steel industry strives for a more sustainable future, the Sustainable Steel Strategies Summit will hear what the steelmakers themselves have to say about climate change and how they intend to make greener steel in the near future.

Hear from a great line-up of speakers...

Roman Stiftner, Managing Director, Austrian Mining and Steel Association

Dr. Joachim von Schéele, Director Global Commercialization, Linde plc

JWK van Boggelen, Operations & Technology Manager, Tata Steel

Phelim Kine, Senior Director (Asia), Mighty Earth

Juha Erkkilä, Head of Group Sustainability, Outokumpu

Dave Wolff, Region Manager, Nel Hydrogen

DR. Falk-Florian Henrich, Founder & CEO, Smart Steel Technologies

Koichi Sakamoto, Executive Officer, Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Ed Heath-Whyte, Head of Environment & Sustainability, LIBERTY Steel Group UK

Åsa Ekdahl, Head of Environment & climate change, Worldsteel

Masahiro Motoyuki, Executive Officer, Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Tom Dower, Vice President, Public Policy, LanzaTech

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Gain full access to the virtual event across the two days | Join all sessions and presentations in the conference | Ask questions to speakers and take part in live discussions | Watch conference presentations on demand for 30 days after the event | Meet with companies in the exhibition hall | Find and meet with other delegates live via video calls and instant messaging.

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11/05/2021 10:23

Join the Sustainable Steel Strategies Online Summit

As the steel industry strives for a more sustainable future, the Sustainable Steel Strategies Summit will hear what the steelmakers themselves have to say about climate change and how they intend to make greener steel in the near future.

Hear from a great line-up of speakers...

Roman Stiftner, Managing Director, Austrian Mining and Steel Association

Dr. Joachim von Schéele, Director Global Commercialization, Linde plc

JWK van Boggelen, Operations & Technology Manager, Tata Steel

Phelim Kine, Senior Director (Asia), Mighty Earth

Juha Erkkilä, Head of Group Sustainability, Outokumpu

Dave Wolff, Region Manager, Nel Hydrogen

DR. Falk-Florian Henrich, Founder & CEO, Smart Steel Technologies

Koichi Sakamoto, Executive Officer, Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Ed Heath-Whyte, Head of Environment & Sustainability, LIBERTY Steel Group UK

Åsa Ekdahl, Head of Environment & climate change, Worldsteel

Masahiro Motoyuki, Executive Officer, Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Tom Dower, Vice President, Public Policy, LanzaTech

What’s included?

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Gain full access to the virtual event across the two days | Join all sessions and presentations in the conference | Ask questions to speakers and take part in live discussions | Watch conference presentations on demand for 30 days after the event | Meet with companies in the exhibition hall | Find and meet with other delegates live via video calls and instant messaging.

REGISTER NOW www.steeltimesint.com/sustainable-steel-strategies-summit

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11/05/2021 10:23

44

TRANSPORTATION AND HANDLING

Tata storage foundation Tata 3D

Material Flow How in action Pesmel, Finland’s fifth largest exporter to India, is in the process of delivering a state-of-the art automated coil storage and retrieval system to Tata Steel’s new 2.2Mt/yr cold rolling mill at Kalinganagar. The order represents one of the largest projects the company has undertaken and is regarded as the first of its kind in India.

TATA Steel Kalinganagar has fully embraced the world of Industry 4.0 – the fourth industrial revolution – and is using it to achieve maximum steel output with minimal carbon footprint. The steelmaker’s state-of-the-art steel mill, located in Kalinganagar, Duburi, Odisha on India’s eastern coast, is pushing the boundaries and using high-tech production and storage techniques to serve the environment and achieve greater plant efficiencies. Last year, Tata Steel Kalinganagar not only celebrated its fourth anniversary, it also became the first and only Indian manufacturing facility to be recognised by the World Economic Forum, becoming one of 44 ‘Manufacturing Lighthouses’ globally recognised for showing leadership in Industry 4.0.

Part of Tata’s global steel empire The Kalinganagar mill is part of the massive 27.5Mt/yr Tata Steel empire, May/June 2021

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which operates manufacturing sites in 26 countries, employs over 80,000 people and produces a wide variety of products including iron, soft iron, cast iron, alloy steel, bearings, pipe and precision tubes.

Tata Steel recently embarked upon a 6Mt (3 Mt+3Mt) expansion programme at Kalinganagar including the development of a state-of-the-art 2.2Mt/yr cold rolling mill (CRM) complex producing steel coils correspondingly in the first phase.

In-plant logistics In keeping with its hi-tech credentials the new CRM will incorporate three automated coil storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), one Yard Management System (YMS) and two automated robotic coil packaging lines, all supplied by Pesmel.

The Kalinganagar project is one of the largest orders Pesmel has received and it is unique in India. “This type of line

configuration with automated storage retrieval system and automatic robotic packing line is the first one in India,” according to Juha Suksi, Pesmel’s vice president (metals).

Pesmel’s involvement with Tata Steel Kalinganagar’s new CRM is rooted in a long-term and close commercial relationship between the two companies, and their shared belief in the power of automation as a means of achieving ultra plant efficiency and safety. “Tata was aware of our in-depth knowledge of the Kalinganagar plant and on modern logistics with automation and chose us to design, configure and build the entire automated storage and retrieval system for them, which we are executing in collaboration with their very co-operative project team,” states Jagannathan Rajagopalan, managing director of Pesmel India.

Having an automated in-plant logistics www.steeltimesint.com

10/05/2021 07:05:02

TRANSPORTATION AND HANDLING

and storage system is nothing new for Tata Steel Kalinganagar. Handling coils automatically is, by far, the best option, and especially during the pandemic, as it assures total safety through virtually manless operation.

Automated material flow Pesmel’s automated storage and retrieval system needs just one operator per packing line, according to Suksi, and invariably that person will be the line supervisor. This is where the company’s proprietary Material Flow How® technology concept comes into play. Material Flow How, the concept illustrating Pesmel’s way of harnessing the potential of Industry 4.0 and digital manufacturing, has always been the company’s core competence and primary focus; its strength lies in its uniqueness and the fact that all installations are custombuilt accordingly.

The Material Flow How concept digitalizes the logistic chains at the mills. It is an intelligent solution that reduces cycle times and the utilisation of main process lines by automating logistics. This gives full control over material flow between raw material, semi-finished and finished production processes including shipping.

Automated storage and retrieval The scope of the Kalinganagar project includes the supply of three automated storage retrieval systems (ASRS) based on a coil cars and stacker crane arrangement.

They transfer steel coils from the mill’s Coupled Pickling Line and Tandem Cold Rolling Mill (PLTCM) line towards annealing, galvanising and, as required, recoiling lines and then to packaging, storage and onward shipping.

The ASRS1 acts as a storage for PLTCM coils. These coils would be further fed to the processing lines: Continuous Annealing Line (CAL) and two Continuous Galvanizing Lines (CGL). ASRS 2 and ASRS3 transfer www.steeltimesint.com

Pesmel.indd 2

and receive coils from the plant’s CAL and CGL and also transfer and receive coils to and from Recoiling Lines (RCL) and packing lines.

Automated coil cars and stacker cranes are responsible for the storage and retrieval of coils from three high-bay storage areas.

Special tracks are positioned below floor level, enabling the coil cars to service the lower level of the storage bays, leaving all levels to the stacker cranes.

The entire automated in-plant logistics and storage system at Kalinganagar is protected by what Pesmel calls ‘full redundancy’. “It means that if one stacker crane in the storage system is under maintenance, the second one could do all the needed tasks. “We have two stacker cranes on each high-bay storage unit. In the same way the coil car system also has redundancy,” confirms Suksi.

Warehouse management system The entire system – logistics, storage and packaging – is controlled by Pesmel’s warehouse management system (WMS), the heart of the configuration, which tracks and tasks the coils from arrival to departure.

There is also a yard management system (YMS) for coils stored at ground level.

With integrated WMS and YMS the various functions contained within the mill are integrated into one logistical entity. A state-of-the-art mill also needs a modern control structure. “We are able to integrate all levels of production and logistics control, from electrification to automation, monitoring, material flow planning and management and logistics into one full chain, comprehensive platform” concludes Marko Nousiainen, COO of Pesmel Corporation.

Packing lines In addition to three automated ASRS storage facilities with logistics, the Tata contract includes two coil-packing lines

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for continuous annealed (CRCA) and continuous hot dip galvanized (coated) coils. These lines can handle coils with a width of between 800 mm to 1 900 mm, an outer diameter of 800 mm to 2,200 mm and weight up to 45 metric tons.

The packing lines feature an automated ‘through-eye’ packaging system that wraps crepe/VCI (volatile corrosion inhibitor) paper around the coil to protect against unwanted moisture, dust and oxygen and eliminate the risk of rust. The term ‘through-eye’ relates to the eye of the coil through which the packaging materials are fed automatically based on coil dimensions and packing code. An automatic overhead 12-roll spool changing system and a 12-spool carousel magazine enable long periods of operation without the need to replenish during wrapping, meaning no need for additional downtime.

There are seven robots with six to seven axes operating and managing the entire packing operation, configuring it as a state-of-the-art automatic packing line.

Automated inner diameter (ID) and outer diameter (OD) body wrapping, side disc, ID and OD corner protection machines feed the correct amount of packaging material to the coil, providing essential mechanical protection. Systems for strapping, labelling and label reading are also part of Pesmel’s delivery to Tata Steel Kalinganagar.

Automation with in-situ preparation of packing materials enables optimal usage of materials according to coil size and packing philosophy, providing significant savings in material costs.

Where timelines are concerned, the packing lines are tested in Finland prior to shipping to Kalinganagar. “Testing the line in our own workshop will shorten the commissioning time at the customer’s premises,” states Suksi adding that if any modifications are required, it’s quicker and easier to make changes in the workshop.

The line will go live at the end of 2022. � May/June 2021

10/05/2021 07:05:04

Integrated logistics.

Shortened lead times.

Automated handling, packing and storing systems for the metal industries.

Pesmel – The Material Flow How® Company www.pesmel.com

ENVIRONMENT

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Eco-friendly acid regeneration As a leader in the acid regeneration market segment, John Cockerill offers a modular design that guarantees its clients the optimal solution for all their individual process requirements and applications, with acid recovery rates of virtually 100%. By Andreas Zöllner*and Jörg Bollmann*

TODAY there are two pyrohydrolysis processes available, namely fluidized bed (Fig 1) and spray roaster technology, both of which have distinct advantages.

While both technologies are mature, it is not always easy to make a choice between them. A number of considerations potentially affect this decision. Being able to offer either of these processes enables John Cockerill to focus fully on its clients’ specific site conditions and to help them to choose the best option. However, both environmental protection and operating expenditure have substantially expanded lately in terms of their importance, with the consequence that acid regeneration plants (ARPs) based on fluidized bed technology are gradually becoming today’s state-ofthe-art technology. This is especially true for premium steel suppliers including one of the largest steelmakers in the world, the Baowu Group, which has recognized fluidized bed acid regeneration technology as the technology of the future.

For the total regeneration of hydrochloric acid (HCl), waste pickle liquor from the pickling line is concentrated by direct heat and mass exchange into a venturi circulation system, before being injected into a fluidized bed reactor, where it reacts with O2 and H2O to form solid iron oxide and hydrogen chloride gas. The HCl contained in the reactor off gas is then passed through an absorber system, using a counter current circulation system in which the rinse water from the pickling line absorbs the HCl in the reactor off gas. Thus, close to 100% of the waste pickle liquor (WPL) is converted back to liquid acid, which is then reused in the pickling line (Fig 2).

Fig 1. Front view of a modern fluidized bed acid regeneration plant, without housing

Fig 2. 3D view from top of a fluidized bed acid regeneration plant and tank farm without housing

The tank farm is laid out in accordance with the ARP and the spent acid coming

from the pickling line. It allows for storage and regulation of the different acid streams

* John Cockerill UVK GmbH www.steeltimesint.com

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ENVIRONMENT

Fig 3. Tank farm

Fig 4. 3D visualization of the pre-heating system

Fig 6. Acid absorber and cooling column

Fig 5. Combustion air pre-heating system

May/June 2021

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Fig 7. Heat exchanger array

at all times (Fig 3). The remaining off gas passes through several treatment steps, including the exhaust fan, which regulates the negative pressure in the whole upstream system preventing gas leaks, before being released via the stack into the atmosphere. (Fig 3) John Cockerill’s latest generation of ARPs come with an innovative and environmentally friendly concept, particularly in terms of emissions and waste energy recovery, combined with smart and Industry 4.0 technologies. Simplified processes, such as quick-change spray nozzles, the improved design of our venturi, rendering it completely maintenance free, or the most modern plant control system (PCS), are just a few examples of the features provided by the latest generation of our plants.

In addition to lowering the maintenance intensity of the equipment, John Cockerill has also been heavily focusing on heat recovery and the emission reduction of its ARPs. The combustion air preheating system (patent pending) reduces the fuel consumption and CO2 footprint by a minimum of 10% (Fig 4 and Fig 5). The system works based on the reverse direction air flow principle. The combustion air, which is sucked by the combustion blower from the atmosphere, is sent first through a double shell heat exchanger to increase the temperature, by recuperation of the reactor radiative heat.

Most of the energy of the pyrohydrolysis process is stored in the off gas. This heat energy can be recuperated in the cooling column (Fig 6). The main function of the cooling column is to reduce the HCl and dust concentration and to clean the off gas. Therefore, during operation water is sprayed into the counter current flow of the off-gas stream at the top of the column.

While travelling down, the liquid absorbs residual HCl and dust particles and also the thermal energy from the off gas (Fig 7 and Fig 8).

Hot liquid is collected and can be transferred to the pickling line for preheating the strip, or wire coil. Additionally, the innovative off-gas cooling system lately developed by John Cockerill, not only recovers thermal energy, but also further reduces emission values (Fig 9).

The heat co-generation of the ARP and the pickling line results in additional savings of operational expenditure, by reducing overall steam consumption. www.steeltimesint.com

10/05/2021 07:06:39

ENVIRONMENT

John Cockerill’s ARPs can be equipped with a Plume Reduction System (patent pending). This newly designed system not only reduces the fumes at the stack, but also further reduces emission values, thus allowing the system to achieve the most stringent environmental regulations.

While in the European Union and many parts of the world it is currently sufficient to reduce emissions down to 20mg/Nm³ for dust and 30mg/Nm³ for HCl, in some regions of the world, including some developing countries, and also parts of China, a further reduction is mandatory to obtain the necessary operating permission from the local authorities. With its latest developments, the John Cockerill FB ARPs enable exceptionally low emission values to be reached of under 10mg/l for both HCl and dust.

John Cockerill’s ARPs are equipped with a highly automated control system that minimizes field intervention by the operator and enables safe and reliable daily operation from an existing control room located at the pickling line, with no additional staff required. The control system can start and shut down the ARP fully automatically and delivers all necessary data for predictive maintenance into a dedicated cloud system. Additionally, the John Cockerill fluidized bed ARPs can run on all kinds of different fuel gases, ranging from natural gas (NG & LNG), to coke oven gas (COG) and mixed gas, or even hydrogen (H2).

A new ‘all-in-one’ ARP While acid regeneration systems for bigger pickling installations are state-of-the-art in the steel industry, small capacity waste Fig 9. Schematic of heat recovery

49

Fig 8. Heat exchanger for recovery of top gas thermal energy

acid streams are generally not regenerated for economic reasons, thus generating a negative environmental impact. John Cockerill has developed SARA® to address precisely this unacceptable environmental situation. As such, the new SARA® (Small Acid Regeneration Assembly) concept helps smaller steel plants, surface treatment and long products pickling plants, with no or limited access to conventional acid regeneration technology, to regenerate their small scale acid waste streams efficiently and economically (Fig 10).

Just like the conventional fluidized bed ARPs, John Cockerill’s new SARA® offers a modular design that guarantees its clients the optimal solution for all their individual process requirements and applications. With an acid recovery rate of up to 99%, SARA® is closing the loop on acid regeneration for installations that only produce small amounts of waste acid, with volumes between 10 and 30m³ per day. Therefore, this new technology

efficiently ensures an optimal and continuous operation of push pull pickling lines (PPL), wire coil pickling lines (WCPL), or other long product pickling lines. For such small throughputs, conventional ARPs are operated at time-consuming intervals, resulting in a high wear of the refractory shell with every stop.

SARA® is designed to reach hydrochloric acid and dust emission values under 10mg/ Nm³, which is an outstanding performance, as this value is well below even the most stringent worldwide emission limits. The highly efficient absorber system recovering the hydrochloric acid from the off gas and the subsequent off gas cleaning system, eliminate both hydrochloric acid and dust aerosols, being the main contributors to this great achievement. However, SARA® also stands for state-of-the-art plant automation.

While allowing the ARP to run in a fully automated mode, its monitoring and operation is entirely integrated in the

Steam reduced offgas to final venturi Chilled rinse water

in the cooling

Chilled rinse water to final venturi

Absorber 2

column

Fig 10. SARA -

Fig 11.

John Cockerill’s

3D visualtions

new, ultra-com-

of SARA

pact FB ARP

Fume reduction Warmed-up rinse water to Absorber 1

Offgas saturated at ~90°C from absorber 1 Warmed-up rinse water

www.steeltimesint.com

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Rinsed water from scrubber

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ENVIRONMENT

Fig 13. 3D view of one of Baowu’s twin fluidized bed acid regeneration plants

Fig 12. Container housing cut-away

control system of the pickling line. Aiming at the optimal operation of the installation, the automation system constantly monitors all of the ARP’s key parameters, providing the operators with both advice and suggestions for problem solving, if and when necessary.

SARA® comes as an ‘all in one’, standardized acid regeneration plant and is available in two different sizes; economically regenerating spent acid throughputs of either 500 to 800l/h, or 800 to 1 300l/h (Fig 11). Both sizes of this new ultra-compact acid regeneration plant are supplied in assembled equipment packages and come with their readymanufactured building of less than 130m², allowing for quick and easy installation and commissioning (Fig 12). All of this is provided by John Cockerill.

In addition to decreased investment costs, SARA® reduces the amount of fresh acid to be purchased, as well as the waste streams of the plant, as the system is processing the rinse water generated in the pickling line and allows for the transfer of waste heat generated by the reactor to the pickling line.

All of the above results is a considerably better return on investment, which translates into an average payback time of two years when taking the example of Western Europe.

This concept has proved appealing to a number of potential clients, including a leading Turkish steel wire and rope producer that has already placed an order with John Cockerill Industry’s German entity, UVK, for the design, manufacturing and complete supply of a SARA® ARP to be commissioned in Spring 2021. This is a great success, bolstering John Cockerill´s leading position in the design and supply of relevant and environment-friendly acid regeneration installations.

May/June 2021

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Three twin fluidized bed ARPs for Baowu Recent orders received from Baowu’s entities, Baoshan Iron and Steel for two twin fluidized bed ARPs (FB ARPs) and WISCO for one twin fluidized bed ARP, are among the biggest acid regeneration installations ever built and are prominent examples of this trend (Fig 13). FB ARP’s designed by our John Cockerill Industry’s Metals Business, allow an environmentally friendly, close to 100% recycling of the spent hydrochloric acid coming from the pickling process. Additionally, the highly efficient off gas cleaning guarantees extremely low emission figures at the stack, and the newly developed heat recovery system allows gas savings of up to 10%. These orders are only three of the recent success stories related to corporate environmental policy, but John Cockerill Industry has much more to offer to a future oriented Group like Baowu. As such, the company is exploring ways to harness other opportunities for greater collaboration in relation to several of Baosteel’s modernization projects.

Supporting a greener economy John Cockerill’s state-of-the-art acid regeneration plants have recently

undergone a complete value analysis and feature the full spectrum of the very latest process technologies in this field. The recent orders coming both from Europe and China are compelling testimonies of how relevant these developments are in the face of ever more stringent environmental policies. A perfectly matched acid regeneration plant not only guarantees the efficient management of consumable process chemicals and maximizes operating efficiency, but also minimizes environmental impact. With its inauguration this year, BAOWU’s Twin FB ARP in Shanghai will be the world’s largest and most environmentally friendly acid regeneration installation (Fig 14).

For surface treatment, long product pickling or waste acid treatment plants with no or limited access to conventional acid regeneration technology, the use of the newly developed SARA® will have a significantly positive impact on the environmental balance.

With steel expected to remain the backbone of industrial development for decades to come, it is safe to say that John Cockerill’s acid regeneration technologies are relevant building blocks of today’s sustainable steel production and an important step towards a greener economy. �

Fig 14. BAOWU twin FB ARP

www.steeltimesint.com

10/05/2021 07:06:52

World leaders in the provision of high-technology products for:

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Continuous caster monitoring Bespoke In-Chain and off-line strand condition

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Sarclad UK | Information Request Grant McBain

grant.mcbain@sarclad.com

Head of Sales & Marketing

+44 (0)7825 450817

sales@sarclad.com

+44 (0) 114 293 9300

sarclad.com

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53

ELECTRIC STEELMAKING

Improving ladle preparation safety The SandMan is Badische’s latest development for improved safety and efficiency of ladle preparation.

By Matthais Breithaupt*, Jürgen Köbel*, Robert Schalast*, Hans-Peter Pfaff*, Cara Riedel* and Patrick Hansert*

Fig 1: SandMan top view

GERMAN steelmaker Badische Stahlwerke (BSW) is operating two EAFs with a tapping weight of 108 tons each. In 2020, production was at a record high of 8,000 tons (good billets) per day for both EAFs. The steelmaker, which is located in the south-west of Germany, has set safety as its number one target for the entire group.

Therefore, several new tools have been developed and implemented during recent years. In 2020, the latest safety tool, the patented Taphole Manipulator (THM), was successfully installed at BSW’s EAF #2.

With a focus on safety, other areas of the mill shall also be optimized to ensure the goal of keeping people out of harm’s way. An increase in ergonomics and safety always resulted in a simultaneous increase in process efficiency. With a new project and resulting product, the Badische Group has focused on safety at the ladle and created a possibility for precise, safe and

trackable ladle sand filling.

The SandMan is the name of Badische’s sanding manipulator for automated ladle sand filling.

History of project: The idea of this new equipment was first discussed in 2019. The goal was to avoid personnel carrying sand bags to the ladle.

With an average of over 74 heats per day the risk and exposure of the Badische team to danger was no longer acceptable.

Furthermore, the current opening rates of 93-95% at BSW’s ladle needed to be improved.

During the course of this project the team decided to study the available options for non-manual ladle filling in detail. During discussions with BSW’s ladle sand suppliers it turned out that the market would not provide any suitable solution for this specific need of the mill.

Previous situation, current and future tasks: The well block of the ladle has to be filled with well filler sand. This task was performed manually and with sandbags; the employee had to carry the sand bags up the stairs and throw them from a platform precisely into the ladle, aiming for the nozzle on the bottom.

To make the situation more challenging, the ladle position is not fixed, since the ladle is hanging off a crane.

These determining factors led to requirements that could not be fulfilled by existing equipment and thus, the departments co-operated on a solution that would work for BSW’s needs.

The project team developed ideas and came up with different options.

Out of these, the SandMan was born: a manipulator for well filler sand filling that allows for

* Badische Stahlwerke GmbH & Badische Stahl-Engineering GmbH www.steeltimesint.com

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ELECTRIC STEELMAKING

Fig 2. SandMan side view, ladle hanging from a crane

• Installation in the smallest spaces • Fast and accurate dosage of sand • Visual tracking of the filling process • Measurement of the ladle bottom temperature The detailed historical analysis in case of any problems was never an option with a manual filling procedure.

In less than six months the SandMan was built as a fully customized solution, operating for both lines. Thanks to a well-prepared BSW crew, the set-up, installation and start-up was conjointly performed within seven days. Since the first dosing procedure, the SandMan has been performing very well, as anticipated (Fig 1).

The manipulator is built in such a way that it can be operated from a panel in the control room of the continuous casting line or directly from the machine itself. The camera picture of the filling process is projected to the control room monitor. With a thought through design, the SandMan consists of three main components: • Column with swivel arm • 2-dimensional movement of arm: forward/backward and rotating • Arm with integrated camera, pyrometer and electrical chain hoist • Sand container with weighing and dosing system The automatic sequence starts after the ladle is in position. The operator only has to make the final adjustment via the camera image. The cycle time of the filling process May/June 2021

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Fig 3. The sand is being filled into the well block

is one minute. Before and after filling a picture is taken and documented for tracking purposes.

The maintenance parts are all quickly accessible.

With this solution, not only are the employees relieved of carrying the sandbags, but there is also a perfect possibility to track the condition of the ladle bottom and well block visually and via temperature. The SandMan decreases delays based on the reduction of ladle opening failures and helps steelmakers in a proactive and reactive way (Fig 3).

The dosage and positioning of the sand allows for a better target accuracy with less material use. BSW now only needs 20 kg of

well filler sand per filling. The well filler sand is delivered in bundles and the sand silo is filled by crane only once a day. This reduces the needed crane activity and diminishes the use of plastic sand bags, which saves approximately 40,000 single-use plastic bags per year.

In case of a ladle not opening, the ladle number, temperature and the condition of the well block pre- and post-filling can be retraced. This allows for easier problem solving and the ability to learn from occurrences.

This is important for BSW as a construction steel company, but also and especially for speciality steel makers. The danger of having to use an oxygen lance for emergency opening in case of clogging can risk that the entire sequence has to be downgraded. This expensive risk can be reduced due to automatic sand filling with the SandMan. Within an accuracy range of +/- 0.5 kg per dosage, the manipulator can achieve a precision that would not be possible for an employee with plain eyesight. In Fig 4 the precise positioning and filling of the well block is perfectly visible.

Experiences BSW The potential of the SandMan has been recognized by BSW and the installation decision has paid off on several levels.

The full potential of tracking and tracing capabilities are currently being developed and will continue to improve efficiency in the future.

Within the first months of operation, www.steeltimesint.com

11/05/2021 06:32:00

ELECTRIC STEELMAKING

55

Cokemaking Services

Coal blend optimization

Fig 4. The integrated camera shows the well block before and after filling

BSW achieved an opening rate of 98.9% from initially 93.5% and a filling time of only one minute. For steelworkers on-site, the SandMan allows them to avoid climbing up the platform and exposing themselves to the heat.

In the pictures above, the precision of the manipulator is visible.

This camera picture was taken from the integrated camera of the SandMan. After set-up, the manipulator was first used in daytime operation only and then implemented for 24-hour use.

The opening rates have increased continuously since the set-up in January and the results of the first months have been excellent. The sand used by BSW is a standard chrome ore sand with a chrome ore content of approximately 33%.

Conclusion The investment in a SandMan is not only a valuable choice for safety, but also increases productivity and drives standardization. It protects one’s most valuable capital: the people. Through replicable processes and procedures a seamless operation is achieved which not only saves time and money, but further eliminates possible errors. Measurable and trackable data are key evaluation factors that allow for analysis and further process improvement.

It is key to track data in order to get replicable procedures and achieve real improvements.

Advantages: The SandMan offers the following advantages: • Process safety • Less work load and exposure for the operators (ergonomics) • Camera and temperature tracking • Better ladle opening rates: BSW � 98.9% • Less well filler sand consumption: BSW: � 20kg per filling • Automated and standardized process � BSW: total cycle time 1 minute � www.steeltimesint.com

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56

PERSPECTIVES Q&A: NEXTSENSE

Keeping on track around the world Nextsense is attracting a lot of major contracts from rail mills globally and as many countries around the world support their infrastructure by developing their rail networks, there is plenty of work in Japan, India, China, the US, Austria, France and Spain to keep the company busy. Ralph Foehr* answers this month’s questions.

1. How are things going at NEXTSENSE? Is the steel industry keeping you busy?

We are offering our laser measurement systems to different industries. The long product steel rolling mills are just one of these industries and the pandemic brought this industry for us almost to a stop, by postponing most of their investment projects. Since the beginning of 2021 the market is picking up again and many postponed projects are coming back.

in Japan, India, China, the US, Austria, France and Spain on such projects in different stages. There are only a limited number of rail mills worldwide, much less than there are countries with the need of a better railway network. Hence, a lot of rail contracts are for export requiring tight quality control. That’s where our gauges contribute significantly.

2. What is your view on the current state of the global steel industry?

The steel industry’s health very much depends on the markets the single mills are serving. Automotive industry had a serious dip last year, and a lot of the flat product mills had to reduce production.

Construction and infrastructure investments continued in most of the industrial countries, creating a good business for the long product mills.

3. In which sector of the steel industry does NEXTSENSE mostly conduct its business?

We produce laser gauges for dimensional measurement and surface inspection of long products mainly in the hot and cold rolling process. That includes wire-rod and bar mills, section mills, especially rail mills and wire drawing factories.

4. Where in the world are you busiest at present?

Asia, especially China, and India.

5. Can you discuss any major contracts you are working on?

Many countries have decided to support their infrastructure and with that, their railway network. We are working right now

6. What are your views on Industry 4.0 and steelmaking?

We observe more and more data interconnections in steel rolling mills. New mill equipment comes already with a lot of sensors and data analysis built-in. This includes laser gauges. But there is still a lot of older equipment around and changes in those goes at a much slower pace.

Every investment needs to be justified by a return-on-investment calculation and a gauge without a connection to a process doesn’t earn money. Therefore, the steel mills have to go for bigger steps and

integrate our gauges into IT infrastructures and processes. NEXTSENSE gauges provide numerous interfaces that can easily be connected with whatever the steel mill needs, since industry-wide standards are not yet established.

7. Hydrogen steelmaking. What’s your view?

Hydrogen steelmaking seems to be a sustainable way to avoid a high share of the carbon dioxide. That’s worth fighting for.

8. Do steel producers expect NEXTSENSE to offer energy efficiency and sustainability solutions?

Laser gauges are not the most energy hungry systems in a steel mill. However, even they can be constructed in an energy efficient way. The difference for a single NEXTSENSE gauge compared to competitors’ products may add up to 50,000 kWh per year.

Another more important effect is that the gauges help to avoid producing scrap. The gauges can find out instantly, whether the dimensional standards of the rolled product are not met anymore. Then production can be stopped and adjusted. They also reduce the time and cost of a product change with the measurement of the first billet after the change used for the proper adjustment of the rolling stands.

9. How quickly has the steel industry responded to ‘green politics’ in terms of making the production process more environmentally friendly?

The steel industry is very competitive on a global scale. Steel buyers don’t necessarily appreciate environment-friendly production processes if the steel price goes up because of them. National policies on energy and

* Product and development manager for steel applications at NEXTSENSE GmbH. May/June 2021

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PERSPECTIVES Q&A: NEXTSENSE

emission penalties can help for domestic markets, but are bad for international markets. Where environmentally friendly measures are targeted to reducing energy use, cost benefits are also influencing price and profit, but for that green politics is not really needed. It’s what steel mills do anyway.

10. Where does NEXTSENSE lead the field in terms of steel production technology?

NEXTSENSE gives the steel mills eyes on their rolling process. They provide immediate feedback on dimensions.

Surface quality has become part of the steel production technology. It all started with checking the final rolling result after the finishing stands, but today more and more positions upstream are equipped with gauges to check the intermediate results.

NEXTSENSE leads here with slim stationary gauges that fit between narrowly built rolling stands or with mobile profile gauges that can be used in different locations.

Besides that, surface quality becomes more important for long products even in hot rolling processes. Already a standard in flat rolling for over 20 years, it took more time to develop solutions for bars and sections. We lead with combined laser surface inspection and profile measurement gauges, allowing still a reasonable time for return-on-investment.

11. How do you view NEXTSENSE’s development over the short-tomedium term?

NEXTSENSE is investing a lot in the development of steel-related products and the necessary customer support. As part of the HEXAGON group, already working in over 50 countries worldwide, we have an extensive global footprint and plan to grow significantly in the steel industry.

12. China is accountable for almost half of the globally produced steel?

How does NEXTSENSE react to this situation?

Our three industries automotive, railway and steel are all very strong in China, therefore we have, with HEXAGON’s local subsidiary, a strong presence there. Without a local presence, work in China would be very difficult during the pandemic.

13. What is NEXTSENSE’s experience of the Chinese steel industry?

We observe in the Chinese steel industry that a lot of new technical developments are used here first. China still builds new rolling mills, giving the rolling mill companies and the accessory suppliers (like NEXTSENSE) the opportunity to bring their latest technology to work.

14. Where do you see most innovation in terms of production technologies – primary, secondary or more downstream?

We see the biggest direct impact coming from primary production. Getting rid of the big carbon footprint by using new production technologies will have a serious influence on the environmental aspects of steel manufacturing. It will also be necessary to check the effects on

the secondary processes continuously and for that, sensors and gauges, as well as intelligent data evaluation, will be necessary. Every change in the production process, for example to influence product features, also needs an eye on it.

15. How optimistic are you for the global steel industry?

On a global scale, the steel industry can serve a big market need and, therefore, will not die soon. We are fairly optimistic that there is always enough to do for the steel industry and for us as a gauge vendor.

However, the earlier industrial countries in Europe and North America are fighting with old equipment, which makes it difficult to raise the necessary profit. Competition with later industrial countries especially from Asia is using newer equipment thanks to European and North American steel mill

57

builders. That leads to additional pressure, which very often is only solved with entry barriers like custom tariffs. Not all steel products are global, but those that are create an uncertain battlefield. And that can lead to problems for a single steel mill.

Steel for the automotive industry was a risk recently, it seems to come back now, but there may be disruptions coming from different ways to own and use cars in the future. Steel for construction and infrastructure is partly a much more local business (rebar, for instance). As long as construction continues on the current level, the rebar and section steel mills will prosper. Countries like the US are setting up infrastructure programmes with substantial investments, that also has a direct impact on the related steel industry.

16. What exhibitions and conferences will NEXTSENSE be attending over the next six months?

We usually participate in Wire & Tube fairs worldwide. They are planned to start again in autumn this year, but we don’t bet yet on whether they take place or not. We hope to be at AISTech at the end of June.

17. NEXTSENSE is headquartered in Austria, but what’s happening steelwise in the country?

Austria has one big steel manufacturer, voestalpine, with a big variety of different products. But Austria still has many medium-sized steel mills, which concentrate on special products. Both kinds of steel companies have provided fertile ground for NEXTSENSE’S development over the past 15 years. �

May/June 2021

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HISTORY 59

A festival of ancient smelting Woodford in County Galway, Ireland, is where groups of experimental smelters have gathered in recent years to demonstrate their iron smelting skills using small traditional furnaces. Unfortunately, COVID-19 prevented a meeting last year, but would-be participants were invited to smelt in their home locations and submit video evidence. By Tim Smith* FOR the past few summers, groups of experimental smelters have been gathering in the village of Woodford in County Galway, Ireland to demonstrate their skills at smelting iron using small traditional furnaces. These furnaces use locally available materials, clay to build the furnace, local iron ore, and charcoal as the fuel and reducing agent, and typically stand a metre or so high. The product is normally a spongy mass of solid iron – the bloom. Depending on the smelting conditions, the iron produced can be low or high in carbon, and even some areas of high carbon iron can become molten in the process. Gangue materials are removed as slag which separates from the iron as molten iron silicate – fayalite – along with other impurities present in the ore and furnace lining. Generally, no flux is added and the process loses much of the iron to the slag, experiments indicating that the iron content of the ore needs to be greater than four times that of silica present to produce a bloom.

The last smelt gathering to take pace in Woodford was in 2019, the present COVID-19 pandemic preventing a gathering in 2020. However, the organisers invited would-be participants to smelt in their home locations and film their activities, the results now available on You-tube.

I have selected the highlights of two of the presentations – a video of the Tatara furnace in Japan and three from the Yakutia region of Siberia which specialize in making knives.

Japanese Tatara furnace This video follows the building, ritual commissioning and operation of a scaled down furnace using the principal of the traditional Tatara furnace from the 6th

Charging the Tatara furnace

century, originally from Korea and later used extensively in Japan. The furnace demonstrated is built of clay and has a rectangular footprint of 700 x 650mm and stands 1200mm above ground level. A hollow shaft forms the interior of the furnace, 350 x 270mm, with a hearth tapering to 100mm pierced by eight tuyeres, four on each longer side.

The furnace is built over a pit filled with compacted charcoal 300mm deep. In

The Yakutia bloomery furnace

contrast, a full-size Tatara furnace was typically 3m long, 1m wide and 1.2m high and was constructed above a 2.73m deep pit filled with compacted charcoal. 20 tuyeres were inserted, 10 per long side.

The role of the charcoal pit is to provide insulation and absorb moisture present. The product was a mixture of solid bloomery iron and molten cast iron. This type of furnace was used in Japan from 1603 to as late as 1912. The low height of the furnace stack required a much faster reaction rate to produce molten iron than in the blast furnace where the high stack provides sufficient residence time for the iron, which forms as a solid ‘sponge’ higher up the furnace, to absorb carbon and thereby lower the melting point. The Tatara furnace is characterised by the absence of a lime flux, a lower operating temperature (some 200°C lower than the BF) and a higher oxygen potential. Operation was controlled by careful observation of the flame colour, viewing the hearth through a tuyere and the sound of the furnace. The concept has been revisited in modern times in the form of a rotary hearth process to make solid or molten DRI. A full description of the Tatara furnace was published in Steel Times International Vol 28 September 2004 p62.

The smelters were provided with Irish bog ore, high in iron (70%Fe) and low in silica (<0.3%). The silica was so low that the smelters had to add sand to the charge to produce sufficient slag to aid agglomeration of the bloom and provide a good metal slag separation. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=waZSIqQ4jvM&t=49s Running time 30 mins with sub-titles.

The Yakutia furnaces In the Yakutia region of the Satagay

*Dr Smith is secretary of the Wealden Iron Research Group and operates an experimental furnace smelting local ore in a traditional method. www.steeltimesint.com

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HISTORY

at the end. Running time 9.5 minutes with background music from a Jew’s Harp (Jaw harp) traditional to the region. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mYy0WnX8Rjk

A traditional Yakutia furnace of tamped clay in a decorated wooden box

Republic, Siberia, former USSR, bladesmiths are renowned for the quality of the knives they produce, traditionally by smelting local ore, and more recently from existing high carbon iron such as files.

The first Yakutia video shows a traditional smelt from ore showing bladesmiths operating the furnace, extracting the bloom, consolidating and cutting it and forging it to make the raw material for forging to knives which are briefly shown

The second video is of the festival of Yakutia Nam, and follows the ceremony associated with traditional smelting, from striking the fire with a flint, illustrating the playing of the Jew’s Harp, a description of a highly decorated Yakutia furnace made of clay tamped hard within a wooden box, a hollow shaft being created by means of a centrally placed hollow wooden former which burns away on lighting the furnace.

The actual smelt is not shown but instead various bladed products illustrated as well as an ingot of Wootz steel created by melting the bloomery iron in a crucible, which acts as the starting material for the bladesmiths. Handles for the knives made from Mammoth teeth and tusks are shown.

Running time 24 minutes with translation. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=zX3ThLedeoI The third video is of a smelting festival

organised by the Yakatua Folk museum which illustrates various locally made products including Jew’s Harps and knives, including ‘Damascus’ patterned steel made by hammer welding four different grades of steel. The sharpness of the knives is illustrated by cutting frozen horse meat and slicing a sheet of paper. Removal of the bloom from a furnace is illustrated followed by consolidation. Running time 11.5 mins.� https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Xu9A3Z7iVRk

A 1.5m high clay furnace under construction

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The Future is Manless

®

Technology Protecting People

Meet the

SandMan

®

NEW!

The Manipulator for sandfilling at the ladle Functions.

Advantages.

● Automated filling process of well filler sand

● Safe operation from pulpit ● No manual sand dropping Ú improved ergonomics

● Precise dosing

● Less sand consumption Ú BSW: 20 kg/107 t ladle

● Exact placement of sand

● Improved opening rates Ú no manual lancing Ú no loss of sequence Ú no downgrading

● Temperature measurement of ladle bottom

● Process standardization leads to higher efficiency Ú BSW: 98.9 % opening rate

● Visual camera inspection ● Self standing control cabinet with data recording

Side view of the SandMan at BSW’s hanging ladle

● Optimized positioning & tracking ● Tracking and analysis of potential errors

SandMan in filling position

Before and after filling – pictures from the integrated camera

Badische Stahl-Engineering GmbH Robert-Koch-Straße 13 D-77694 Kehl/Germany Phone (+49) 78 51/877- 0 Fax (+49) 78 51/877-133 eMail info@bse-kehl.de www.bse-kehl.de

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