MPT International 4/2015 (Sep)

Metallurgical Plant and Technology G 25074

ISSN 0935-7254

From new start-up to world market leader for mobile debricking machines

4

September 2015

5QHVYCTG ECNEWNCVGU VJG Æ‚PIGTRTKPV of a coil by measurement data

We transform ... the world of metals.

The whole world of metals ... from one source.

What connects the world originates with us. We plan, design, and construct plants worldwide for producing and processing steel, aluminum, and copper.

The result: Quality products that stand up to top strains ensure sustainable quality of life around the globe.

And that brings us closer together.

SMS group

Eduard-Schloemann-Strasse 4 40237 DĂźsseldorf, Germany

Phone: +49 211 881-0 Fax: +49 211 881-4902

communications@sms-group.com www.sms-group.com

EDITORIAL

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Progress in automation and control One of the most challenging tasks in production administration is to manage the highly automated production chains efficiently and with particular emphasis on reliability and safety. Quality products need to be manufactured, identified and marked. Data are collected, process parameters are logged, products are documented over and over. Highly sophisticated systems are absolutely essential for process automation and control and for quality management along the complete value chain. Fortunately, there is steady progress in the further development of technologies that may result in a breakthrough much more than solving a certain problem. Some impressive examples are given in this issue of MPT International.

For example, enhancement of operational efficiency: Russian steel producer NLMK has implemented an “operational efficiency programme”. For the Kaluga EAF steel plant (a production site of the group’s long products division) the heat series has been recognized as a key indicator impacting upon consumption of charge and refractory materials as well as overall process stability. NLMK Kaluga has therefore been working to extend the duration of the heat series and has achieved a record heat series duration as featured in this issue.

Dipl.-Ing. Arnt Hannewald

Another example is sophisticated process automation: A real-time water detection technology was implemented in a North American EAF steelmaking plant to improve the performance and increase safety in the event of abnormal water events. Controlled trials were conducted to simulate a water leak. The system confirms the results rapidly and correctly, responding to both increasing and decreasing electrode water flow. The new technology also improves EAF process control and optimization.

A further example is automated material flow management: A new software calculates the fingerprint of a coil based on measurement data. Instead of external markings tagged or written on the coil, the software uses the geometrical properties of the strip. It calculates “the fingerprint” of a coil from the measured data. Coils separated by transportation routes and interim storage facilities can now be easily identified. In case coils have been mixed up, an alarm is sent to the operator before strip processing continues.

All these examples show that state-of-the-art process automation is based on sophisticated algorithms that analyze and exploit myriads of process and product data. Software engineers are convinced we are on the cusp of the fourth industrial revolution. Time will tell.

MPT International 4 / 2015

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››› CONTENTS

Events 24

The Bright World of Metals has become even more international

International industry news 26

SMS group to focus even more on modernization and service, energy and green technology Coverphoto: Mobile debricking machines accompany the steel production from the blast furnace to the continuous caster TML Technik GmbH, Monheim am Rhein, Germany Contact: www.tml-technik.com E-mail: info@tml-technik.com

Restructuring expenses depress the group’s results of the business year 2014. In future the group will act with a uniform global image under the roof brand SMS group

Company profile

Steelmaking

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From new start-up to world market leader for mobile debricking machines TML Technik GmbH is an expert in such special machinery deployed in the harshest of climatic and mechanical conditions

Real-time water detection technology in EAF steelmaking A leading North American melt shop uses new standalone water detection technology that for the first time provides real-time analysis of both H2O vapor and H2 from start-to-end of a heat

Continuous casting

Automation

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38

Record heat series of 110 heats in one tundish NLMK Kaluga has achieved a record heat series duration of 110 heats in one tundish. This is one of the best figures in the world for mini-mills with comparable EAFs

Strip processing 46

Slitting line for ultra thin gauges Thinner, narrower, more precisely rolled and with minimized burr – these are the properties that more and more customers buying slit strip expect from their products. The edges of the slit strip must be extremely precisely cut to enable downstream processing

MPT International 4 / 2015

Practical advices to ensure accurate FCVC HTQO VGORGTCVWTG RTQƂNKPI KP UNCD reheating A high degree of accuracy is achievable through slab reheating trials if careful consideration is given to the selection of the instrumentation, software, and especially the thermocouples – with emphasis on the protection of the thermocouples during the trial

44 5 QHVYCTG ECNEWNCVGU VJG ƂPIGTRTKPV QH C EQKN by measurement data For identification of coils, mathematical algorithms and processes have been developed that are based on parameters like thickness and length. A new software detects if coils have been mixed up and sends an alarm to the operator

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Columns 8

International industry news

57

Literature service

49

Technical innovations

58

In the next issue

56

Cartoon

58

Imprint

Advertisers’ index ABB AB

23

Automazioni Industriali Capitano srl

51

Holtmann Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH

54

Siempelkamp Maschinen -und Anlagenbau GmbH & Co.KG

53

iba AG

17

SMS group GmbH

Behringer GmbH

IMI Z&J Germany

11, 12

31 2

Stahlinstitut VDEh

60 37

Braun Maschinenfabrik Gesellschaft m.b.H.

27

IMS Messsysteme GmbH

39

TML Technik GmbH

Combilift Ltd Co

27

Kiro-Nathaus GmbH

20

LAP GmbH Laser Applikationen

19

VELCO GmbH Ges. f. Förder-, Spritz- und Silo-Anlagen mbH

16

Verlag Stahleisen GmbH

49

Walzengießerei Coswig GmbH

14

Danieli S.P.A. Friedrich Vollmer Feinmeßgerätebau GmbH

6, 7 49

Getriebebau NORD GmbH & Co. KG DRIVESYSTEMS

15

GSB Group GmbH

45

Guild International Inc.

9

LDV Laser- und Lichtsysteme GmbH

55

MANGACHOC GmbH Metall-Verschleißtechnik

45

MICRO-EPSILON MESSTECHNIK GmbH & Co. KG

13

WOKO Magnet- und Anlagenbau GmbH 10 PAUL WURTH S.A. Zumbach Electronic AG

41, 42 21

Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH 59

MPT International 4 / 2015

Danieli QSP technological layouts and process know-how fully satisfy the widest market demand in terms of product mix, high productivity and flexibility, tight geometrical tolerances.

10 QSP-Quality Strip Production plants ESSAR ALGOMA CANADA 1998: QSP1 featuring the world’s first vertical curved flexible thin slab caster, for outstanding hot strip quality production, including Peritectic grades for the automotive American market.

Flat product casting, rolling and processing

OMK RUSSIA The flexibility of the QSP1 layout allows the production of API X80 grades for Artic applications as well as 1.0 mm thin gauges.

The only thin slab-based plant in the world conceived for “top notch” API grades production.

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

QSP QUALITY STRIP PRODUCTION THE DANIELI WAY TO BE COST WINNER IN THIN SLAB CASTING-ROLLING > From 1.0 to 4 Mtpy capacity > From 0.8 to 25 mm strip thickness > Coil-to-coil, semi-endless, endless

MMK METALURJI TURKEY With its QSP2 and downstream Danieli cold mill, it represents the most modern facility for flat products in the Mediterranean area, serving both commodity and quality market segments.

DANIELI TEAM A CENTURY OF PARTNERSHIP EXPERIENCE

NMDC INDIA QSP2 plant for the widest production range including API X80, HSLA, ULC steels and thin gauges. The first plant in India featuring vertical-curved casters and separation between roughing and finishing stands.

www.danieli.com

8

››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

Africa Algeria Tosyali to build plant for hot and cold DRI production. Tosyali Holding has awarded Midrex and its partner Paul Wurth the project to build a multiple product direct reduced iron plant for Tosyali Algeria located in Bethioua, Oran. The new Midrex NG™ direct reduction plant Combo will be designed to produce 2.5 million t/year of DRI and have the capability to vary its production to produce hot direct reduced iron (HDRI) and/or cold direct reduced iron (CDRI) simultaneously without stoppage of production. HDRI will be fed via an Aumund hot transport conveyor to a new EAF meltshop located adjacent to the Midrex® DRI plant allowing for greater EAF productivity and energy savings; CDRI can also be produced for additional onsite use.

Algeria AQS to build integrated minimill. AQS Algerian Qatari Steel has signed a contract with Danieli for the construction of an integrated minimill for long products. The plant will be designed for a capacity of 2.0 million t/ year and supplied on a turnkey basis.

The port of Djen-Djen, near Jijel, will be widened in parallel with the construction of the iron oxide receiving plant.

By 2016, the electric network will be extended and the generation plants will be connected to the site in order to supply the necessary power to the plant.

South Africa ArcelorMittal upgrades blast furnace. During a shutdown in 2014, ArcelorMittal South Africa invested heavily in relining and refurbishing the sole blast furnace at its Newcastle plant in the KwaZulu-Natal province and renewing the associated control system. The investment took two years to plan and six months to carry out. It will increase production from 1.7 million to 1.9 million t/year.

MPT International 4 / 2015

The blast furnace control system, upgraded by ABB, has 7,000 I/O points.

The system controls the overall blast furnace process including stockhouse and charging, the bell-less top, the casthouse, hot blast stoves, slag treatment, gas cleaning, water cooling system and pulverized coal preparation and injection. Data for the control system is provided by an extensive suite of ABB instrumentation. As well as supplying the hardware and software, ABB engineers supervised the installation, assisted with the commissioning process and trained the customer’s maintenance personnel. No programme modifications or corrections were required after blow-in of the blast furnace.

The Americas USA NAS orders cold rolling mill and bright annealing line. North American Stainless (NAS), a subsidiary of the Spanish Acerinox Group, has contracted SMS group for the supply of a 20-roll cold rolling mill and a bright annealing line. NAS is building a production facility for bright-annealed stainless steel strip in Ghent, Kentucky. The output capacity of the plant will amount to 95,000 t/year. With this investment, NAS is entering the market for bright-annealed stainless steel. The new plants will manufacture both austenitic and ferritic grades (AISI 200, 300 and 400 series).

In addition to the supply of the mechanical, process, furnace, electrical and automation equipment, also the supervision of installation, commissioning support and training of the operating personnel belong to SMS group’s contract scope. The strip steering systems will be supplied by EMG Automation.

The 20-roll cold rolling mill, a Monoblock mill of type MB 22B-54”, will process up to 6.2-mm-thick hot strip. With a maximum rolling speed of 800 m/min and a maximum rolling force of 8,000 kN, thickness reductions of up to 90% can be achieved. Also the auxiliary and service facilities are part of the supply scope. In the bright annealing line, the cold rolled strip will first be cleaned from rolling oil and other contaminants in a two-stage cleaning section.

This will be followed by recrystallization annealing in an oxygen-free, inert atmosphere. A four-high skin pass mill will be integrated into the line for post-treatment, improving not only the surface and flatness of the strips but also the metallurgical characteristics.

The bright annealing line will feature an entirely electrically powered vertical furnace from Drever, a company of SMS group. Commissioning of the new plants is scheduled to take place in early 2017.

USA SDI places order for pickling line automation. Steel Dynamics has ordered an automation system from Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation (TMEIC) for its new push-pull pickling line in Butler, Indiana. The pickling line will work in conjunction with an existing leveller, which will also be upgraded with a new control system from TMEIC. TMEIC deliverables include low-voltage, variable frequency drives, AC motors and a motor control centre, programmable controllers, level-1 and level-2 control, computers, HMI and high-speed fibre-optic communications. Also included in the contract scope is commissioning, start-up and system performance optimization.

USA AM/NS Calvert to manufacture ultra-high tensile strength steel.

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (NSSMC) will take measures to realize the full capabilities of AM/NS Calvert, joint venture between NSSMC and ArcelorMittal, to manufacture ultra-high tensile strength cold-rolled and coated steel sheets with high formability by the end of 2016. AM/NS Calvert will begin producing such materials up to 1.2 GPa of tensile strength to be used for cold pressed structural car body parts. The new measures will make AM/NS Calvert the first overseas manufacturing site for NSSMC that is capable of producing ultra-high tensile strength steel sheets with high formability. Currently, such steels are pro-

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››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

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duced only at NSSMC manufacturing sites in Japan. NSSMC is ready to transfer its own technology and process for optimally controlling the metallurgical structural formation at the sub-micron level in order to establish production capability for such materials at AM/NS Calvert by the end of 2016.

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Asia China Baosteel Zhanjiang orders cooling system for relocated plate mill. Baosteel Zhanjiang Iron & Steel has ordered a new Mulpic (multi-purpose interrupted cooling) system from Primetals Technologies. The intensive cooling system will be installed in the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing plate rolling mill which is currently being re-located from Shanghai to Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, and is scheduled to be operational in March 2016. The Mulpic system facilitates higher cooling rates and accurate cooling control, resulting in plates with uniform metallurgical properties and reduced flatness defects. It will be the first Mulpic system to incorporate individual header control for both direct quenching and accelerated cooling modes of operation along the complete length of the cooling machine. The new system will provide increased cooling rates and more accurate cooling control. Itwill replace an existing accelerated cooling system that cannot achieve Baosteelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future requirements for the re-located plant.

to 90 mm in diameter. The 3-roll PSMÂŽ will be equipped with a MEERgaugeÂŽ cross-section measuring system and monitor-control technology. This allows corrections to be made to the finished dimensions while production is still going on. The plant will be specially designed for temperature-controlled rolling of bars. Commissioning is scheduled for the third quarter of 2015.

The package of supplies and services will also include the CCTÂŽ (controlled cooling technology) system developed

by SMS group. The cooling bed and associated downstream equipment will be tailored to the required cooling processes. In the plant design, provision will be made for a future expansion of the plant to include a coiling line.

China Masteel signs strategic cooperation agreement. A strategic cooperation framework agreement has been signed between TĂ&#x153;V Nord China and Maanshan Iron and Steel (Masteel).

The agreement covers certification services by TĂ&#x153;V Nord, as a certification institution according to ISO/TS 16949 and IRIS, the International Railway Industry Standard, as well as technical services for the qualification of highspeed trains. The steel produced by Masteel is used, for example, in the construction of wheel sets for railway vehicles. In this way TĂ&#x153;V Nord is making a significant contribution to the use of Masteel products in high-speed trains.

India China

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MPT International 4 / 2015

Qingdao orders SBQ rolling mill. Qingdao Iron & Steel has placed an order with SMS group for the supply of an SBQ (special bar quality) rolling mill. With the new 700,000 t/year mill, Qingdao will expand its product portfolio to include high-quality special steels for use in the automotive industry. SMS group will supply the plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core technology, including a 3-roll sizing block of type PSMÂŽ (precision sizing mill) 380/5, capable of rolling all finished dimensions from 16 up

ArcelorMittal and SAIL to establish JV. ArcelorMittal has signed a memorandum of understanding to set up an automotive steel manufacturing facility under a joint venture arrangement in India. The MoU is the first step of a process to establish a JV between ArcelorMittal and SAIL. The proposed JV will construct a cold rolling mill and other downstream finishing facilities in India that will offer technologically advanced steel products. India is expected to grow as a hub for automobile export manufacturing facilities to cater to the international market.

Professional Blast Furnace Equipment No-Bell Top The new compact charger ensures the simple exchange of a furnace-top double bell for a No-Bell Top system. The usual modiďŹ cation of the steel construction of the blast furnace necessary for such changes is no longer required, meaning no further modiďŹ cations at the skip-or belt feeder system. This is due to the space-saving concept consisting of material storage, material control valves and gas shut-off valves. The combination of low investment costs and increased productivity ensures shortest repayment.

In terms of technology this is the extension of the blast furnace operating capacity as well as a decrease of the reduction agent consumption due to a systematic distribution of material. The structural arrangement and the kinematics of the chute minimise the loads on the gearbox.

The material is distributed on the complete surface by the independent movement of the upper- and lower chute. This concept ensures a failure- and maintenance free operation of the charger.

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Contact IMI Z&J Germany Z&J Technologies GmbH Bahnstraße 52 D-52355 Düren, Germany

IMI Z&J Houston Zimmermann & Jansen Inc. 4525 Kennedy Commerce Drive Houston, TX 77038, USA

Tel: +49 2421 691 0 Email: imizandj.germany@imi-critical.com

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Website: www.imi-critical.com

IMI Z&J South Africa Zimmerman & Jansen S.A.(Pty.) Ltd. 11 Michelin Street P.O. Box 1335 Vanderbijlpark 1900 South Africa

IMI Z&J Shanghai Z&J High Temperature Equipment Co Ltd. No. 2 Workshop No. 819 Yinchuan Road Minhang Dist., Shanghai 201109 China

Tel: +27 16 986 0159 Email: imizandj.sa@imi-critical.com

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Indonesia Gunung Raja Paksi orders reversing cold mill. Gunung Raja Paksi (GRP) has placed an order with SMS group for the full-line supply of a reversing cold mill in CVC® plus six-high design with skin pass operation mode.

On the new mill, GRP will produce cold strip products primarily for use in the construction industry as facade and roof cladding material. The total scope of supply comprises the complete cold rolling mill including the mechanical equipment, electrical and automation systems, and the ancillary plants. The order was complemented by an analysis of the steel producer’s existing Steckel mill in order to evaluate whether there is a need for a technological update or adaptations to meet the new requirements. A major portion of the supply will be handled by the SMS manufacturing facilities in China.

The new reversing cold mill will roll strips in widths up to 1,270 mm to final gauges down to 0.15 mm from a maximum entry thickness of 5.0 mm. Depending on the product requirements, the operation mode can be changed between rolling and skin passing.

With a maximum rolling speed of 1,200 m/min, an annual capacity of about 200,000 t will be achievable.

The X-Pact® automation includes an online level-2 system, which provides the preconditions for fully automatic, precise and efficient plant operation.

An X-Shape flatness measurement roll will be installed on both the entry and the exit side of the mill. The combined reversing and skin pass mill is scheduled to start operation in spring 2017.

tomation system as well as advisory site services for installation, commissioning and start-up. The new plant is expected to become operational in 2018.

Europe Austria Voestalpine Stahl to replace slab caster. Voestalpine Stahl has chosen Danieli as their partner to design and manufacture its new continuous caster 8. This caster will replace continuous caster 3 in Linz, which has been in operation for 40 years. The fact that the new caster will be located in the middle of the steelmaking plant calls for perfect coordination during the civil works and installation phase. Both activities will be carried out by Voestalpine with the advisory services of Danieli. The new caster will produce slabs with a nominal thickness of 225 mm and widths from 800 to 1,820 mm. The design will also take into account a future slab thickness of 285 mm. The wide product range includes electrical steels with a silicon content greater than 2.0%, ULC, LC, structural steels (including micro-alloyed), presshardening grades, HC and special steel grades (TRIP, 9% nickel).

The caster will be designed for an annual capacity of 1,200,000 t of slabs.

The caster will have a main radius of 9.0 m with a vertical length of 2.6 m and a metallurgical length of more than 31 m in order to achieve a maximum casting speed of 1.8 m/min.

Germany Iran B-Misco to build new pelletizing plant. Outotec has won an order from Bafgh Mineral Complex Iron and Steel Industry Company (B-Misco) for the design and delivery of technology and services for a new iron ore pelletizing plant in Bafgh, Yazd province. The new 5 million t/year pellet plant is part of B-Misco’s greenfield investment programme.

Outotec’s scope covers the technology license, basic engineering of the pelletizing plant, detailed engineering, supply of proprietary and key equipment, au-

Buderus Edelstahl installs new dedusting system. Since February 2015, the new dedusting system supplied by Primetals Technologies has been in full operation at Buderus Edelstahl in Wetzlar. Following the original acceptance test in autumn 2014, the system is now also cleaning the off-gases from two new ingot casting plants. With a cleaning capacity of 2.4 million working m3 per hour, it collects and filters the off-gases from all units in the melting and casting areas of the electric steel plant, as well as the

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››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

News in brief ArcelorMittal Temirtau, Kazakhstan, has revamped a tandem cold rolling mill and the finishing stands of a hot strip mill. The work was performed by Danieli.

The six-stand tandem cold mill was upgraded to enable the rolling of wider strip. The work on the hot strip mill involved the geometrical re-alignment of the finishing stands by on-site machining of the mill housings and the alignment of a brand new mill stand.

Gerdau, Canada, has granted AIC Automazioni Industriali Capitanio the final acceptance for the upgrade of the cooling bed area in its Whitby, Ontario, structural mill. AIC replaced the complete control equipment and the drives from the run-in conveyor through to the run-out conveyor.

exhaust air from the bay. The clean gas dust content is less than 1 mg/m3 (stp).

At its Wetzlar location, Buderus Edelstahl operates a 100 t electric arc furnace with a production capacity of up to 400,000 t/year, a ladle furnace, a vacuum degassing plant, a conditioning stand and two new ingot casting plants. The dedusting plant is designed as a combined primary and secondary dedusting system, with canopy extraction and a total of 35 extraction points. The dust is collected in a bag filter with a total filtration surface area of 28,200 m2. Primetals Technologies supplied the mechanical and electrical equipment, the instrumentation and control equipment, and the visualization system, and was also responsible for engineering, installation and commissioning of the plant.

Germany Deutsche Edelstahlwerke to build new heat treatment line.

Deutsche Edelstahlwerke has placed

an order with SMS group for the supply of a heat treatment line to be installed at its Witten site. The new line will enable bar steel up to 250 mm diameter to be heat treated directly in the rolling line. This will make it possible to dispense with the previously required separate heat treatment process, saving on heating energy, reducing throughput times and doing without any intermediate storage. The new heat treatment line will be integrated into the material flow of the existing rolling mill, enabling the transport of individual bars on a roller table to the temperature equalization furnace. After heating, the bars will be selectively cooled to the desired temperature on a cooling section. This will be controlled by the CCT® (controlled cooling technology) simulation model.

Temperature equalization will take place in a walking beam furnace designed for high energy efficiency, low emissions and very good temperature uniformity over the length and cross-section of the bar. The new line will allow tighter process parameters to be observed. SMS group will sup-

INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS ply and install the complete line, including the electrical equipment and automation system. Commissioning is planned to take place at the end of 2016.

go into production in the summer of 2016. Then the ten-stand finishing block will be moved into the new section and will go into production in the first quarter of 2017.

Germany

Germany

Saarstahl orders new wire rod outlet. Saarstahl has placed an order with SMS group for a new wire rod outlet to be installed in its Neunkirchen rolling mill. The new equipment will be installed downline of the existing intermediate train and parallel to the present rolling line. The core component is a four-stand MEERdrive®PLUS block. In addition, the outlet consists of cooling sections partly arranged in a loop, a high-speed shear, a loop laying head, a loop cooling conveyor with three-fan technology, a coil station with dividing shear and an extension to the pallet transport system.

Commissioning of the loop cooling section is scheduled for the beginning of 2016. The other new equipment will

Outokumpu completes rampdown of melt shop. Outokumpu has completed the ramp-down of its Bochum meltshop marking the end of over 100 years of stainless steel operations at that location. The rampdown of the Bochum melt shop and the closure of the Krefeld melt shop in 2013 were both key elements in the industrial restructuring and moves to achieve synergies following the merger of Outokumpu and Inoxum.

Outokumpu continues its presence in Germany, with around 2,500 employees, a cold rolling centre in Krefeld that produces premium tailored materials for the most demanding end-customer segments, as well as cold rolling and finishing plants in Benrath, Dahler-

‹‹‹

15

brück and Dillenburg. Outokumpu is investing heavily in the cold rolling operations in Krefeld to enhance its ferritic capabilities and enable the planned closure of the Benrath site in 2016.

Germany

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Dillinger Hütte to fund materials research at university. Dillinger Hütte will begin cooperating even more intensively with the materials science and materials engineering programme at Saarland University. Over the next three years the company will provide almost EUR 1 million in funding for steel-related joint research projects. From the university’s side, three professors in materials science and materials engineering will be participating with their work groups in the strategic partnership. Dillinger Hütte hopes to use these joint research projects to further enhance the high quality of its heavy plate steel.

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS: Q Worldwide available Q Subsidiaries in 36 countries Q Agents in 52 countries

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16

››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

News in brief Nucor Steel Louisiana, USA, has issued to Tenova HYL the final acceptance certificate for the 2.5 million t/year Energiron DRI plant in Convent, LA, following the successful repair of the process gas heater.

Kumz, Russia, has started up its new aluminium cold rolling mill built by Danieli. The 6-high single-stand mill produces up to 2,800 mm wide and from 8 mm down to 0.2 mm thin strip. For the time being, it processes incoming coils from the existing Kumz hot mill. Once fully installed, the new Danieli hot rolling mill will provide the input coils for the cold mill.

Siderperu, Peru, has issued the final acceptance certificate to AIC Automazioni Industriali Capitanio for the successful revamping of the roughing shear at the Nuevo Chimbote rolling mill. The revamp involved the replacement of the complete automation and power control equipment. The motor configuration was changed from AC to DC.

Hungary Wuppermann to set up new production site. Wuppermann group is going to build four production and logistics halls with a total area of about 32,000 m² at its new production site on the harbour of Györ-Gönyü. The steel processor plans to start processing steel on the new 500,000 t/year pickling and hot-dip galvanizing line in mid-2016.

The line will be supplied by SMS group.

As previously announced in 2014, the galvanizing line at the Wuppermann site in Linz, Austria, is shutting down at the end of 2016 due to expiring leases and supply contracts with Voestalpine Stahl. The new plant will also supply the Austrian sites of Wuppermann in Altmünster and Judenburg.

Russia MMK continues blast furnace upgrades. In May 2015, MMK completed the modernization of its steam power plant’s turbo blowing machine No. 8 (TMB-8), which provides high-quality blast heating to blast furnace No. 10. The project included the replacement of a steam turbine and all auxiliary equipment (reheaters, pumps, pipelines etc.), as well as repair of a compressor. The new unit was also equipped with an automated control system enabling optimal operational modes for TBM8. The upgraded equipment will not only enable one of the mill’s largest blast fur-

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MPT International 4 / 2015

naces to operate stably throughout the year, but also reduce energy input costs.

In March 2015, MMK completed the overhaul of blast furnace No. 8. The upgraded blast furnace now incorporates a “ceramic bucket” to protect the hearth and furnaces’ carbon blocks. This will reduce heat losses and extend the hearth’s service life. New controllers produced

by Siemens were installed to replace the previous outdated components.

MMK also plans to overhaul blast furnace No. 9 at the end of 2015, replacing the furnace’s cooling units and repairing the lining, which will make it possible to increase pig iron output and reduce cash costs.

Russia NLMK to build iron waste recycling facility and galvanizing line.

At its Lipetsk site, NLMK will build a facility for the recycling of iron-containing waste into metallurgical briquettes.

The briquettes will be manufactured from a mix of iron ore concentrate and blast furnace sludge from wet blast furnace gas cleaning using a hard extrusion method. The launch of the plant, scheduled for 2017, will enable more than 350,000 t of blast furnace waste to be recycled each year. The new facility will not only increase the efficiency of iron extraction, but also significantly reduce the plant’s environmental footprint.

NLMK will also build a new continuous hot-dip galvanizing line. An agreement

INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS has been signed with Tenova for the basic engineering and delivery of process equipment for what will be the fifth hotdip galvanizing line at Lipetsk. The new line will have a capacity 450,000 t/year of 0.3 to 2.0 mm thick and 900 to 1,500 mm wide high-quality cold-rolled galvanized steel. Hot-testing is planned for the first half of 2017.

duction of plates at Vyksa steel works, part of United Metallurgical Company, OMK, by 31.6% year-on-year to 326,500 t during the period from January to April 2015. NLMK plans to increase steel slab deliveries by 25% year-on-year in 2015 to reach 900,000 t compared to the 724,000 t delivered in 2014. At Vyksa, the slabs are rolled into plates for the manufacture of large-diameter pipes.

Russia

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17

commissioning expected to be completed by the end of September 2015.

Kroman’s new No. 2 mill will include a Morgan intelligent pinch roll and the latest laying head technology with selfregenerating pipe designed for longer pipe life. In addition, the contract calls for modifications to the existing cooling conveyor with the incorporation of Optimesh technology and upgrades to the reform tub and ring distributor. The new equipment will be able to operated at a speed of up to 110 m/s.

Slovenia NLMK to install new gas cleaning system for blast furnace.

NLMK has signed an agreement with Paul Wurth for the engineering and supply of equipment for a new gas cleaning unit at blast furnace 6 on its Lipetsk site. Blast furnace 6 has an output of 3.2 million t/year. Construction of the gas cleaning unit is planned to start by the end of 2015. It is scheduled to be complete by the first half 2016.

In parallel, NLMK will begin testing of the top-pressure recovery turbine (TRT) which is currently under construction.

It will use excess blast furnace gas pressure for electricity generation. A first TRT is already in operation at blast furnace 7.

Russia NLMK increases deliveries of steel to OMK. NLMK has increased deliveries of steel feedstock for the pro-

Metal Ravne to revamp EAF. Inteco is revamping the 45 t electric arc furnace of Metal Ravne. The project will include the installation of state-of-the-art injection technology, a new SwingDoor, an off-gas pressure monitoring system, a new automation system, the ISEC electrode regulation system and a robotic device for temperature and sampling. Commissioning of the revamped furnace is scheduled to take place in the third quarter of 2015.

Companies Can-Eng opens new office. CanEng Furnaces has opened a second engineering office in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. With an initial capacity for 20 engineers, the site will focus primarily on complex automation and electrical control solutions for industrial furnace projects with future expansion for mechanical project engineering.

Turkey Kroman to modernize wire rod mill. Kroman Çelìk Sanayìì has contracted Primetals Technologies to upgrade the outlet of its wire rod line allowing expansion of its product line to include high carbon wire rod. Signed in 2014, the contract calls for delivery of equipment, with erection and

ThyssenKrupp Stahl-ServiceCenter acquires Herzog Coilex.

ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center has acquired the Stuttgart/Germany-based steel processing specialist Herzog Coilex and integrated the company into its organization. There it will operate under the name ThyssenKrupp Stahl Ser-

MPT International 4 / 2015

18

››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

vice-Center GmbH, “Coilex Stuttgart” branch. Hans-Peter Pfaff, previous managing director of Herzog Coilex GmbH, is the head of the new branch and will also join the management board of ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center.

Paul Wurth and CSC sign cooperation agreement. Paul Wurth and Taiwan-based China Steel Corporation (CSC) have signed a cooperation agreement in the field of upcoming ironmaking plant construction projects in the Southeast Asian region, including material handling, sinter plants, blast furnaces and direct reduction plants. Both parties decided to take joint efforts in order to promote the development of the Asian ironmaking industry according to a common marketing strategy and to co-operate on a non-exclusive basis for projects to be implemented in the region. This co-operation could take place, case by case, on a consortium basis or in a subcontractor relationship. While CSC undertakes to use exclusively Paul Wurth technology and know-how for projects to be realized under this agreement, CSC shall provide customer training services, consulting and supervision services as well as specific detail engineering services.

Steeltec pools bright steel activities. The production and sales activities of the bright steel companies within the Schmolz + Bickenbach group in Switzerland, Scandinavia and Turkey, and at the Düsseldorf site in Germany, will be pooled as a single business unit under the roof of the Schmolz + Bickenbach subsidiary Steeltec. This development sees the Steeltec group become one of the leading specialist bright bar manufacturers in Europe. The restructuring has generated numerous synergies along the entire value chain from steel development and production to sales and distribution.

Customers will in future profit from a broader product and service portfolio.

North American subsidiaries of Schmolz + Bickenbach consolidated into Finkl Steel. Finkl & Sons, Composite Forgings and Sorel Forge – MPT International 4 / 2015

the North American subsidiaries of the Schmolz + Bickenbach group – have consolidated their technical expertise in steel production and their manufacturing capacities and started to do business under the name of Finkl Steel. With a uniform brand presence, the North American steel producer strengthens its position as a global provider of forgings, plastic mould and tool steel as well as open-die forgings.

Eurofer’s views on earlier introduction of Market Stability Reserve. The Market Stability Reserve (MSR) will be introduced earlier than originally proposed, in 2019 instead of 2021. The socalled “900 million back-loaded” allowances, which are deducted from the auctioning volumes during the period 2014 – 2016, will be placed directly into the reserve as well as hundreds of millions of unallocated allowances from plant closures which should have been auctioned in 2019 and 2020 respectively. As a result, the carbon price is likely to increase significantly already before 2021. This will cause EU steelmakers to face even tougher times with regards to their international competitors which do not face similar CO2 costs.

Based on this decision to alter the fundaments of what should be a purely market-based EU Emissions Trading Scheme, it is now time for the EU institutions to take full responsibility for the EU industry’s competitiveness by adopting clear and long-term carbon leakage measures as soon as possible. Eurofer therefore considers the following measures as crucial: first, 100% free allocation at the level of the 10% most efficient installations, based on realistic, technically and economically achievable benchmarks for the steel industry. This will require the deletion of the so-called correction factor. Second, full off-setting of the CO2 costs passed through by the power sector to the steel industry in all EU member states, at the level of the most electricity-efficient EU installations.

Tata Steel intensifies R&D with Warwick University. An agreement has been signed between Tata Steel and the university’s Warwick Manufacturing Group, which is establishing an Advanced Steel Research Centre at the university. The first step will

be the opening of a research facility at the university this autumn where more than 40 Tata Steel scientists will be based. Within two years, Tata Steel will relocate all its UK-based R&D specialist equipment, including electron microscopes, to expanded facilities at the university where a range of new materials will be developed to meet customers’ future demands, such as for renewable energy generation and more fuel-efficient cars and planes.

Tata Steel will carry out collaborative research with the University of Warwick as the hub, involving academics and industry experts from other organisations in the UK and around the world.

SSAB launches new sustainability strategy. To increase its focus on sustainability, SSAB is launching a new sustainability strategy. The strategy outlines the measurable environmental targets to be achieved by 2019, including a lasting reduction of 200,000 t in CO2 emissions, a lasting reduction of 300 GWh in purchased energy, and a lasting improvement in the utilization of residuals by 30,000 t, thereby reducing waste being sent to landfills. In addition to environmental targets, SSAB has updated its social responsibility targets, including areas such as performance dialogues, business ethics, compliance with SSAB’s code of conduct and supply chain management.

Outokumpu introduces new product categorization. Outokumpu has introduced a new way to categorize its wide range of stainless steel products. By arranging its products according to performance rather than according to their chemical composition, the company puts customer needs first. The new portfolio structure features nine product ranges, which highlight the key properties of their respective products such as corrosion-resistance, heat-resistance, strength, hardness and machinability.

Wuppermann and Welser to bundle forces in Hungary. A partnership

STEELWORKERS KNOW...

agreement signed between Wuppermann and Welser provides for a 25.1% shareholding by Welser Profile Beteiligungs GmbH in Wuppermann Hungary Kft. (WH).

At the same time, Welser Profile Austria GmbH guarantees the purchase of a large amount of pickled and galvanized slit strip from Wuppermann Hungary. The contracts are still subject to antitrust approval.

SIZE MATTERS!

Cognex to sell surface inspection systems division. Cognex Corporation has signed a definitive agreement to sell the assets of its surface inspection systems division to Ametek. The sale of the surface inspection systems division is a strategic decision. The division is a profitable and well-managed business, but it does not fit Cognexâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-term objectives and business model.

Joint Eurofer declaration on G7 summit. Eurofer welcomes the decision to work on joint international efforts to address climate change and global sustainability objectives in the framework of the G7 and supports a globally sustainable economy. In a joint declaration with the European Trade Union (industriAll Europe), Eurofer states that this requires the establishment of the right policy framework particularly in the following areas: a robust and comprehensive international agreement on global climate protection must be achieved; emissions trading must be designed in such a way that in the long term a competitive steel production in Europe remains possible; the energy transition must be affordable and must ensure industrial competitiveness; and sustainable permanent materials such as steel must be considered in the post2015 development agenda. Eurofer and industriAll Europe call for a trade policy effectively establishing fair trade conditions for the EU steel industry.

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www.LAP- LASER.com ThyssenKrupp to establish second JV in China. ThyssenKrupp will expand its activities in the Chinese market by a new joint venture to operate a new hot-dip coating line in China.

The company already has operations in the country via a joint venture with An-

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20

››› INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS

gang Steel – TKAS Auto Steel Co. (Tagal).

Now ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe is additionally acquiring an interest in an Angang group company which is currently building a hot-dip coating facility in the city of Chongqing. ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe will own 12.5% and Tagal 37.5% of this enterprise. The remainder of 50% will be held by the Angang group.

TimkenSteel opens technology centre for SBQ steel research. TimkenSteel recently opened a technology centre at its Northeast Ohio corporate campus, featuring a laboratories where metallurgists and materials scientists can test steel and find smallest inclusions in the material. The technology centre enhances the company’s ability to advance the cleanness and performance of SBQ steel.

Salzitter to discontinue sheet piling segment. Salzgitter AG will

close down the operations of its wholly-owned subsidiary HSP Hoesch Spundwand und Profil GmbH. The company produces steel sections used primarily in water engineering, road and railway construction, civil engineering and environmental protection. Declining demand for these products over years has repeatedly led to substantial losses, despite high levels of investment and restructuring endeavours. Since efforts to sell the company to a purchaser with a more cost-effective supply of input material were also unsuccessful, the closure became unavoidable.

ISSF 2015 sustainability and safety awards. The winner of this year’s sustainability award presented by the International Stainless Steel Forum is Aperam for reducing emissions to air at their Belgium plant located near the city of Genk, a project which lasted from 2005 to 2015. The safety award was given to Jindal Stainless for reducing carbon monoxide levels to eliminate the explosions in the dust plant.

MAN Diesel & Turbo to acquire MaxWatt Turbines. MAN Diesel & Turbo SE, a wholly owned subsidiary of MAN SE, acquires 100% of the shares of MaxWatt Turbines Pvt. Ltd., an Indian specialist company for engineering, production and service of steam turbines for applications in power generation and mechanical drives. After the acquisition, MaxWatt will be integrated into the Turbo business of MDT. The new entity will operate under the name MAN Turbomachinery India Pvt. Ltd. By acquiring MaxWatt, MDT adds steam turbines for numerous standard applications to its portfolio.

The MaxWatt headquarters in Bangalore will be MAN Diesel & Turbo’s first steam turbine production site in India.

Personalities Appointments at Outokumpu. Jan Hofmann has been appointed president of the APAC business area and member of the Outokum-

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INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS pu leadership team. Prior to his current position he has held key positions in the company, such as head of strategy and finance for APAC, and head of strategy at Outokumpu.

Another appointment was that of Michael Williams as the president and head of business area Coil Americas. He is also a member of the Outokumpu leadership team. Jose Ramon Salas, who has been the interim head of Coil Americas, will resume his position as the head of Mexinox.

Michael Williams

New chairman of AISI. The board of directors of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has elected Chuck

Chuck Schmitt

Schmitt, president of SSAB Americas, to serve as chairman of the institute until May 2016.

Wuppermann changes organizational structure and management board. Wuppermann has recently implemented changes on the management board and in the organizational structure of the business units. The segment “tube products” of the technical products business unit has become part of the flat products business unit. Managing director C. Peter Jongenburger is responsible for this new “flat + tube products” business unit. The existing segment “sheet metal components” has been combined into the new business unit “Tec”. Head

‹‹‹

21

of this business unit is Ingo Laumann.

This business unit falls into the area of responsibility of C. L. Theodor Wuppermann, who also acts as CFO and spokesman of the board. The business unit “service + consulting” remains unchanged.

Arnd Schaff, since 2008 member of the board, has left Wuppermann by mutual agreement. Since July 2015, the managing board has consisted of the two members C. L. Theodor Wuppermann and C. Peter Jongenburger.

AIST announces new president.

George J. Koenig, president, Berry Metal Company, Harmony, Pa., USA, has been appointed president of the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) for 2015 – 2016. First vice president is Wendell L. Carter, vice president and general manager, ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor, East Chicago, Ind., USA.

Dillinger Hütte Saarstahl reappoints officers. The superviso-

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ry board of Holding DHS – Dillinger Hütte Saarstahl AG reappointed Karlheinz Blessing as chief executive officer for a term of five years with effect from February 2016. Fred Metzken and Peter Schweda were reappointed as members of the board of management of DHS – Dillinger Hütte Saarstahl for a term of five years with effect from 1 April 2016.

The third person on the board of management of DHS is Karlheinz Blessing, who acts as chairman. All three gentlemen also hold responsibilities as members on both the board of management of Saarstahl AG and the board of management of Dillinger Hütte AG.

Changes to the management of Amepa. The managing partners of Amepa have appointed Edmund Julius and Wolfgang Theissen as new managing directors. They succeed former managing director Karl-Friedrich Block, who has left the company.

Both, Julius and Theissen are founding members of Amepa and have already acted as managing directors of Amepa in the past.

New president Sales and Engineering at Schaeffler Industrial.

Stefan Hantke has assumed the position of president of Sales and Engineering of the Industrial division of Schaeffler Technologies. In his new position, Stefan Hantke is a member of the division’s management board and responsible for the global sales management of rolling and plain bearing components and systems for around 60 different industrial sectors. He is also responsible for the 27 Schaeffler Technology Centres (STC) worldwide.

ISSF elects new office bearers.

Mika Seitovirta, chief executive officer of Outokumpu, has been elected the new chairman of the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) to serve for a period of two years. Bernardo Velázquez, CEO of Acerinox Group, Tim Di Maulo, CEO of Aperam, and Oh In-Hwan, head of Posco’s steel division, have been elected as vice chairmen.

MPT International 4 / 2015

Interim head of Ruukki Construction. Jarmo Tonteri succeeds Marko Somerma, who has left the company, as interim head of the Ruukki Construction division of SSAB.

New president-level appointments at Ovako. Heikki Nyholm, president of business area Bar Imatra, will become the new president of Ovako Metals and of Ovako’s sales and distribution unit in Turenki. Janne Pirttijoki has been appointed president of the business area Bar Imatra and will join Ovako’s group management.

Janne Pirttijoki comes from a position as head of SSAB’s tubes and sections product group.

New managing director at Samson Materials Handling. Samson Materials Handling, formerly B&W Mechanical Handling Ltd., has appointed Malcolm Youll as new managing director. His wide range of experience in the field of mining and ports & terminals will expand the Samson Materials Handling activities in the various markets worldwide. Samson Materials Handling is under the roof of the Aumund group of companies.

New managing director at ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein. Karl-Ernst Friedrich, managing director Technology at tinplate producer ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein in Andernach, Germany, will retire with effect from 30 September 2015, after more than 35 years with the company and since 2005 as a member of the managing board. His successor will be Oliver Hoffmann, who joins ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein from ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe in Duisburg.

Events ›

23 – 25 September 2015 Bardolino, Italy Organizers: AIM www.aimnet.it/steelsim2015.htm

Steelsim 2015. The 6th International Conference on Modelling and Simulation of Metallurgical Processes in Steelmaking will cover aspects of secondary steelmaking, casting and solidification, steelmaking and heating, metalforming processes and thermo-mechanical treatment.

›

22 – 23 October 2015 Dalmine, Italy Organizers: AIST www.aist.org

Italy Steel Forum 2015. A twoday programme will highlight critical socio-economic issues confronting the European steel industry, followed by a global experts panel to debate available technologies for continuous casting and pipe and tube.

›

3 – 5 November 2015 Leoben, Austria Organizers: Asmet www.mppe.org

MPPE 2015. The International Conference on Materials, Processing and Product Engineering will cover aspects as wide ranging as materials synthesis and processing, development and characterization of materials, dimensioning of components, integration of materials and their processing, behaviour of materials and components during service. Specific topics to be featured are new materials, multi-scale modelling, production chain modelling, new manufacturing processes and new tool solutions.

›

10 – 11 November 2015 Buenos Aires, Argentina Organizers: Alacero www.buenosaires56.alacero.org

Alacero-56 Conference. The annual conference of Alacero expects more than 800 representatives from 400 companies of the steel value chain. As the global steel industry goes through a time of challenges and uncertainty, the conference will focus on strategies to overcome the cri-

INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS sis and sustainably strengthen the industry.

›

16 – 19 November 2015 Tehran, Iran Organizers: Nama Negar Group www.iranmetafo.com

Metafo. The 12th International Exhibition Metafo will cover seven technical trade fairs under one roof: Minexpo on minerals and the mineral

industry, Steelexpo on steel technology, Noferexpo on copper, aluminium and other NF metals, Furnexpo on furnace technology, Refrexpo on refractory products and technology, Projexpo covering various aspects of projects and investments and Castexpo on casting and moulding technology.

›

25 – 27 May 2016 Venice, Italy

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23

Organizers: AIM www.aimnet.it/eec2016.htm EEC 2016. The 11th European Electric Steelmaking Conference and Expo will provide a forum for the exchange of information on latest technologies and applications in electric furnace steelmaking. It will bring together steel producers as well as researchers and academia active in fields related to the steelmaking industry, steel application and energy production.

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MPT International 4 / 2015

24

â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş EVENTS

The Bright World of Metals has become ever more international According to Messe DĂźsseldorf, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Bright World of Metalsâ&#x20AC;?, which took place in midJune, was a success. The international metal and metallurgical trade fair quartet received very good feedback from exhibitors and visitors. Especially worthy of mention is the fact that the fairs have become even more international: 56% of the visitors and 51% of the exhibitors came from abroad.

With 78,000 visitors from more than 120 countries, visitor attraction of the 2015 edition of GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST in DĂźsseldorf was comparable with that of the previous edition of the trade fair quartet. The propensity to invest was good, with the 2,214 exhibiting companies reporting numerous business transactions with customers from all

over the world. Visitors from India, Italy, Turkey, France and China accounted for the biggest shares of international visitors. Especially in the Asian regions there is a strong demand for European metallurgy and foundry technology, which meets the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current requirements for energy and resource saving. Messe DĂźsseldorf´s managing director Joachim Schäfer states: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Throughout the event, the atmosphere on the fairground was ex-

The Bright World of Metals Messe DĂźsseldorf, Germany 16 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 20 June 2015 Find more information on the Internet: www.metec.de www.thermprocess.de www.gifa.de www.newcast.de

This QR code links to a video on YouTube showing life impressions from METEC

cellent. The visitors highly appreciated that there were entire machines and systems on display here in DĂźsseldorf.â&#x20AC;? Global market leaders as well as companies specialized in niche technologies rated their fair participation as highly satisfactory. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The resource and energy savings potentials of the current technologies play a key role in the metals producing and processing industriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; investment decisions,â&#x20AC;? says project director Friedrich-Georg Kehrer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Companies focusing on these aspects of technology represented an important target group at the four fairs GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST.â&#x20AC;? Visitors to METEC and THERMPROCESS traditionally have their professional background in iron and steel production, plant engineering and construction, apparatus engineering and tool making.

Sold to Saudi Arabia, this 35 t induction furnace ranks among the heaviest exhibits at the trade fairs

Stand of Alpine Metal Tech at METEC. The company supplies solutions for long rolling, product KFGPVKĆ&#x201A;ECVKQP RTQFWEV KPURGEVKQP and continuous casting machines as well as special applications for aluminium wheels

US steel mogul John Correnti (in front) and William Asa Hutchinson, Governor of the US Federal State of Arkansas, signed a component that will be used in the newly built steelworks “Big River Steel” in Osceola

The internationality of the four trade The FOGI special show at the THERMPROCESS fair, representing members of the

fairs increased one more time. 51% of

research association for the construction of industrial ovens (FOGI)

the exhibitors came from abroad

This German manufacturer spezializes in cast rolls and moulded

In January 2015, Mitsubishi-Hitachi Metals Machinery and

castings; in the back Indian A.R. Group operating four manufacturing

Siemens VAI Metals Technologies joined forces and formed

facilities located in New Delhi and neighbouring regions

the new company Primetals Technologies

With the school programme “Metals4you”, Messe Düsseldorf is helping EQORCPKGU VQ ƂPF apprentices or budding engineers

Special vehicles for logistical processes are used in a wide range of areas

26

â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş COMPANY PROFILE

SMS group to focus even more on modernization and service, energy and green technology Order intake of SMS group continues to decline, while sales are at previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s level. Consequently, the plant manufacturer has implemented cost-cutting measures.

Restructuring expenses depress the results of the business year 2014. In future the group will act with a uniform global image under the roof brand SMS group.

Germany-based SMS group still lacks order intake due to the fact that metals industries remain reluctant to invest in new plants. Order intake by the SMS group in the last business year declined to EUR 3.167 billion (2013: EUR 3.309 billion). Sales, at EUR 3.406 billion, remained at the same level as the previous year (2013: EUR 3.495 billion). In business year 2014, the SMS group pretax result declined to EUR 31 million (2013: EUR 178 million). The expenses for restructuring the SMS group depressed the result achieved in 2014.

In business area SMS Siemag (including Paul Wurth), order intake decreased

29 percent), Asia 24 percent (2013: 45 percent), North and South America 43 percent (2013: 25 percent), Africa 2 percent (2013: 1 percent). Due to the lower order intake, the order backlog of EUR 4.613 billion also fell short of the previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s value (2013: EUR 4.997 billion).

The yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s average number of employees in the SMS group including apprentices totalled 14,003 (2013: 13,856).

Primarily responsible for the increase is the expansion of service business and an increase in manpower abroad.

That contrasts with a reduction in staff in Germany. Despite cost-cutting programmes, SMS group will adhere to its

SMS Siemag

SMS Meer

Elexis

SMS group

Sales revenues

(n.a.)

(n.a.)

(n.a.)

3,406 million â&#x201A;Ź

Order intake

1,952 million â&#x201A;Ź

1,050 million â&#x201A;Ź

175 million â&#x201A;Ź

3,167 million â&#x201A;Ź

Results before tax

(n.a.)

(n.a.)

(n.a.)

31 million â&#x201A;Ź

Employees

9,133

3,716

1,098

14,003

Figures of SMS group in the business year 2014

by EUR 92 million to EUR 1.952 billion (2013: EUR 2.044 billion). Business area SMS Meer generated an order intake of EUR 1.050 billion, also hovering below the previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s figure (2013: EUR 1.104 billion). Finally, the Elexis group contributed EUR 175 million (2013: EUR 181 million) to the order intake.

This is how order intake broke down according to global regions: Europe (including Russia and Ukraine) 31 percent (2013:

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policy of training more than the average number of young talents. This is how the company continues to meet its social responsibilities in this important area.

Furthermore, in view of demographic change, SMS group ensures it will be able to draw on a pool of adequately qualified personnel in the future.

5VKNN FKHĆ&#x201A;EWNV OCTMGV UKVWCVKQP Just like the previous year, the market situation for metallurgical plant and machinery construction was difficult and displayed a low willingness of steel producers to invest. Competition for the few major

projects up for bidding was intense and led to noticeable price pressure on plant builders. There had been hopes for a market recovery, but this failed to materialize.

Positive dynamics came mainly from North America. Available there is investment potential that results from a catch-up demand for modernization of outdated plants and a general â&#x20AC;&#x153;reindustrializationâ&#x20AC;? trend.

Consolidation activities on the Chinese market are leading to reduced growth in production. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why SMS group is expecting a decline in demand for new plants in China. After the change of government in India, SMS group anticipates the release of the projected high investments aimed at expanding the Indian steel industry.

5CPIWKPG RTQURGEVU HQT C DQVVQOKPI QWV Burkhard Dahmen, spokesman of the managing board of SMS Holding GmbH, says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Up until the beginning of this year, our customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hopes of a bottoming-out of the steel market led us to expect positive impacts on our business. However, due to the global overcapacities, our customers remain reluctant to invest in new plants. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, the enduring political uncertainty in our important sales markets of Russia and Ukraine is depressing our business even more.

We continue to see a large potential in the area of modernizations toward green, energy-efficient plant technology as well as in the entire field of services. Yet, looking at the overall market situation, consolidation and capacity reductions are necessary. In view of this, we expect order intake in the current business year of 2015 to only match last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s level. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll likely

COMPANY PROFILE be an increase in pre-tax profits – due to a drop in restructuring expenses.

Already being implemented is a wide-ranging cost-cutting programme involving further process improvements. We’ll also continue to expand our growth areas of modernization, electrical and automation systems, service, and energy and green technology. Looking at sales, we anticipate a similar level as in 2014 seeing that we’ll be able to work through the order backlog still on our books.”

5/5 5KGOCI CPF 5/5 /GGT VQ OGTIG After the takeover of Mannesmann Demag’s metallurgy division in 1999 and the formation of the SMS group in 2000, the business areas SMS Siemag and SMS Meer grew ever closer together.

As from August this year, the ranges of metallurgical and rolling mill technology as well as tube & pipe, long products, and forging technology will be united under the single SMS group brand name. The two management companies SMS Siemag AG and SMS Meer GmbH

will merge to create SMS group GmbH. In its future positioning, the new company will emerge with a joint managing board and ten globally operating divisions as following: ▪ ironmaking plants, ▪ metallurgical plants and environmental technology, ▪ flat products plants, ▪ tube and pipe plants, ▪ long product plants, ▪ processing lines and furnace technology, ▪ forging plants, ▪ electrical and automation systems, ▪ production facilities, ▪ technical service.

These operating divisions will receive effective support from internal central departments. Around half of the employees work in Germany, the others abroad, including more than 1,000 each in India and China.

Implementation of the restructuring and efficiency-boosting programme launched in 2014 is designed to transform SMS group in the coming years into an even more competitive and market-compliant company perfect-

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ly adapted to changed market conditions.

5GEWTKPI SWCNKV[ s EWVVKPI EQUVU To ensure high quality, SMS group remains committed to producing selected components of its machinery and plants in Germany. This is why the company invested heavily in modernizing its production sites in Hilchenbach and Mönchengladbach in recent years. However, it also expanded its workshop capacities in China. Important there is above all providing better customer services on the ground and producing machines specially geared to the Chinese market. That also applies to the Indian market, where in late 2014 a new workshop went into operation in Bhubaneswar, Orissa state, after an investment of EUR 25 million.

Overall, the company is working on cutting costs across the board. This is possible because SMS group is focusing on designs that optimize manufacturing as well as on higher efficiency in engineering, production, and logistics.

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MPT International 4 / 2015

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â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş COMPANY PROFILE

The new Unidachs 220 debricking machine in operation

From new start-up to world market leader for mobile debricking machines Mobile debricking machines accompany the steel production from the blast furnace to the continuous caster. TML Technik GmbH is an expert in such special machinery deployed in the harshest of climatic and mechanical conditions. TMLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s machines number DPRQJ WKH PRVW HIĆ&#x201A;FLHQW PRVW UHOLDEOH DQG ORQJ ODVWLQJ PDFKLQHV RQ WKH PDUNHW WRGD\ TML Technik GmbH focuses on manufacturing equipment for the metallurgical industry. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portfolio includes telescopic debricking machines and telescopic rotary booms, as well as tap hole drilling and setting machines, de-slagging and charging machines. TMLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s machines are at work debricking ladles, converters and blast furnace runners, drilling and setting tap-hole sleeves, and carrying out refractory repairs while the plants are in operation.

Michael Hobden, TML Technik GmbH, Monheim am Rhein, Germany Contact: www.tml-technik.com E-mail: info@tml-technik.com

MPT International 4 / 2015

TML supplies these special machines mainly to the iron and steel industry, to steel mill service providers and OEMs to the industry. The machines are individually adapted to meet the demands placed on them. The company provides customer-focussed service from a single source â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ranging from the original design of the machine and its line components, manufacture, assembly and shipping, through to customer training, maintenance and repairs.

A family business based on values and tradition When it was established in 1993 TML took over the Unidachs telescopic excavator division of Wieger Maschinenbau, including its employees who

brought with them thirty years of expertise in the field. In 1997 TML acquired Leonard GmbH. Under the Leonard brand name TML adapts its endlessly rotatable telescopic boom to carriers made by leading manufacturers and produces steel mill loaders for use in hot environments. In 2005, with the take-over of MPT Masterpiece Technology who specialized in the conveying and spraying of unformed refractory materials, TML once again expanded its product range.

Today the family business â&#x20AC;&#x201C; now in its second generation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is directed by Christof Mikat. During its 20 year history, the company has developed into the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest manufacturer of mobile debricking machines in the iron and steel industry.

COMPANY PROFILE Evidence of TML’s success can be seen in more than 700 machines supplied to its customers. Here is an example: Prior to 1993 just seven Unidachs debricking machines had been supplied to India. Today that number is 72.

Having begun operations in 1993 with seven employees, TML now employs more than 80 people at its headquarters at Monheim am Rhein. There the company develops and designs the machines, and manufactures them in six factory buildings, covering an area of 22,000 square metres – “Made in Germany”. With a further 25 members of staff working in the sales and service offices located in India, South Africa, China and Ukraine, and with representatives in 13 other countries, TML employees work closely with their customers throughout the world, and are locally available at all times. With their help the company is able to offer problem-free on-site commissioning and to guarantee a high level of availability of staff for maintenance and repair work, with a rapid, global spare parts service.

Today, the company trains young people in five different career directions. As a family company TML places great value on social commitment.

The company is one of the founders of a cooperatively organized company kindergarten, and is the major sponsor of a local sports club.

It all began with “Unidachs” The first Unidachs was “rolled out” over fifty years ago. With their 360° endlessly rotatable telescopic boom this series of telescopic excavators can execute many movements – even simultaneously – that conventional excavators cannot. With their unique kinematics, they are suited for work

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29

The family business – now in its 2nd generation – is directed by Christof Mikat

where linear movement and rotation of the telescopic boom are required, for example: ▪ cleaning, repairing and debricking converters and electric furnaces, ▪ debricking and deskulling ladles.

But it is not the telescopic boom alone that makes the Unidachs ideal for use in the iron and steel industry. The entire machines are tailored especially to meet the challenging operating conditions prevalent in the iron and steel industry – heat, tough materials, long reaches and constrained working spaces. The materials, the hydraulics, the cables, and the electronic systems in the machines are optimally adapted to the extreme ambient temperatures.

TML has consistently extended the product scope available on the Unidachs range and today supplies complete solutions for many different

fields of use. TML Technik machines accompany the steel throughout its entire fluid stage from the blast furnace to the continuous caster.

Working solutions – the iron and steel industry without compromise Since TML focuses principally on the iron and steel industry, they are fully aware of the prevailing conditions at the mills. The designers know that with the extraordinarily difficult conditions in which the machines have to operate, it is the small detail that counts. Which is why they consistently follow the guiding philosophy of “working solutions”. Working closely with the customers, they develop solutions that are precisely tailored to the specific requirements,

Company site of TML Technik, Monheim am Rhein, Germany

MPT International 4 / 2015

30

››› COMPANY PROFILE

and which work reliably during harsh day-to-day work ... always on the basis of proven, robust, standard machines, innovative technology and the expertise gained over 50 years in the business.

Besides machine reliability under the harshest of operating conditions found in the iron and steel industry,

Wherever iron and steel are made In the iron and steel industry the majority of TML machines are deployed where working conditions are hot, and where material needs to be removed or applied with extreme accuracy. This may be a matter of removing the slag from the blast furnace runner or of

Unidachs 640 machine cleaning a hot ladle

machine operator safety takes topmost priority when machines are designed.

All machines can be remote-controlled; where this option is selected, machines can also be fitted with optional cameras for remote monitoring – for example on a console screen – where there is no direct visual contact with the machine.

The constant innovations at TML are the talk of the industry. An example: ▪ the solution developed to handle the task of drilling and setting the tap-hole sleeve in the converter, where even conical tap-hole sleeves can be removed and the next sleeve inserted precisely without moving the machine, ▪ the “KAMM” converter refractory lining machine – a hydraulically driven working platform used to reline the converter refractories.

Further current evidence of the company’s innovative prowess is shown in the new and particularly compact and versatile Unidachs 220 debricking machine which is remote-controlled and – the first in its class – is equipped with a 360° rotatable telescopic boom.

MPT International 4 / 2015

cleaning the mouth and cone of the converter. Since the machines are designed especially for working in very hot conditions it is possible to carry out work on the converter while it is still hot.

For drilling and setting the tap-hole sleeves in converters, the Unidachs 423 can be used. This is a solution developed especially for the task. A camera and an angle indicator ensure that the drill carriage is positioned accurately.

The impact hammer drill is able to remove the worn tap-hole sleeve quickly and accurately. Without repositioning the machine, the new tap-hole sleeve is then inserted and held in place until it is fixed into position. This saves production time and keeps costs down.

When carrying out repairs on the refractory linings in the hot converters, the “Shooter”, a spraying manipulator with telescoping and rotating spraying arm, places the refractory materials accurately on the spot where the lining needs to be repaired. For debricking tasks, the Unidachs machines allow work to be carried out on the hot converter shortly after the last charge has been tapped. This saves time and

money because work can start before the converter has cooled down.

For regular relining work, the KAMM relining machine is the secure platform for working inside the converter.

It can be raised and lowered hydraulically and it brings the refractory lining installer into the optimum working position to lift and set the bricks.

It is also possible to work deep inside electrical furnaces with the debricking machines, because every point where the refractory lining materials need to be broken out and removed can be reached from outside the furnace. Due to the machine’s design and heat resistance capacities, it is possible to start the break out work before the furnace has cooled down. So users gain valuable time.

Depending on the design, the charging machines are fitted with endlessly rotating or telescopic booms to which various tools can be attached to carry out effective EAF charging, as well as to clean, rake and scrape. Moreover, the machines are extremely agile and can be used in the smallest of spaces. The “Leonard” crawler-mounted steel mill loaders were designed for the speedy clearing of hot slag from below the furnace. They withstand the heat and the extreme conditions that prevail inside iron and steel foundries. The remote control option provides maximum safety for the machine operator.

TML machines are used for a wide range of ladle service tasks. With the long reach of the machine’s telescopic boom it is possible to clean even ladles that are hot. When pushing out the porous plug, the telescopic boom on the Unidachs can be positioned precisely over the plug at the base of the ladle, and has the power to push out the plug in a matter of seconds.

For hot debricking TML supplies ideally adapted machines with telescopic booms and a ripper hook to quickly remove the working lining so accurately that the permanent lining is not damaged.

When deslagging iron – depending on local conditions – in many cases stroke lengths of 5,000 to 10,000 mm may be necessary. The “PAM” deslagging machines can be controlled accurately, even when dealing with such a long reach. It means that the slag can be removed with a minimum of hot metal loss.

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››› STEELMAKING

1XGTURTC[ QH NKSWKF YCVGT VQ EQQN VJG GNGEVTQFGU VJGTG KU C EQPVKPWQWU TGIWNCVGF ƃQY QH YCVGT KPVQ VJG '#(

Real-time water detection technology in EAF steelmaking EFSOP® technology samples and analyzes off-gas chemistry in real-time for the purpose of process control and optimization. This article describes the overall technology and results of a controlled EAF testing conducted at a leading North American melt shop XVLQJ QHZ VWDQGDORQH ZDWHU GHWHFWLRQ WHFKQRORJ\ WKDW IRU WKH ƂUVW WLPH SURYLGHV UHDO time analysis of both H2O vapor and H2 from start-to-end of a heat.

The cooling water system is an inherent part of EAF steelmaking. Continuous water flow is used to cool not only the sidewall and roof panels but also the fume system ducts, transformer, delta closure, bus tube and electrode holder. [3] The cooling water systems rely on continuous, high velocity water

Vittorio Scipolo, Armando Vazquez Arredondo, Tenova Goodfellow, Toronto, Canada Contact: www.tenova.com E-mail: goodfellow@tenova.com

MPT International 4 / 2015

flow, a system leak can quickly result in copious quantities of uncontrolled water pouring out in the vicinity of the furnace. If this water leaks into the EAF and hence comes in contact with molten slag and steel, there is the potential for a severe explosion that can not only damage equipment but also seriously threaten operator safety.

Tenova Goodfellow has developed the technology to measure simultaneously H2O vapor and H2. The new proprietary sensor integrated into the EFSOP® analyzer that actually analyzes the water vapor (H2O vapor) content in the off-gas and combination with H2 provide the most comprehensive and

reliable water detection alert, providing the operators with a real-time indication when there is a high probability of a water leak.

Tenova Goodfellow’s EFSOP® system was commissioned in a North America steelmaking plant to improve the performance and to increase safety via the specific water detection algorithm by detecting the presence of water in the EAF that is not considered a normal part of the furnace operation (i.e. abnormal water events).[2] The EFSOP Water Detection Technology™ has been tested via controlled water injection trials increasing the electrode spray water. The technology

STEELMAKING was able to distinguish charges with water injection from those without.

As a result of the results from the trials, the system is currently being tuned

by Tenova Goodfellow Inc. and by the plant for on-line, real-time abnormal water event detection. [1 – 2]

Dynamics of water in the EAF The relative quantities of water vapor (H2O vapor) and H2 in the EAF freeboard are chemically linked to each other. Under normal practice, both H2O vapor and H2 are naturally present in the EAF as products of combustion from the burners and the injectors plus also from combustion of residual oils on the scrap charge. Since liquid water sprays are also used to cool the electrodes there is a continuous regulated flow of water into the EAF. All of these sources can be considered as contributing to “normal” levels of H2O vapor and H2 in the EAF freeboard.

Adding to this complex situation, when liquid water unexpectedly leaks into the EAF it will immediately form H2O vapor. Depending on the location of the liquid water leak and whether the EAF is operating in an overly oxidizing or reducing condition, a proportion of the resulting H2O vapor will further react and dissociate to H2 thereby leading to an “abnormal” amount of H2O vapor and H2 in the EAF freeboard. [3] Since H2O vapor and H2 are continuously reacting with Fe, FeO, CO2, CO and C, the dynamics of the H2O vapor/ H2 interactions can be quite complex and dynamic. Because of the complex interdependence of the chemical reactions, it is simply not possible to predict the relative proportion of H2 and H2O vapor in advance of a leak.

To be effective for water detection, off-gas analysis technology must be capable of: ▪ analyzing both forms of water, H2O vapor and H2, ▪ minimizing false alarms by distinguishing between “normal” and “abnormal” levels of H2O vapor and H2 , ▪ providing reliable and uninterrupted off-gas analysis from the start to the end of the heat, ▪ being effective in both oxidizing and reducing operating conditions, ▪ having a rapid response time.

The EFSOP Water Detection Technology™ uses the EAF off-gas measurements from the EFSOP® analyzer to determine abnormal water events in the furnace. The methodology first characterizes the normal level of water in the EAF operation such as electrode water spray, moisture contained in the scrap and the by-product from combustion reactions. The characterized normal level of water is compared to the level of water encountered during the active

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33

heat to trigger an alert condition. Abnormal water events in the EAF can be created by water panel leaks, seasonal changes resulting in heavy rain or snow contained in the charge and changes in scrap that contain higher than normal levels of oils or organic material (turnings, tire wire, etc). The benefits for detecting abnormal water can minimize the risk of furnace and fume system explosions that can lead to equipment damage, injury and loss of life.

&[PCOKEU QH YCVGT CPF J[FTQIGP KP VJG '#(

Water leak manifested by an increase in off-gas H2 MPT International 4 / 2015

34

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

4th hole positioning of the patented '(512 ÂŽ probe directly inside the cone of 5EJGOCVKE QH '(512 9CVGT &GVGEVKQP 6GEJPQNQI[v

Second generation of EFSOPÂŽ Water Detection TechnologyTM The key distinguishing features of this second generation EFSOP Water Detection Technologyâ&#x201E;˘ include: [3] â&#x2013;Ş reliable analysis from start to end of the heat, â&#x2013;Ş patented off-gas sampling probe, â&#x2013;Ş capable of precisely analyzing all critical gaseous species, â&#x2013;Ş rapid response time, â&#x2013;Ş effective in all EAF operating situations (both oxidizing and reducing conditions), â&#x2013;Ş capable of distinguishing between â&#x20AC;&#x153;normalâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;abnormalâ&#x20AC;? water leaks, â&#x2013;Ş minimized false alarms, â&#x2013;Ş three levels of alerts.

H2/CO ratio

It is very important to have a complete off-gas analysis, in particular H2 analysis. In a given case (see figure), EFSOPÂŽ off-gas analysis (not equipped with water detection software) showed an abnormal increase in H2 in the off-gas analysis after tapping during the power-off period.

Once the furnace was rocked at the start of the heat, there was a sudden explosion. Post mortem analysis of the incident confirmed that in this case the water leak manifested itself by a sharp and abnormal increase in off-gas H 2 concentration. Without H 2 analysis it would simply not be possible to identify the abnormal offgas chemistry resulting from a water leak.

5VCVKUVKECN Ć&#x201A;PIGTRTKPV GUVCDNKUJGF HTQO PQTOCN QHH ICU UKVWCVKQPU MPT International 4 / 2015

'#( QHH ICU

A reliable water detection system requires reliable start-to-end of heat offgas analysis. The EFSOPÂŽ extractive technology is renowned for providing reliable, continuous and uninterrupted off-gas analysis from the start to the end of every heat. Start-to-end of heat reliability is well in excess of 95%.

EFSOP Water Detection Technologyâ&#x201E;˘ continuously samples EAF off-gas with a patented water-cooled probe.

The off-gas sampling probe is positioned directly inside the cone of offgas exiting the EAF at the 4th hole, thereby ensuring the system is sampling true process gas before dilution with combustion air.

The second generation EFSOPÂŽ water detection analyzer is equipped with proprietary laser, thermal conductivity, infrared and electrochemical analytical technology that provides a continuous analysis for H2O vapor plus H2, CO, CO2 and O2. These five gases together with N2 represent virtually 100% of the off-gas composition.

Effective water leak detection technology necessitates rapid response times. The EFSOP Water Detection Technologyâ&#x201E;˘ displays a continuous and complete off-gas analysis for H2O vapor plus H2, CO, CO2 and O2 within about 15 seconds of event occurrence within the EAF. H2O vapor will be more chemically stable when liquid water leaks into an EAF that is operating in an oxidizing condition which is typical whenever

STEELMAKING the EAF is over-drafted. Conversely, H2 is more stable if the EAF is operating in a reducing condition which is preferable for reducing yield loss, refractory wear and electrode consumption.

As such, the second generation EFSOP Water Detection Technology™ which analyzes both H2O vapor and H2 is effective under all operating conditions i.e. both oxidizing and reducing operation.

Depending on operating conditions the levels of combustible gases (CO and H2) and H2O vapor are continually changing throughout the course of any individual heat and on a heatto-heat basis. To account for this variability, identification of abnormal offgas chemistry is best done statistically, EFSOP Water Detection Technology™ uses proprietary statistical fingerprint software to differentiate between statistically “normal” and “abnormal” water levels in the EAF. The EFSOP Water Detection Technology™ defines two off-gas indicator variables which identify both dissociated water vapor (H2) and undissociated water vapor (H2O vapor). A statistical fingerprint method is used to describe “normal” off-gas chemistry.

The dynamic model automatically adjusts the statistical fingerprint for normal variations; EFSOP Water Detection Technology™ provides effective water detection with a minimum number of false alarms by employing a proprietary control algorithm that automatically and dynamically adjusts the “normal fingerprint” upwards or downwards in response to changing conditions. The software tunes itself dynamically to establish the fingerprint, then dynamically adjusts for changing scrap conditions (wet/dry/ oily) to minimize the number of false alarms.

Three levels of alerts are provided to reflect the severity of the probability of a water leak. While the system is not a failsafe method, it provides operators with valuable real-time alerts indicating the statistical probability of abnormally high amounts of water in the EAF. When the off-gas water detection indicator is ▪ equal to or less than the normal fingerprint threshold, the system will display a “green alert”.

▪ When the indicator exceeds the normal fingerprint threshold for a

prescribed period of time but is below the defined upper threshold limit, the system will issue an “amber alert”.

▪ When the indicator exceeds the upper threshold limit for as prescribed period of time, a “red alert” is issued indicating that the off-gas chemistry is significantly out of the statistically normal range.

‹‹‹

35

upwards or downwards in response to changing scrap conditions (wet/dry/ oily) to minimize the number of false alarms.

Controlled electrode water spray trials were conducted to simulate a water leak. The results confirm the system rapidly and correctly responds to both increasing and decreasing electrode water flow.

/GVJQFQNQI[ HQT VTKIIGTKPI CP '(512® water detection alert

Conclusions When liquid water enters the EAF it will immediately vaporize to water vapor which in turn reacts with Fe, FeO, CO2, CO and C to form H 2O vapor and H2. Since the dynamics of the H 2O vapor/H 2 interactions are quite complex and dynamic, it is simply not possible to predict the relative proportion of H 2 and H2O vapor in advance of a leak. Hence, effective off-gas based water detection requires real-time, continuous and reliable analysis of both forms of water; H2O vapor and H2.[4] Tenova Goodfellow has developed an effective second generation water detection technology capable of analyzing both H2O vapor and H2. EFSOP Water Detection Technology™ provides reliable and uninterrupted offgas analysis from start to end of the heat. It rapidly and accurately distinguishes between “normal” and “abnormal” levels of H2O vapor and H2 in the EAF freeboard. The system software automatically tunes itself to provide a “normal finger print” which is representative of normal water levels in the EAF. A proprietary control algorithm automatically and dynamically adjusts the “normal fingerprint”

EFSOP Water Detection Technology™ can be provided as an add-on module to an existing EFSOP® analyzer or as a complete standalone water detection system which in future can be upgraded to a full EFSOP Holistic Optimization® system for EAF process control and optimization.[4]

References [1] K. Nikkanen, M.I. Khan, J. Gavina, “Furnace Water Leak Detection and Reduced Conversion Costs Efforts at Aceria Compacta de Bizkaia, Spain using the Goodfellow EFSOP® System”, AISTech 2007 Conference, May 2007 [2] N. Boin, M.I. Khan, M. Missio, “Optimization results at Ferriere Nord using EFSOP® Technology”, AISTech 2010 Conference, May 2010 [3] D. Zuliani, V. Scipolo, O. Negru, M. Khan, “ Breakthrough Technology for Real-Time Water Detection in EAF Steelmaking”, AIST 2013 Conference May 2013 [4] J. Kelleher, M.I. Khan, “Yield and Productivity Savings Using Goodfellow EFSOP® at MacSteel Arkansas”, AISTech 2006 Conference, Cleveland, OH, May 2006 MPT International 4 / 2015

Casting platform at NLMK Kaluga (pictures courtesy of NLMK)

Record heat series of 110 heats in one tundish NLMK Kaluga, a company of NLMK Group Long Products Division, has achieved a record KHDW VHULHV GXUDWLRQ RI KHDWV LQ RQH WXQGLVK 7KLV LV RQH RI WKH EHVW Ć&#x201A;JXUHV LQ WKH world for mini-mills with comparable EAFs. Recently, the company obtained German QDWLRQDO VWDQGDUG ',1 FHUWLĆ&#x201A;FDWLRQ IRU LWV WR PP GLDPHWHU FODVV % % UHEDU The EAF steel plant at NLMK Kaluga has achieved a record heat series duration of 110 heats in one tundish. This is one of the best figures in the world

NLMK Novolipetsk Metallurgical Complex, Lipetsk, Russia Contact: www.nlmk.com E-mail: babichenko_sy@nlmk.com

MPT International 4 / 2015

for long products mini-mills with comparable EAFs. 110 heats in one series is the best result recorded to date. Leading steel companies in Germany and the USA have achieved 100 and 105.

The heat series is a factor which impacts upon consumption of charge and refractory material as well as overall process stability. NLMK Kaluga has therefore been working to extend the duration of the heat series through its

operational efficiency programmes and these efforts are producing impressive results.

NLMK Kaluga set its heat series record in the period 18 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 21 May 2015, with continuous casting lasting for 77 hours, 6 minutes. A total of 13,000 billets were produced. The average heat weight was 126.4 t and the hourly productivity achieved was 180.6 t. During this record heat series, specific ener-

CONTINUOUS CASTING

‹‹‹

37

Run-off area of the continuous casting machine

Ladle transfer at the steel plant

gy consumption at the EAF was 354.1 kWh/t of product, which is in line with best global practices.

Alexander Burayev, NLMK Group director for Long Products and Metalware, said: “Extending the duration of the heat series is an important part of our operational efficiency programme. This record reaffirms the professionalism of our workers at NLMK Kaluga and their commitment to results. One of the key initiatives is the optimization of EAF operations at our two sites, which has already resulted in economic gains through the reduction of charge and oxygen consumption. The positive effect of this initiative at NLMK Kaluga over the first four months of 2015 was 27.5 million roubles.” (approx. 500,000 US$) Being in operation since July 2013, the NLMK Kaluga EAF meltshop is equipped with steelmaking equipment from Siemens VAI that is now part of Primetals. The meltshop facilities en-

This certification enables use of NLMK rebar not only in the German construction sector, but also in other European countries. Alexander Burayev commented: “The certification confirming the compliance of our rebar with DIN 488-1 requirements guarantees a high level of NLMK Kaluga product quality and opens up new opportunities for expanding the plant’s sales markets.”

NLMK Kaluga EAF mill is located in the Vorsino industrial park in the Kaluga region. The plant is 73 km away from Moscow by road, and a little over 90 km by rail. It is located in the centre of Russia’s largest long steel consuming region, the Central Federal District. The region accounts for approximately 30% of long steel consumption in Russia, and only 9% of its production. The region benefits from a surplus of scrap, NLMK Kaluga’s key feedstock material, which accounts for 2.7 million t/year. Scrap is supplied

by NLMK Group’s in-house scrap collecting network, Vtorchermet NLMK.

sure a high level of energy and resource efficiency, the requisite product quality and environmental safety. The innovative EAF steelmaking technology combines high specific electric power and single-bucket charging practice. The twin-stand ladle furnace allows steel to be treated in two ladles separately.

The 8-strand continuous casting machine (CCM) enables steel to be continuously cast without stopping for changeover, increasing the yield to 99%. NLMK Kaluga was the first site in Russia to launch this technology.

4GDCT EGTVKƂGF HQT GZRQTV to Europe NLMK Kaluga has obtained German national standard DIN 488-1 certification for its 10 to 25 mm diameter class B500B rebar. Products were tested by Technical University of Munich, following which NLMK Kaluga received a certificate of compliance valid until 2020.

WORKING SOLUTIONS FOR EXTREME CONDITIONS

TML Technik GmbH | A Company of the Fon: +49 (0)2173 - 95 75 100 | Fax: +49 (0)2173 - 95 75 400 E-mail: info@tml-technik.com | www.tml-technik.com

ENGINEERING | PRODUCTION | SERVICE

MPT International 4 / 2015

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››› AUTOMATION

Practical advices to ensure accurate data from temperature RTQƂNKPI KP UNCD TGJGCVKPI Mathematical modelling is widely used throughout the steel industry to control the transient times and drop out temperatures of steel slabs during reheating prior to rolling, DQG WKH FDOFXODWLRQV RI WKH PRGHO DUH RIWHQ YHULƂHG E\ SURƂOLQJ D WHVW VODE WR JHW DFWXDO temperature data. In these tests a high degree of accuracy is achievable through slab reheating trials if careful consideration is given to the selection of the instrumentation, software, and especially the thermocouples. Accuracy also depends on how much care and attention is given during setting up the test slab – with emphasis on the protection of the thermocouples during the trial.

Reheat furnaces are large dynamic entities and consume vast amounts of energy, so the efficiency of the operation depends on accurate control usually based on a mathematical model. The model itself takes many parameters into account such as conduction in the slab, thermal radiation in the furnace, the effect of the furnace boundaries (walls, walking beams, etc.). But the mathematical model is essentially theoretical and requires verifying on a regular basis.

This is achieved by the input of actual temperature data from a test slab which has thermocouples set at critical positions and depths, feeding temperature data back to an insulated reDave Plester, PhoenixTM Ltd. Earith, Cambridgeshire, UK Contact: www.phoenixtm.com E-mail: michael.taake@phoenixtm.de

cording system (data logger) set on the slab in order to log the temperature profile of these probed positions.

A basic data collection system consists of a data logger able to operate at temperatures up to 110°C, a thermal barrier able to operate up to 1,300°C for periods up to 8 hours (in case of process interruptions), thermocouples, and software to analyse data and convert to .csv format. The resulting data is compared to the predictions of the mathematical model, where adjustments can be made. The accuracy of the actual logged data from the test slab is therefore critical to the test. Slab reheat trials can involve days of preparation and are costly both in terms of the equipment used and technicians time. Mistakes can mean lost data, or in the worst case, an expensive monitoring system is destroyed. Safety also is an important consideration as the recording instrument often has to be

removed from a test slab at high temperature.

Planning the required measurement While planning the required measurement, one relevant question is how many thermocouple measuring points should be set up. Today a single data logger can record temperature information from up to twenty thermocouples, and there is a tendency to take full advantage of this to gather as much information as possible. This is contrasted however by the difficulties of manipulating twenty probes around the test slab and getting all the probes into the thermal barrier. Generally the critical points include measurements at the surface, centre and base of the slab at various positions along its length.

Additional data may also be required from probes set within the ‘shadow’

Test slab with thermocouples beneath the upturned angle iron protection.

Types of thermocouples: ceramic beaded insulation (left) and metal sheathed,

The data logging system is within the

mineral insulated thermocouples (right)

insulated package at the rear

MPT International 4 / 2015

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IMS Messsysteme GmbH | Dieselstraße 55 | 42579 Heiligenhaus | Germany phone: +49 2056 975-0, fax: -140 | info@ims-gmbh.de | www.ims-gmbh.de

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â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş AUTOMATION

Ensuring the thermocouple is in good contact with the measuring point by forcing it downwards

MPT International 4 / 2015

Data loggers can accept up to twenty channels. But the number of thermocouples OWUV DG DCNCPEGF CICKPUV VJG FKHĆ&#x201A;EWNVKGU QH OCPKRWNCVKPI VJGUG QP VJG VGUV UNCD CPF

Basics

into the thermal protection

Plan the measurements required Plan how to charge and discharge the test slab to the furnace Check and double check the clearance in the furnace Select the correct type of thermocouple Choose size and construction of the thermocouple

Accuracy

of the walking beam, or from positions marked as critical where a backup probe is needed in case of failure.

Thus, the challenge is to find the right balance between the optimum number of thermocouple points to compare to the model, and the difficulty of practically setting these into position.

The preparation should include a plan of how to charge and discharge the test slab to and from the furnace. This is vital, especially from a safety point of view. When charging the test slab consideration must be given to how it is transported to the furnace hearth.

Setting thermocouples along the top of the slab may not be possible if a magnetic lifting device has to be used. Conversely thermocouples set along the side of the slab may cause problems if a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;scissorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lift is used. When the slab exits the furnace it will need to be transported to a safe working area where the data logger can be quickly removed from the hot thermal barrier. It needs to be at a safe working height where the technician can easily remove the insulation (waist height is best). Placing the hot slab on top of a pile of cold slabs can be a good temporary workplace. To reduce the amount of heat being radiated from the working area, several pieces of cut insulation blanket should be thrown over the hot thermal protection barrier. What should be carefully checked as well is what is downstream of the test slab path. For example a descaler may impede the passage of the test slab.

Most thermal barriers cannot be subjected to a water spray as the secondary insulation layers in the thermal protection box will be destroyed. Clearance is especially important at the furnace entrance and exit to ensure the thermal

Thermocouple lengths must be calculated carefully Correct positioning of the thermocouples on the slab Ensure good thermocouple contact at the measurement point Select the correct type of data logger Software with the ability to add or subtract correction factors Ten tips for ensuring accurate data

protection barrier on the slab will pass through unimpeded. Clearance inside the furnace may be limited by a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;knuckleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or baffle between the hot zone and the pre-heat area. To reduce the overall height of the protection barrier on the test slab, the system is normally placed into a space machined from one end of the slab. This can reduce the overall height to between 330 to 356 mm minimum, which is normally enough to pass through the entrance and exit

doors of the furnace. Today most plants will support the data logging system on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hangerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bars which are forged from solid 25.4 mm thick steel strip, welded to the test slab.

The selection of thermocouples The selection of the correct type of thermocouple can have an impact on the accuracy of results. There has

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AUTOMATION

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43

The excess length of thermocouples is carefully wound on top of the insulated thermal barrier and covered with extra insulating blanket to reduce heat

been a debate about whether to use type N or type K thermocouples. It is generally accepted that type N are more stable at high temperature than type K and therefore have better accuracy, however type N thermocouples have an upper measuring limit of 1,300°C (limitation is the ‘look up’ table), whereas type K has an upper limit of 1,370°C. This may be critical when atmosphere temperatures around the slab are being monitored, as these can often exceed 1,300°C. In slab reheat both N & K types are likely to be working in their upper range, whereas noble metal thermocouples, types S & R, would be within their capabilities. However cost and the challenge of insulating this type of thermocouple generally prohibit their use.

The most common construction of thermocouples used for slab reheat monitoring is MI (mineral insulated). These are metal sheathed and the individual thermocouple wires (‘Chromel’ and ‘Alumel’ in the case of type K) are insulated from each other, and from the sheath, by compacted magnesium oxide. An alternative construction could be to insulate the individual thermocouple wires with ceramic ‘beading’ or ‘twin bore’ ceramic tubing, but this is generally considered to be too prone to breakage during set up, with the risk of the insulation beads opening, the wires crossing over, and creating a hot junction at that point.

Next question is the size, or diameter, of the mineral insulated (MI) thermocouple itself. With small diameter MI probes the resistance of the magnesium oxide insulation can, at elevated temperatures, break down creating ‘shunt impedance’ errors. These errors are liable to occur when the thermocouple body (on the surface of the slab), is at a higher temperature than the hot junction (in the centre of the slab).

Increasing the diameter of the mineral insulated thermocouple can help to increase accuracy but a balance has to be struck between the highest achievable accuracy, flexibility when installing, and heat transfer back into the measuring system.

The best compromise for accuracy, flexibility, and minimum heat transfer, is a 3.0 mm diameter MI thermocouple, and it is not surprisingly the most commonly used for these trials.

Thermocouples stretch from the measuring point (the ‘hot junction’) in the slab, back to the data logging system, and may exceed 7 metres in length. It is important to include enough extra length to allow the logger to be inserted into the thermal barrier when the thermocouples are attached, but this additional length should be minimized to prevent too much of the thermocouple body being exposed to the direct heat of the furnace. When there is excessive thermocouple length, more of the thermocouple body is exposed to the atmosphere and therefore the greater the possibility that ‘false hot junctions’ could occur. The excess thermocouple length should, wherever possible, be protected from the direct heat of the furnace by covering it in high temperature insulating blanket.

Monitoring the temperature It is important to ensure there is good thermocouple contact at the measurement point. Mineral insulated thermocouples initially have a residual ‘springiness’ and need to be held in contact with the steel at the base of the hole (where the measurement is required). If this contact is not made or is intermittent, the hot junction of the thermocouple will measure atmosphere temperature, rather than actual stock temperature.

For monitoring the temperature, the requirements for a data logger that will deliver consistently accurate readings are the ability to operate for long periods at high temperature (100°C to 110°C), and to consistently maintain a high accuracy (+/- 0.5°C or better) at high temperature.

Most mineral insulated thermocouples can be calibrated at specified temperature points and supplied with a certificate detailing the deviations. These data can be entered into specialized software packages and will display the corrected temperature data. It is only possible to use these correction factors on new thermocouples, as once they have been subjected to reheat temperatures the correction factors will no longer be valid.

Methods of securing the thermal barrier to the slab MPT International 4 / 2015

44

››› AUTOMATION

Instead of external markings, ibaDatawyzer-ICC uses the geometrical properties of a coil

Software calculates the ƂPIGTRTKPV QH C EQKN D[ OGCUWTGOGPV FCVC Flat products in the metal processing industry are produced in several steps. In order to prevent them from being mixed up, mathematical algorithms and processes have been developed that are based on geometrical parameters like thickness and length. The ibaDatawyzer-ICC software detects if coils have been mixed up and sends an alarm to the operator.

Flat products in the metal processing industry are produced in several steps. The individual process steps are usually not directly connected to one another, but are separated by transportation routes and interim storage facil-

Ulrich Lettau, CEO; Detlef Maass; iba AG, Fürth, Germany Contact: www.iba-ag.com E-mail: iba@iba-ag.com

MPT International 4 / 2015

ities. When the coils are forwarded to the next process step, they sometimes get mixed up. For identifying the coils Fürth-based iba AG and the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz have developed mathematical algorithms and processes that are based on geometrical parameters like thickness and length. The ibaDatawyzer-ICC software uses these data to detect mix-ups and alarm the operator.

For identifying coils clearly, they are marked or laminated with a coil num-

ber. Errors can occur, e.g. by incorrect data input of the marking machine or wrong timing in the production process. Coils can also be stored in a wrong position in the coil yard. As a result, in a following process step the coil might be processed incorrectly under a wrong identity.

The newly developed software uses the geometrical properties of a coil for its identification – comparable to the human fingerprint. Each longitudinal profile of thickness or width has

AUTOMATION

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45

/GCUWTGF FCVC CTG TGEQTFGF CV VJG GZKV QH C JQV UVTKR OKNN CPF CV VJG GPVT[ QH C RKEMNKPI RNCPV HQT KFGPVKƂECVKQP

its own characteristic features. This was shown by the analysis of several thousand coils from different rolling mills. ibaDatawyzer-ICC uses the measurement data recorded by the process data recording system ibaPDA, analyses these values automatically and extracts the required information.

However, the measurement data are recorded by different measurement devices of various manufacturers – e.g. radiometric thickness measuring sys-

tems with x-ray or isotope rays or optical thickness measuring devices – all can have different time constants, sampling rates and length resolutions.

This requires the measurement values to be prepared and pre-processed adequately before the characteristic features can be extracted. Based on these characteristic criteria, the users can verify if two measured longitudinal profiles originate from the same coil.

Therefore, features (matches) that are sufficiently matching are determined

for both profiles and the longitudinal positions are compared. Hence, coils that have been produced incorrectly can be blocked and the coil that has not been processed yet can be marked correctly and supplied rightly to the production process. ibaDatawyzer-ICC is operated with an interactive user interface, where current results are visualized and applications can be configured. Interactive queries can be made for analysing the production.

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46

â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş STRIP PROCESSING

The slitting shears with scrap winder and a mobile operator panel. At the bottom left: the knife shaft preparation station

Slitting line for ultra thin gauges Thinner, narrower, more precisely rolled and with minimized burr â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these are the properties that more and more customers buying slit strip expect from their products.

They also demand increasingly greater coil lengths in order to minimize machine setXS WLPHV LQ GRZQVWUHDP SURFHVVHV VXFK DV WKH VKHDWKLQJ RI Ć&#x201A;EUH RSWLF FDEOHV RU WKH manufacture of medical-grade tubing for injection needles, which is welded over a length of several kilometres. In such applications, the edges of the slit strip must be extremely precisely cut to ensure a perfectly welded joint.

In 2012, BWS decided to invest in a slitting line capable of cutting very thin strips of thicknesses down to 20 Îźm at high precision into slit strip of 4 mm width or even less. BWS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Philipp Boecker + Wender Stahl GmbH & Co.

Thomas Pieper, hpl-Neugnadenfelder Maschinenfabrik GmbH, Ringe, Germany; Peter HĂźsecken, BWS GmbH, Iserlohn, Germany Contact: www.hpl-group.de E-mail: info@hpl-group.de

MPT International 4 / 2015

KG â&#x20AC;&#x201C; operates a cold rolling mill with a logistically integrated service centre for the production of stainless steel and carbon steel strips. After two and a half years of operation at BWS in Iserlohn, the design of the slitting line has proved highly successful. The line meets all the specifications stipulated in the contract with hpl-Neugnadenfelder Maschinenfabrik â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a German engineering company specializing in the design and manufacture of plant and equipment for the processing, finishing and handling of strips made of steel, stainless steel, coated metals and

special metals. The line cuts coils of up to 9 t weight and 2,000 mm diameter.

The very thin coiled strip may be up to 40 km long. For efficient processing of such strip lengths, the line has been designed for very high cutting speeds.

So far, the line has been operating without any unscheduled downtime.

An â&#x20AC;&#x153;off-the-rackâ&#x20AC;? solution was unable to meet the requirements of BWS. A key requirement was that the shear would cut the strips at highest precision since any faults occurring at one of the knives would add up over the knife shaft length. The core element

STRIP PROCESSING

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The brake frame position is lifted in the vertical direction as the coil diameter increases

of the shear is the deflection-resistant knife shaft, which was to be designed as short and thin as possible, because the thicker the shaft, the larger the knives would have been. The disadvantage of large knives is that it would be more difficult to ensure strip flatness and get wobbling under control. Furthermore, large knives are more difficult to handle. The new line was to reach a speed of 600 m/min.

In order not to obstruct the material flow in the works, the slitting line had to be set up in an existing bay where other shear lines were already located. Hence the available space was very confined. hpl and BWS worked closely together during the complete design phase. hpl, for example, included the hydraulic pre-tensioning of the shaft in its calculations, allowing also the ejector

rings to be included in the static calculations. All considerations and contributions resulted in a customized design of an extremely compact shear with a very narrow shear housing and suitable to handle strip thicknesses ranging from 0.02 to 0.5 mm and line speeds up to 600 m/min.

Precision between the coilers The axial movement of the uncoiler is controlled by a strip edge control system ensuring that the strip enters the shear in a precise way. The spreader roll at the uncoiler flattens the paper which is then removed from the delivered coils by means of brushes positioned at an angle, enabling straight rewinding of the paper webs. A paper-tear-control device is installed in the strip entry area allowing the ma-

chine to be instantly stopped even if operated at high speed.

The entry frame is equipped with a deflector roll and a brake roller, which generates back-tension for certain strips as needed. For thin strips, a dancer roll is used instead of the brake roll.

Due to the high demands on precision, the knife shaft bearings are hydraulically pre-stressed in both the vertical and axial direction. The knife shaft position is accurately measured to 1/10 μm by position encoders integrated in the bearings. Servomotors are used to move the knife shaft accurately to a few tenth of a μm in the vertical direction. It is also possible to place the shaft objectively in a slanted position.

The time and effort invested in the design of the knife frame have resulted in a high cutting quality. The shaft MPT International 4 / 2015

48

››› STRIP PROCESSING

stops show virtually no axial offset.

Over the length of a slit strip, width deviations range from less than one to two hundredths of a mm. In many cases the deviations from the nominal value are not measurable.

The high precision allows BWS to optimally exploit the supplied coils. This also includes the advantage that BWS may objectively reduce the width of the trimmings. The line was originally designed for 35 strips; however BWS has already cut 42 strips with the line, which means much reduced changeover times.

The knife shaft preparation station can be moved close to the knife frame. The knives are removed from the shaft and the prepared knives are

Since the trimmings at the edges of wedged strips are of different lengths, the line is equipped with two coilers which can be variably controlled according to the length difference of the strip edges. The trimmings of very thin strips are sucked off, because there is a high risk that these thin trimmings break during mechanical coiling.

Each of the brake frame segments can be variably pressurized in order to compensate any length differences of wedged strip before recoiling. For being able to handle slit strips of different lengths, the looping pit features a depth of 15 m.

When slitting coils with a diameter of up to 2,000 mm, the growing diameter of the rewound slit coil would result in an intolerable upward deflection. To prevent this, the brake frame is moved in the vertical direction to adapt the frame position to the increasing coil diameter. This enables the strip to always run horizontally between the brake frame and the coil, thus preventing any strip bending before recoiling.

The recoiler can be equipped with coiler mandrels of three different diameters: 300, 400 and 508 mm. Since the coils weigh up to 9 t, the coiler shaft is subjected to high mechanical loading. For this reason, it is equipped with a movable counter bearing on the operator side which, under all operating conditions, keeps the shaft exactly in the horizontal poThe movable counter bearing keeps the recoiler mandrel sition – an important in an exact horizontal position. precondition for accurate strip recoiling.

Just like the brake pushed onto the shaft. This means that frame, the position of the paper windthe knife arrangement can be prepared er at the recoiler is automatically adaptwhile the line is operating, minimiz- ed to the increasing coil diameter, ening the changeover times. The use of abling it to stay level with the outside thin shafts shows another advantage windings of the coil. here: due to the small diameter, the The cut coils are not pushed off the knives are of low weight and can be coiler mandrel, but the coil car gently easily handled. lifts up the entire coil package and reMPT International 4 / 2015

moves it – in the horizontal position – from the line area. The coils are then taken over by a four-arm turnstile with a load bearing capacity of up to 36 t.

The slitting line is operated from an operator panel arranged at the looping pit. During strip threading and tailing out, the line can also be operated by two mobile operator panels – one at the uncoiler, the other at the recoiler. Nominal and actual line data, such as speed and pressures, are displayed at the stationary operator panel. Also the picture of a camera directed towards the looping pit is displayed.

The comprehensive process visualization allows the operator to quickly react to the running cutting process, if necessary.

Long strips – high speed The slitting line allows BWS to complete its product range by particularly thin and narrow strips delivered in great coil lengths. The minimum cross section of 2.45 mm x 50 μm, which has already been produced, allows BWS to cover the smallest feasible dimensions for narrow strips – smaller cross sections are produced more efficiently from wire.

The practice of sucking off the trimmings of very thin strips has proved successful in practice. Therefore, BWS is going to equip other shears in the bay with this system.

The increased coil length and the high line speed of up to 600 m/min add to the productivity of the entire plant.

In addition to the short time required for cutting the coils, changeover and handling times have also been considerably reduced – at both the new line and the downstream processes.

The minimized cutting burr allows some customers of BWS to proceed without edge coiling or deburring the coil. Spring manufacturers benefit from the fact that the vertical brake frame position can be adapted to the coil diameter, minimizing the occurrence of crossbow. This means that, over the entire coil length, they are no longer required to readjust the levelling device. hpl delivered the line nine months after receipt of the order. The equipment was installed within four weeks, two further weeks were required for the electrical installation.

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

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49

Longer-life multi-row tapered roller bearings ROLLING MILLS Bearings in rolling mills are subject to high loads caused by forces, high speeds and shocks under extreme environmental conditions. When used in conjunction with carbonitriding heat treatment, Schaeffler’s new high-performance steel Mancrodur generates a significant increase in operating life for FAG multi-row tapered roller bearings. These bearings are part of Schaeffler’s Performance series. During the carbonitriding process, the bearing surface is enriched with both carbon and nitrogen, which increases the surface hardness and wear resistance of the bearings. Spherical carbonitrides are formed when

high-performance steel Mancrodur is enriched with nitrogen during the carbonitriding heat treatment process. A fine and even structure is produced. This increases the tapered roller bearings’ surface hardness and wear resistance.

The wear resistance and improved structure ensure a significantly longer operating life during particle overrolling and mixed friction (boundary lubrication conditions). This leads to considerably higher machine efficiency in the application.

Contact: www.schaeffler.com

Highly wear-resistant double-row and four-row

NEW

LASER gauge for measuring the strip thickness in cold rolling mills

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tapered roller bearings

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Compact: installation near the roll gap

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MPT International 4 / 2015

50

››› TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

Digital controllers for electrohydraulic axes SPECIAL EQUIPMENT The new Z-ME-KZ axis cards complete the comprehensive range of electrohydraulic solutions offered by Atos for motion control. These cards are specifically designed for electrohydraulic applications to

perform position or alternated position/force closed-loop motion control with extended interfaces and functionalities. These modern controllers are in Eurocard format, particularly suitable for applications requiring multiple I/O interfaces for auxiliary remote devices and for applications that are not suitable for integral-to-valve controllers due to harsh environmental conditions.

With the Atos graphical software interface, the axis card configuration can be easily programmed and managed. The front panel with alphanumeric display, buttons and LEDs allows adjustment of basic parameters and quick diagnosis.

Profibus DP or CANopen are available for professional level programming and use.

Contact: www.atos.com

Sketch of the controller functions

Resin-bonded wheels for roll grinding HOT ROLLING The requirements for roll grinding wheels in hot rolling mills are constantly increasing. 3M has developed resin-bonded wheels for grinding applications in hot rolling mills. The precision-sintered corundum triangles – called PSG (precision-shaped grain) – in Cubitron II products provide a much higher removal rate than conventional abrasive grain. Unlike abrasive grains of indeterminate shape, PSG cuts clean shavings from the metal when grinding. Since the heat generated is dissipated via the swarf, the thermal load on the workpiece and thus the risk of overheating are virtually zero. Field tests in roll grinding of highspeed steel, high-alloy steel and indefinite chilled rolls demonstrate that the grinding time can be significantly reduced compared to the time needed by conventional grinding wheels, while providing very good surface roughness values. Cubitron II resin-bonded wheels are suitable for any roll material used in the steel industry. 3M offers a standardized portfolio with wheel diameters of 760 to 1,070 mm and wheel thicknesses of 76 to 150 mm.

Contact: www.3m.de

Grinding wheel developed for roll grinding in hot rolling mills

Compact and economic diameter/width gauges MEASURING EQUIPMENT With the introduction of two new models, Zumbach Electronic has upgraded its product line of Ecogauge systems of single axis gauges, extending the range of applications to up to Measuring units for hot and cold applications

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS 500-mm-diameter products. Other key data include a measuring field of up to 550 mm, maximum temperature of 1,200°C, a measurement rate of 1,000/s or optionally 2,000/s and an accuracy of +/- 0.001mm, at an unlimited speed.

Ecogauge units are engineered for severe operating conditions in hot or cold processes. Typical applications are between bar or strip rolling stands, in conveyors, after hot extrusion units, after radial forges or in peeling and grinding operations. Mounting is very flexible and possible in horizontal, vertical or any other orientation. Protection

Contact: www.zumbach.com

We want to offer the steel industry excellence and constant attention to details in the design of complete systems including command, control and monitoring components.

The result leads to a better performing, safer and more efficient production process.

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aic@aicnet.it - www.aicnet.it

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and cooling are guaranteed by robust housings for the emitter and receiver modules with a combined air purging and cooling system. For extreme conditions, additional water cooling is possible. Maintenance is minimal. The measured data can be sent to a user-defined output or to Zumbach’s USYS or Steelmaster data acquisition, processing and display systems, which include graphics, alarms, statistics, database, networking etc.

40 years learning, listening and solving our Customers’ needs.

AIC Automazioni Industriali Capitanio sites:

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››› TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

Automatic billet labelling PRODUCT MARKING For accurate product traceability, Polytec has introduced its fully automatic billet labelling cell, PolyTAG B L. The interface of the cells is standardized to reduce the time of commissioning. The label charging and nailing system are of redundant design in order to minimize downtime. The system has been engineered to label products up to 1,000°C hot. Due to the advanced vision system, operator presence in the areas of handling is no longer needed. The

system consists of a sturdy industrial container, insulated and temperature-conditioned via refrigerators,

water or air exchangers. The robot and the label machine are accommodated in the container in order to simplify the installation.

The label is positioned on the billet, fixed and welded by a metal nail at the selected position. The label application head is mounted on a recoil system in order to protect it from blows, allowing a safe approach to the billet.

Labelling of billets

Contact: www.polytecrobotics.com

Increased accuracy through spreading of measurement range MEASURING EQUIPMENT The working ranges of industrial equipment have been constantly increasing. An example is web and coil processing equipment handling very thin and narrow webs but also heavier and broader ones. This results in extremely high requirements regarding the accuracy of web tension measurement and control systems. Haehne has adopted an easy approach to achieving high resolution and accuracy at substantially lower costs. Web tension sensors typically have an overall measurement error of 1.0 or 0.5%. If such a sensor is used in a lower measuring range, the total error becomes unacceptably great and not suitable for measurement and closedloop control. For this purpose, Haehne has designed web tension sensors with an overall measuring error of only 0.1%. They improve the measurement results by a factor of five. This means that it is now possible to also precisely measure and control the forces in the lower range. These sensors are not only protected by mechanical stops in the upper force range (tenfold overload of the nominal range) but also in the lower force range due to their specific design.

By spreading the measurement range, the accuracy for low

Equipment for tension measurements of web material

forces can still be further improved. Therefore a corrected nominal value is determined for the lower force range. The calibrations are stored in Haehne amplifiers DCM or DCX. For example by switching the measuring range to 10% of the nominal force, the accuracy of 0.1% refers to 10% of the nominal forces.

Contact: www.haehne.com

Sensor for high operating temperatures MEASURING EQUIPMENT A new robust and ATEX-certified sensor for use in areas with high operating temperatures has recently been launched by MTS Systems Corporation, a global supplier of high-performance test systems and position sensors. The latest edition of the Temposonics® sensor ET extends the maximum temperature Wear-free rod sensor

range of the sensor series. Thanks to the magnetostrictive technology, the sensor can determine exact positions even at operating temperatures of up to 105°C. The compact, wear-free rod sensor can be integrated in a cylinder and is available with a rod length from 50 to 3,000 mm. A 316L stainless steel variant is also available. The sensor has ingress protection IP68 and is available with ATEX certification for hazardous areas. The start/stop interface allows parameter upload.

Contact: www.mtssensors.com

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

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Condition monitoring system for electric arc furnace FURNACE CONTROL A new system to monitor key parameters of an electric arc furnace has had its first global sale after a successful pilot installation in Germany. North American Höganäs in Hollsopple, Pennsylvania, USA has purchased the condition monitoring system (CMS) and service, together with an upgrade of its existing electrode regulation system, from Primetals Technologies. The CMS notes changes outside the key parameters and reports them in real time. In addition, an information broker PC offers remote data access. The system will be installed and commissioned during a furnace control system upgrade.

A producer of metal powders for specialty parts and tools, North American Höganäs will use the new system on its 50 t electric arc furnace to monitor, among other performance indicators, its utilization index, power-on times and energy consumption in real time. The system also surveys the electrode control system’s hardware and software, as well as the hydraulic system, furnace switchgear, transformer tap changer and other parts. Variations outside recommended ranges will be reported to the supervisor through a mobile application or email for faster response times. In addition, the customer will receive regular reports on the furnace performance with a detailed trend analysis of the furnace characteristics and appropriate expert recommendations.

This new system offers predictive as well as preventive maintenance to reduce the cost of regular maintenance cycles. Through a mobile dashboard application, operators can access an overview of the furnace’s automation and control system. Should any aspect of the system require atten-

Mobile dashboard application for remote monitoring of the performance of key systems

tion, they can alert the appropriate on-site staff or contact Primetals Technologies service personnel for remote adjustment to prevent or minimize downtime.

The system includes an add-on to the HMI for the electrode regulator itself, as well as an “information broker” PC to receive information feeds from all monitoring systems and then offer remote access to that data.

Contact: www.primetals.com

Testing of 500-mm-diameter tube and pipe QUALITY CONTROL A new 500 mm ultrasonic tester for the detection of longitudinal and transverse crack type defects on OD and ID pipe surfaces, and throughout the product’s

cross section, has recently been supplied by Magnetic Analysis Corp. (MAC) to a major Russian producer, who uses it for the inspection of OCTG tube and pipe. This ultrasonic rotary

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Use the potential of innovative High-Performance Band- and Circular Saws of BEHRINGER and BEHRINGER EISELE. Experience machines and solutions for high precision and profitability. True to the motto „RED HOT EFFICIENCY“.

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â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

/WNVK VGUV U[UVGO KPENWFKPI WNVTCUQPKE TQVCT[ VGUVGT CPF Ć&#x192;WZ leakage testers

tester, which is part of MACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s line of EchomacÂŽ non-destructive ultrasonic testers, meets standards that require finding artificial notches at a 5% or 10% level of the wall in pipe.

Many pipe grades require that the producer monitors the wall thickness for variations in dimensions, and some quality levels also require checking for lamination conditions. Grade PSL3 is the highest quality level and PSL2 and PSL3 both require being able to find a 6.3-mm-diameter flat bottom drilled hole when testing for lamination. Test coverage is another standard, with level PSL2 requiring test coverage of greater than 25% of the pipe volume, and PSL3 requiring 100% cov-

erage. Enough transducers must be used so the helical pattern, created by the sensors as they scan the pipeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s circumference, covers the required percentage of the pipe volume.

Generally, wall thickness measurement could be conducted at the 25% level, while lamination detection would need the 100% coverage level. These high level quality grades are most likely to be required for pipe destined for higher risk offshore or environmentally sensitive applications. The Echomac UT test system, which also features MACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wireless transmission of test signals, can handle these tasks and ensure compliance with industry standards at throughput speeds up to 1 m/s.

The large multi-test system, recently supplied by MAC to the Russian pipe mill, also included 500 mm transverse and longitudinal RotofluxÂŽ flux leakage testers. Together, the dual technologies provide a far more comprehensive test.

The ultrasonic technology provides critical full inspection capability, including shear wave inspection of longitudinal and transverse defects at any quality level and wall thickness measurement and lamination detection. The two flux leakage units can test to 10% OD and ID notch levels up to approximately 14 mm wall thickness and 5% OD and ID levels for thickness up to 12 mm. The result of the combined test technologies is a system that is compliant with API 5CT and 5L, ASTM E570 and other standards, including those that require ultrasonic testing as the first method and a second method at the discretion of the pipe producer.

Contact: www.mac-ndt.com

Driveline protection with safety couplings ROLLING MILLS Novelis has expanded its Oswego manufacturing plant via the addition of a hot finishing rolling mill to produce five times more aluminium for an increase of 200,000 t/year. As the ex-

pansion created the need for more reliable and productive technology, Novelis will install two Voith SafeSet Couplings. The couplings (model SR-PC 870) will be applied in a 3,050-mm-wide aluminium hot

strip reversing roughing mill powered by two 4,000 HP motors. The SafeSets, optimized through extensive testing by Voith, are to be integrated with the centre sections of existing slipper spindles. They are engineered for possible future application with Voith universal joint shafts.

The couplings limit torque created by overload events such as mill wrecks thereby protecting the driveline from catastrophic damages. They minimize operating downtime and increase production uptime. The couplings can also be operated with tunnel drilling machines, crushers, and many other industrial applications.

Contact: www.voith.com

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Safety couplings for overload protection MPT International 4 / 2015

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

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Crane and scrap yard control systems RAW MATERIAL HANDLING An antisway system for cranes and a scrap management system have been developed by BM Automation. The control system for cranes, ActiveCRANES, automatically manages the movements of the crane in the scrap yard in conjunction with ActiveSCRAP, a system that calculates the volumes in the scrap yard in real time. The systems automatically manage the charging of the basket based on recipes, allowing optimization of the travelling routes, working times and order handling according to production. Thanks to a user-friendly interface, this integrated system guarantees precision in process control and accelerates the handling operations. The operator activities are simplified, in most cases only requiring supervision activities.

Scrap yard visualization

Contact: www.bmautomation.it

Reliable inline colour measurement of structured and curved surfaces QUALITY CONTROL Colour measurements on structured and curved surfaces with an extremely small measurement spot can be performed with the new sensor head for the Micro-Epsilon colorCONTROL ACS7000 inline colour measurement system. Expanded with the new circular sensor, the measurement system is now capable of measuring at a spot of 3 mm x 2mm. The small, oval measurement spot offers advantages primarily on structured surfaces which are difficult to detect with conventional colour sensors. The continuous, homogeneous lighting allows measurements to be carried out regardless of the angular position of the target object. This is why the new sensor head is perfectly suitable for the quality control of curved objects. The curvature radius should be at least 20 mm.

www.LDV-Systeme.de

LET’S HAVE A LOOK !

Contact: www.micro-epsilon.com

Equipment for colour measurement

LDV Laser- und Lichtsysteme GmbH An der Wethmarheide 36 · D-44536 Lünen Fon +49(0)2306 940 80-0 · Fax +49(0)2306 940 80-33

MPT International 4 / 2015

56

››› TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS

Conveyors for sintering plant RAW MATERIALS PROCESSING After consistently positive experiences with machines already delivered, a third sintering line at a Dutch steel mill shall also be equipped with an Aumund special conveyor for the conveying of hot sinter material. For this line a conveyor with a pan width of 2,400 mm and a length of 13.5 m will be installed. The conveying capacity has been designed for 250 t/h of hot sinter at a material temperature of 500 – 1,000°C. Two years ago, Aumund gained first experiences in working with the client: initially there was the challenge to renew the conveying system at the end of a sintering machine within an installation that had been producing for decades.

Due to a high amount of maintenance work and frequent downtimes, the oscillating conveyors had to be replaced. Aumund initially suggested replacing the vibrating conveyors with metallic plate conveyors. Since with a vibrating conveyor the highly abrasive sintering material is wearing constantly by vibration on the fixed bottom plates, a metallic pan conveyor whose plates are moving constantly with the material is clearly the better technical solution for the present case. Due to the different construction and measurements of a vibrating conveyor compared to the installation dimensions of a metallic plate conveyor, a specialized solution had to be found. Finally, instead of an installation on the usual stanchions, the conveyor was mounted in a torsion-resistant

Conveyor being assembled for transport by truck (Copyright Aumund Fördertechnik)

frame. The drive head, as well as the tensioning station and the railway support were integrated into the compact frame.

The delivery of the current order – by now the third conveyor – for the Dutch sintering plant is planned for September 2015.

The start-up will be presumably at the end of the year 2015 after completion of the conversion process. Transport will be in a fully assembled state by truck. Thus the usual time for mounting and alignment of the various assemblies can be extremely reduced.

Contact: www.aumund.com

© Utz Peter Greis, Düsseldorf

Cartoon

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LITERATURE SERVICE

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57

Hardness testers 60 pages, English This catalogue explains in great detail the range of hardness testers offered by Echo Research & Development. The catalogue consists of five sections, covering Rockwell, Brinell, Micro Vickers and universal hardness testers of the Echolab brand in motorized and digital models and with a number of automated functions.

Contact: E-mail:

www.echord.it info@echord.it

Wear protection 16 pages, English, German A brochure outlining the range of wear protection solutions provided by Grabe. The brochure includes examples from the iron and steel industry, such as filling chutes, blast furnace cones and breaking shafts. Also included is information about the company’s manufacturing facilities and welding competence.

Contact: E-mail:

www.grabe-kg.de office@grabe-kg.de

High-temperature single-mode pyrometers 4 pages, English A brochure explaining the operating mode and setting out the specifications, design and benefits of the SpotM100 stand-alone pyrometer designed by Land Instruments International.

The instrument is available with a standard body or in a fibre-optic variant for use in a hostile environment.

Contact: E-mail:

www.landinst.com land.infrared@ametek.co.uk

Maintenance-free slide bearings 2 pages, English HIGH WEAR-RESISTANT, MAINTENANCE-FREE SLIDEBEARINGS: Bushings – Pins – Spherical Plain Bearings no lubrication – no PTFE.

MANGACHOC – Slide bearings are made of special high-carbon manganese steel in standard and custumised dimensions. This steel is a high-carbon austenitic steel, the hardness of which increase under dynamic stress (impact and shock) to up to 600 HV. This self-hardening layer builds up continouisly, providing excellent resistance to wear.

MANGACHOC – Slide bearings are usually provided with a special AFcoating, featuring a very high pressure absorption capacity. This sliding coating prevents direct metal-to-metal contact, even under highest stresses, while reducing friction and wear and the risk of slip-stick. The coating additionally protects against corrosion, preventing the formation of fretting corrosion.

MAIN APPLICATIONS:

· Mining machines · Crushing and hammer mills · Conveyor and scratch chains · Plate belts · Gravel and scrab grabs · Wheel an caterpillar loaders · Luffing jib cranes · Container loading cranes · Ship unloading facilities

MANGACHOC Slide-Bearing Systems GmbH Am Ottenhausener Berg 40 D-66128 Saarbrücken Telephone: +49 (0) 681 - 70180 Telefax: +49 (0) 681 - 703031 Email: info@mangachoc.de

· Floodgates and drawbridges · Blast furnace valves · Blast furnace tilting · Continuous casting rolls · Dummy bar chains · Hot metal and steel casting ladles · Coil and slab tongs · Casting cranes · etc.

A fact sheet on Mangachoc slide bearings, which are highly wear-resistant and maintenance-free and suitable for applications under extremely rugged operating conditions. The special sliding coating applied securely prevents metal-to-metal contact, while reducing friction and wear and the risk of slip-stick.

Contact: E-mail:

www.mangachoc.de info@mangachoc.de

Precision band saw blades 48 pages, English, German A catalogue containing the range of band saw blades offered by Wikus, including carbon steel and bimetal saw blades, carbide-tipped blades and diamond-coated blades. Detailed information is provided on each blade, including the type of metal to be cut, thickness and width of the blade and the tooth pitch.

Contact: E-mail:

www.wikus.com mh@wikus.com

MPT International 4 / 2015

58

››› IN THE NEXT ISSUE…

Steelmaking Design criteria for furnace transformers used in steel plants The design criteria of a furnace transformer are always a tradeoff between the metallurgical requirements and loads, feeding network, layout issues and secondary system arrangements. Typical solutions may be used to help find the right design to meet cost-efficiency and customer requirements, at the same time providing for maximum reliability of these special transformers which have to be able to cope with constant high thermal, mechanical and dielectric stresses.

Environmental protection New type of off-gas filter for vacuum steel degassing plants Off-gas treatment in vacuum steel degassing plants protects the environment and the vacuum pumps. Bag filters generate a considerable pressure drop which is detrimental to the metallurgical performance of the plant. Large filter plant volumes and over-dimensioned suction ducts are costly remedies, as they involve high investment and operation costs.

A flat sleeve filter needs only half the height and half the filter volume compared to the conventional round sleeve filters. The new filters use the same sleeve material as conventional filters based on round sleeves. Practice-proven in vacuum plants, this sleeve material is subjected to a water and oil repelling Teflon bath treatment.

Cold rolling – Special equipment High-performance grinding machine for the roll shop Suited for work rolls up to 10 t weight, a new roll grinding machine features a centre width of 5,000 mm and a grinding diameter up to 700 mm. Due to its highly specialized design features, it achieves not only excellent grinding results but also short handling times as well as short set-up and machining times. The first machine of this type was delivered to the Chinese Baosteel Group.

Direct reduction ironmaking World DRI production tops 74.5 million t The world’s direct reduction industry produced 74.55 million t of DRI products in 2014. Production fell slightly from 2013 due to natural gas shortages and curtailments in India, and operational disruptions in other DRI producing regions as well general downturns in steel market conditions. DRI growth was evident in a number of nations including the USA and Bahrain. The outlook continues to be positive as demand increases in traditional and new markets, and as new and low-cost energy sources become available for DRI production. Production numbers should bounce back next year as new, recently commissioned, capacity ramps up toward full production.

This preview may be subject to change.

Published by: Verlag Stahleisen GmbH P.O. Box 10 51 64, 40042 Düsseldorf, Germany

+49 211 69936-200, Fax +49 211 69936 -128 e-mail mpt@stahleisen.de Publisher: Steel Institute VDEh Executive Member of the Management Board: Dr.-Ing. Peter Dahlmann Editorial Staff: P.O. Box 10 51 64, 40042 Düsseldorf, Germany e-mail mpt@stahleisen.de Chief Editor: Dipl.-Ing. Arnt Hannewald

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MPT International 4 / 2015

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