Steel Slab Rolling Technology

Issue June 2019
02
19
The technical magazine for iron and steel professionals around the world
METEC - ESTAD 2019 Steel Technology Steel Distribution Steel Processing

Metallurgical trade fair and ArcelorMittal investigates SSAB enhances steel Digital networking of
steel congress will highlight the industrial use of pure services for customers in production and logistics
digitalisation and green steel hydrogen for direct reduction Central and Eastern Europe processes in metalworking
DIGITALIZATION
Visit us at In times of rapidly changing markets, you want
METEC 2019 to optimize your plants to stay ahead. We
Hall 5, Booth E22 listen. We learn. We deliver: our automation and
Digitalization specialists will help you implement
learning mills that will boost efficiency, lower
operating costs, and increase productivity. Whatever
you envision, we will make it happen for you.
Leading partner in the world of metals
www.sms-group.com
EDITORIAL | 3
Digitalization and climate change are

transforming the metallurgical value chain
These days the leading experts of the international steel industry will be travelling to
Germany to meet at METEC 2019 - the premier international trade fair for metallurgy
and steel production hosted in Düsseldorf every four years. Machinery, plants and prod-
ucts for the steel industry, environmental and resource preservation or energy efficien-
cy - if you want to be actively involved in shaping the industry markets, then METEC
2019 is the place to be.
Its concept is unique. METEC runs in parallel with three other trade shows: the foundry
fair GIFA, the trade fair for thermo process technology THERMPROCESS and the trade
fair for castings NEWCAST. This international trade fair quartet is a one-of-a-kind plat-
form for meetings and business. Last but not least, the four exhibitions are accompanied Arnt Hannewald, Dipl.Ing.
by top-class conferences, symposia and technical forums. The 4th European Steel Tech- Editor
nology and Application Days (ESTAD) is once again the accompanying steel conference
of the METEC trade fair. At this event attendees can acquire latest information on new
ideas and developments as well as on the state of the art in metallurgical process tech-
nologies for iron and steel production, steel materials and steel application. METEC trade
fair and the 4th ESTAD congress will provide answers to many of the challenges steel
companies are presented with these days.
The steel industry finds itself in the situation to deal with three key issues: climate
change and the political pressure to drastically reduce CO2 emissions; full digitalization
of the steel sector; newly developed steel grades particularly for application in 3D print-
ing and electric powered vehicles.
If you are not going to visit METEC, you will see all these megatrends also covered in
STEEL + TECHNOLOGY, the proficient media platform for exchanging information about
how the steel industry is adapting to a changing environment. For instance, we had the
opportunity to take a backstage look at a digital company of very special set-up. SMS
digital GmbH develops innovative products and services which it uses to “digitalize”
the metals industry. The young company is a subsidiary of SMS group, which has made
digital transformation a central pillar of its business strategy. Enjoy reading the interview
and all the other stories in this issue, most of them dealing with the above mentioned
megatrends.
STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

710
PROCESS CONTROL
SYSTEMS
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6 | CONTENTS
Events
32 The Bright World of Metals
Digitalisation means demate-
rialisation
35 4th ESTAD – European Steel

Technology and Application
Days
36 METEC preview
Companies
52 Digital Eco Systems in the
metallurgical value chain
56 thyssenkrupp to realign the

group after the steel JV with
Tata Steel stopped
58 Ilva Taranto to be trans- 53

formed into ArcelorMittal Ita-
ly
59 Dalmia Seven inaugurates

first-of-its-kind monolithics
production line in India Casting 90
Gauge for crossbow measure-
ment optimizes leveling at a
70 Impressive start for the new pickling line
slab caster at voestalpine
Steel technology
73 New 2-strand slab caster t
Ironmaking/Steelmaking Ilych Iron & Steel, Ukraine Steel processing
60 ArcelorMittal investigates 74 Simulation of ingot and 93 Application of the welding
the industrial use of pure continuous casting carriage that increases
hydrogen for direct reduction performance
77 Billet caster successfully
61 Sustainable decrease of CO2 revamped at Feralpi, Italy 95 Laser-assisted online inspec-
emissions by an innovative tion of the strip edges
direct reduction technology 79 Jindal Shadeed commissions
new high-speed billet caster 96 Special structural steel for
64 The Swedish fossil-free steel the construction machinery
project is making progress Hot rolling industry
66 Severstal has upgraded steel 80 Online monitoring of the slab 97 “Lilla Integralen” building
refining facilities temperature during transfer with distinct façade made
from colour coated steel
67 Maintenance of RH snorkels 87 NLMK updates reheating
at Salzgitter Flachstahl furnace at its hot-rolling mill 98 Autonomous low-floor
GmbH vehicles for heavy loads
Strip processing lines
68 Optimized maintenance in 100 Ulbrich Stainless Steel uses
steelmaking plants 89 Pickling line – tandem cold AI-embedded solution to
mill optimized at Hyundai flatten its big data tasks
Steel, South Korea

CONTENTS | 7
58
77
102 Sections and merchant bars 112 Global metallurgical coke

contributes to sustainable market is expected to reach
transport in Norway US$ 241.1 billion by 2027
116 Growing demand for Nickel

drives increased investments
Steel distribution in Indonesian Nickel sector
106 SSAB enhances processing 118 World’s first all-metal,

services for customers in smash-proof guitar
Central and Eastern Europe
107 Klöckner & Co reports lower

earnings in first quarter 2019
Cover picture: ©Messe Düssel-
108 Tata Steel unveils sustaina- Columns dorf/ctillmann
ble storage facility for coils
3 Editorial The Bright World of Metals
25 - 29 June 2019, Düsseldorf, Germany
8 People
Panorama
11 News round-up Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
109 Global steel demand contin- www.tbwom.de
ues to grow in slowing 121 Steel diary
economic environment
122 Advertisers’ index
111 Europe leading the market
for advanced high strength 122 Outlook, imprint
steels

8 | PEOPLE
US-American researcher receives research scholarship by Alexander von Humboldt

Foundation
This scholarship allows Dr. Michael Ash works in the department of Computa- knowledge to provide better control over
ton, who joined the Max-Planck-Institut tional Materials Design headed by Prof. interesting electric-field triggered pro-
für Eisenforschung (MPIE) as postdoc- Neugebauer. cesses.
toral researcher in 2018 to continue his The material scientist obtained his Scientists from over 35 nations are
work at any German research institution Ph.D. at the University of Florida, USA, working at the MPIE to develop materials
of his choice for up to two years. where he developed computational applicable in the fields of mobility, energy,
methods for the discovery and charac- infrastructure, medicine and safety. Some
“I was eager to continue my research terization of two-dimensional materials. of these scientists are funded by the Alex-
in Europe after my Ph.D. to experience He is now working to extend these con- ander von Humboldt Foundation that sup-
a different research landscape and ben- cepts and methods to surfaces in ports excellent researchers from outside
efit from the intercultural exchange. My extreme electric fields. Ashton works Germany with scholarships to continue
first contact with the Max-Planck-Insti- closely with MPIE’s experimental groups their work in a German research institution
tut für Eisenforschung was through the to study how surfaces behave, and ulti- of their choice.
publications of Prof. Neugebauer and mately evaporate, under extreme elec-
his team. So, I decided to move to Ger- tric fields. Ashton’s studies aim at under-
many and chose the MPIE for my stay”, standing the atomistic details of the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung
explains Ashton. Ashton currently evaporation process and then using this (MPIE)
Algoma Steel appoints chief executive officer
Michael McQuade, currently a director becoming a director of Algoma in 2018, he ful restructuring of Algoma’s business
of Algoma, is going to be the new chief held a variety of roles in finance, account- in 2018 and has resigned from the
executive officer of Algoma Steel. ing, operations, and sales at Stelco and company to pursue other opportuni-
became Stelco’s president in 2014. ties.
Michael McQuade has more than 35 years Michael McQuade succeeds Kalyan
of steel industry experience in a number Ghosh, who served as chief executive
of senior leadership positions. Prior to officer prior to and during the success- Algoma Steel
NLMK Group fills newly created position of vice president digital transformation and IT
Consolidating its digital transformation The new function has been formed by goals and speed up the automation
and IT practices, NLMK Group has merging digital transformation and IT efforts aimed at streamlining process-
appointed Dmitry Kholkin to the newly practices. According to Grigory es.
created position. Fedorishin, NLMK Group president,
consolidation of digitalization and IT
Dmitry Kholkin previously served as under a single leader will link digital
vice president for digital transformation. tools with the company’s strategic NLMK Group
Executive changes at Nucor
Chief digital officer and executive vice ing Systems-Indiana. He served as exec- ident and will assume responsibilities for
president, R. Joseph Stratman, has utive vice president of business develop- the tubular products group, logistics and
retired after more than 29 years of ser- ment, executive vice president of raw certain joint ventures.
vice with Nucor. materials and most recently as chief digital
officer and executive vice president.
R. Joseph Stratman began his career with Effective May 19, 2019, MaryEmily
Nucor in 1989 as controller of Nucor Build- Slate was promoted to executive vice pres- Nucor

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10 | PEOPLE
U.S. Steel names senior vice president of strategic planning and corporate development
Richard L. Fruehauf has been appoint- Richard L. Fruehauf will continue to oversee his expanded role. He will continue to report
ed as senior vice president of strate- the departments of strategic planning and to president and CEO David B. Burritt.
gic planning and corporate develop- business development, innovation, govern-
ment of United States Steel mental affairs, environmental affairs and sus-
Corporation. tainability and corporate communications in United States Steel Corporation
Changes to board of directors of Schmolz + Bickenbach
At the annual general meeting on April The new chairman of the board of direc- Thum were re-elected as board mem-
30, 2019, all nominations proposed by tors is Jens Alder. Newly elected to the bers.
the board of directors of Schmolz + board were Alexey Moskov and Adrian
Bickenbach AG have been approved. Widmer. Michael Büchter, Martin Haef-
Chairman Edwin Eichler left the board. ner, Isabel Corinna Knauf and Dr Oliver Schmolz + Bickenbach
Key positions at Montan-Stiftung-Saar and Dillinger filled after sudden death of previous
incumbent
Reinhard Störmer succeeds late Dr.
Michael H. Müller as chairman of the
curatorship for Montan-Stiftung-Saar.
Martin Baues takes over key positions at
Dillinger and SHS.
Martin Baues has been appointed by the

supervisory board of Dillinger as a member
of the board of management of Dillinger as
chief technical officer and by the supervi-
sory board of SHS - Stahl-Holding-Saar as
a member of its executive management.
Martin Baues is now responsible for the
technical divisions of both Dillinger and
Saarstahl. “With the decisions that have
now been taken, Montan-Stiftung-Saar is
resolutely continuing on the course set by
the previous chairman, Dr. Michael Müller.
Our actions are focused on further merging
the Dillinger and Saarstahl steel companies
as well as on investments in promising
business fields and process optimization,”
Reinhard Störmer commented on the
appointment of Martin Baues.
Reinhard Störmer succeeds Dr. Michael Martin Baues is the new chief technical
Müller as chairman of Montan-Stiftung- officer of Dillinger and member of the SHS
Saar (Picture: SHS) executive management (Picture: SHS) SHS – Stahl-Holding-Saar
New member of the supervisory board of thyssenkrupp
Prof. Dr. Siegfried Russwurm has recent- ing board of Siemens and chairman of of the pioneers of digitalization in the
ly been appointed to the supervisory the shareholders’ committee and super- industry.
board of thyssenkrupp. visory board of Voith GmbH & Co. KGaA,
the supervisory board of thyssenkrupp
With the addition of Siegfried Russ- AG is complete again. Siegfried Russ-
wurm, a former member of the manag- wurm is internationally regarded as one thyssenkrupp AG

NEWS ROUND-UP | 11
Marocco
Riva Industries to build new meltshop and continuous caster
To be installed in the industrial area of ages such as the EAF Q-Melt suite, tivity rates. Danieli Automation will sup-
Medz an Jorf Lasfar beside an existing Lindarc off-gas laser system, electrode ply the level 2 process control system.
rolling mill, the new facility to be sup- regulation system, automatic EBT sand Plant start-up is scheduled for mid
plied by Danieli will produce 800,000 t/ refilling and the Danieli automatic EAF 2020.
year of 130 mm to 200 mm billets. de-slagging door. The four-strand,
9-m-radius FastCast™ machine will
The new meltshop will include a 100 t produce a great variety of low- and
Fastarc™ EAF with technological pack- medium-carbon grades at high produc- Danieli
USA
AZZ completes purchase of Tennessee Galvanizing
Following the purchase by AZZ, Tennes- electrical equipment and highly engi- rod, conveyor, and traditional hot-dip
see Galvanizing will from now on oper- neered services, has completed the galvanizing.
ate as AZZ Galvanizing – Chattanooga. purchase of Tennessee Galvanizing
Inc., a privately held company, based
AZZ Inc., provider of metal coating ser- in Jasper, Tennessee. It operates four
vices, welding solutions, specialty galvanizing lines, including centrifuge, AZZ Inc.
USA
Big River Steel to expand steel plant
Big River Steel (BRS) has commissioned grade cold strip in the downstream cou-
SMS group with the expansion of its pled pickling line/tandem cold mill. Also
steel plant in Osceola, Arkansas. SMS as part of this project, the continuous
group will supply the mechanical equip- galvanizing line will receive an additional
ment, electrical and automation sys- coiler. For all the newly installed plants,
tems, and digitalization. SMS group is going to supply the
mechanical equipment and the X-Pact ®
Since commissioning of the new mill in electrical and automation systems,
2017, Big River Steel has been produc- including level 3.
ing high-quality steels, including tube As Big River Steel pursues its strong
grade sheet for pipeline construction, focus on digitalization, also in the second
silicon steels for a wide variety of ener- construction stage, the PQA® (Product
gy and electric motor applications, and Quality Analyzer) system will be a central
advanced high-strength steels for the module of the process automation sys-
North-American automotive industry. tem. PQA® monitors, documents and
The expansion will increase the plant’s assures the product quality down to the
annual output to about 3 million t of finished cold strip along the complete pro-
steel. After completion of the next duction process. The system takes “ship”
expansion, the steel plant will have two or “block” decisions for the downstream
electric arc furnaces and two twin-ladle processing of the strip or its dispatch. In
furnaces. Installation of an additional the long run, the system provides higher
gas cleaning system will ensure compli- yield while increasing the product quality.
ance with the strict environmental leg-
islation.
A second strand, a second tunnel fur- SMS group
nace and a further downcoiler will be
added to the CSP ® plant. Big River
Steel’s CSP ® plant produces up to 1,930
mm wide coils. The hot coil produced in Big River Steel expands its steel mill in
the CSP ® plant is processed into high- Osceola, Arkansas (Picture: SMS group)

12 | NEWS ROUND-UP
USA
Gerdau Midlothian starts up EAF process optmization system
Gerdau has installed a Danieli Q-MELT

system on its EAF ”B“ at its Midlothian
plant in Texas.
Danieli’s Q-MELT suite is an automatic

system consisting of MeltModel, Q-REG
and Lindarc technological packages and
designed to improve EAF performance by
lowering energy consumption, power-on
time and electrode consumption. The
Danieli Automation software for electric
arc furnaces processes chemical and/or
electrical profiles and makes the neces-
sary process adjustments, dynamically
and automatically, based on neural net-
working and with self-learning capabili-
ties.
Gerdau Midlothian released the final
acceptance certificate for the system after
just 15 days of operation.
Control room of an electric arc furnace (Picture: Danieli) Danieli
USA
JSW Steel upgrades plate mill
As part of the first phase of the plate mill

upgrade Danieli is replacing the primary
descaler, hot plate leveller and plate
shearing line No. 1 at JSW Steel‘s Bay-
town mill in Texas.
While the first phase of this upgrading pro-

ject is underway, with commissioning of
the new equipment expected to take place
in autumn 2019, Danieli has meanwhile
also been awarded the order for the sec-
ond phase of the project. For that phase
Danieli will replace the reversing rolling
mill, install a pre-leveller, direct quenching
and accelerated cooling, and replace the
cooling beds and add a new cold plate lev-
eller. The new 4-high mill stand will be
equipped with PVR (plan view rolling) tech-
nology.
Danieli
Plate being rolled in a reversing mill

(Picture: Danieli)

www.vip-kommunikation.de
Meet us at:
Hall 13 Booth A22
www.siempelkamp.com
Siempelkamp offers turnkey open die solutions

incorporating the latest forging technologies. These
high speed forging lines feature a high degree of repeat-
ability and precision.
As a result of our process control there is a
reduction in production time which decreases
production costs. Operators of our equipment
have a competitive advantage.”
Amir Tanbakouchi
Sales Manager North America, Russia, Middle East
14 | NEWS ROUND-UP
USA
Nucor expands presence in regional rebar markets
Nucor has chosen technology from Dan- grades and custom lengths to fulfill the speed continuous casting machine
ieli for its new rebar plants in Sedalia, most demanding construction applica- directly connected to the 16 -stand
Missouri, and Frostproof, Florida. tions. The mills will allow Nucor to rolling mill for an uninterrupted pro-
exploit the abundant scrap supply. duction cycle. The mills will be put
Danieli is supplying the complete tech- At each new plant, a Danieli ECS ® into operation in late 2019 and early
nological equipment package for two continuous scrap-charging preheating 2020, respectively.
MI.DA. rebar plants. The plants will pro- system will feed a 40 t, side-charged
duce in excess of 320,000 t/year AC EAF and a ladle treatment furnace.
(350,000 short tons per year) of straight The endless casting and rolling sec-
and coiled rebar products in sizes, tion will include a single-strand, high- Danieli
USA
Nucor to build new plate mill in Kentucky
A new plate mill in Brandenburg, Ken- plate ranging from 1,520 to 4,060 mm 2022, pending permit and regulatory
tucky, will add 1.2 million t/year of steel wide, and in gauges from 4.8 to 355 approvals.
plate products to Nucor Corporation’s mm. The selected location on the Ohio
capacity. River will give Nucor logistical advantag-
es in sourcing raw materials and serving
The new plate mill will produce cut-to- customers throughout the Midwest. The
length, coiled, heat-treated, and discrete mill is expected to be fully operational in Nucor Corporation
USA
United States Steel resumes construction of electric arc furnace in Alabama
The company restarts the project that ations in Fairfield, Alabama. The decision is to begin immediately and the furnace is
had been suspended in December 2015 to complete the EAF, which includes mod- expected to be ready to produce steel
due to unfavourable market conditions. ernization of the existing rounds caster, is rounds in the second half of 2020.
expected to add about 150 full-time
A technologically advanced EAF steelmak- employees. The EAF will have an annual
ing facility will be built at its Tubular Oper- capacity of 1.6 million tons. Construction United States Steel Corporation
USA
Zekelman Industries to build new continuous tube mill
The new 28″ electric resistance tube 863 x 254 mm will be produced. Prod- min, as well as special forming and siz-
welding line to be installed at its “Atlas ucts will meet or exceed ASTM A500, ing technology for precise dimensional
Tube” structural tube division will be ASTM A1085, CSA G40 and ASTM tolerance. While SMS group will supply
supplied by SMS group. A252. The more than 400,000 t capaci- the mill, Zekelman has selected Kusak-
ty line will be the first ERW line in the abe for the milling cut-off and Mair for
The new line will allow Zekelman Indus- USA to make sections above 150 mm the material handling and packaging
tries to produce structural and piling (16”) square. line. Start-up of the new mill is sched-
products with diameters ranging from Further to an operational speed uled for September 2021.
273 to 710 mm and wall thicknesses up reaching 35 m/min, the line will offer
to 25.4 mm. Furthermore square and superior diameter/wall thickness ratio.
rectangular hollows in dimensions 203 It will also be engineered to allow for
x 203 mm up to 559 x 559 mm or 34 x full change-over times of less than 60 SMS group

NEWS ROUND-UP | 15
Colombia
SIDOC upgrades electric arc furnace
Colombian steelmaker SIDOC has installed

a technology package from Danieli to
reduce electrode consumption by its elec-
tric arc furnace in Acopi, Valle del Cauca.
Electrode consumption in EAFs is

impacted among others by the lateral
oxidation resulting from the exposure of
the hot surface of an electrode to the
ambient air. Electrode water-cooling is
intended to produce a continuous water
film that cools the electrodes, reducing
the exposure and thus the oxidation
rate.
The Q-Smartec supplied by Danieli
independently controls the cooling water
flow to achieve most efficient electrode
cooling. Electrode consumption due to
air oxidation is reduced by up to 15%
compared to conventional electrode
cooling systems.
Danieli Electrodes at the EAF during operation (Picture: Danieli)
Mexico
Prolamsa orders new slitting line Condition monitoring for
continuous casting plants
FIMI has signed a contract with Prolam- of carbon steel
sa for the supply of a slitting line. tubes and compo- • Cost reduction through
predictive maintenance
nents with plants
The new line for Prolamsa - Productos Lam- and distribution cen- • Caster strand optimization
inados de Monterrey will be designed to tres in Mexico and • Customized solutions
process coils from 1.5 to 15 mm thickness the United States. • Tactile or laser based measurements
and strengths of up to 1,200 MPa. The
plant will be installed in the first half of
• Casting quality improvement l 3, Boo
th E 01
- Hal
METE C 2019
2020. Prolamsa is a leading manufacturer FIMI
Gaptor®
Oﬄine condition monitoring
Mexico system for slab and bloom casters
Pacific Steel completes caster revamp
A continuous caster revamp by Danieli has improved over-

Gaptor®-IC
provides Pacific Steel an extended pro- all performance and
In-chain condition monitoring
duction range from commercial to spe- increased the pro- system for slab and bloom casters
cialty steel grades. duction range at the
facilities of Pacific
Exploiting the existing civil works, Danieli Steel (SIMEC group)
upgraded the caster in all its parts. The in Guadalajara. MouldAlign
new moulds feature mould level control, Condition monitoring of the transition
in-mould and final stirrers, stopper rods to from the mould to the ﬁrst caster segment
cast in open- and closed-stream mode and
a flying nozzle-change device. The revamp Danieli
Gassen Instruments GmbH • Albert-Hahn-Str. 21 • 47269 Duisburg • Germany
Phone: +49-203-987-153-0 • Mail: [email protected]
www.gassen-instruments.com
16 | NEWS ROUND-UP
Peru
Aceros Arequipa orders steel mill and continuous billet caster
SMS group is going to supply a 120 t AC have a casting radius of 9 m and pro- electrical components, the entire elec-
electric arc furnace and a six-strand con- duce billets of 130, 160 and 180 mm trical and automation system including
tinuous billet caster to Aceros Arequipa. square. The special inside geometry of an integrated process control system
the mould allows for better transfer of (level 2) which monitors the steel qual-
The plant will be designed for an annual heat across the whole mould, with a ity from the scrap yard to the billet stor-
capacity of 1,200,000 t. In addition to the uniform degree of solidification in the age area, as well as the supervision of
EAF, SMS group’s scope of supply also corners. erection and commissioning. Start-up
includes a ladle furnace and a gas clean- Significant reduction in operating of the plants is scheduled for early
ing plant capable of processing over costs will be achieved thanks to the 2020.
2,200,000 m3/h of process gas. direct connection to the rolling mills.
SMS Concast will supply the six- SMS group will also supply basic and
strand continuous billet caster. It will detail engineering, all mechanical and SMS group
China
ChangBao orders seamless tube plant
A highly automated PQF® (Premium

Quality Finishing) seamless tube plant
supplied by SMS group will enable
ChangBao to meet the growing demand
for precise, high-strength tubes.
The PQF® will be used to produce tubes

within a diameter range of up to 146 mm (6
5/8“) and wall thicknesses of between 4 and
20 mm for oil and gas production (OCTG)
and in accordance with API standards. The
annual capacity will be 300,000 t. The order
includes the full automation of the machin-
ery and plant sections as well as state-of-
the-art laser technology for measuring the
wall thicknesses downstream of the PQF®
and the stretch reducing mill. The new
seamless tube plant is scheduled to be com-
missioned in the first quarter of 2020.
The project teams of ChangBao and SMS group during contract signing (Picture: SMS
SMS group group)
China
CRU forecasts Chinese coke capacity to fall in the coming decade
Since China has entered a development value chain suffered great losses in late- it would maintain the good results achieved
stage with slowing steel demand growth 2015 due to structural over-capacity. The in environmental protection over the last
and with increasing scrap supply reduc- government has since conducted a ‘sup- two years. This means that polluting indus-
ing the need for hot metal, the coke sec- ply-side’ reform by eliminating outdated tries, including coke operations, will be dis-
tor will continue to be subject to capac- and inefficient industrial capacity, including couraged in coming years. Another aspect
ity consolidation and rationalization for coke ovens. In addition to capacity reduc- is that controlling coke capacity is much
environmental protection. tions, the coke industry will also be ‘green- easier and less costly than restricting blast
er’ in the coming decade through the furnace operations and can achieve results
This is the result of a forecast released by replacement of inefficient, small coke acceptable to the government.
privately owned business intelligence ovens by larger and cleaner ovens.
group CRU, which bases its report on the During the 13th National People’s Con-
following main facts: The Chinese steel gress (NPC) the Chinese government said CRU

NEWS ROUND-UP | 17
China
Daye Special Steel to
upgrade electric arc
furnace in Xingyegang
For this EAF upgrade, SMS group is sup-
plying two new pin-type bottom elec-
trodes and a high-current system with
optimized arrangement to reduce deflec-
HEAVY METAL
tion of the electric arc.
DC electric arc furnace with pin-type

electrode (Picture: SMS group)
The pin-type bottom electrode requires no

maintenance, and the condition of the elec-
trode is continually monitored by thermo-
couples. The needle-shaped electrode
boasts a long service life, and the optimized
arrangement of the bus bar system means
the refractory lining lasts longer. As part of
the upgrade, Daye Steel’s 75 t DC electric
arc furnace will be scanned in 3D and the
bottom part of the electric arc furnace ves-
sel modified. Commissioning is scheduled
to take place this year.
SMS group
China
Erzhong produces first heat
in new ESR plant
INTECO recently produced the first heat
in what is said to be China’s largest ESR
plant.
In November 2018, INTECO began install-

ing a highly complex metallurgical 150 t
ESR plant at Erzhong. The first heat was
produced according to schedule in March
2019. The plant has two melting stations
for ingots with up to 2,100 mm diameters.
MADE Phone: +49 2173 9575-100
IN Fax: +49 2173 9575-400
INTECO eMail: [email protected]
GERMANY www.tml-group.biz

18 | NEWS ROUND-UP
China
Daye Special Steel orders hydraulic open-die forging press
SMS group has signed a contract with

Daye Special Steel for the engineering
and supply of a 50/60 MN, high-speed
hydraulic open-die forging press.
The new press, to be installed in Daye’s

Huangshi plant, will be designed to oper-
ate with a forging force of up to 50 MN and
an upsetting force of 60 MN in fully auto-
matic, semi-automatic, or manual mode.
Daye opted for the stable, four-column
push-down press with moving crosshead.
The high forging frequency of the press not
only enables sophisticated materials
requiring a narrow temperature range to be
forged, it also reduces machining times.
During planishing, the new press is capa-
ble of reaching a frequency of 103 strokes
per minute. Daye Special Steel plans to
use the new open-die press to forge a vari-
ety of products of high-temperature alloys
and special steel. Commissioning is sched-
uled for May 2020.
An identically designed open-die forge will be supplied to Daye Speical Steel (Picture:
SMS group) SMS group
China
Chengde Jianlong orders business analytics system
Special-steel long products manufactur- will give Chengde Jianlong the ability The project, to be completed and com-
er Chengde Jianlong Special Steel has to measure, through a comprehensive missioned in 18 months, is the first step of
contracted Danieli Automation to supply KPI library based on specific Danieli Chengde Jianlong‘s digital transformation
the Q3-Intelligence business analytics process know-how, all the perfor- strategy, jointly developed with the Danie-
solution suite. mance figures of the technological li Automation DIGI&MET division.
processes of 13 individual plant pro-
The Q3-Intelligence system, specifi- cesses, including steelmaking, casting
cally designed for the metals industry, and rolling. Danieli
China
Milestone in modern hot strip production: Shougang Jingtang starts endless rolling mill
Hot testing has begun for the Danieli At the new plant, a single line will be able to a wide mix of steel grades and strip dimen-
Universal Endless (DUE®) hot strip mill produce coil-to-coil and endless, thermo-me- sions from 0.8 to 12.7 mm thickness and
installed at Shougang Jingtang United chanical and multi-phase as well as ultra-thin widths from 900 to 1,600 mm.
Iron & Steel in Caofeidian. The hot test and thick products. Shougang Jingtang’s
of the slab caster started already in April. DUE® plant will produce 2,100,000 t/year in Danieli
China
Ningbo Powerway Alloy Material orders foil rolling mills
Ningbo Powerway Alloy Material has two new 20-high cold finishing mills for To be installed in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province,
chosen Danieli Fröhling as supplier of its third-phase expansion project. the new 20-high cold finishing mills for Ning-

NEWS ROUND-UP | 19
bo Powerway Alloy Material will be used to Danieli Fröhling technology. They will be The high-performance copper-alloy strip
roll a wide product mix of copper alloys, equipped with the patented intermedi- produced by Ningbo Powerway Alloy Mate-
from soft pure copper up to hard phosphor ate-roll double bending system for rial on the new mills will be mainly used for
bronze. Strip dimensions will range from an improved strip flatness and direct hydrau- applications such as aerospace, high-speed
entry thickness of 1.2 mm down to a mini- lic roll-gap control for high-precision trains, solar energy, and the telecommuni-
mum finish thickness of 0.03 mm, at a max- thickness performance. The mills will be cations and electronic industry. Plant start-
imum strip width of 650 mm. capable of using a wide range of work-roll up is expected by the last quarter of 2020.
The core equipment for the twin-hous- diameters from 37 to 80 mm in order to
ing type mills will be manufactured at achieve efficient and economic rolling
Danieli Germany workshops based on performance. Danieli
China
Nantian Tool Steel issues final acceptance certificate for ESR plant
In the first months of 2019, two INTECO nace, at the end of February, another in static mould, single electrode opera-
ESR plants were successively started up smooth first heat was produced with tion.
at Nantian Tool Steel. the second ESR unit of 16 t capacity.
The latest generation plants are
After producing the first ingot with the designed for high-quality, repeatable
8 t electro-slag remelting (ESR) fur- and most economical ESR production INTECO
India
JSPL Angul starts up new combi-caster for billets and rounds
Jindal Steel & Power Limited (JSPL) and

SMS group have successfully commis-
sioned the high-speed seven-strand
combi-caster installed at the Angul Odi-
sha plant.
The combi-caster, supplied by SMS Con-

cast, will produce low- and high-carbon,
ball bearing and free-cutting steels. The
casting formats include billets from 150
mm up to 200 mm square, with provi-
sion made for round sections from 162
to 220 mm diameters. Presently, JSPL
Angul is casting 165 mm square billets.
With this billet size and 100% open cast-
ing mode, the company can reach up to
2.3 million t/year of rebar grade prod-
ucts. In closed casting, the production
capacity amounts to 1.8 million t/year.
The scope of supply for the new caster
included a ladle turret, tundish car with
lifting and lowering device, CONVEX®
mould tubes, electromagnetic stirrers
and mould oscillators, overhead
cross-transfer, turn-over cooling bed and
automatic torch cutter. The combi-caster
was commissioned within 12 months
from project start.
SMS group High-speed seven-strand combi-caster in operation at JSPL Angul (Picture: SMS group)

20 | NEWS ROUND-UP
India
Hindalco Industries orders strip processing lines
Andritz has received an order from Hin-

dalco Industries Ltd. to supply a new ten-
sion leveling line and a new degreasing
line.
The tension leveling line will be designed

for an annual capacity of 100,000 t and the
degreasing line for a capacity of 150,000
t/year. They will be used for production of
high-quality aluminium of the 3000, 5000
and 6000 series. The Andritz scope of sup-
ply comprises the lines including all
mechanical and electrical equipment. Also
commissioning of the lines, which is
scheduled for spring 2021, is part of the
order.
Bridle rolls in an aluminium finishing line (Picture: Andritz) Andritz Metals
Japan
Hitachi Metals grants final acceptance certificate for open-die forging press
SMS group has successfully commis- The plant, operating with a forging force of ingots of up to f 30 t starting weight. Two
sioned the 90/108 MN open-die forging up to 90 MN and an upsetting force of 108 rail-bound manipulators position the forgings
press at Hitachi Metals in Yasugi. MN, produces flat and round bars from with millimeter precision and move them ful-
ly in sync with the press stroke. Hitachi
intends to use the new open-die forging
press to process temperature-sensitive
materials, such as titanium alloys, tool steels,
high speed steels, and nickel-based alloys.
SMS group has devised a highly efficient,
space-saving hydraulic system concept for
the four-column, push-down press. High-
speed forging is possible thanks to the 18
high-performance hydraulic pumps installed
in the press. The twin pump arrangement,
i.e. two pumps operated by one motor,
makes the hydraulic system require distinct-
ly less space. A three-dimensional laser
measuring system measures the surface
temperature and the geometry of the forging
in real time, and optimizes the pass schedule
for homogeneous forging of the core zone
In order to minimize the vibrations emit-
ted into the ground, the press was erected
on a vibration-isolating foundation, consist-
ing of an intermediate foundation and sev-
eral vibration dampers. The horizontal
stoppers installed on the sides give the
solid press design extra stability in case of
earthquakes.
The 90/108 MN open-die forging press in operation at Hitachi Metal’s Yasugi Works
(Picture: SMS group) SMS group

NEWS ROUND-UP | 21
South Korea
Posco to modernize gas cleaning systems of BOF
converters
SMS group, in cooperation with AERIX, ry gas cleaning. Each of the gas cleaning
South Korea, has been commissioned to systems will be rated for a capacity of
modernize the gas cleaning systems of more than 108,000 Nm³/h (dry). SMS
the three BOF converters at Posco’s inte- group will provide all basic engineering ser-
grated steel mill in Gwangyang. vices and supply the electrodes. The first
and second electrostatic precipitators have
Within the scope of a production increase already been extended. Extension of the
in the converter shop in Gwangyang, the third and last unit is scheduled for the end
gas cleaning systems are being adapted to of 2019.
deal with the higher process gas volumes.
The project entails the extension of the dry
electrostatic precipitators (ESP) for prima- SMS group
Modernized gas cleaning system (Picture: SMS group)
Thailand
Sahaviryia Steel revamps skinpass mill
A revamp by Danieli Service of a skin- a modern oil-air Rebs Turbolub® system

pass mill lubrication system has led to and modified the back-up roll chocks to
markedly reduced oil consumption at allow optimal lubrication of the bearings.
Sahaviryia Steel. The project has resulted in a reduction
in oil consumption from 20 to 2 liters of oil/
Danieli Service, in cooperation with Rebs day, in addition to a much cleaner working
Turbolub®, recently commissioned an oil-air environment due to the complete removal
lubrication system at Sahaviryia Steel’s of the oil-fog produced by the old oil-mist
plant in Bangsaphan. This is the third skin- system.
pass mill revamp performed by Danieli Ser-
vice (Thailand) for Sahaviryia Steel. Danieli
replaced the obsolete oil-mist system with Danieli

22 | NEWS ROUND-UP
United Arab Emirates

United Iron & Steel commissions new cold mill complex
Located in the industrial area of Abu

Dhabi, the 250,000 t/year steel complex
erected by Danieli provides excellent
cold-rolled finished products for chal-
lenging markets.
The new plant of United Iron & Steel Com-

pany -UISC consists of an in-line push-pull
pickling line, a single-stand cold rolling mill,
and a continuous galvanizing line to pro-
cess both hot and cold rolled coils. The
push-pull pickling line can handle hot rolled
coils with thicknesses between 1.6 and
3.2 mm and widths of up to 1,320 mm.
Final cold rolled and hot-dip galvanized
strip ranges between 0.2 and 2.0 mm
thickness. A cut-to-length line and a cold-
rolled slitting line complete the new plant.
The push-pull picking line will undergo
capacity enhancements to process strip
up to 4 mm thickness.
Single-stand cold rolling mill (Picture: Danieli) Danieli
United Arab Emirates

Joint venture to set up new high bay container storage system in Dubai
Boxbay, an international joint venture from Amova, an SMS group subsidiary, in tainer, which means there will never be
formed by SMS group and DP World, will high-bay metal product storage and han- any unpaid and unproductive reshuffling.
realize a new and intelligent high bay dling. The patented design and rack struc- Furthermore, the Boxbay system brings
storage (HBS) system for the Dubai Expo ture of the system create unique advantag- significant gains in handling speed, energy
2020 world fair as a pilot plant. es. As containers can be stored eleven efficiency, safety and a major reduction in
stories high, the new technology can deliv- operating costs.
The Boxbay joint venture brings longstand- er the capacity of a conventional terminal
ing experience in both container terminal in a third of the surface. The fully automat-
logistics from DP World and knowhow ed system has direct access to each con- SMS group, DP World
Vietnam
Hoa Sen inaugurates second phase of its strip processing facilities
In April 2019, Hoa Sen Group organized For the new equipment installed at Hoa increases the efficiency and flexibility of
an official ceremony to inaugurate the Sen, Tenova designed and supplied a new the pickling process at Hoa Sen.
second construction phase of its plant acid regeneration plant. The state-of-the-
Hoa Sen Nhon in the Binh Dinh Prov- art acid regeneration plant reaches the
ince. highest environmental standard and Tenova
Austria
Breitenfeld Edelstahl starts up new ESR plant
The first successfully remelted ingot was INTECO had started erecting the new 30 The plant will further increase the ESR
presented approximately ten weeks after t ESR plant for Breitenfeld Edelstahl. capacities of the Upper Styrian producer

NEWS ROUND-UP | 23
of quality and premium steels. In addi- It will integrate the four remelting plants
tion to the existing two ESR plants and for an holistically-optimized, reproducible
the VAR furnace, this unit is the fourth and well documented production manage-
remelting facility in Breitenfeld’s special ment and an increased level of digitaliza-
steel plant. tion.
Breitenfeld will also iplement the pro-
cess and production management system A third ERS plant will be installed at
IMAS (INTECO Metals Application Suite). INTECO Breitenfeld Edelstahl (Picture: INTECO)
Austria
voestalpine Stahl replaces level 2 system in continuous slab caster CC8
All the continuous casters of voestalpine caster in the Linz plant voestalpine Stahl. models are now available at all casting
Stahl in Linz are now equipped with the It replaces an existing system on the plants. The CC8 continuous slab caster is
same level 2 system from Primetals casting plant supplied by a third-party in designed as a single-strand top feeding
Technologies. 2018. plant and has an annual production capac-
Using the same version of the level 2 ity of 1.2 million t of high-quality steel
Since February 2019, a new level 2 pro- system on all casters simplifies mainte- grades.
cess automation system from Primetals nance and enables the operating crews to
Technologies has been in successful be deployed flexibly at all of the casting
operation on the CC8 continuous slab plants. Furthermore, special metallurgical Primetals Technologies
Belarus
MMPZ adds production planning system to complement new tinplate complex
MMPZ-group has awarded SMS group MMPZ-group has

the order to supply an X-Pact ® MES 4.0 decided in favour of
production planning and control system the MES system
for the new tinplate production complex from SMS group as
built by SMS group at MMPZ’s Miory it can smoothly be
location. integrated into the
X-Pact ® automation
The tinplate complex comprises a revers- for all plants within
ing cold mill, electrolytic degreasing line, the works complex.
batch-annealing line, combined double It comprises plan-
reducing and skinpass mill, electrolytic tin- ning, support and
ning line and two packaging lines for sheet optimization, supply
stacks and coils. Commissioning of the and dispatch, quality
new works complex is scheduled to be control and report-
completed in 2019. ing functions. The
Model of the new tinplate complex for MMPZ-group (Picture: SMS

group)

24 | NEWS ROUND-UP
scope of supply further includes an X-Pact ® to process automation (level 2) and further X-Pact ® Automation system was supplied
warehouse management system for the to the production planning system (level 3). after it had passed an integration test.
complete production complex. Integration Also coil and sheet storage locations as
of the MES system will make automation well as cranes and transport vehicles will
consistent from basis automation (level 1) be integrated within the system. The SMS group
Czech Republic
Roll manufacturer Vítkovické Slévárny orders another lathe
Heinrich Georg Maschinenfabrik has With the new machine, Vítkovické Slévárny operation for several years. A novelty of the
received the third roll lathe order from will expand the capacity of its facilities in now ordered machine is its connectivity
Czech roll manufacturer Vítkovické Ostrava, where two other Georg roll lathes with the existing lathe supplied by Georg in
Slévárny. of the ultraturn series have already been in 2013. This will allow both machines to be
operated by just one person. Among others,
the two machines will be equipped with
cameras and monitors for the operator to be
able to control both of them permanently
and simultaneously.
The now ordered ultraturn lathe will be
designed to machine up to 8,000-mm-long
rolls with diameters of up to 1,550 mm and
roll weights of up to 30 t. The 170 kW main
drive achieves a maximum torque of 70,000
Nm. Like the two earlier machines, Georg
will also supply the new machine complete
with a dust extraction system and a cabin
that protects the operator against flying met-
al chips. Supply of the new machine is
scheduled for the summer of 2020.
The new lathe will be of identical design as the one supplied in 2013.(Picture: Heinrich
Georg Maschinenfabrik) Heinrich Georg Maschinenfabrik
Denmark
NLMK DanSteel continues investments in plate mill by ordering a new reheating furnace
SMS group will supply a 100 t/h walking supply includes roller tables for slab handling, generation and pressure vessels. The new
beam furnace to be installed at the a modern water treatment plant with energy accelerated cooling system is in-line with
NLMK DanSteel plate mill located in recovery system, which uses the energy from the hot-rolling mill. After rolling to the final
Frederiksvaerk near Copenhagen. the furnace for internal and external heating thickness, the plate is fed into the cooling
purposes, and integration of a level-2 automa- system and cooled rapidly with water under
The new furnace for the plate mill, also an tion system. Commissioning and start-up are controlled conditions. Thermomechanical
original SMS supply, will be able to reheat a scheduled for the beginning of 2021. rolling allows the production of plates with
wide spectrum of slabs in the weight range Meanwhile NLMK has begun hot testing improved weldability while improving the
from 3.1 up to massive 62 t for use in struc- of the accelerated cooling system also sup- strength and toughness. Improved weldabil-
tural, shipbuilding, boiler and pressure vessel plied by SMS group. The new equipment ity is especially important in the production
applications. In terms of material weights han- will fundamentally change the company’s of underwater foundations of wind towers
dled, this furnace will hence be the largest product mix and increase the share of niche that operate in aggressive maritime environ-
one ever built by SMS group. The scope of plate, including for offshore wind power ments. The new cooling system will boost
the production of niche premium plate from
the current 0.1 million to 0.35 million t.
SMS group
Representatives of NLKM Europe, NLKM

DanSteel and SMS group after signing of
the furnace contract (Picture: SMS group)

NEWS ROUND-UP | 25
Germany
Successful business year 2018 for Saarstahl Group
The Saarstahl Group looks back on a suc- At Saarschmiede, after completion of also continued to be extremely tense in
cessful business year 2018 which was restructuring measures, the business 2018. The workforce was reduced by
characterized by a further increase in year 2018 was characterized by orienta- half at the end of 2017 using socially
sales revenues and favourable figures in tion towards new business fields – such compatible measures to its current lev-
the financial result. as mechanical engineering, special el of 430 employees.
materials, tool steel – and consolidation
The production of crude steel remained in the field of power generation machin-
unchanged on a very high level and ery. The situation on the forge market Saarstahl
reached 2.782 million t in
2018 compared with 2.785
million t in the previous year.
The sales volumes of Saar-
stahl AG (wire rod and bar
steel) fell by 4% to 2.431 mil-
lion t (previous year: 2.532
million t).
Tim Hartmann, chairman of
the management board and THE WORLD OF
chief financial officer
explained the figures for the FURNACE TECHNOLOGY
year: “Thanks to high
demand in our core seg-
ments of bar steel and wire
rod, the group turnover
increased to a record level
compared with the previous
year due to a positive devel-
opment in revenue and in
spite of a slight decrease in
shipping volumes.“ The steel
market for wire rod and bar
steel products which is rele-
vant for Saarstahl AG contin-
ues to be characterized by
over-capacities so that there
is still a high degree of pres-
sure on volumes and prices.
Finland
SSAB Hämeenlinna
receives quality
management
certification
THE SMART WAY TO METALS
SSAB has received IATF
16949:2016 certification for its
Hämeenlinna operations. Visit us 25-29 June 2019
Hall 4, Booth A21 | Hall 9, Booth B 57
Certification according to
LOI Thermprocess GmbH
IATF 16949:2016 defines the Am Lichtbogen 29 | 45141 Essen (Germany)
requirements of a quality Tel. +49 201 1891 1 | Fax +49 201 1891 321
[email protected] | www.loi.tenova.com
management system for
organizations in the automo-

26 | NEWS ROUND-UP
tive industry. Maintaining certification tive industry. These products include SSAB Borlänge in Sweden already
is a continuous process as there will be ultra-high strength galvanized steel, have this certification.
a new audit every year. which among other things is used in
SSAB Hämeenlinna supplies premium the manufacture of car safety compo-
products to customers in the automo- nents. The Hämeenlinna Tube Mill and SSAB
Germany
Salzgitter and Tenova sign MoU for pursuit of hydrogen-based steel production
Realization of SALCOS (SAlzgitter Low transformation process of the integrated ly applying for public funding of the SAL-
CO2 Steelmaking) is going to be contin- steelmaking route, moving from car- COS project. In this context, Tenova will
ued as agreed by the cooperating part- bon-intensive steel production based on provide the Energiron-ZR-direct reduction
ners Salzgitter AG and Techint Group blast furnaces towards a direct reduction technology, the HYL direct reduction
company Tenova. and electric arc furnace route, including technology with integrated CO 2 absorp-
the flexible incremental utilization of tion system, jointly developed by Tenova
SALCOS is a new concept for a signifi- hydrogen. This concept is capable of and Danieli.
cantly CO 2 -reduced steel production, reducing CO 2 emissions by up to 95%
commonly developed by the two compa- with respect to the entire steel produc-
nies. The aim is to undergo a stepwise tion route. The cooperation aims at joint- Salzgitter AG, Tenova
Italy
Arlenico starts production of quality wire rod on new sizing block
A new four-stand MEERdrive®PLUS siz- rod producer located near Lecco Lake, is on 5.5 mm diameter product. The technol-
ing block supplied by SMS group has now able to serve the market with prod- ogies supplied by SMS group include a
been successfully integrated into the ucts of much tighter tolerances than high-tech water cooling line of the latest
existing Caleotto wire rod line. before, as the company can now also apply design and the level 2 automation system.
thermomechanical rolling. Since the first
With the new four-stand MEERdrive®PLUS rolling trials, the tolerances as low as 0.05
sizing block, Arlenico, a special quality wire mm and 50% ovality have been fully met SMS group
Italy
Tenova and ORI Martin launch lighthouse plant “Acciaio_4.0”
Tenova and ORI Martin have presented project, ORI Martin is system integrator of dictive maintenance, while giving great
their joint project to create a cyber phys- Industry 4.0 technologies, transforming its consideration to environmental sustainabil-
ical factory by integrating the enabling steel plant in Brescia into a smart factory ity, operator safety and data security. In
technologies of Industry 4.0 within the that has the ambition of becoming an inno- addition, the project has the objective to
steelmaking process. vation model in the sector. Tenova, as establish a network with academic and
industrial technology partner, works to research institutes as well as with highly
“Acciaio_4.0” aims to develop a cyber design innovative models of integrated specialized small and medium-sized enter-
physical factory that, thanks to Industry process control for the plant, using smart prises.
4.0 technologies, will allow the vertical, sensors (IoT) and gathering data in cloud
horizontal and transversal integration of systems to develop applications of
the entire steelmmaking process. In the machine learning, remote support and pre- Tenova
Europe
ArcelorMittal to temporarily reduce European primary steelmaking production
Due to the combination of weakening ry steelmaking production by 3 mil- In addition, the planned increase of ship-
demand, rising imports coupled with lion t. ments at ArcelorMittal Italia to a 6 million
insufficient EU trade protection, high tonnes annual run-rate will be slowed
energy costs and rising carbon costs, The idling of production affects its steel- down following a decision to optimize cost
ArcelorMittal has decided to tempo- making facilities in Krakow, Poland, and and quality over volume in this environ-
rarily cut annualized European prima- reduces production in Asturias, Spain. ment.

NEWS ROUND-UP | 27
Commenting, Geert van Poelvoorde, measures introduced by the European ued and consistent rise in flat steel imports
CEO, ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Prod- Commission. High energy costs and into Europe.“
ucts, says: “These actions reflect the increasing carbon costs are adding to the
weak demand environment in Europe tough environment. Despite the introduc-
today, a situation further compounded by tion of the permanent EU safeguard tariffs
increased imports despite the safeguard in February 2019 there has been a contin- ArcelorMittal
Europe
ArcelorMittal to sell steelmaking assets to Liberty House
The European Commission has approved Commission during its merger control inves- Dudelange, Luxembourg, and several finish-
the sale of several European steelmaking tigation into the company’s acquisition of ing lines at ArcelorMittal Liège, Belgium.
assets by ArcelorMittal to Liberty House Ilva S.p.A. Assets included within the divest- Transaction closing is anticipated to occur
Group. ment package are ArcelorMittal Ostrava, before the end of the first half of this year.
Czech Republic, ArcelorMittal Galati, Roma-
The assets form a divestment package nia, ArcelorMittal Skopje, Macedonia, Arce-
ArcelorMittal agreed with the European lorMittal Piombino, Italy, ArcelorMittal ArcelorMittal
Poland
Cognor to revamp reheating furnace
Cognor has contracted Fives to revamp quent maintenance and consumed exces- tion rate and operating conditions at the
the pusher-type reheating furnace at its sively gas. optimum capacity. Five‘s scope of work
Krakow plant, with the aim to improve A technical constraint of the planned also includes refractory repairs and repairs
furnace performance, both in terms of revamp is the fact that the furnace dimen- of the steel structures of the soaking zone.
availability and operational cost reduc- sions have to remain the same, as part of Site work is planned to start in March 2020
tion. the furnace foundation cannot be modi- with the first hot product being processed
fied. Fives proposed a solution that would in the second quarter of 2020. The project
The furnace is part of a rolling mill produc- solve this problem. Fives will use its pro- will be executed by a Fives subsidiary in
ing merchant bars and rebars. During the prietary combustion system AdvanTek® Spain.
last few years, it had become increasingly technology, which separates the burner
difficult to operate at the designed produc- capacity control from the flame length con-
tion rate. The furnace also required fre- trol. It operates the burners at any produc- Fives group
ESSC & DUPLEX 2019

Invitation
10th European Stainless Steel Conference -
to Science and Market,
6th European Duplex Stainless Steel Conference
www.stainlesssteel2019.org & Exhibition
30 September - 02 October 2019

Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna
www.stainlesssteel2019.org
CONTACT: CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT

ASMET, Austrian Society for Metallurgy and Materials
Austrian Society for Metallurgy and Materials
Franz-Josef-Str. 18, 8700 Leoben, Austria
Phone: +43 3842 402 2290
Email:STEEL
[email protected]
+ TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2
28 | NEWS ROUND-UP
Portugal
SN Seixal to upgrade bar mill
The Megasa Group company places The installation of the welder will enable SN charged, will include burners of the Zer-
independent orders with plant suppliers Seixal to customize the weight of wire rod oFlame design and latest technological
Danieli and SMS group and spooled bars in coils. packages developed by SMS group for
The project is scheduled to be imple- level 2 and combustion management. The
Danieli is going to modernize the rolling mill mented during a period of one-and-a-half combination of these features provides
with a new ERW welding machine and new months in the summer of 2020, including reduced NOx emissions down to 90 mg/
intermediate and finishing stands. The new civil works, installation and start-up activi- Nm3, less scale formation down to 0.4%.
EWR welding machine will feed the existing ties shutdown. Start-up is scheduled for the end of sum-
bar/spooler lines in endless mode, starting mer 2020.
from square billets of 140, 150 and 160 mm SMS group to supply new walking beam
at a rate of the 210 t/h. The line will feature reheating furnace
an innovative spark killer system which will
collect more than 70% of spatter material The new walking beam furnace, rated at
generated during the flashing/welding cycle. 160 t/h cold charged and 210 t/h hot Danieli, SMS group
Russia
AEMZ and NPZ to install new wire rod mills
Danieli has received orders from AEMZ to 12-mm-dia quenched and microalloyed SHS housingless stands and high-speed
- Abinsk Electric Steel Works and NPZ - rebar. finishing blocks. The Danieli structure
Novorossiysk Rolling Plant each for H3 NPZ ordered a new 500,000 t/year H3 control system includes a water-cooling
wire rod mills. wire rod mill to roll 150 x 150 mm billets line for wire rod quenching and controlled
down to 5.5 to 16-mm-dia wire rod and cooling. Perfect coil forming is provided
The mill ordered by AEMZ will be deformed wire rod in coils weighing up to by an oil-film bearing loop-laying head,
designed for 600,000 t/year. It will pro- 2.1 t. Installation and start of production rotary reforming tube and easy-down sys-
duce wire rod in coils for construction will take place in 2020. tem.
purposes, welding wire and CHQ grades. The Danieli H3 mills can operate at
The product dimensions will range from over 100 m/s. They consist of ESS (Ener-
5.5 to 16-mm-dia smooth rounds and 6 gy Saving System) cantilever-type and Danieli
Russia
MMK-METIZ to expand annealing capacity for wire coils
Tenova LOI Thermprocess has received plant consists of two annealing bases, tract is about the expansion of the existing
a follow-up order for HPH® bell-type fur- one heating hood and one Jet-cooling plant by two further annealing bases, one
nace technology. hood with a maximum net charge weight additional heating hood and one Jet-cool-
of 36 t of wire rod or drawn wire coils. It ing hood. Production start of the new plant
MMK-METIZ located in Magnitogorsk, uses a hydrogen/nitrogen mixture as pro- is scheduled for the beginning of 2020.
Chelyabinsk region, already operates an tective gas atmosphere and features a
HPH® bell-type furnace plant supplied by useable diameter of 3,200 mm and a
Tenova LOI Thermprocess in 2014. This useable height of 2,700 mm. The con- Tenova LOI Thermprocess
Russia
MMK to modernize blast furnace cooling system
As part of its development strategy, process conditions of the customer. Detail and control equipment for the dedicated
MMK will conduct a complete overhaul engineering will be provided for the high-heat pump house with heat exchangers and the
of its No. 2 blast furnace in 2020. The pro- loaded bosh and belly areas, cooling ele- related cooling circuit will be part of the sup-
ject will be performed by Paul Wurth. ments and primary cooling system. Paul ply. On-site supervision will also be per-
Wurth will also supply horizontally arranged formed during pre-shutdown and shutdown
In this project, Paul Wurth will help MMK copper cooling plates, highly conductive periods until commissioning.
define the profile of the modernized furnace graphite refractory bricks and ramming mass.
by considering the raw materials base and A complete set of electrical instrumentation Paul Wurth

NEWS ROUND-UP | 29
Russia
NLMK Group announces new corporate strategy
NLMK Group with operations in Russia, materials to the pelletizer after it reaches active simulations covering major aspects
the USA, and the EU, has launched its the output of 8 million t. of iron, steelmaking and rolling operations.
new Strategy 2022. The website localization for the Rus-
Steel Tree programme sian-speaking audience began two years
Strategy 2022 is based on enhancing ago on the initiative of NLMK Group’s
NLMK Group’s competitive advantages. In the two years of the Steel Tree pro- Corporate University. Experts of the com-
Through operational efficiency initiatives gramme launched by NLMK as many as pany organized the translation of the web-
and investment projects, as well as debot- 33 community-oriented projects have site itself, its educational games and
tlenecking steelmaking operations, steel been completed in Lipetsk, Zarinsk and 3D-models. A number of training e-cours-
output at the Lipetsk site will increase by Stary Oskol. es are being finalized and will be added
1 million t/year. Steel output growth will be In 2019, company employees in all major to the website as soon as they become
100% covered by captive iron ore from home regions in Russia will have an oppor- available. The website will be constantly
Stoilensky. tunity to compete for grants offering fund- updated, and new programmes and sim-
Added steel output will be sold in the ing for environmental projects, landscaping ulations will be added to its collection.
form of premium and niche high value-add- and welfare improvement initiatives. The Steeluniversity website is intended
ed products. Target growth in sales of During the past two years, over 5,000 for use by steel companies and indus-
these products will total 1.7 million t, driv- people participated in these initiatives. try-specific educational institutions. It is
en by investment into the group’s rolling The programme gave an opportunity to also available in English, Chinese and
operations in Russia, Europe and the USA. clear public areas of garbage, renovate Spanish language.
As part of its strategic goal on sustain- public gardens and city parks, plant trees,
able development, NLMK will continue to install interactive bins for waste sorting,
execute its target programmes aimed at set up special areas for sports, art and NLMK
reducing its evironmental footprint, environmental research, and create sym-
improving occupational health and safety, bolic works of art.
and reducing the injury rate. Medical equipment
was purchased for
Pelletizing capacity to encrease the Lipetsk regional
out-patient clinic for
Stoilensky, the second largest producer of drug addicts, which
iron ore concentrate in Russia, has signed enables early detec-
a development contract with the Finnish tion of drug addic-
Since more than 50 years!
company Outotec. tion in teenagers.
Under this contract, the pelletizing
plant’s installed capacity will be increased NLMK localizes
by a third - from 6 million to 8 million t/year Steeluniversity
of pellets. Outotec experts will design, for Russia
supply main equipment and automation
systems, and provide consulting support Steeluniversity is an
during installation and commissioning of educational project
the equipment. The project is scheduled of the World Steel
for completion by the end of 2020. Association, an
Additionally, the company plans to international associ-
boost ore production and beneficiation ation of steel pro-
capacity by 14% by 2021 via upgrades of ducers. It is a collec-
Stoilensky’s other transformation stages tion of e-learning
with a view to ensure stable supply of raw resources and inter-
Spain
Sidenor Basauri to upgrade walking beam
furnace
CRANEFRIGOR™ –
With a comprehensive upgrade, Sidenor to 130 t/h. The pro- AC-unit for severe duty
Basauri is going to increase the capacity ject will be handled conditions works.
FrigorTec GmbH • [email protected] • www.frigortec.com
of its reheating furnace from currently 85 by SMS group.
STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2 AZ_S+T_CRANEFRIGOR_85x128_ EN_RZ.indd 1 02.04.19 11:22

30 | NEWS ROUND-UP
The furnace, supplied by SMS group in

2016, had been designed with the provi-
sion for a future capacity increase. All civ-
il and mechanical modifications had
already been taken into consideration to
guarantee a short plant shut down and a
fast restart.
The furnace reheats special steel
blooms in sections between 185 and 240
mm square. SMS group’s range of supply
for the upgrade will include new steel
structures with a set of SMS ZeroFlame
extra-low NO x burners. These burners
had already been included in stage 1
reducing pollutant emissions to less than
100 mg/Nm3 at 1,250°C. Start-up after
the upgrade is scheduled for the second
half of 2020.
After the upgrade, the walking beam furnace at Basauri will have a capacity of 130 t/h
(Picture: SMS group) SMS group
Turkey
Erdemir orders slab inspection and grinding equipment
Danieli Centro Maskin is going to supply The new slab inspection and grinding cess approximately 400,000 t/year of
a complete inspection and conditioning plant will be set up at Erdemir’s site in slabs in ultra-low, low and medium
plant to Erdemir. Zonguldak. It will be designed to pro- carbon steels as well as alloy steel
grades.
The grinding plant will consist of a
SuperGrinder and a lateral unit for edge
and corner grinding. It will come with the
HiGrind digital system for grinding depth
control, the E-Cube system for grinding at
variable, stepless angles, and the Cast-t-
Grind system for processing hot slabs of
up to 800°C. Danieli’s IntelliGrind system
will ensure automatic detection and clas-
sification of surface defects by artificial
intelligence and training of the neural net-
work.
Shake-hands after signing the order for Erdemir, which is part of the Oyak Group
(Picture: Danieli) Danieli
Turkey
Isdemir orders 200 t RH plant
INTECO has been commissioned by Isde- required for steel refining at the highest qual- gates. INTECO will also supply a treatment
mir, part of the Oyak Group’s Mining & ity level. These include wire feeding station and a powder feeding station. Com-
Metallurgy division, to supply a new RH machines, a top lance and manipulators for missioning of the plant is scheduled to take
plant. temperature measurement and sampling. A place in spring 2021.
material management system, in which each
The new 200-t RH plant will be supplied com- bunker is individually weighed, will supply the
plete with all necessary auxiliary equipment plant with the necessary alloys and aggre- INTECO

NEWS ROUND-UP | 31
Turkey
Kardemir starts up off-gas cleaning systems
Meros off-gas cleaning plants supplied

by Primetals Technologies are now in
operation at Kardemir’s Nos . 1, 2 and 3
sinter plants.
In December 2018, a Meros off-gas clean-

ing plant supplied by Primetals Technolo-
gies was started up at sinter plant No. 3,
followed by Meros plants for sinter plants
No. 1 in early February and No. 2 in in ear-
ly March. Each plant is able to treat
400,000 Nm³/h of sinter off-gas, reducing
SOx by more than 90% as well as deliver-
ing extremely low dust emissions. All the
three Meros plants use sodium bicarbo-
nate as desulphurization agent. Primetals
Technologies was responsible for the engi-
neering, supply of key equipment, elec-
trics and automation as well as for adviso-
ry services for cold and hot commissioning.
Off-gas cleaning plant at Karabük Demir Celik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. (Kardemir) (Picture:
Primetals Technologies Primetals Technologies)
Turkey
Tosyali Toyo builds new continuous galvanizing line
Tosyali Toyo has granted Danieli the final ity over the whole range of thicknesses and rapid cooling includes low-inertia
acceptance certificate for its new contin- (0.2 - 3.0 mm, hot rolled and cold rolled radiant-tube heating and a direct-firing
uous galvanizing line. material). The Danieli skin pass and ten- zone applying low-NO x /CO burner tech-
sion levellerprovide excellent flatness nology.
The 200 m/min line features the lat- and roughness characteristics. The
est-generation X-Jet gas wiping sys- supplied Danieli Centro Combustion
tem, ensuring highest coating uniform- furnace for high-temperature annealing Danieli
United Kingdom
Tata Steel restarts blast furnace at Port Talbot after revamp
A revamp carried out by Primetals Tech- ning and temporary works calculations.
nologies has extended the useful life of Before the revamp, the blast furnace had
blast furnace 5 at Port Talbot, Wales. been running for 15 years, producing
some 30 million t of iron.
The major areas of work included the
replacement of a ring of the furnace shell,
replacement of cooling elements inside Primetals Technologies
the shell, partial replacement of the car-
bon hearth refractories, the waste gas
downcomer replacement, further shell
modifications as well as general furnace
lining repairs. Primetals Technologies
was involved in the design of the replace-
Blast furnace 5 at Tata Steel, Port Talbot
ment parts, stress analysis of these in South Wales was relit in January 2019
items, lifting stress calculations, con- after a comprehensive revamp (Picture:
struction engineering, construction plan- Primetals Technologies)

32 |
The Bright World of Metals 2019
Digitalisation means dematerialisation

Established companies offer the greatest potential for digital transformation. However, experts are noticing that
established companies are still targeting new growth through new services too rarely. It is precisely here that
traditional companies and start-ups can learn from each other successfully. Examples of successful digital
transformation are being presented at the metallurgical trade fair METEC from 25 to 29 June 2019 in
Düsseldorf, Germany.
I
n the digital transformation age, ing skills to create machine technology of ital services and products at the forthcom-
established companies are starting to the highest quality, including electrics and ing metallurgical trade fair METEC 2019.
take new approaches from the start- automation – more recently with the help As software developers with a digital
up community seriously too. A current of such innovative production methods as mindset, the staff of SMS Digital in Düs-
example of this is design thinking, which additive manufacturing too. What is new, seldorf, the city on the Rhine, are keen,
is considered to be the epitome of creativ- however, is that the machine and plant entitled (and required) to live a different
ity, e.g. at SMS group, the metallurgical manufacturer is developing digital prod- corporate culture than the technicians in
plant manufacturer. ucts and services to an increasing extent. the SMS mechanical workshop in the Sie-
The long-established company is well When it launched SMD Digital in May gerland, where regular working hours,
known all over the world for the technical 2016, the technology company provided time clocks and works councils are stand-
perfection of its machines and equipment itself with a start-up that gives customers ard features of everyday operations in the
for the production and processing of iron, from the steel and non-ferrous metal industrial age. The approach adopted by
steel and non-ferrous metals. For a long industry the appropriate tools for digital the software developers is very different
time now, technologies like virtual reality, transformation. Such as software for from the classic method of operation used
augmented reality or digital twins have “Industry 4.0” solutions and apps for the by the engineers. In design thinking, devel-
been proven instruments in the planning, metal industry, which are made available opment starts with the customer and his
design and construction of new steel mills, via the in-house platform mySMS group. problem rather than with a meticulously
with which SMS applies German engineer- SMS group is planning to present new dig- compiled set of specifications. A user-
More than 70,000 visitors are expected to attend the world’s leading trade fairs for
foundry and metallurgy technology GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST
from June 25 to 29 (Picture: Messe Düsseldorf)

| 33
based approach involves validation of ide- Delcuve goes on to specify: whereas sation in the production process alone;
as interactively between the digital unit the initial emphasis in “Industry 4.0” activ- what is decisive instead is how individual,
and the customer, before a prototype is ities was mainly on process optimisation data-based innovations are incorporated in
selected to be optimised for large-scale projects, the entire company is now the company’s overall digital strategy”.
introduction. Once the idea has been becoming the focal point to an increasing At GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS,
turned into a marketable solution, it can be extent. The VDMA expert says: “In the NEWCAST, the VDMA Metallurgy trade
included in the parent company’s pro- meantime, successful corporate exploita- association will be highlighting numerous
gramme. The digital unit was not estab- tion of “Industry 4.0” potential is no longer examples of applications from its corpo-
lished on an exclusively internal basis, determined by product and application rate members, including a new edition of
however. The Munich business consult- optimisation in the production process the brochure “Industry 4.0 in metallurgical
ants etventure helped to structure SMS alone; what is decisive instead is how indi- plant manufacturing”.
Digital and acted as a kind of “matchmak- vidual, data-based innovations are incorpo-
er” in the successful marriage between rated in the company’s overall digital strat- Klöckner: pioneer that has had to
the “old” and “new” economies. egy”. Solutions for controlling and overcome initial difficulties
optimising production processes, such as
VDMA Metallurgy: focus on sensor technology, data analytics, VR or The steel distributor Klöckner & Co. is
companies’ overall digital strategy AR technologies, make smart operations considered to be one of the digitalisation
– and, as a result, data-based services and pioneers in metal industries. CEO Gisbert
Kathrin Delcuve is the expert responsi- distinctive products – possible. According Rühl studied the successful models adopt-
ble for innovation and technology develop- to Delcuve, implementation is frequently ed in the platform economy in detail and
ment at the VDMA Metallurgy trade asso- carried out in-house and along the lines of visited start-ups on-site in Silicon Valley. A
ciation. When she talks about “Industry product development processes in start- particularly close examination was made
4.0” and IoT, what she means are instru- ups. But also in co-operation with start- of Amazon. Back in Germany, the steel dis-
ments for digital transformation of (and in) ups, which have based their business tributor established the digital unit kloeck-
industrial production. She explains: “For models on Internet-based applications and ner.i in Berlin. Rühl recalls the initial diffi-
process-based metallurgical production software services. In September 2018, for culties that were experienced when
technologies, it was crucial first of all to be example, VDMA brought selected start- implementation of the digital strategy
able to improve process and quality control ups together with companies from the began: “A major obstacle proved to be the
by taking advantage of big data methods”. metallurgical machine and plant manufac- necessary change in our corporate culture.
The clear objective was to be in a position turing field at the Dortmund Technology Because our aim right from the start was
to offer customers energy and cost sav- Centre. to win all our staff over and motivate them
ings in the production process and this Kathrin Delcuve summarises the pro- to support the process of change. This is
continues to be the case now too. As an gress made: “In the meantime, digitalisa- the only way for digital transformation to
example, the VDMA expert mentions the tion encompasses all levels of production be carried out successfully.” Rühl eliminat-
use of data mining processes to improve and value creation – product development, ed the internal communication barriers and
the correlation of machine data and pro- customer relations and the competitive ended the hierarchically organised infor-
cess parameters. This enables prediction positions in supply chains and B2B busi- mation flow. According to Rühl, staff and
models to be developed – in metal indus- ness”. Her conclusion: “In the meantime, their superiors now communicate non-hi-
tries, for example, for temperature regula- successful corporate exploitation of erarchically via the internal social network
tion, more precise loading or the prediction “Industry 4.0” potential is no longer deter- Yammer. “Another of the bigger problems
of melting endpoints. mined by product and application optimi- was most definitely initial scepticism
Burkhard Dahmen elected new president of METEC 2019
Burkhard Dahmen, Chairman of the Managing Board at SMS group GmbH, is the
new president of METEC, the international metallurgy trade fair with congresses,
which takes place from June 25 to 29, 2019. Born in Düsseldorf, Burkhard
Dahmen was appointed in April at the executive board meeting of the trade fair
quartet GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST. “This year’s METEC
has a particular trend-setting significance due to the dramatic upheavals in our
industry. For some years now, megatrends such as digitalisation, Industry 4.0,
additive manufacturing and responsible use of natural resources have dominated
discussions among steel manufacturers and processors as well as their suppliers
on a daily basis,” says Burkhard Dahmen, summing up current challenges.
Burkhard Dahmen (Picture: SMS group)

34 |
about the digital tools developed by the petitors and companies in other indus- tion does not mean abandoning old
digital unit in Berlin. This meant that we tries, Klöckner does not intend to rest on strengths that have made the company
needed to integrate kloeckner.i in the its laurels. Pokropp promises: “We aim to great”, as Philipp Depiereux, founder
group more effectively, so that the classic increase the figure to 60 per cent by and director of the digital consulting
side of our company gives active support 2022”. company etventure points out. In his
to introduction of the digital tools. Our Digitalisation has become an area of opinion, at German companies these
exchange programmes between staff operation of its own with digital consultan- strengths are, above all, engineering
from the classic operations and our digital cy services. New digitalisation projects are skills, precision, perfection, many years
unit have proved to be thoroughly effective also on the agenda. “We are currently of industry experience and an estab-
here and have helped to establish a digital expanding the Klöckner & Co. online lished customer base. The digital
mindset in the core organisation”. shops, which are available in six countries expert says: “The ‘Made in Germany’
Rühl stresses that the digitalisation in the meantime, into marketplaces”, says quality slogan still applies in the digital
strategy has reached all areas of the Pokropp. He adds that Klöckner has age too”. He emphasises that compa-
group in the meantime. “We are digitising convinced distributors of complementary nies need, however, to continue devel-
not only the front ends to customers but products about the benefits of its plat- oping and to adopt the successful for-
also to an increasing extent the internal forms. These companies now distribute mulas implemented by digital players
processes of Klöckner & Co., in order to products that supplement the Klöckner & too: speed, data expertise and an
become even faster and even more effi- Co. product portfolio via Klöckner’s own uncompromising focus on the custom-
cient. It is, however, also correct that our online shops with marketplace functions. er and user. The conclusion drawn by
digital unit kloeckner.i in Berlin is the ‘hot- Pokropp explains: “In view of the good the expert for digital transformation,
bed’ of digitalisation within the group. progress made in the digitalisation of who is very familiar with heavy industry
Digital natives work there on our solu- Klöckner & Co. and increasing numbers of due to the consulting services he has
tions for digitalisation of the entire Klöck- inquiries, kloeckner.i will also be providing provided to Klöckner and SMS: “Who-
ner & Co. supply and service chain – on digital consultancy services to external ever manages to combine old strengths
behalf of all the company’s locations and companies in future. We are in addition with new ones will be successful in the
in close liaison with group colleagues and enabling consultancy customers to start digital age too”. With the systematic
customers.” e-commerce operations simply via integra- implementation of their digital strategy,
The strategy has proved successful: tion in Klöckner & Co.’s proprietary B2B companies like Klöckner and SMS can
“Klöckner & Co. currently generates marketplace”. be considered to be something like the
about a quarter of sales via digital chan- digital avant-garde in the metal indus-
nels. This corresponds to annual digital Digitalisation means try.
sales of some EUR 1.5 billion”, as Chris- dematerialisation
tian Pokropp, Managing Director of
kloeckner.i, adds. Although this is already What traditional companies often get
a large percentage compared with com- wrong or misunderstand: “Digitalisa- Gerd Krause, Düsseldorf
Meet us at:
Hall 3 Booth A02
DROP-OUT BOX
...or Post-Combustion Chamber? However: KSK!
www.k-s-k.de
KSK_engl_m_Text.indd 1 07.06.2019 11:09:31

| 35
The steel congress at the METEC fair
4th ESTAD – European Steel Technology and

Application Days
In 2019, the Steel Institute VDEh will once again be organizing the accompanying technical congress of METEC.
The top-class event with more than 660 lectures will take place from 24 to 28 June at the Congress Center of
Messe Düsseldorf.
“The steel industry has to remain one step ahead and continuously needs to
move forward. The METEC and the 4th ESTAD will give answers to many of
the pressing technical questions at hand and will therefore contribute to the
further success of steel in Europe and in the world.”
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Bleck
O
nly those who develop their compa- developments as well as on the state of class programme of the 4th ESTAD. The
ny further will remain competitive. metallurgical process technology for iron range of topics covers the most impor-
A prerequisite for this is constant and steel production, steel materials and tant technologies and latest develop-
information about the latest and most steel applications. ments in iron and steel production as
sophisticated technological progress, the well as steel materials and their applica-
exchange of ideas and networking with Extensive programme with more tions. More than 660 lectures in 150
customers, business partners and research than 660 presentations technical sessions within three days,
institutes. The European Steel Technology from 25 to 27 June 2019, will cover the
and Application Days (ESTAD) congress, Speakers and co-authors of the 4th following areas:
which takes place parallel to METEC, ESTAD have prepared the lectures of the ironmaking,
offers very good opportunities for this. The congress with much commitment. In steelmaking,
Steel Institute VDEh and its partners offer addition to the organizing committee rolling technologies,
visitors the perfect opportunity to achieve headed by the Steel Institute VDEh, a steel materials and their applications,
their goals. scientific advisory board consisting of surface technologies, additive manufac-
At this event attendees will receive about twenty renowned experts from turing,
up-to-date information on new ideas and industry and science compiled the top- environmental and energy aspects, and

PHWHF
STEELMAKING
IRONMAKING
WK(67$'
EuropEan StEEl tEchnology
ROLLING AND FORGING and application dayS
düSSEldorf, gErmany
STEEL MATERIALS AND THEIR APPLICATION,
ccd congrESS cEntEr düSSEldorf
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, SURFACE TECHNOLOGIES
24 – 28 JunE 2019
INDUSTRY 4.0
ENVIRONMENTAL AND
The complete program
ENERGY ASPECTS
www.metec-estad2019.com on your mobile, just scan

36 |
in addition to all aspects of digitalization For forty years, technical The first ESTAD took place in April 2014
and Industry 4.0. congresses have accompanied in Paris, France, the second together with
“Today, EU policies request drastically METEC METEC in June 2015 in Düsseldorf, Ger-
reduced CO2 emission levels by the year many, and the third in June 2017 in Vien-
2050, which is a challenge for the steel METEC was founded in 1979 and has na, Austria.
industry to achieve with the existing iron been held in Düsseldorf ever since. At the The 4th ESTAD will take place paral-
and steelmaking processes. New technol- first METEC already, the Steel Institute lel to METEC 2019, starting with a get-
ogies need to be developed”, says Prof. VDEh, in close cooperation with Messe together on the evening of June 24 and
Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Bleck, chairman of Düsseldorf, organized the accompanying ending with plant tours on June 28. Dur-
ESTAD 2019 and chair of ferrous metallur- metallurgical congress. ing this time, participants will have the
gy at RWTH Aachen University. “Steel, In 2013, the Steel Institute VDEh pro- opportunity to attend numerous lec-
with its manifold applications, is a CO2 mit- posed a new European event, the tures on the latest technical develop-
igation enabler, but must also compete European Steel Technology and Applica- ments in the world of steel. The open-
with other materials currently on the mar- tion Days (ESTAD), which is open to steel ing and plenary sessions of ESTAD will
ket or in development. The steel industry producers, steel consumers, plant suppli- take place on the morning of 25 June
has to remain one step ahead and contin- ers, research institutes and universities 2019.
uously needs to move forward. The from all over the world. ESTAD is staged The complete lecture programme and
METEC and the 4th ESTAD will give in cooperation between the Austrian much more information about the event
answers to many of the pressing technical Society for Metallurgy and Materials can be found on the congress homepage.
questions at hand and will therefore con- (ASMET), the Swedish Steel Producers There you can also register online.
tribute to the further success of steel in Association (Jernkontoret), the Italian
Europe and in the world”, Wolfgang Bleck Associazione Italiana di Metallurgia (AIM)
continues. and the German Steel Institute VDEh. www.metec-estad2019.com
Setting The Standards For Highest

Efficiency In Thermal Processing
Hall 10
Booth A11
PulsReg® Zentral Regenerator, 12 MW

JASPER
Gesellschaft für Energiewirtschaft und Kybernetik mbH / Bönninghauser Str. 10 / D-59590 Geseke
Telefon: +49 2942 9747 0 / Fax: +49 2942 9747 47 / www.jasper-gmbh.de / [email protected]
Please visit us on Aluminium 2016, hall 10, booth C10

| 37
New software analyzes signals from slag detection sensors in steel mills
Slag readings are now available facto- As part of the increasing cross-pro-
ry-wide thanks the new Amepa Report cess networking, the system stores
software which automatically analyzes the measurement data and system results in
measured values of the slag detection sen- a database. Detailed data, current and
sors in the steel mill using new methods historical, is available to users in their
of digital signal processing and automati- company-wide network. In addition, a
cally evaluating the data based on rules. web server makes contents of the data-
On casting ladles, measured values devi- base available within the customer net-
ating from the nominal values are detected work which can be accessed at any time
very quickly, for example in the area of the with standard web browsers. Thus, the
well block, upper nozzle or slide gate. This Amepa Report software makes data
is done without having to take the time to about accompanying slag available to dif-
track individual value curves. This evalua- ferent user groups at any time in an
tion can also be used to schedule mainte- adapted visualization.
nance work. The software allows the user to adapt
More than 300 systems of the Amepa the parameters of the ESD system to the
electromagnetic slag detection system user’s product range. Remote mainte-
ESD are already in use in steelworks on nance and access to data for online cus-
ladles and converters worldwide. These tomer support by Amepa specialists are
systems report an alert as soon as there is also available. The new software can be
a danger that the slag produced in each used for existing slag detection systems,
process step will be transferred to the next ESD 100 S and ESD 200 from model year
vessel. All status messages are presented 2010. In this way, customers with older
to the steelworker in table form, and the systems can benefit from the advantages
measurement results in graphic form. The of development in digital evaluation.
The Amepa Report software makes data
results can be sent automatically to previ-
on accompanying slag available to
ously configured user groups as shift or different user groups within the customer
daily reports in the form of e-mails at spe- Amepa network at any time in a customized form
cific times. Hall 5, stand F20 (Picture: Amepa)
Bulk material transport solutions for the iron and steel industry
Aumund are specialists in handling hot or conveying of DRI, HBI, HCI, Fe-pellets,
cold, abrasive and chemical reactive bulk Fe-sinter and coke of up to 1,100°C; con-
material. It provides solutions for horizon- veying in inert atmosphere or seal gas;
tal, inclined or vertical conveying, trans- conveying and smooth cooling of HBI;
port and extraction of any kind of bulk additional cooling of Fe-pellets or Fe-sin-
materials under difficult conditions and in ter; conveying of various kinds of hot and
continuous operation. For the different cold scrap or residuals; as well as conver-
process stages in iron and steel plants sions or retrofits of existing material han-
Aumund supplies solutions and products dling equipment.
for conveying, storing, extracting, feeding
and blending of coal, iron ore and lime-
stone; cleaning of raw material and coke Aumund Fördertechnik Conveyor belt for pellet cooling and
ramps as well as silo or bin discharging; Hall 4, stand F18 transport (Picture: Aumund)
Surface inspection with enhanced system features
A proven partner in the metals industry for features. The latest software includes a efficient handling of large numbers of
over three decades, Ametek Surface Vision synchronized web viewer, which allows the inspection files. Users of the modular soft-
continues to innovate its SmartView ® sur- user to open multiple viewers and use video ware suite also benefit from the addition of
face inspection solution by developing new file system enhancements, enabling more an enhanced user interface, parts-per-mil-

38 |
lion data calculations and improvements to View’s reliable, real-time optical inspec- increase product yields while lowering
SmartView’s thresholding and parallel clas- tion of both sides of the metal product costs.
sification capabilities. provides full visibility of surface quality,
Highly-customizable to meet individ- even in the most-demanding metal pro- Ametek Surface Vision
ual customer process needs, Smart- cessing environments, helping to Hall 4, stand F27/F29
Accurate and repeatable measurements in steel production
Measurement systems from Berthold tions in the steelmaking process, such as

Technologies are used to monitor critical level measurement in continuous casting
processes and to improve efficiency in moulds. Precise and quick measurement
steel production. Berthold Technologies of the mould level lays the foundation for
offers high-sensitivity detectors, thus the production of high-quality steel and the
allowing for highly accurate and repeat- reliable prevention of steel overflows and
able measurements using source activ- breakouts.
ities which are several factors smaller Another challenging task is moisture
than conventional systems. Depending measurement of coke and iron ore/concen-
on the application the source activity trate in bunkers, silos, or conveyor belts.
can be reduced by as much as 80% The moisture content in the coke and the
while the measurement performance iron ore/concentrate being fed to a blast
remains unchanged. This is a major furnace is of great importance for thermal
advantage especially when aged sourc- control of the blast furnace process. Online
es become less effective because the moisture measurement at the bunker pro-
high-sensitivity detectors can still per- vides real-time information on the mois-
form the measurement. In this way the ture content before the material enters the
source life can be increased, saving blast furnace.
costs and improving the use of radioac-
Graphic representation of the radiometric tive sources.
mould level measurement principle Berthold’s measurement equipment Berthold Technologies
(Picture: Berthold) and solutions are used for demanding loca- Hall 4, stand G30
Energy recovery system saves energy requirement of manipulators for open-die forging
presses
Dango & Dienenthal will for the first time
be presenting rail-bound forging manipula-
tors of its SSM series that come with the
new ERS energy recovery system. By
introducing the new energy recovery sys-
tem, up to 70% of the energy input for the
acceleration is recovered: During each
deceleration action, the hydraulic fluid
flows back into an accumulator from
where it will be extracted for the next
acceleration action. This reduces the
manipulator’s total energy demand by 25
to 30%.
During positioning of the forgings in the
open-die press, the tongs of Dango &
Dienenthal manipulators are carrying
From now on, Dango & Dienenthal delivers its SSM
masses between 10 and 3,500 kN. In
forging manipulators with the new energy recovery between the press strokes, the moving
system (Picture: Dango & Dienenthal) drive must accelerate and decelerate

| 39
masses – including the workpiece – of up ERS now adds the advantage of lower hydraulic fluid heats up less. Consequent-
to 14,000 kN. Dango & Dienenthal no energy consumption to the benefits ly, less energy is needed for fluid cooling.
longer uses proportional valves in the sys- derived from simple and robust mechani- With a 25% lower installed power rating,
tem but highly dynamic axial piston cal design. Additionally, the highly dynam- the ERS achieves a significant increase in
engines. These provide a number of advan- ic axial piston engines allow the manipula- speed and a marked enhancement of oper-
tages. As there is no loss due to throttling, tor to be controlled much more precisely ating precision. Also running operating
the moving drive reaches its final speed and accurately than with the previously costs are reduced because axial piston
earlier and will come to a halt faster. This used proportional valves. Consequently, engines require much less maintenance
results in considerably less time needed near-net-shape forging becomes more than systems based on proportional
for the movements and less forging time efficient, reducing subsequent finishing by valves.
per workpiece. machining or grinding.
In the Dango & Dienenthal forging Last but not least, replacing the propor-
manipulators the tongs and the moving tional valves has dramatically reduced flow Dango & Dienenthal
drive form one common unit. Thus the losses in the hydraulic system, and the Hall 5, stand D07
Solutions for virtual casting and casting process optimization
Under the slogan “The digital casting pro- omous engineering software Magma- solutions for robust process windows. By
cess”, Magma demonstrates how auton- soft ® and the program Magma CC for making use of the fully integrated capa-
omous engineering is replacing conven- continuous casting optimization provide bilities for virtual design of experiments
tional process simulation in continuous the basis for optimal process conditions and genetic optimization, both software
and ingot casting processes. The auton- for flow and solidification behaviour and programs easily and reliably find the best
Steel Institute
VDEh

PHWHF
WK(67$'
(XURSHDQ6WHHO7HFKQRORJ\
DQG$SSOLFDWLRQ'D\V IRONMAKING
DüsselDorf, Germany
CCD ConGress Center DüsselDorf
STEELMAKING
24 – 28 June 2019
The accompanying
conference to the METEC ROLLING AND FORGING
STEEL MATERIALS AND THEIR APPLICATION,

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, SURFACE TECHNOLOGIES
INDUSTRY 4.0
Gold sponsor:
The complete program
on your mobile, just scan
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ENERGY ASPECTS
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40 |
solutions for a new casting or process allows identifying the best compromise Magma
design, or production setup for steel, alu- between the conflicting factors quality, Hall 4, stand E29 (METEC)
minium or copper applications. This productivity and cost. Hall 12, stand A19/20 (GIFA)
Laser-optical crossbow measurement for optimization of stretch-leveller performance
time, the optical equipment is arranged at

a safe distance from the strip surface, rul-
ing out any risk of mechanical damage.
The system requires no compressed air
and no water cooling. It measures height
at an accuracy of 0.1 mm. Together, the
two cameras of the system capture
approximately 3,200 pixels across the
strip width. For a 1,800 mm wide strip,
this means a transverse resolution of 0.6
mm.
For plate rolling mills, nokra will show
laser-optical gauges for the combined
inline measurement of flatness, thickness
and contour. The sensor equipment for
these measurements has been arranged
within a very compact system. These
gauges are used in plate mills at the hot
rolling stands to monitor the rolling pro-
cess, in downstream process stages, for
example, at cold leveling machines, and for
quality inspection of the finished plates.
Crossbow measurement system at a continuous pickling line entry installed between Also on display at METEC will be
the bridle roll and the process section (Picture: nokra) nokra’s alpha.ti 4.0 system, a laser-based,
non-contact gauge for high-precision strip
thickness measurements. The gauge
At METEC, nokra will launch its new – such as hot and cold rolling - by analyzing operates at a measuring accuracy of 0.01%
alpha.cb laser-optical system for the whether and where cooling strategies or of the measuring range, i.e. over 15 mm
measurement of crossbow in strips in an coiling methods may promote crossbow the accuracy is ± 1.5 µm. It features an
inline process. The results from the inline formation. The system operates according automatic monitoring function that makes
measurements can be used to optimize to the light-section method, which uses it MSA-compliant.
stretch-leveller control so as to minimize laser lines projected onto the strip surface.
crossbow formation. With processes The measuring frame, which accommo-
becoming increasingly digitally interlinked, dates the transmitter and receiver optics, nokra Optische Prüftechnik und
the measurement data can also be used is low enough to not interfere with the Automation
to optimize up and downstream processes movements of the hall crane. At the same Hall 5, stand F20
Smart robotics increase safety in the continuous casting area
The continuous casting machine area is a present a new series of robotics tools tundish, distribute powder and artificial
work environment with risks. Interaction combined with machine vision, artificial slag on the tundish. Thanks to 3D machine
between human intelligence able to pro- intelligence and machine learning. vision, this application can identify the noz-
cess hundreds of variables and smart In continuous casting machines, a zle position also in harsh condition, allow-
robotics can increase safety by keeping robotic cell may include a series of tools ing the operator to supervise the process
the operator away from hot areas, and for opening the slide gate with the oxygen from a remote pulpit.
improve process quality and the traceabil- lance, manipulating the ladle shroud, tak- Another application allows the steel-
ity of semi-finished products. Polytec will ing temperatures and samples in the maker to reuse and analyze the large

We are strong in know-how,
engineering and service of
160 years ... long product rolling mills
and guide systems.
e x h i b i t ors at
We are - 2 9 . 0 6 .2019
25.06 .
METEC d 5 /A28
S t a n
Taking rolling to new

Branch Office:
Morgårdshammar AB dimensions!
Morgårdshammar AB Sales office Krefeld
SE-777 82 SMEDJEBACKEN, Sweden
Phone: +46 240 668500
P.O. Box 101552
D-47715 KREFELD, Germany
RX Guide Series
Fax: +46 240 668501 Phone: +49 2151 81290
E-mail: [email protected] Fax: +49 2151 611795
www.gk-mas.de
www.morgardshammar.se E-mail: [email protected]
www.mh-guides.com
42 |
bles of the casting machines (chemis-

try, alloys, temperatures, stirrers,
speeds, water flows and pressure
etc…).
A further application is a new technol-
ogy able to improve the traceability of
production and keep the operators safely
away from the dangerous environment.
By direct connection with the tracking
system of the continuous casting
machine, the robotics cell can store more
than 5,000 consumables (precut tags and
studs). The refill is online with no interrup-
tion to production. The smart robot is
equipped with a machine vision system
to identify the position and the distance
of the billet and guide the welding tool to
the right spot. The smart robotics cell is
also able, as an option, to scan the billets
in 3D and identify geometrical defects
Billet just tagged on the cooling bed with PolyTAG (Picture: Polytec) and autonomously double check the tag
applied. The machine vision system reads
the tag and stores the picture with the
quantity of process information already combination of advanced features timestamp in the server as proof of pro-
present in a casting machine. This appli- allows the steelmaker to early identify duction.
cation combines a powerful high-quality out of spec production, improve the pro-
3D machine vision system, a ther- cess and update the current practices
mo-camera and new technologies for and assumptions. The system is able to Polytec
unsupervised machine learning. This track more than 150 production varia- Hall 5, stand G21
Product and service portfolio focused on digital plants, sustainable steel, productive
assets and new business
Under the motto “Connect to Next”, chain as well as the latest rolling solutions “Steel City”, offering an interactive expe-
Primetals Technologies is displaying its for nonferrous metals. Focus topics cov- rience of complex plant processes. The
comprehensive digitalization, technology, ered are digital plants, sustainable steel, “Future Lab” gives deep insights into
product and service portfolio for every productive assets and new business. Cen- e-services and digital solutions. In the
step in the iron and steel production value terpiece of the booth architecture is the “Pioneers Lounge”, presentations, panel
discussions and other event formats are
hosted. Primetals Technologies is also giv-
ing around 45 technical presentations at
the ESTAD congress.
Providing answers to what the future
holds for metals producers is the key for
their business success. Primetals Technol-
ogies is supplying insights into the fasci-
nating possibilities on the way to the fully
automated steel plant of the future, laying
out what is possible today and what will
be state of the art in a few years. Technol-
ogy experts and the management team
will be there to answer questions about
key technologies that can help metals pro-
3D rendering of Primetal Technologies’

METEC area (Picture: Primetals Technologies)

| 43
ducers to take a decisive step toward fully a more environmentally friendly tomorrow. like how can an entrepreneur best break
digitalized operation. In order to achieve sustainable growth, it into the metals business, what steps
Primetals Technologies offerings are is crucial to use energy and raw-material should a veteran steel producer take to
centred around four focus topics. Digital resources as economically as possible. improve operations, make portfolio adjust-
plants: connectivity, quality optimization Productive assets: knowing in detail what ments, and find the right market segments
and digital twins are just three of the many goes on in a plant is a great advantage for to maximize profitability.
new keywords that indicate how much dig- any steel producer, as is making this infor-
italization is changing steel production. mation available to those who need it,
Sustainable steel: green production tech- when they need it. New business: this Primetals Technologies
nologies are changing steel production for focus topic answers important questions Hall 4; stand E02-E10
Storage and blending bed systems
Schade Lagertechnik offers storage and tal and semi-portal scraper reclaimers,
blending bed systems used in iron and cantilever scraper reclaimers, wagon
steel production, in raw materials handling unloading systems for handling coal, ore,
and in the handling of dry and fossil energy limestone, fertilizer and many other bulk
bearing materials. materials.
Schade designs and supplies stock-
yards and blending beds of circular or lon-
gitudinal shape with stackers, tripper Schade Lagertechnik A semi-portal scraper reclaimer (Picture:
cars, bridge-type scraper reclaimers, por- Hall 4, stand F18 Schade Lagertechnik)

44 |
Inline quality control of metal pipes, strips and plates
Sikora will be presenting a broad portfo- inline measurement of the diameter and accuracy. The measurement is carried
lio of innovative systems for non-de- ovality of metal tubes and rods. The sys- out by radar transceivers simultaneous-
structive quality control and process tem is based on progressive, high-reso- ly from several directions. It is insensi-
optimization of steel tubes, strips and lution radar technology and records tive to heat, dust and steam. Due to its
plates. For example, the Radar Scan measuring values over 360° of the cir- slim design, the system can be easily
6000 system provides non-contact cumference of the product to micron integrated into the production process
for hot or cold measurement. The tech-
nology measures regardless of the sur-
face roughness in typical tube applica-
tions. The measuring values are clearly
displayed graphically as well as numeri-
cally on the display of the processor sys-
tem Ecocontrol 6000.
Another highlight at the Sikora booth
is the Planowave 6000 M, a non-con-
tact measuring system that is used for
non-destructive thickness measure-
ment of slabs, strips and plates inde-
pendent of material, temperature and
surface of the product. The measure-
ment of the product is also based on
radar technology. Transceivers above
and below the material continuously
send and receive frequency modulated
millimeter waves. The thickness – typi-
cally centreline thickness – of the prod-
uct is precisely determined from the
runtime difference. The Planowave M
system is designed for a typical meas-
uring range of up to 500 mm. The sys-
tem is used directly in the production
line or at the end of the line for final
quality control.
Furthermore, Sikora is presenting
the Laser Series 2000 for non-contact
and non-destructive measurement of
the diameter and ovality of metal
tubes, wire rods and bars during pro-
duction. The measuring method is
based on the use of laser light sources
and CCD sensors in combination with
powerful signal processors. The outer
diameter of the metal tube is calculat-
ed by means of an intelligent diffrac-
tion analysis.
Sikora also showcases systems for
quality control of metal tubes on the
basis of X-ray technology: diameter and
wall thickness measurement for metal
tubes made of aluminum and certain
light metal alloys, or reliable measure-
ment of the plastic coating on steel
tubes.
The Radar Scan 6000 is based on radar technology and delivers precise diameter
measuring values independent of environmental conditions, such as heat, dust and Sikora
steam (Picture: Sikora) Hall 3, stand A58

R EJECT
GOODS
25- 29 June 2019
Dusseldorf
Hall 4 / Stand E29
Robust production. Right from the start.

Autonomous Engineering with MAGMA
eliminates root causes for defects and
secures a smooth production.
made by Committed to casting excellence. www.magmasoft.com

46 |
Experiencing digitalization and future-oriented technology for all stages of the steel and
NF-metals value chain
At SMS group’s Metec booth visitors will wealth of expertise based on which it has significantly smaller CO 2 footprint of the
get first-hand information about the entire started to address urgent and future-ori- steel industry. Cooperating with Sunfire,
technology and service portfolio offered ented topics in a concerted approach by a company based in Dresden, Germany,
by SMS group. With its holistic approach offering technologies for the complete life Paul Wurth is taking a direct reduction
to digitalization and process control along cycle of metals. For example, technologies process to market maturity, in which the
all stages of the supply chain – as in the that extract and process metals in an eco- fossil element carbon is substituted with
learning steel mill – SMS group builds not nomically efficient and, at the same time, hydrogen, and from which no cli-
only highly efficient new production facil- eco-friendly way, and allow them to be mate-damaging CO 2 arises, only water
ities, but it also upgrades existing ones to recycled virtually endlessly back into the vapour. In this context, Paul Wurth also
a state that compares with that of brand raw material cycle. Against the backdrop engages in the research of systems for
new plants. Among others, SMS group of constantly decreasing resources of met- the production of green hydrogen, which
will present its activities in the field of als that are crucial for the application of is produced exclusively with renewable
additive manufacturing. SMS already uses new technologies – such as nickel, cobalt, energy. In a cooperation with UrbanGold
additively manufactured components in its aluminium oxide, titanium, vanadium, lith- GmbH from Austria, SMS group has
plants and has been strongly promoting ium or rare earths – SMS group has devel- developed an economically efficient pro-
the development of highly specialized oped new, profitable processes for the cess able to recover and feed back into
metal powders. The company uses its extraction of metals from secondary the raw material cycle high-grade, valua-
powder atomization plant in Mönchenglad- sources and sources that could only be ble materials previously considered as
bach, Germany, not only for the production exploited with limited efficiency in the lost materials from electric and electronic
of high-purity metal powders for additive past. scrap.
manufacturing applications, but also devel- Besides that, SMS group designs At ESTAD 2019, SMS group experts
ops new design and manufacturing meth- resource-saving, integrated plant solu- will be presenting new developments and
ods there. tions for primary and secondary process successful reference projects in more than
SMS group will also be presenting inno- routes in non-ferrous metals production 60 technical papers.
vations under the umbrella topic “New within the joint venture PolyMet Solu-
Horizon”. In more than 150 years as a play- tions. The Luxembourg SMS group com-
er in the metallurgical plant engineering pany Paul Wurth develops new CO 2 -free SMS group
sector, SMS group has accumulated a steelmaking techniques that make for a Hall 5, stand E22
Model (topview) of the SMS group’s area at METEC (Picture: SMS group)

GSM 200 to capacity and GFM 100 to capacity
in operation at NAF, New Castle / PA
performance
for high productivity
GLAMA Maschinenbau GmbH
Headquarters:
Hornstraße 19 D-45964 Gladbeck / Germany
Fon: +49 (0) 2043 9738 0
Fax: +49 (0) 2043 9738 50
Email: [email protected]
GLAMA USA Inc. 25-29 JUNE, 2019

768 W Bagley Road Berea, Ohio 44017
Fon: +1 877 452 6266
Düsseldorf, Germany GFM up to 150 t capacity
Fax: +1 440 201 6900 Visit us at booth no. :
Toll Free: 877-GLAMA66 Hall 5 G04
glama.de
GRM up to 25 t capacity
48 |
Greener and more efficient metals production through sustainable technology and
Industry 4.0
Tenova’s booth at Metec intends to be a the Self Regenerative Burner (TRGS), a to two key projects: SALCOS® (SAlzgitter
window onto a green and more efficient smart burner able to optimize the combus- Low CO2 Steelmaking) and HYBRIT®, an
way of producing metals. A unique oppor- tion process through the application of dig- initiative for fossil-free steelmaking estab-
tunity for a comprehensive insight into the ital technology. At the “Tenova Arena”, lished by Hybrit Development AB, a Swed-
newest and most advanced metal making core technologies and cuting-edge solu- ish joint venture between SSAB, LKAB
technologies. tions – including predictive maintenance, and Vattenfall. Also the latest generation
Topics such as fossil-free steel produc- remote assistance and artificial intelli- of the TCF ® twin-chamber melting furnace
tion through hydrogen, large-scale metal gence – will be presented by Tenova will be presented.
powder production for additive manufac- experts. Tenova LOI Thermprocess offers pro-
turing, and optimization of the process The Tenova booth will also be a point of cess technology for efficient use of the
through digital technology will be present- interest of ecoMetalsTrails, an initiative energy content of the pyrolysis gas which
ed under the motto “The smart way to launched by Messe Düsseldorf with the results from contaminants adhering to the
metals”. This approach is underpinned by aim to promote sustainability and support scrap.
a consistent strategy aimed at changing exhibiting companies that make a contri- Tenova will also take part with several
the business model along the entire value bution to the environment and present papers in the accompanying ESTAD con-
chain. their long-term commitment at the fair. ference.
Among the solutions presented at the Tenova will present a technology aimed at
trade fair will be the Pomini Digital Textur- replacing carbon partially or totally with
ing™ (PDT™) machine, which can be dis- hydrogen as reducing agent of the direct Tenova
covered through augmented reality, and reduction process. This is already applied Hall 4; stand A21
“The smart way to metals” is the motto under which Tenova presents its approach to future-oriented metals production (Picture:
Tenova)

| 49
Mini-format de-bricking machine with rotary boom
TML Technik will be showing its new Uni- ver boom offers a very high level of flexi-
dachs 110 de-bricking machine, which is bility: The attachments can be utilised at
smaller and more compactly built than its almost any required angle of surface to be
predecessor the Unidachs 220, and it fea- worked on.
tures the unique 360° boom rotation. The Despite the compact size of the
new machine has been designed for hot machine, it has a large working reach,
applications in the metallurgical industry, depending on the attachment, in combina-
such as de-bricking of smaller ladles, tion with the kinematics of the boom a
Bblast furnace runners, tundishes and fur- working radius of up to 5,000 mm can be
naces. The 360° rotary cantilever boom achieved. With remote control operation,
can utilize attachments such as hydraulic the operator is always working at a safe
hammers, rotary drum cutters or a bucket distance. The remote control system con-
and can reach every point from which sists of a lightweight control panel with
material needs to be removed. logically arranged elements, which can
The new Unidachs 110 stands out of either be carried on a body belt or incorpo-
the crowd with its compact design, high rated into a control station. If the machine
manoeuvrability and a strong hydraulic is not visible from the control station, cam-
drive. The width of the undercarriage is eras can be installed on the machine as an
only 1,315 mm and the height is 1,635 option, to ensure visual contact with the
mm. This allows access to working areas machine and its environment, displayed on
that are not easily accessible for other a split screen monitor. The machines are
machines. Due to the remote operation, available with a choice of diesel-hydraulic
the operator is always at a safe distance. or electro-hydraulic drives.
Compared with mini-excavators with an
articulated arm it has a further degree of
motion. The 360° boom rotation, com- TML Technik
bined with the double articulated cantile- Hall 5, stand D22
De-bricking of a blast furnace runner with Unidachs 100 (Picture: TML Technik)

50 |
New laser gauge for highly dynamic thickness control during foil rolling
At METEC, Vollmer is for the first time employed for strip of thicknesses bers of the VTLG family, the VTLG 101/1
presenting its new VTLG 101/1 laser-op- between 0.015 and 12 mm, the new sys- is also suitable for the rolling of flat prod-
tical thickness gauge. This has been spe- tem has been developed for the rolling of ucts of steel and non-ferrous metals with
cially designed and developed for the foils. With a resolution of 0.05 µm, it now matt or glossy surfaces. Vollmer has
cold-rolling of foils with a thickness achieves an absolute measurement pre- developed the VTLG not only for meas-
between 0.003 and 2.0 mm. While previ- cision of +/- 0.5 µm even when installed urement in the rolling mill – it is equally
ous systems of the VTLG series were in the rolling mill. As with the other mem- suitable for use on the annealing line, in
the finishing shop, on strip millers or in
shear lines.
The VTLG thickness measurement sys-
tems are so compact and robust that they
can be installed in the mill in the immediate
vicinity of the roll gap. They operate with
an internal scanning rate of up to 80 kHz.
This makes them suitable for highly
dynamic thickness control during rolling.
Air cleaning systems ensure reliable oper-
ation even under the rough environmental
conditions in the mill: Both the entry and
exit windows of the transmitting and
receiving lenses and the beam path are
constantly flushed with clean air so that
vapours or mists from the mill do not
affect the measurement.
At METEC, Vollmer will also be present-
ing the classic contact gauges with digital
measuring sensors and VTS evaluation
that have superseded the amplifiers of the
VMF series.
The systems of the VTLG series measure the thickness of flat products contact-free, Friedrich Vollmer Feinmessgerätebau
from a safe distance and irrespective of the alloy (Picture: Vollmer) Hall 4, stand D18
Measuring gauges for high-precision dimensional measurement of long products
Zumbach Electronic will present a large new Bendcheck system for the measure-
range of systems and solutions for precise ment and monitoring of straightness
measurement and monitoring of dimen- (bend) of bars and pipes.
sions and shape/geometry of bar, pipe and For cold application such as centreless
profile, hot and cold. Among others, Zum- grinding, peeling, tube welding, drawing,
bach will showcase the new Profilemas- rolling, straightening etc., Zumbach offers
ter ® SPS 80 which is based on highly laser scanners and USYS processors for
developed light section technology and diameter measurement.
offers remarkable measurement capabili-
ties for steel wire rod, bars and rebars.
Beside dimensional measurements, the Zumbach Electronic
new system is able to scan for surface Hall 5, stand F22
defects and highlight any identified defects
in a simultaneous process.
A fully rotating Steelmaster system
A fully rotating Steelmaster system
with contact-free power and single trans- (above) will also be on display as well as a
mission for a maintenance-free operation brand new Bendcheck system (below)
will also be on display as well as a brand (Picture: Zumbach Electronic)

| 51
Hoisting equipment for reliable and safe handling
Hoists are indispensible equipment in Lever hoists are main-

foundry operations. At Gifa, Kito Europe ly used where filigree
will present manual hoists and electric parts have to be assem-
chain hoists and examples of how they bled in very confined
can be integrated into existing produc- spaces or at different
tion facilities without much effort. Kito working heights. Kito LB
manufactures nickel-plated chains lever hoists withstand the
which feature higher corrosion resist- most difficult challenges
ance and less wear compared to con- and are particularly suitable
ventional load chains. for heavy pulling, lifting and
Electric chain hoists are available in tensioning applications due to
different sizes, e.g. for assembly pro- their robust design with universal
cesses and precise positioning of the freewheel function. Loads of up
final fittings, as additions to cranes, for to 9,000 kg can be lifted easily by
stationary or mobile usage. All Kito guaranteeing full safety of the
electric chain hoists are easy to control operator. The lighter, more compact
and produce only a very low load swing. Kito LX lever hoists can lift, pull and
Absolute load control and precise position loads up to 250 kg or up to 500
placement of the load are guaranteed. kg. These lever hoist models are also
Safety tested and certified by the DGUV safety tested.
Association of German Statutory Acci-
dent Insurers (DGUV), the Kito CB hand
chain block is able to manage the Kito Europe
toughest applications. Its little brother Hall 15, stand C08 (GIFA)
Kito CX mini is available in two variants
with a load capacity of 250 kg or 500 Electric chain hoist designed for the
kg. Overload protection (with slip adverse environmental conditions in
clutch) is standard. foundries (Picture: Kito)
THE ENTIRE WORLD OF IRON & STEEL MAKING
HEAT RECOVERY DIGITAL OPERATIONS REACTIVE PCI

TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY 4.0 PULVERIZED COAL INJECTION
Please visit us:

www.kuettner.com | [email protected]
Hall 4 Stand C28
52 | COMPANIES
Interview
Digital Eco Systems in the metallurgical

value chain
SMS group has made digital transformation a central pillar of its business strategy and has been consistently
implementing the change that this entails in its product and service portfolio and in its corporate structure and
culture. STEEL + TECHNOLOGY was given the opportunity to take a backstage look at a digital company of a
very special set-up. As a subsidiary of SMS group, SMS digital GmbH develops innovative products and
services which it uses to “digitalize” the metals industry. We talked with the two managing directors of SMS
digital Bernhard Steenken and Dr. Markus Reifferscheid. The latter is also Vice President Research &
Development at SMS group.
Does SMS group have a When we founded SMS digital GmbH a few
digitalization strategy?
years ago, we were convinced that it would be
Markus Reifferscheid: A strategy – in the easier to respond to the dramatic growth in the
sense of “Strategy is an economy of demand for digital solutions outside classical
force” freely adapted from Carl Philipp von
Clausewitz – is a must for a company of corporate structures.
our size because by defining a vision and Markus Reifferscheid, Managing Director, SMS digital GmbH
a mission we define and make transparent
how we go about digitalization. We look at
digitalization from two perspectives. On customers’ processes and ask ourselves not only as a provider of digital solutions,
the one hand, we take an inward look. That how we can create added value for our but rather as an innovative partner who
is, we consider how we can make best use customers by offering tailored digital ser- advises his customers and accompanies
of digital methods to make our internal pro- vices. them along their digitalization path. Using
cesses - from procurement down to the One thing holds true for both: Digitalization future-oriented technologies, we develop
commissioning of our products – more cannot be bought, you have to design it – very closely with our customers – tai-
efficient. At the same time, we look at our yourself. We set great store by being seen lored solutions that create sustainable val-
ue for them.
The Learning Steel Mill is our vision of a
smartly networked production complex
with the objective to optimize the entire
value chain of the customers’ operations.
This we achieve by combining engineer-
ing, automation and process knowhow
with physical process models and data-
based models generated by advanced AI
algorithms. In a nutshell: We create value
from data.
Obviously, the Learning Steel Mill

is a core element of your approach
to digital transformation. What
does this exactly mean?
Markus Reifferscheid: Our concept of the

Learning Steel Mill is that - by integrating
all human operators and systems within an
Dr. Markus Reifferscheid (left) is Managing Director of SMS digital and Vice President interacting network – all processes will
Research & Development at SMS group; Bernhard Steenken (right) is Managing continuously optimize and control them-
Director of SMS digital (Picture: SMS group)
selves with a view to key performance

COMPANIES | 53
We already count more than 2,000 users of the digital
applications provided on our my.sms-group platform
(Picture: SMS group)
indicators such as product quality, on liquid steel to the finished product. These lem has been mapped with sufficient detail
schedule delivery and output. are strategically important lighthouse pro- with data and the value gain for the specif-
The Learning Steel Mill uses intelligent jects for us, which we take much pride in. ic application has been determined, can
pattern recognition algorithms to evaluate These partnerships allow us to further the implementation start. In an agile meth-
what would be suitable scenarios. In other advance ourselves and our products and odological approach – such as Design
words, it permanently trains these learning services in order to pursue and bring for- Thinking – interdisciplinary teams of cus-
algorithms, monitors itself on a continuous ward the digital transformation of our customer and SMS experts work out improve-
basis and feeds back conclusions from real tomers’ operations. ments with the objective to bring about a
incidents. prototype for the first application – the Min-
In order to achieve an optimal result along How can customers tackle the imum Viable Product – after a maximum
the entire production chain, all processes issue of digitalization? Where period of three months. During the subse-
– from incoming material supplies via pro- should they start? quent trial phase, it is validated whether
duction down to distribution – have to be the determined value gain can be reached.
mapped in models and full data mastery is Markus Reifferscheid: There is no gener- When the value target has been reached
required of all relevant machinery, process al answer to this question. Only a specific or the additionally necessary effort to get
and product data. analysis can provide a viable answer. Digi- closer to the set target has been deter-
talization is all about immediate value cre- mined to be too high, the team will stop at
Has this vision of the Learning ating. Therefore, the first step is to identify this point and tackle a new task. Other-
Steel Mill already been where existing processes – from material wise, the innovation cycle of three months
implemented at any of your procurement down to material manage- will be repeated until the desired result has
customers’ facilities? ment, use of resources, such as materials, been reached. Not only this approach, but
energy or personnel, etc. – or the capital probably also our innovative business and
Markus Reifferscheid: Currently, we can lockup are not optimal and how digital tech- payment models may be new to our cus-
refer to two outstanding examples of suc- niques could make these processes more tomers. Already today we offer numerous
cessful implementation of our Learning efficient, that means how can they be of our services as Software as a Service
Steel Mill concept: Big River Steel in the made faster and less costly. One starting (SaaS) or Value as a Service (VaaS). Thus
USA and Shandong Iron & Steel Group in point for identifying and quantifying such what used to be typical CapEx is now
China. Both companies serve as examples potentials is a systematic data analysis of accounted as OpEx and payment is made
of how solutions from SMS group can dig- realistic value stories using statistical or partly or entirely on a pro rata basis and/or
italize the complete value chain from the advanced AI methods. As soon as a prob- based on the actually achieved improve-

54 | COMPANIES
that it would be easier to respond to the

dramatic growth in the demand for digital
solutions outside classical corporate struc-
tures. This decision has definitely paid off
because it has allowed the young team of
SMS digital to develop digital products of
their own without constraints while being
actively involved in dozens of customer
projects handled by SMS group. This strat-
egy is still valid today. As software special-
ists, SMS digital GmbH relies on top talent
from competence areas outside the tradi-
tional mechanical and plant engineering
field. These people prefer working with
agile methods in a start-up-like environ-
ment. The exchange between the two
entities has never been as intensive as
today. Bringing together digital, process,
service and automation experts has proved
ideal to make optimal use of development
synergies. With SMS digital GmbH, we are
in a position to offer a wide range of con-
sulting services, merging our steel, pro-
cess and production expertise with state-
Successful implementations of our Learning Steel Mill concept are particularly visible of-the-art digital knowledge.
at two locations: Big River Steel in the USA and Shandong Iron & Steel Group in China
(Picture: SMS group) What has SMS digital already
achieved?
ments. This model has become very well team has been observing a constant rise Bernhard Steenken: We already count
received by the market. in the demand for these service models. more than 2,000 users of the digital appli-
cations provided on our my.sms-group
How do SaaS or VaaS work from What does SMS digital stand for? platform. And SMS digital has already
the perspective of the user? reached more than 100 customers in 50
Bernhard Steenken: SMS digital stands for countries and has meanwhile entered into
Bernhard Steenken: Both SaaS and VaaS the core elements of our digitalization strat- more than 30 partnerships with compa-
use cloud computing. The software and egy: SMS digital is the name of our rapidly nies. This proves that we are on the right
the IT infrastructure are operated by an growing digital business and the name track.
external service provider and used by the under which we combine all digital products
customer as a service. In concrete terms and services offered by SMS group for the This sounds as if you are expecting
this means that the customers transfers entire process chain. And, last but not least, rapid growth. Is your team set to
data via an encrypted channel into a data the software company SMS digital GmbH take the challenge?
room exclusively reserved to the customer bundles all SMS group digital competences
and usable only for the previously defined worldwide. For the customer this provides Bernhard Steenken: Absolutely. Until
purpose. All data in the cloud remains the the convenience of a one-stop shop. Here the end of this year, we will hire a consid-
customer’s property and is hosted in com- he finds operative expertise for any digitali- erable number of people to expand our
puting enters/centres of highest security zation project, data analytics and data devel- team. The SMS digital team is a blend of
levels. The SaaS or VaaS provider is paid opment competence and, via our my.sms- experienced SMS specialists with prod-
for the data analysis performed and the group platform, the portfolio of digital uct, process, automation and project
feedback of information usable for a value products and apps I have just described. management knowhow, and young and
gain or for the service provided. SMS dig- experienced newly recruited people who
ital operates mySMS-group, a successful You already have a Business Area bring expert knowledge in the fields of
Industrial Internet of Things platform for Digital within your group structure. software development, digital platforms
the steel and NF metals industries. Cus- Why are you promoting the growth and AI methods. They all share their
tomers can log in on this IIOT platform via of the subsidiary SMS digital GmbH? enthusiasm for the digital world and their
reliable apps and immediately use the plat- commitment to make the digital transfor-
form services. Implementing SaaS or VaaS Markus Reifferscheid: The answer is mation at SMS group a success story.
solutions is easy, does not take much time easy. When we founded SMS digital SMS digital has more than 60 employees,
and involves only moderate costs. Our GmbH a few years ago, we were convinced most of them are located in Germany and

COMPANIES | 55
the USA. By the end of the year, the num- And how are you furthering Would you venture a look ahead
ber of employees will have grown to digitalization within your own for us? How far, do you think, will
more than 100. We are very happy that company? I mean for your internal you still have to go?
we have been able to recruit this great projects.
number of specialists in the highly con- Markus Reifferscheid: SMS stands for “
tested labor market. Markus Reifferscheid: We see ourselves Leading Partner in the World of Metals”
as a Learning Entity, in which process-re- and for almost 150 years during which our
Are working methods changing as lated decisions should be backed by data- products, services and innovations have
a result? How do you work at SMS based models or by using digital methods made our customers successful players in
digital? and tools because this makes deci- their respective markets. Against this
sion-making more efficient. A key aspect backdrop, we endeavor to further strength-
Bernhard Steenken: At SMS digital, we is that all relevant information be transpar- en our market leadership by offering our
work very closely with our customers. ent and accessible in real time for all stake- customers highest technological stand-
Our interdisciplinary teams of experts are holders. All our business areas and our ards at economically attractive prices.
individually set up to best cater to the global network constantly work to harmo-
needs of a project. The team members nize processes and integrate them seam- Bernhard Steenken: And for this, data
adopt an agile problem-solving approach, lessly. This is the basis of all our digitaliza- is the main key to success. Alone the
developing user-oriented software solution initiatives. Thus a pro-active approach concept of the Learning Steel Mill shows
tion in close cooperation with the cus- to business control will soon no longer be how challenging our mission is and that
tomer at the customer’s site. The cus- the exception but routine. All this requires it cannot be expressed by metrics.
tomer is involved from the very beginning. direct access to all relevant information, Therefore also the way lying ahead of us
He can give us feedback during any phase both internally – for example, information cannot be measured in percentage. But
of the development. This guarantees that from logistics, production, sales or pro- this is what makes this task so exciting
we understand and are able to implement curement – and externally – from the mate- – for everyone alike, the software and
exactly what the customer wants. And by rial suppliers, logistics providers or automation specialist, the mechanical
giving his input, the customer becomes third-party engineering service providers. and plant engineer and the service pro-
an agile player in the process of finding In order to further advance digitalization vider!
the best suited methodology for the within our corporate structure, we need a
aimed at result. To ensure that this pro- future-safe infrastructure capable of pro- Thank you very much for this
cess always works in the best possible cessing millions of data from all kinds of interview.
way, we also make use of what we call data systems. At the same time, the spe-
“agile coaches”. This saves us the hassle cific interests and requirements of the var-
of travelling long distances and time-con- ious departments and group areas have to
suming discussions within the team and be considered. A colossal challenge, but The interview was conducted by
with the customers. one we are well prepared to tackle. Arnt Hannewald.
Silica Bricks
newthink!
High Alumina, AMC, ASC Bricks

MgO, MgO-C & MgO-Chrome Bricks
Spinel Bricks
Precast Shapes
Monolithic Lances
RH Degasser Refractories
Isostatic Products
Complete Ladle Solutions
A Company
[email protected]
56 | COMPANIES
Martina Merz, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board,

and Guido Kerkhoff, CEO, at the Annual General
Meeting 2019 of thyssenkrupp AG (Picture: thyssenkrupp)
European steel joint venture cancelled
thyssenkrupp to realign the group after the

steel JV with Tata Steel stopped
The planned European steel joint venture – a merger of thyssenkrupp Steel and Tata Steel Europe – does not go
ahead due to resistance from the European Commission. thyssenkrupp decided a strategic realignment of the
group with IPO of elevator business instead of separation into two companies. Tata Steel, however, remains
committed to its strategy to create a sustainable portfolio in Europe.
I
n early May, Competition Commis- thyssenkrupp to fundamentally strengthen its capital base in order to gain
sioner Margrethe Vestager informed realign itself – IPO of elevator the necessary financial leeway for neces-
thyssenkrupp and Tata that despite business sary restructuring and business develop-
extensive concessions made by both, ment.
thyssenkrupp and Tata Steel the European With the expected unsuccessful out- The elevator business is to be listed on
Commission will not approve the joint ven- come of the steel joint venture, the Exec- the stock exchange via an Initial Public
ture under the current conditions. utive Board of thyssenkrupp AG has reas- Offering (IPO). The existing Group and
The European Commission took the sessed the strategic options for the administrative structures will become sig-
improvements of the submitted covenants company and will propose to the Supervi- nificantly leaner and the performance of
proposed by thyssenkrupp and Tata Steel sory Board to not go ahead with the the individual businesses will be improved.
as an opportunity to conduct another mar- planned separation into two independent The plans also include a Group-wide per-
ket test. The new market survey did not companies. formance program involving the reduction
resolve the Commission’s concerns, The economic downturn and its effects of 6,000 jobs.
although the partners had offered signifi- on business development and the current The Supervisory Board of thyssenkrupp
cant further concessions. capital market environment have led to the AG unanimously approved the Executive
From the point of the view of thyssenk- separation not being able to be realized as Board’s plans for a fundamental realign-
rupp and Tata Steel, further commitments planned. ment of the company. Guido Kerkhoff,
or improvements would adversely affect Instead, thyssenkrupp will fundamen- Chief Executive Officer of thyssenkrupp
the intended synergies of the merger to tally realign itself to significantly improve AG: “With the approval of the Supervisory
such an extent that the economic logic of its operating performance. This will include Board, we can now tackle the strategic
the joint venture would no longer be valid. a value based more flexible portfolio realignment. The new strategy focuses on
Consequently, the partners assume approach with greater freedom for the the economic success of our businesses.
that the European Commission will not development of all businesses. At the With the IPO of the elevator business, we
approve the joint venture. same time, the company will sustainably are strengthening our capital base so that

COMPANIES | 57
we can press ahead with the further devel- “If fundamental parameters change, we owe it
opment of the individual companies within
to our employees, customers and shareholders
the Group. At the same time, we will man-
age our businesses as a flexible portfolio to reassess the situation. And above all, to do
and consistently align our new organiza- the right thing.”
tional structure with it. Together with
Guido Kerkhoff, CEO of thyssenkrupp AG
co-determination in the steel business, we
will quickly begin talks on how to make
steel sustainably successful.”
Both parties have been in intense the proposal in spite of the significant
Tata Steel to pursue the end state engagement with all regulatory author- remedies offered.
strategy for the European business ities and in particular the European In the view of thyssenkrupp and Tata
Commission to seek clearance. Based Steel, further commitments or improve-
While the proposed joint venture was on the Statement of Objections pub- ments to the remedy package would
an important strategic initiative for Tata lished by the Commission, a compre- adversely affect the basic foundation of
Steel to create a sustainable portfolio in hensive package of remedies was the proposed joint venture and the intend-
Europe that would have also helped to offered covering all the areas of concern ed synergies arising from the merger to
de-consolidate the European Business and highlighted by the European Commis- such an extent that the economic logic of
de-leverage its Balance Sheet, Tata Steel sion. The remedies offered were devel- the joint venture would no longer be valid
remains committed to the above strategy oped considering the overall industrial and it’s the fundamental sustainability
and would explore all options to achieve strategy for the proposed joint venture, would be severely impacted. Hence both
similar outcomes in the future. Currently, the integrated and complex nature of partners are unable to offer any further
around two third of the business of Tata the supply chain to service customers remedies to the Commission to meet its
Steel is India based with best in class com- and the need to build a sustainable busi- requirements. Consequently, the partners
petitiveness and a focused growth strate- ness which would be able to endure the assume with deep disappointment that
gy. With the commissioning of the 5 mil- structural challenges faced by the Euro- the European Commission will not approve
lion tons per annum Phase 2 of the pean steel industry. However, the feed- the joint venture.
Kalinganagar works in the next 30 months back from the European Commission
with value added product mix, Tata Steel’s based on the market test it has under-
share of business along with its profitabil- taken suggests that it is unlikely to clear thyssenkrupp; Tata Steel
ity will increase further. The India business
therefore is well positioned to continue to
enhance its earnings and cash flow perfor-
mance levels from that achieved in 2018-
19 with extensive market reach, strong
brands, differentiated products, enhanced
asset base post Kalinganagar expansion
and a strong talent pipeline. While pursu-
ing the end state strategy for the European
business in the near term, Tata Steel will
also continue to focus on its performance
management to enhance its earnings and
cash flows to build a sustainable and
self-sustaining future for the business.
Tata Steel has also undertaken significant
de-leveraging in the last 6 months and
would continue to pursue the same
through internal cash generation and asset
sales.
Background
Tata Steel and thyssenkrupp had

signed definitive agreements on June 30,
2018 combining the steel businesses in
Europe to create a 50:50 pan European
joint venture company focusing on cus-
tomer centricity, technology and sustain-
ability.

58 | COMPANIES
ArcelorMittal holds investor event in Italy
Ilva Taranto to be transformed into

ArcelorMittal Italy
ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading steel and mining company, hosted an investor event at the ArcelorMittal Italia
facility in Taranto (Italy) in March. The event focused on the strategic initiatives ArcelorMittal is undertaking to
transform the site into a modern, best-in-class, integrated steel producer, capable of producing high-quality
products, satisfying its natural customer base and re-establishing a trusted and transparent relationship with the
local community and other key stakeholders.
A
t the investor event ArcelorMittal Buy, make, sell is ArcelorMittal Italia’s key jects, among these are four key elements
informed about plans and priorities business philosophy and where € 310 mil- as following:
to transform the plant into a high-per- lion synergies will be captured. ArcelorMit- raw material yards: zero dust emissions
forming, low cost, top-tier steelmaking tal Italia will look to leverage ArcelorMit- in Tamburi from the raw materials yards
asset, with a comprehensive product tal’s size and expertise in improving the and conveyor belt before the first half
offering. Speakers included Aditya Mittal, efficiency of underperforming assets and of 2020 (€ 350 million)
Group President and CFO, and CEO of ensuring business continuity in raw mate- rain and waste water treatment: elimi-
ArcelorMittal Europe, Geert Van Poelvoor- rials, maintenance and repair; and utilise nation of run off polluted water (€ 160
de, CEO of ArcelorMittal Europe Flat Prod- Italy’s position as Europe’s second largest million)
ucts, and Matthieu Jehl, CEO ArcelorMit- steel consuming market and ArcelorMittal filter in the sinter plants: dust, metals
tal Italia. The presentations by members Italia’s role as a relevant local producer. and dioxin reduction to lower levels
of the senior management, highlighted the In terms of performance ArcelorMittal than EU BAT (€ 35 million)
progress made at ArcelorMittal Italia since Italia is on track to reach a 6 million t annual coke plant revamping: installation of
ArcelorMittal assumed ownership of Ilva run-rate in 2019, with crude steel production reach best-in-class technology (€ 200
on 1 November 2018 and illustrated the to increase to 8 million t per annum once the million)
strategies to improve in four key areas as company’s environmental investment pro- The other investments are allocated to
following: gramme has been completed. ArcelorMittal comprehensive industrial investments.
health and safety, continues to expect ArcelorMittal Italia to be ArcelorMittal’s European flat products
environment, Ebitda positive in year one and to see free business highlighted its leadership posi-
industrial plan to turn around the plant, cash flow positive in year 3. tion in the European flat market. Ongoing
plans to fully integrate ArcelorMittal Ita- Within ArcelorMittal Italia’s € 2.4 bil- efforts shall drive further productivity
lia into the ArcelorMittal Europe Flat lion investment plan, € 1.15 billion are allo- gains; its ongoing investment programme;
Products business. cated to approx. 70 environmental pro- progress in improving product capabilities
and developing its range of higher added
value products.
The “Action 2020” programme
The integrated iron and steel works in Taranto, Italy is to become the lowest cost
across ArcelorMittal Europe Flat Prod-
site in Europe with full complement of downstream capabilities (Picture: ArcelorMittal)
ucts focuses on the transformation
plan, digitalisation and cost efficiency,
all of which shall enable the company
to outperform the competition. The
equally impactful next phase in the
Transformation plan is driven by digital-
isation, positioning the company to
increase the performance gap com-
pared to competitors. Investments
being made in breakthrough technolo-
gies are tackling the carbon challenge
and maintain industry leadership
through innovation.
ArcelorMittal

COMPANIES | 59
Refractories
Dalmia Seven inaugurates first-of-its-kind

monolithics production line in India
Dalmia Seven, a joint venture between Dalmia Bharat Group and Seven Refractories of Europe, has set up a
monolithics production line to meet the growing demands of the steel industry in India. The new line has
enhanced the plant’s annual capacity to 45,000 t and can deliver up to 50 t per shift.
D
almia Seven is a leading supplier of The refractory business of Dalmia egories including high-alumina bricks for
monolithics in India. In early May the Bharat Group cement manufacturing. Backed by 6,000+
company inaugurated a new Mono- man-years of International refractory expe-
lithics production line at its Katni, Madhya Started in 1954, the refractory business of rience, 7 manufacturing plants (5 in India,
Pradesh manufacturing plant. The new Dalmia Bharat Group today is represented 1 in China, 1 in Germany), on-site servicing
production line is the ‘first-of-its-kind’ in by Dalmia-OCL and GSB Group. It offers capabilities, consistent product perfor-
India and equipped to manufacture a range end-to-end refractory products, solutions mance and a dedicated refractory technol-
of monolithic products. It incorporates and services to customers in more than ogy R&D centre, Dalmia-OCL is currently
best practices and unique equipment that 40 countries in core manufacturing sec- India’s fastest-growing refractory busi-
allows for shorter and accurate production tors such as iron & steel, cement, glass, ness.
cycles ensuring that customers get the non-ferrous metals and energy & petro-
benefit of cutting edge refractory supplies chemicals. It is a leader and pioneer in sev-
and precision. eral mission-critical refractory product cat- Dalmia Seven
The new production line at the Katni
manufacturing plant has enhanced the
overall plant capacity to 45,000 t per
annum and is poised to meet the growing
demand of steel producers in domestic
markets. It is equipped with state-of-the-
art feeding and mixing circuit controlled by
centralised processing software and can
deliver up to 50 t per shift.
At the “Day 1,” Sameer Nagpal, Chair-
man of Dalmia Seven commented that
“India is now the second largest steel pro-
ducer in the world. The new line has been
set up to cater to the increasing demand of
steel producers. Aligned with the Govern-
ment’s ‘Make in India’ mission, this facility
will help us substitute the high end prod-
ucts which are still imported from Europe.”
Commenting on the association between
Dalmia Bharat Group and Seven Refracto-
ries, Erik Zobec, Group CEO, Seven Refrac-
tories stated: “Our collaboration is growing
steadily. Over two years of association,
Dalmia Seven has consistently invested in
technology and in building a world-class
manufacturing setup to give customers an
innovative and reliable refractories partner
right at their doorstep.” This expansion will
help Dalmia Seven to deliver cutting-edge
refractory products to customers in India
while ensuring the highest standards of In early May the company inaugurated the new production line at its Katni manufactur-
technology and quality. ing plant (Picture: Dalmia Seven)

60 | STEEL TECHNOLOGY
World first for steel
ArcelorMittal investigates the industrial

use of pure hydrogen for direct reduction
In order to permanently reduce CO2 emissions, ArcelorMittal has developed a low-emissions technology
strategy, which targets not only the use of alternative feedstocks and the conversion of CO2 emissions, but also
the direct avoidance of carbon (Carbon Direct Avoidance, or CDA).
T
his year, ArcelorMittal intends to “The use of hydrogen as a reducing agent shall
launch a new project in the plant in
Hamburg, Germany to use hydrogen
be tested in a new shaft furnace.”
on an industrial scale for the direct reduc- Frank Schulz, CEO of ArcelorMittal Germany
tion of iron ore in the steel production pro-
cess for the first time. A pilot plant is to be
built in the coming years. project costs amount to around 65 million Frank Schulz, CEO of ArcelorMittal Germa-
With a production volume of 8 million euros. In addition, a cooperation agree- ny.
tonnes crude steel, ArcelorMittal is among ment with the University of Freiberg is In the process, the separation of H2
the largest steel producers in Germany. planned in order to test the procedure in with a purity of more than 95 percent from
The group runs four large production sites the coming years at the Hamburg plant the top gas of the existing plant should be
in the country. These are two fully integrat- premises. The hydrogen-based reduction achieved by so-called pressure swing
ed flat carbon sites in Bremen and Eisen- of iron ore will initially take place on a adsorption. The process is first tested with
hüttenstadt as well as two long carbon demonstration scale with an annual pro- grey hydrogen (generated at gas separa-
sites in Hamburg and Duisburg. duction of 100,000 tonnes. tion) to allow for economical operation. In
Already today, the Hamburg plant has “Our Hamburg site offers optimum con- the future, the plant should also be able to
one of the most efficient production pro- ditions for this innovative project: an elec- run on green hydrogen (generated from
cesses of the ArcelorMittal group due to tric arc furnace with DRI system and iron renewable sources) when it is available in
the use of natural gas in a direct reduction ore pellets stockyard as well as decades sufficient quantities.
plant (DRI). The aim of the new hydro- of know-how in this area. The use of With the Hamburg hydrogen project,
gen-based process is to be able to produce hydrogen as a reducing agent shall now be ArcelorMittal is advancing pioneering tech-
steel with the lowest CO2 emissions. The tested in a new shaft furnace,” comments nology for direct CO2 avoidance as one of
a number of potential pathways for
low-emissions steelmaking. The group is
already investing more than 250 million
euros in various carbon emissions reduc-
tion technologies, for example in Ghent
where waste carbon gases will be used for
the production of alternative fuels or in
chemical products. Likewise, methods are
tested in which biocoal from waste wood
is used instead of coking coal as a reducing
agent in the blast furnace.
ArcelorMittal is committed to climate
protection. With its multi-technology
approach, the group wants to make an
active contribution to achieving the ambi-
tious climate and energy policy goals of
the Paris Agreement and to identify which
technologies are technically and econom-
ically feasible to reduce, capture or avoid
CO2 emissions
ArcelorMittal operates a DRI plant at the Hamburg site (Picture: ArcelorMittal) ArcelorMittal Germany

STEEL TECHNOLOGY | 61
Ironmaking – Steelmaking
Sustainable decrease of CO2 emissions by

means of an innovative direct reduction
technology
Compared to the traditional BF-BOF way of producing steel, more than 50% of CO2 emissions can be saved
when steel is produced by means of the Energiron Direct Reduction – Electric Arc Furnace route. Operating
costs are competitive, provided that the reducing agent is available at reasonable price: the Energiron process
can use either natural gas, syngas or BF off-gas, whichever is locally available at the cheapest price.
Furthermore, even Hydrogen can be used as reducing gas, without any modification to the original Energiron
process scheme.
Energiron ZR basic process scheme (Picture: Danieli)
Dario Pauluzzi, Danieli S.p.A. Buttrio, Italy; Stefano Maggiolino, Tenova HYL, San Nicholas, Mexico

Energy, mass and emissions balances for a BF-BOF and DR-EAF integrated mill [2]
Typical BF-BOF steelworks Typical DRP-EAF mill

Input material Consumption CO2 emissions Input material Consumption CO2 emissions
Coaking coal (dry) 430 kg/tls 1,293 kg CO2 /tls Natural gas 2.22 Gcal/tls 526 kg CO2 /tls
Pulverized coal 150 kg/tls 434 kg CO2 /tls Dolomite 32 kg/tls 15 kg CO2 /tls
Limestone to BF/ 120 kg/tls 53 kg CO2 /tls
sinter
total: 1,780 kg CO2/tls total: 541 kg CO2/tls
Electric power - 330 kWh/tls - 165 kg CO2 /tls Electric power 630 kWh/tls 315 kg CO2 /tls
credits incl. O2
total: 1,615 kg CO2/tls total: 856 kg CO2/tls
C
ustomers and markets are continu-
ously pushing for technologies
which allow having high quality
steel produced in an economic and sus-
tainable way. The Blast Furnace (BF) -
Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) process,
directly using iron ore as raw material for
steel production, is certainly the pre-
ferred way for producing high grade
steel. However, when coal is used as a
reducing agent, a significant amount of
carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmos-
phere. Contrary to this, environmental
parameters are more easily respected
when steel is recycled from scrap via
electric arc furnaces (EAF). To produce
the highest steel grades, EAFs have to
be fed with a mixture of scrap and virgin
iron units which dilute the trump ele- Process schemes of a BF-BOF iron and steel works, and a DR-EAF integrated mill [2]
ments contained in steel scrap. Direct (Picture: Danieli)
Reduced Iron (DRI) is used to accomplish
this task.
Among all the available technologies, CO2 emissions of the BF-BOF and is assumed to produce high-C DRI (94%
Tenova HYL and Danieli have jointly devel- DRP-EAF routes Mtz and 4%C), which provides additional
oped the Energiron direct reduction pro- energy for secondary reduction of FeO,
cess which allows higher energy efficien- A study was performed comparing the as 80% feed to the EAF.
cy levels and lower gaseous emissions, CO 2 emissions generated by the two The comparative analysis shows that
especially in terms of CO2, where reduc- steelmaking routes BF-BOF and DRP- the carbon footprint of a BF-BOF mill is
tions by up to 40-60% can be achieved. EAF. The equivalent CO 2 emissions for approximately double that of a modern
production of 1 kWh are considered DRP-EAF mill. Further improvements in
Process scheme of the reformer according to the LCA (life-cycle assess- emissions and energy efficiency can be
ment technique to assess environmental achieved when the direct reduction plant
The Energiron Zero Reformer process impacts) method [1]. For the purposes of is based on the Energiron ZR process.
allows carrying out the natural gas reform- the study case, it was assumed that the
ing stage within the reactor. No external electrical energy is produced from the Minimum energy demand,
reformer is required. Instead, the DRI itself combustion of natural gas. This was minimum emissions
is used as reforming catalyst. As com- made based on the assumption that the
pared to other processes for which the direct reduction plant is fed by natural Among all the direct reduction technolo-
overall efficiency is below 70%, for this gas. gies, as of today the Energiron process is
scheme the efficiency is above 78% and The direct reduction plant considered the one providing the highest efficiency.
natural gas consumption is kept as low as in this comparative analysis is based on Since the reducing gases are generated
2.35 Gcal/t. the Energiron ZR process scheme and it inside the reactor, most of the energy sup-

Energiron ZR using hydrogen as reducing agent: process scheme and CO2 emissions (Picture: Danieli)
Reduction of CO2 emissions for the Energiron ZR DRP

Compelling results in industrial use
CO2 emissions Energiron Other technologies
(per t of DRI produced) Zero-Reformer Started in 2006, Energiron is a strategic
alliance between Danieli and Tenova HYL
Captured and sold as 256 kg/tDRI 0
aimed at developing and implementing the
by-product
most efficient and flexible technology in
Released to the 159 kg/tDRI ~ 500 kg/tDRI the current panorama of DRI production,
atmosphere providing the lowest CapEx and OpEx in
any environment. Due to compelling
62% selective CO2 100% non-selective CO2
results achieved at such benchmark refer-
emissions emissions
ences as Emirates Steel DRI plants I and
II (UAE), Suez Steel (Egypt), Nucor Steel
Louisiana (USA), Ezz Steel (Egypt), the alli-
plied to the process is taken up by the sustainably with Energiron technology, ance has recently been renewed for an
product, with minimum energy losses to additional advantages can be achieved additional 10 years. Energiron technology
the environment. It is therefore possible by feeding Energiron plants with is always a step ahead, offering the most
to achieve an efficiency above 78%, com- hydrogen as a reducing gas, with no advantageous way to use hydrogen, with-
pared with below 70% for other, more major changes to the proven ZR pro- out changing its basic process scheme, for
conventional processes. cess. minimum CO2 emissions steelmaking.
Moreover, Energiron includes a CO2 New technologies (such as electro-
capture system in its basic process. This lyzes) are being developed to exploit
allows to further decrease the emissions renewable energy sources for produc-
of the direct reduction plant by approx. tion of hydrogen. In this context, Ener-
60%, leading to a carbon footprint of just giron is capable of using hydrogen. A
156 kg CO2 /t DRI. major advantage is that reduction with References
The selectively removed CO2 can be hydrogen in Energiron reactors is
[1] W. Moomaw, P. Burgherr, G. Heat, M. Lenzen, J.
used in various other industries, for the more efficient and faster from the Nyboer e A. Verbgruggen, «Annex II: Methodol-
production of soft drinks, dry ice, construc- kinetics point of view: about five times ogy. In IPCC Special Report on Renewable Ener-
tion conglomerates or for enhanced oil as compared to CO-based reduction. gy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation,»
Cambridge (UK) and New York (USA), Cambridge
recovery (EOR). Taking advantage of an additional
University Press, 2011.
reducing agent, this solution also [2] P. Duarte, J. Martinez, «By-Products, CO 2 Emis-
Using hydrogen to feed Energiron allows to minimize CO 2 emissions. sions and Hydrogen use in an Energiron DRI
plants Finally, thanks to the Energiron tech- Plant»
[3] D. Pauluzzi, B. Franco, A. Martinis, A. Piccoli,
nology, it is now possible to produce
«Analysis on Operating Results of Energiron
While it is possible to produce high- high-grade steel in an economic and Plants and Focus on the Emirates Steel case»,
grade steel more economically and sustainable way. AISTech 2018.

Ironmaking
The Swedish fossil-free steel project is

making progress
HYBRIT has ordered Norwegian electrolyzers for the fossil-free production of hydrogen to fuel the direct
reduction plant at SSAB’s Luleå site, Sweden. Also, the construction of the next generation pellet plant will start
soon – a leap towards fossil-free production of iron ore pellets. LKAB is examining options for replacing the
heating technologies used in the pellet process.
used to test processes downstream from

the pelletizing plant.
Next generation pellet plant to be

built in Malmberget
Construction will soon begin on a world-

unique test facility at LKAB’s Malmberget
site. In the plant, fossil fuels will be
replaced with biofuel to achieve fossil-free
production of iron ore pellets.
Fossil-free steel production starts at the
mine and LKAB is working hard to deter-
mine the design of the next generation of
pelletizing plants. As part of the HYBRIT
The HYBRIT initiative aims to develop the world’s first fossil-free orebased steemaking initiative a biofuel-based plant is to be built
technology (Picture: HYBRIT) at LKAB’s Malmberget site. This project
will cost in the region of 80 million kronor.
Testing a bio-oil system is part of the pilot
H
ybrit Development, a joint venture executive vice president and chief techni- phase and the objective is to convert one
between SSAB, LKAB and Vatten- cal officer at SSAB. of LKAB’s pelletizing plants from fossil fuel
fall, has ordered a hydrogen genera- As an alternative to the conventional to 100-percent-renewable fuel. This
tion electrolyzer solution to be installed at blast furnace route, the HYBRIT process means that fossil-generated carbon
the pilot plant in Luleå, Sweden. In June is based on direct reduction of iron ore dioxide emissions from the Malmberget
2018 a unique pilot plant was started to be using fossil-free energy and hydrogen gas operation will be reduced by up to 40 per-
built in Luleå, in the north of Sweden. The (H2). Hydrogen gas is produced by electro cent during the test period, which cor
4.5 MW alkaline electrolyzer solution from lysis of water using fossil-free electricity. responds to about 60,000 tonnes per year.
Nel Hydrogen will be part of this project. The hydrogen reacts with the oxygen in “Within HYBRIT, LKAB is examining
The pilot plant for fossil-free steel produc- the iron ore and metallic iron and H 2O options for replacing the heating technol-
tion will operate in Luleå, Sweden, from (water vapor) is formed. ogies used in the pellet process, which are
2021 until 2024, then the project enters a “I am grateful to see how one more the heart of our processing plants. In par-
demonstration phase with the goal to have puzzle piece now will come into place. The allel, trials will be conducted in an experi-
an industrial process in place by 2035. production of the hydrogen gas is of great mental facility in Luleå using an alternative
“We believe that HYBRIT can play a sig- importance for the development of this heating technology. Trials will determine
nificant role to reach a fossil-free future. new process and therefore this contract whether new biofuels and plasma burners
This order is an important step in our aim was a valuable contribution in the process will work in the unique setting of a pellet
to develop a fossil-free iron and steel pro- ahead,” says Markus Petäjäniemi, director plant. Ultimately, this will make LKAB’s
duction process. The electrolyzer will be of Technology and Process Development iron ore pellets completely carbon-dioxide-
part of the pilot plant that we right now are at LKAB. free,” says Jan Moström, LKAB’s presi-
building in Luleå. To ensure that we will Following a prestudy conducted in 2016 dent and CEO.
reach our aims we need a high-quality and – 2017, the first sod was turned in 2018 for The iron and steel industry is one of the
reliable hydrogen production plant and a pilot plant for hydrogen-based reduction sectors whose processes emit the most
therefore we choose Nel,” says Martin of iron ore in Luleå. This plant, which is carbon dioxide in Sweden. A growing pop-
Pei, chairman at Hybrit Development and expected to be completed in 2020, will be ulation in combination with greater urban-

“We are on our way to a revolutionary technical producing carbon dioxide emissions,” said
Martin Lindqvist, CEO and president of
advancement showing the world that it is
SSAB. “Work is proceeding according to
possible to produce steel without producing schedule and I am confident that we will
carbon dioxide emissions.” succeed. As a first step toward creating a
fossil-free SSAB, we have decided to
Martin Lindqvist, CEO and president of SSAB
switch to an electric arc furnace in
Oxelösund. This will entail decommission-
ing both blast furnaces in around 2025 and
ization means that demand for steel will tion,” commented Magnus Hall, president will reduce our CO2 emissions in Sweden
continue to grow until 2050. If the HYBRIT and CEO, Vattenfall. by around 25 percent,” he said.
initiative succeeds, Sweden’s carbon “We are on our way to a revolutionary
dioxide emissions will decrease by ten per- technical advancement showing the world
cent. that it is possible to produce steel without HYBRIT Development AB
“Together with our owners, we hope to
be able to solve the problem of emissions in
the iron and steel industry. The initiative is
decisive for Sweden’s ability to meet the
targets set out in the Paris Agreement and HYBRIT – an initiative that will revolutionize the
nationally, and it is our contribution to bat- ironmaking and steelmaking technologies
tling climate change. Fossil-free production
of iron ore pellets is an important step Hybrit Development is a joint venture between the steel manufacturer SSAB,
towards reaching these goals,” says Mårten the mining company LKAB and the energy company Vattenfall. The objective
Görnerup, CEO, Hybrit Development AB. of the joint-venture is to develop the world’s first fossil-free, ore-based
The investment in a pilot-plant for steelmaking process. The byproduct of using fossil-free electricity and
bio-oil in Malmberget, which is an hydrogen in steelmaking, instead of coke and coal, will be water instead of
important milestone for HYBRIT and the carbon dioxide. The initiative has the potential to reduce Sweden’s total
development of fossil-free pellet pro- carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent.
duction, is expected to be completed by The project started during the spring of 2016, and the goal is to have an
2020. The first tests will be conducted industrial process in place by 2035. A facility has started to be built in Luleå,
up to 2021. north of Sweden, and soon the construction of a test plant for pellets will be
“Vattenfall is looking forward to further built in Malmberget.
collaboration. Our partnership with SSAB
and LKAB is playing a very important role
in the electrification of the industry and the HYBRIT Development AB
development of fossil-free hydrogen to
enable a fossil-free life within a genera-
12th International Conference on

GALVATECH 2020 Zinc & Zinc Alloy Coated Steel Sheet
ID 114119252 © Eyewave | Dreamstime.
Lighter, Stronger, Durable: Advances in Zn-Coated Steel Sheet
1 st June 21 - 25, 2020

announcement
Schönbrunn Palace - Apothekertrakt
Vienna/Austria
CONTACT:
ASMET
© SKB, Fotograf A. Koller
Franz-Josef-Straße 18,
8700 Leoben, Austria
Tel. +43 (0) 3842 402 2290

Fax: +43 3842 402 2202
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.galvatech2020.org
Important Dates
Abstract submission: September 15, 2019
Notification of acceptance: November 1, 2019
Full paperSTEEL + TECHNOLOGY
Submission: January 17,12020
(2019) No. 2
Steelmaking - secondary metallurgy
Severstal has upgraded steel refining facili

ties at the Cherepovets steelmaking plant
The new twin ladle furnace with the capability to treat 4.8 million t of liquid steel per annum is featuring a high
degree of automation through Level 2 process models. The consolidation of liquid steel treatment significantly
reduces operating costs at Severstal.
New twin ladle furnace supplied by Primetals Technolo-

gies to the converter steel works of Severstal, Chere-
povets, Russia (Picture: Primetals Technologies)
R
ussian steel producer PAO Severstal Russian Steel” Division of PAO Severstal equipment. The installed Level 2 system
issued the Final Acceptance Certifi- and is one of the world’s largest integrated has been seamlessly integrated in the
cate for a new twin ladle furnace sup- iron and steel works. It produced around plant’s system and allows a high degree
plied by Primetals Technologies to the con- 11.65 million t of liquid steel in 2017. The of automation due to the use of pre-cal-
verter steel works in Cherepovets. The steel is used to make a large number of culated process models. In addition,
ladle furnace is able to treat 375 metric ton end products, including hot- and cold- Primetals Technologies supervised the
charges of liquid steel with a treatment rolled flat steel, galvanized and coated installation and commissioning, and pro-
time not more than 45 minutes, and has products, and long products. vided the staff training.
an annual capacity of 4.8 million t. This The Cherepovets converter steel Severstal was responsible for the tech-
increases the production of converter steel works has three converters, each with a nical documentation development and
from its previous maximum of 9.5 million capacity of 350 t. Until now, only one the construction activities. The company
to almost 10.3 million t per annum. ladle furnace has been available for treat- invested approximately 43 million euros
The additional ladle furnace also ena- ing liquid steel supplied by Primetals in to expand of its treatment capacity. Sev-
bles all the steel treatment to be brought the past. Primetals Technologies was erstal and Primetals Technologies can
together into a single section of the plant. responsible for engineering the twin ladle look back on many years of close cooper-
This reduces annual operating costs by furnace, the alloying system, the dedust- ation.
approximately 10 million euros. ing system, and supplied key compo-
The Cherepovets Metallurgical Plant in nents. The scope of supply also included
the Vologda region is part of the “Severstal the associated electrical and automation Primetals Technologies

Steelmaking – secondary metallurgy
Maintenance of RH snorkels at Salzgitter

Flachstahl GmbH
German steelmaker Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH has implemented a gunning installation manufactured by VELCO
GmbH for the refractory maintenance process of the snorkels at their new RH plant. The installation helps to
fulfil the increased demands on productivity, occupational health and safety and improved working conditions
for the operators.
T
he maintenance of RH snorkels con-
stitutes a necessity for the safe oper-
ation of an RH plant. These must be
deskulled, i.e. cleaned from slag in regular
intervals and afterwards furnished with a
protective layer inside and outside by using
the gunning technique.
Two snorkel maintenance carriages are
used for snorkel cleaning and each is pro-
vided with a snorkel deskulling device. The
platform of these carriages can be used for
manual gunning, too. The snorkel mainte-
nance carriages move on rails and each
one is dedicated to one RH plant. The feeding of gunning material to the The required compressed air, gunning
A snorkel service carriage is installed snorkel service carriage is carried out water and electrical energy are fed to the
between the snorkel maintenance carriag- pneumatically by means of a pressure ves- snorkel service carriage via hoses respec-
es on the same rails. It can be used for sel machine and a pipe/hose system. The tively drums. A manual coupling is not
both RH plants. The snorkel service car- refilling of the gunning machine with mate- required. The operator can either use auto-
riage is equipped with a gunning manipu- rial is done automatically and dust-free. A matic programmes or may control the
lator with two lances (one for inside gun- recoupling of any hose is not required. In maintenance process manually using a
ning and one for outside gunning) and a the first phase of construction the pres- radio remote control.
gunning machine with two outlets, one sure vessel machine is filled by Big Bags,
each for inside respectively outside gun- in a subsequent phase this can be modi-
ning. fied to a silo filling. VELCO GmbH, Velbert, Germany
The snorkel service carriage is equipped with

a gunning manipulator and a gunning
machine (Picture: VELCO)

Innovative special machines for steel plant maintenance
Optimized maintenance in steelmaking

plants
Design engineers and technicians of German machine company Maschinentechnik Roth developed a unique
machine that combines four different maintenance and repair operations in a single unit. The use of this
machine saves time and thus helps improving the steel plant utilization. Also, the company provides outburst
equipment that is exceptionally efficient.
M
aschinentechnik Roth has been rotation drive and the cooling water are and the next stud-setting operation can
developing and constructing a activated, and the drilling operation com- take place. This cycle is repeated until suf-
unique machine for several years mences at the set rate of advance. Drilling ficient steel studs for fixing (generally 18
now. This universal machine – named takes approximately 6 – 10 minutes. – 25) have been set.
KBSE – can perform all operations neces- After withdrawal of the drilling bit the After fixing, the positioning unit moves
sary for the tapping and maintaining of the slideway is retracted. The KBSE remains back to its starting position (setting and
converter: core-hole drilling, repair and in its upright position and the transverse fixing take around 10 minutes). The KBSE
mudding. Unlike common practice, it com- slideway is moved into the setting posi- is moved back for the refractory gunning
bines four operations in a single unit, tion. A mounting mandrel, onto which the operation, but remains in alignment wher-
whereas the conventional procedure new brickwork is positioned, is located on ever possible. The converter is rotated by
deploys a number of machines or machine the positioning unit. The second carriage around 90 degrees until the new repair kit
units. drive unit, bearing the positioning unit and is positioned. During this time, the hoses
The KBSE is well prepared for its task. the prepared brickwork, moves forward at for refractory compound, water and com-
The machine is mounted on an undercar- high speed, and the new brickwork is pressed air are connected to the refractory
riage with crawler tracks (usually rubber) inserted into the hole at reduced thrust gunning lance that is also mounted on the
and is operated using a radio-remote con- force until the cover plate contacts with KBSE.
trol. The cycle of operations can be the converter flange. After rotation of the converter, the
described in short form as following. Four commercially available captive-bolt doors in front of the converter are closed,
At the beginning the operator moves pistols are then set up on additional slide- with the exception of a narrow gap. The
the KBSE remotely in front of the convert- ways in the positioning unit. The cap- VELCO telescopic refractory gunning
er and aligns it precisely in front of the tap- tive-bolt pistols move forward in each case lance is inserted through this gap into the
ping flange. in pairs, the shot is triggered, the steel interior of the hot converter and starts to
Using the drilling slide, the carriage studs penetrate through the connecting perform the gunning operation. Refractory
drive unit moves the drill tube up to a posi- plate. The captive-bolt pistols move back, compound is used correspondingly eco-
tion in front of the converter flange, the a pivot system rotates through an angle, nomically, and the whole operation thus
shortened, because the annular gap
between the drilled hole and the outer
diameter of the repair kits is optimum.
After the gunning operation, the lance is
retracted, the compound, water and com-
pressed air hoses are disconnected, the
KBSE moves into its parking position and
can then be prepared for its next deploy-
ment.
Outburst equipment on standard

excavator undercarriages
Decades of experience in the manufactur-

ing of outburst equipment resulted in
machine variants which, from the opera-
The universal machine KBSE performs all operations necessary for the tapping and tors’ viewpoint, have proven to be excep-
maintaining of the converter: core-hole drilling, repair and mudding (Picture: Maschinen- tionally cost-efficient: telescopic super-
technik Roth) structures that are mounted on standard

excavator undercarriages. As a result the adherence to emissions and other environ- main boom provide a larger working range,
operator can procure spare-parts and get mental regulations. Potential uses are particularly in the downward and upward
assistance provided by local service sta- cleaning of ladles and converters, de-lining directions.
tions of the excavator companies. of ladles and converters, throat cleaning, The decision as to whether a crawler or
The telescopic equipment is optimally slag handling, slag pit service. Further a wheeled undercarriage should be select-
designed for the undercarriage and utilises potential applications include tunnel engi- ed depends on the particular application.
basic excavator technology (hydraulics). It neering and salt mines. An undercarriage with crawler running
consists, essentially, of the main and the The telescopic equipment is available gear is recommendable where work is per-
outer and inner booms, together with the in two versions. In the rigid formed predominantly at a restricted loca-
hydraulic cylinders. A top plate for fitting version, two hydrau- tion, such as a casting platform, for exam-
of attachments is located at the end of the ple. Where, on the other hand, work is
inner boom. A fang with a replaceable tip conducted at a number of different loca-
is included as standard in the scope of tions and travel on works roads is neces-
supply (other attachments, such sary, a wheeled excavator undercarriage is
as hydraulic hammers, mill- more advantageous.
ing-cutter units and shears
are also available). The Conclusion
fang is actuated
by an attach- The use of the newly developed KBSE
ment cylin- universal machine with the VELCO refrac-
tory gunning equipment achieves time
Telescopic boom mounted on a savings of around 50%, depending on the
standard undercarriage (Picture: previous working procedure. The individu-
Maschinentechnik Roth) al machines and implements previously
needed and their servicing/maintenance
are no longer required. In addition to the
economic benefits, the lessening of the
heavy burden of work on the employees
should also be noted, and particularly wor-
thy of emphasis is, above all, the signifi-
der. This cylinder is of a special type and lic cylinders installed underneath the main cant reduction of accident hazards.
is cooled during operation by the circulat- boom determine reach. This working
ing hydraulic fluid. The scope of supply range is generally adequate for the major-
also includes the heat-shield system, the ity of tasks. If this is not enough, the fold-
side and reversing camera with in-cab dis- ing version is available. Two additional Maschinentechnik Roth GmbH & Co.
play, the central lubrication system and hydraulic cylinders mounted above the KG, Hilden, Germany
The folding version (right) of the telescopic boom has an optimised working area compared to the standard version (left) (Picture:
Maschinentechnik Roth)

Continuous casting technologies for top quality results
Impressive start and performance for the

new slab caster at voestalpine Stahl, Austria
Danieli was awarded the prestigious contract to supply the CC8 slab caster in January 2015 with the objective
of installing a state-of-the-art machine able to produce crack-sensitive steel grades, predominantly for
automotive and electrical applications.
T
he CC8 caster is designed to produce Considering this specific product mix the Production has been steadily increased
slabs with a nominal thickness of 225 single-strand machine has an annual on CC8, as demonstrated by the impres-
mm and widths from 800 mm up to design capacity of 1,200,000 t of slabs. sive October 2018 results: with 103,000 t
1,820 mm. The initial range of products to Hot start-up was achieved successfully produced, equivalent to the design capac-
be designated to the CC8 slab caster com- in January 2018 following an extensive peri- ity of the plant, 95% of the product con-
prises steel grades as following: od of cold commissioning, and thanks to sisting of high-quality vacuum-treated
electrical steels (27%), the quality and reliability of Danieli mechan- steel, of which more than 80% was IF
ultra-low carbon steels (12%), ical equipment and technological packages, steel for the automotive industry.
low carbon steels (12%), in synergy with the experience and knowl- CC8 has been equipped with a full suite
structural steels (36%), edge of voestalpine Stahl GmbH operating of the latest Danieli technological packag-
press hardening steels (6%), and maintenance teams, the caster was es, including:
high carbon steels (2%), worked-up to full shift operations within multi-mode electromagnetic stirrer
special steels (5%). five weeks of casting the first ladle. (MM-EMS),
strand electromagnetic stirrer (strand-
EMS),
Q-COOL, Q-CORE and Q-ROBOT,
all of which were commissioned success-
fully during the hot testing phase.
Mould multi-mode
electromagnetic stirrer
Many years of experiments on continuous

slab casters have established that an opti-
mal steel flow pattern in the mould is man-
datory to achieve the best surface and
sub-surface product quality, minimizing
the defects resulting from non-metallic
inclusions and mould powder entrapment.
CFD simulations and true-scale water
modelling have been used to determine
the natural flow associated with different
casting conditions, i.e. casting speed, slab
width, SEN immersion depth and Argon
flow, as well as an extensive campaign of
nail board tests to capture the steel flow
direction and intensity at the meniscus.
According to these measurements the
The CC8 slab caster was worked up to full shift operations within five weeks after control functions of the multi-mode elec-
casting the first ladle (Picture: Danieli) tromagnetic stirrer (MM-EMS) have been
Gabriele Paulon, Danieli S.p.A.; Loris Busolini, Danieli Automation; Thierry Gautreau, Danieli Rotelec; Herbert Moser,
voestalpine Stahl GmbH; Peter Hodnik, voestalpine Stahl GmbH

fine-tuned, and based upon quality results

from the downstream process lines all
contractual surface-quality performance
guarantees have been fulfilled.
Strand electromagnetic stirrer
Moving from the mould down along the

strand the focus shifts from surface and
sub-surface to internal slab quality, and in
order to improve the equiaxial zone exten-
sion a strand stirrer has been installed in
the CC8 slab caster. The main reason for
adopting the strand stirrer are the silicon
steel grades with a Si content of about
Equiaxial zone percentages (Picture: Danieli)
2.32%, for which the equiaxed zone is
enlarged by more than 50%.
Dynamic secondary cooling

system (Q-COOL)
To reach the required quality levels in

terms of internal and surface quality for all
the different slab sections, the cooling sys-
tem for CC8 has been design to control in
the smoothest possible way the water dis-
tribution across the entire slab width. For
this purpose, the common arrangement in
sprayed cooling sections across the width
has been enhanced by adding the ability to
control them independently by means of
dedicated control loops with separate
valves for air and water flow control.
The spray nozzles have been carefully
designed to address the overlap effect
across a single row and the total water
density at the end of the spray cooling
zone. Based on actual measurements per-
formed by the nozzle supplier, each indi-
Surface temperature profiles, predicted and measured (Picture: Danieli)
vidual nozzle feature has been implement-
ed within the detailed model so a full
picture of the secondary cooling system is of soft reduction has been tuned to achieve tion control model, which have been
completely considered by the solidification an even centerline quality even in the lim- merged into a unique advanced model that
model, providing a complete 3D map of ited conditions given by the significant controls spray cooling flows and segment
the solidification conditions of the slab removal of secondary spray cooling. position dynamically, according to the dif-
along the entire caster strand. Internally cooled PDR rolls, designed ferent casting conditions, either steady
together with a controlled and tuned inter- and unsteady.
Dry casting nal cooling water flow, have proven to be The development of a meshless algo-
successful in reaching higher temperature rithm to compute the heat exchange equa-
The product mix for CC8 includes a high values at the unbending area, with an tions makes it possible to reduce the com-
percentage of crack-sensitive steel grades acceptable distribution across the slab putational time enough to allow handling
and in order to avoid the formation of width. The internal quality results achieved of a full two-dimensional slice model in
cracks through the unbending zone it is are in line with contractual performance real-time conditions.
important to maintain the slab temperature guarantees. Therefore, it is possible to simulate
above the ductility trough (> 900°C), and the behavior of each individual nozzle
hence a dry casting practice is applied. Dynamic soft reduction (Q-CORE) across each sprayed row to attain a full
CC8 is designed with tight roll pitches to map of the cooling behavior over the
ensure the proper containment to control An important role is played by the solidifi- entire slab surface, and a full picture of
bulging and segregation. The application cation model and the dynamic soft reduc- the solidification progress within a slab

section at any distance from the menis-

cus.
Coupled with a flow control split across
the sprayed width the model allows a fine-
tuned control of the temperature distribu-
tion to reduce the differences across the
width.
Coupled with the slab cooling control
the model integrates the functions for
applying dynamic soft reduction (Q-CORE)
so that, according to the different steel
compositions, different thickness reduc-
tion profiles can be dynamically applied on
the three main areas of liquid core, mushy
core, solid core.
Operational results
Operational results for CC8 have been

impressive: In October 2018 the caster
produced 103,000 t of slabs, which is its
nominal capacity, and 95% of this output
was high-grade vacuum-steel. of which
Segment gap in casting condition applying soft-reduction at 1.3 m/min (top) and 0.8 m/ more than 80% were automotive-grade IF
min (bottom) (Picture: Danieli) steels.
Since October CC8 has cast approxi-
mately 260,000 t of hot steel against a
nominal monthly production of 100,000 t.
During previous months significant
results already were achieved in terms
of machine reliability by casting 101
heats in a sequence with 16 fly tundish
changes. These results confirm the
sound design of Danieli CC8 caster,
which is considered available for sched-
uled production now very soon after the
start-up.
Conclusions
Thanks to the quality and reliability of the

Danieli mechanical equipment and techno-
logical packages, in synergy with the expe-
rience and knowledge of voestalpine Stahl
GmbH, the new CC8 continuous slab cast-
er has exceeded all expectations both in
terms of productivity and product quality
during a highly successfully work-up peri-
od, and now has been accepted for full
production.
The water model is used to study the natural flow pattern of liquid steel into These impressive results are only
the mould. Argon injection is modelled thanks to air injection in the stopper possible due to the extremely strong
rod and the flow is traced with methylene blue (1). The meniscus shape is teamwork between the voestalpine and
detected through digital camera level topography (2) and the results are Danieli project teams and are a testa-
analyzed to reconstruct the wave (3). Sub-meniscus velocities are measured ment to the hard work and detailed plan-
with an ultrasonic velocity profiler (4), allowing a complete characterization of ning undertaken by all involved. At pres-
the flow pattern. (Pictures: Danieli) ent CC8 slab caster is completely
integrated in voestalpine steel works No.
3 plant.

Continuous casting
New 2-strand slab caster and ladle furnace

in full operation at Ilyich Steel, Ukraine
With this investment Ilyich Steel increases annual production capacity to 4 million t of slabs. The company has
expanded the product portfolio and has also reduced the dust emissions thanks to a new off-gas cleaning plant
I
n late March, Ukrainian steel producer set the desired steel grades and the cor- Cross-section heat-pacing solution
PJSC Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of rect casting temperature. Due to an Indus- to coordinate liquid steel
Mariupol (MMKI, Metinvest group) try 4.0-ready automation on Level 1 and production with casting operation
issued the Final Acceptance Certificates Level 2, this can be done via pre-selecta-
(FACs) for a two-strand continuous slab ble process models. A transformer with a The equipment order for the continuous
caster, a twin ladle furnace with an alloying rated power of 28 MVA provides the elec- slab caster covered all the installations
station, and the associated dedusting sys- trical energy for the ladle furnace, enabling from the ladle turret and the tundish car
tem, all supplied by Primetals Technolo- a heating rate of 4.5°C per minute. This through to the exit zone with its weighing,
gies. The two-strand caster CC4 is heating rate and the guaranteed energy torch cutting, marking and deburring
designed to produce 2.5 million t of slabs consumption value have been over-fulfilled machines.
per year. This increases Ilyich Steel’s annu- during start-up. The caster from Primetals Technolo-
al production capacity to around four million Primetals Technologies designed a gies has a machine radius of nine meters
metric tons, as well as enhancing and dedusting system to clean the off gases and a metallurgical length of 29.8 meters.
expanding its product portfolio to include, from the ladle metallurgy facility. This It casts slabs with thicknesses of 170 and
for example, HC, UHC and ULC steels. A improves the environmental situation in 250 millimeters in widths ranging from
Level 3 heatpacing solution coordinates the the city of Mariupol, where MMKI is locat- 900 to 1,550 millimeters. The maximum
steel production with the casting operation. ed. The dedusting system reduces the casting speed is 2.2 meters per minute.
Ilyich Steel produces steel with three dust content in the off gases to a level of It processes peritectic and peritectic
LD (BOF) converters. A new 150 t twin 12 mg/m³ (maximum), whereas the Ukrain- alloyed steels, low, medium, high and
ladle furnace from Primetals Technologies ian standards require up to 50 mg/m³ and ultra-high carbon grades, as well as medi-
and the associated alloying station help to the European standards up to 30 mg/m³. um-carbon alloyed steel. The caster is
equipped with automatic LevCon mold
level control, a straight, cassette-type
Smart Mold with the DynaWidth technol-
ogy package to automatically adjust the
width of the slab online, and the DynaFlex
mold oscillator. The strand guide is
equipped with Smart Segments and
I-Star rollers.
DynaGap Soft Reduction, the Dynacs
3D secondary cooling model, and DynaJet
nozzles was also installed, making it pos-
sible for Ilyich Steel to produce a wide vari-
ety of high-quality grades with improved
interior quality of the slabs.
Ilyich Steel is one of the largest iron and
steel works in Ukraine. The company pro-
duces a wide range of flat products made
of carbon, low-alloyed and alloyed steel
grades for various applications. These
include heavy plates for pipelines, ship-
building, pressure vessels and the con-
struction industry, as well as hot and cold
rolled plates and coils.
The two-strand caster CC4 is designed to produce 2.5 million t of slabs per year (Picture:
Primetals Technologies) Primetals Technologies

Simulation of ingot and continuous casting
Aiming for processes with optimized quality

and robust productivity
The application of powerful simulation programmes for predicting flow and solidification processes in ingots and
continuous castings has become an established technology to assess process conditions and to predict
microstructures and casting defects.
C
asting process simulation is a well-
accepted tool to teem, solidify and
cool an ingot virtually, providing criti-
cal information for the layout of the casting
process and the mold design before the
first product has been made [1 – 5]. In addi-
tion to the simulation of filling and solidifi-
cation of the ingot, many further aspects
such as ingot macrostructure and different
segregation phenomena are considered
(figure 1).
When simulating continuous casting,
process specific phenomena like the
inflow of the melt from the tundish, the
gap formation between the strand and the
mold, and the secondary cooling must be
considered accurately to understand the
heat extraction from the strand. Available
models can describe both quasi-stationary
and transient withdrawal processes.
For both casting processes, the forma- Figure 1. Casting quality can be predicted comprehensively and used as an input for
tion of various casting defects can be sim- subsequent manufacturing processes such as forging (Picture: MAGMA GmbH)
ulated. This includes the prediction of
shrinkage cavities, centerline shrinkage,
macro-segregation, the size and distribu- experimentation (designs of experiments) relevant process parameters for product
tion of re-oxidation inclusions and the for- or even for genetic optimization. This quality. It also allows evaluation of the sen-
mation of cracks due to thermally induced allows the automatic evaluation of the sitivity of any quality criterion simulated to
stresses and strains. casting production from both the quality varying process conditions. This aids the
Autonomous engineering is a new and the cost/productivity perspectives. expert in the set-up of robust, cost-effec-
methodology, which makes use of individ- Autonomous engineering provides quanti- tive processes for ingots or strands, ensur-
ual simulations for systematic virtual tative insights to clearly identify the most ing a high quality product while at the
same time balancing the often competitive
requirements on quality and productivity.
For the setup of an optimization task,
the software aids the user in defining
objectives (e. g. minimize a certain defect
in the ingot or optimize the metallurgical
length of the strand). Subsequently, the
expert decides upon the process window
to be investigated (e. g. variation of
geometrical dimensions, temperatures,
teeming/pouring rates, alloy chemistry,
cooling layout) and defines different quali-
Figure 2. Geometry of mold and strand showing the flow field in a rectangular format ty criteria to assess the results. The soft-
with a T-shaped nozzle design (Picture: MAGMA GmbH) ware sets up a sequence of virtual exper-

that the casting speed is the main influenc-

ing parameter for the mold effectiveness,
whereas the casting temperature shows
only a minor influence (figure 4).
For a further assessment of the results,
a parallel coordinates diagram can be
used. Figure 5 (left) shows the results of
all 60 simulated designs in one diagram.
Each coloured line represents the defined
values of the selected variables and the
resulting quality criteria for one virtual
experiment. In this diagram, the user can
interactively filter both the process para
meters and the objectives according to his
targets.
By applying a filter to the objective
“mold effectiveness” with a typical range
Figure 3. Main sources of heat input and extraction considered to determine the mold of 40% to 45%, the number of feasible
efficiency factor as a quality criterion (Picture: MAGMA GmbH) designs is reduced significantly. A further
restriction in the casting temperature
depicts one possible design as the final
result (figure 5, right). The respective
iments similar to a “design of experiments” ure 2 shows the geometry of the nozzle, casting speed of 60 mm/min should be
(DoE) in real plant trials. Statistical meth- the mold and the strand, and a typical used.
ods are used to aid the engineer in gaining velocity distribution in the melt for this
comprehensive information with a minimal arrangement during the withdrawal pro- Variation of steel chemistry and
computational effort. On top of this, a true cess. ingot taper
autonomous optimization can be carried Apart from setting clear objectives, var-
out using genetic algorithms to propose an iables and quality criteria, an important The ingot taper for ingot casting pro-
optimal operating point for the casting pro- step is to minimize the required computa- cesses has a strong effect on the forma-
cess. tional effort. As the main focus of the tion of centerline porosity. Steelworks
investigation was on the cooling power of lay out molds using a taper in order to
Improving the mold effectiveness the primary cooling in the mold, it was not avoid defects in the centerline and in the
in continuous casting necessary to calculate the heat balance for lower part of the ingot. Autonomous
the total process including the secondary engineering can be used to understand
Many objectives in continuous casting pro- cooling (figure 3). the interaction of various parameters
cesses concern increasing productivity As one option to evaluate the virtual that have an influence on the formation
without compromising with the quality of DoE, a main effect diagram clearly shows of centerline defects. In a systematic
the product. The set-up and control of the
cooling conditions in the mold play an
important role in this respect. The efficien-
cy factor of the mold, which is defined as
the ratio between the extracted and the
incoming heat (from the melt) can be used
as a controlling quality criterion to measure
the outcome. Using a virtual design of
experiments (DoE), the variation of pro-
cess parameters provides quantitative
insights to identify main effects on the effi-
ciency factor. In the following example, a
process window was chosen by varying
the casting temperature from 1,175°C to
1,245°C, the casting speed from 40 to 120 Figure 4. A main effect diagram shows the influence of the varied process parameters
mm/min and the primary cooling from 0.12 on the defined objective, which in this case is the mold effectiveness (Picture: MAGMA
to 0.48 m³/h in discrete steps. The full fac- GmbH)
torial DoE resulted in a total of 60 virtual
designs which were calculated. As quality
Dipl.-Ing. Erik Hepp, Product Manager Continuous Casting; Dr.-Ing. Jörg C.
criteria, the sump depth and the efficiency
Sturm, Managing Director, MAGMA GmbH, Aachen, Germany
factor were measured automatically. Fig-

Figure 5. Parallel coordinate diagram allowing an interactive manipulation and filtering of the results (Picture: MAGMA GmbH)
Figure 6. Influence of carbon content on centerline porosity. For Figure 7. Influence of ingot taper and alloy chemistry on center-
each given carbon concentration, a scatter is observed, resulting line porosity. Applying a taper in the mold not only reduces the
from the variation of manganese content and teeming tempera- overall tendency to forming centerline porosity, but also leads to
ture. The scatter for the lowest and the highest carbon content is a more robust set up against variations of the other process
marked by red arrows. Castings with a higher manganese content variables such as the melt chemistry (Figure: Magma GmbH)
are marked by bigger spheres (Figure: MAGMA GmbH)
test using virtual experiments, the car- robust against variation of steel chemistry References
bon and carbon content of a steel grade when the ingot is tapered.
were varied. This was done for two [1] Hansen, P.N.; Flender, E.; Sturm, J.C.: “Casting
Process Simulation – From the Idea 30 Years ago
equal sized ingots, one without taper Conclusion to Reality Today”; International Foundry
and one with a taper of 10%. In this Research/Giessereiforschung 61 (2009) No. 4
investigation, again 22 virtual casting Autonomous engineering is a new and [2] Hahn, I.; Schneider, M.: „Optimierte Produktqual-
experiments were carried out. innovative methodology using systematic ität durch Simulation im Blockguss“; Stahl und
Eisen 133 (2013) No. 2, p. 45-50
Figure 6 shows how the alloy chemistry virtual experimentation to design robust [3] E. Hepp, P. Bernbeck, W. Schäfer, D. Senk und S.
affects the centerline porosity. It is obvious casting processes. It provides quantita- Stratemeier: “New Developments for Process Mod-
that for increasing carbon concentrations, tive insights into main effects between elling of the Continuous Casting of Steel”, SteelSim
2007, Graz/Seggau, Austria, p. 203, Sep 07
the tendency for centerline shrinkage process variations and the resulting prod-
[4] W. Schäfer, G. Hartmann, E. Hepp und D. G.
increases, as the possible feeding distance uct quality or productivity. As systematic Senk, S. Stratemeier: “Autonomous Mathemati-
gets shorter with increasing alloying con- virtual experimentation can be performed cal Optimization of Continuous Casting Procces-
tent. The scatter for a given carbon con- offline from the production, it relieves es, 6th Europ. Conf. on Continuous Casting, Ric-
cione/Italy, Jun 08
tent results from the variation of the man- continuous casters as well as ingot pro-
[5] W. Schäfer, G. Hartmann und E. Hepp: “Simula-
ganese content of the melt, the variation ducers from the necessity to excessively tion Based Optimization Strategy for Balancing
of the teeming temperature and the differ- carry out costly real trials. This allows Quality and Productivity in Continuous Casting”,
ence in taper of the mold. As shown in manufacturers to focus on process published in: Cockcroft, S.L., Maijer, D.A.: Mod-
eling of Casting, Welding and Advanced Solidifi-
figure 7, this scatter itself is reduced by robustness while at the same time fulfill-
cation Processes - XII, S.111-118, United States
increasing the ingot taper. The centerline ing cost and quality requirements without (Publication of The Minerals, Metals & Materials
quality of the cast ingot becomes more production risks. Society) 2009, ISBN: 978-0-87339-742-1

Long products
Continuous billet caster successfully

revamped at Feralpi Siderurgica in Italy
With this investment the Italian steel producer increases production capacity by 10 percent to 1.2 million t per
year. Billet cross section has been raised to 150 mm x 150 mm with predisposition for 160 mm x 160 mm. Also,
plant availability has been increased.
R
ecently, a six-strand billet caster carbon, carbon and low alloyed steels for gies was responsible for the basis, detail
revamped by Primetals Technologies the construction industry. Within the engineering and supply of the above com-
was started up in the Lonato del Gar- revamping project, the casting machine ponents.
da works of Feralpi Siderurgica S.p.A., part was equipped with new DiaMold high- Feralpi Group is one of the most impor-
of the Italian Feralpi Group. The aims of the speed casting molds, characterized by tant steel suppliers to the European con-
project were to increase production capac- tapered mold tubes and open bottom-mold struction industry. The group operates four
ity from 1.1 to 1.2 million t of billets per corners to reduce strand friction. The subsidiary companies in Italy and runs pro-
year, to produce billets with a larger square DynaFlex hydraulic oscillator with online duction and sales locations in Europe and
cross section of 150 mm x 150 mm with and flexible adjustment of the mold-oscil- North Africa. Feralpi Siderurgica was found-
predisposition for cross section of 160 mm lation parameters serves to improve ed in 1968 and is thus the oldest member
x 160 mm, and to improve plant availability. strand-surface quality. The scope of sup- of the Feralpi Group. The company is today
Before the revamp, the six-strand billet ply included a new secondary cooling and one of the leading suppliers of reinforcing
caster of Feralpi Siderurgica in Lonato del a dummy bar head and the existing steel, wire rod, reinforcement meshes and
Garda in the Brescia Province, had an straightener has been modified according the associated derivatives in Italy.
installed annual capacity of 1,1 million t of to Primetals Technologies´ model of con-
billets with a square cross sections of tinuous straightening to optimize the
140 mm x 140 mm. It produces medium straightening strains. Primetals Technolo- Primetals Technologies
Continuous billet caster modernized by Primetals Technologies in the Lonato del Garda, Italy works of Feralpi Siderurgica (Picture:
Primetals Technologies)

STEEL+
TECHNOLOGY
Meet us and get to know the new steel media
who we are
what we do
what we stand for
Visit us
Hall 4 / G38 The new steel media of
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Long products
Jindal Shadeed commissions high-speed billet

caster in Oman
42 heats in sequence could be cast within just over a month after start-up, which represents an impressive
ramp-up curve.
J
indal Shadeed Iron & Steel LLC (JSIS), per control will optimally ensure a stable by Vishnu Vijay, (Head Project & Rolling
a company of Jindal Group, in Sohar, steel flow. In order to achieve the desired Mill), and the SMS team on commission-
the Sultanate of Oman and SMS group high-level steel qualities, the application ing the project within four months from
have successfully put a new high-speed of electromagnetic mold stirrers is on the first major equipment delivery to site:
billet caster with six strands into operation. agenda, too. The integration of CON- “Thanks to the great cooperation of the
The continuous casting machine was STIR-MEMS electromagnetic stirrers project teams, we were able to cast 42
designed and commissioned in coopera- permits product quality control to be heats in sequence within 45 days after
tion with SMS Concast, a company of improved in terms of center segregation commissioning.”
SMS group. It is currently operating with and center porosity.
six strands and produces rebar billets of Sanjay Anand, Chief Operating Officer
165 millimeters square section at a cast- at JSIS Oman, congratulates the team led SMS group, Düsseldorf, Germany
ing speed of 3.6 meters per minute. How-
ever, provision is made for eight strands
and square billets with a section range
from 130 up to 200 millimeters. These
billets shall be produced at casting
speeds ranging from 1.0 to 5.0 meters
per minute and shall reach an annual
capacity of 2,000,000 tons. Apart from
the integrated CONVEX mold technology,
it is planned to install further technologi-
cal solutions by SMS Concast in order to
enable the production of SBQ steel
grades. These grades need a closed cast-
ing mode with submerged entry nozzles. New high-speed billet caster operating at Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel shortly after
In this mode, the future CONFLOW stop- start-up (Picture: SMS group)
Invitation
Metal Additive Manufacturing
to Conference Industrial Perspectives
in Additive Technologies
www.mamc2019.org November 25-27, 2019
Örebro Castle
AM Course
Sweden Design for Metal Additive Manufacturing
Plant Visits
www.mamc2019.org AMEXCI, Karlskoga
Lasertech LSH AB, Karlskoga
Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB, Finspång
CONTACT: CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT

ASMET
Austrian Society for Metallurgy and Materials
Franz-Josef-Str. 18, 8700 Leoben, Austria
Phone: +43 3842 402 2290

©Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen / Volker Lannert
Alignment of continuous casting machines
Monitoring the transition between the

mould and the first caster segment
The MouldAlign system developed by Gassen Instruments is made to measure the mould surface and
especially to monitor the transition of the mould in reference to the first strand segment of the casting machine.
M
oulds get set-up and adjusted reg-
ularly in the mould workshop. The
segments are assembled and thor-
oughly adjusted in the segment workshop.
But the perfect functional interaction of
both the mould and the first caster seg-
ment must be achieved on the casting
platform. Typically mechanical measuring
gauges are used to achieve an acceptable
alignment from the mould to the first seg-
ment. These mechanical utilities have a
limited accuracy which may add up to
unreasonable errors. But the larger issue
is that the operator influences the meas-
uring results with the handling of the gaug- Measuring principle (Picture: Gassen Instruments)
es. That means finally that the results are
person dependent, which is not accept-
able for a quality measurement. The same MouldAlign system delivers operator inde- Sample application at a bloom
is valid for wear-out measurement at pendent high precision laser measurement caster
moulds mounted on the casting floor using data from the mould and the first caster
the same type of mechanical gauges. segment. In addition to the 12 laser sen- The MouldAlign system indicates the
The MouldAlign system is the final solu- sors (max.) two inclinometers may give alignment position of the mould in a bloom
tion to avoid these kind of issues. The the absolute positioning in space to all the caster machine. In this case the position
data. of the mould in X and Y direction related to
The MouldAlign system is available for the first strand segment and the rotational
Measuring system slab, bloom and billet casters. The position around the Z axis will be deter-
(Picture: Gassen measuring task may vary and mined.
Instruments)
the number of sensors can be Two high precision lasers are mounted
chosen individually according on a frame in each direction (X and Y axis).
to the specific task. An additional laser is mounted off the mid-
The measurement is per- dle axis. This laser enables to detect a rota-
formed fully automatically tional misalignment through the lateral dis-
without any operator action tance “L”. The measurement frame moves
required. The data which are fully automatically into the mould. The
retrieved during the measure- measuring system is doing an automatic
ment are stored on a USB stick referencing in relation to the mould at two
for further evaluation on a PC. A heights of the frame. This is done for the
powerful evaluation and visualiza- X and the Y axis and in relation to the rota-
tion software is part of the pack- tional position. After doing so, the meas-
age as well. The data may be uring frame is moving down to the level of
transferred via Wi-Fi to the first segment rollers. The position of
the PC as an the rollers is taken in relation to the mould
option. position in X, Y and Z axis.
The remote user interface is used for
control of the measuring system. The user
interface is giving clear intuitive guidance

which kind of operator actions are request-

ed to adjust the mould properly. The oper-
ator gets explicit instructions how to move
or turn the mould to achieve a proper posi-
tioning. The tolerance range of the adjust-
ments can be determined.
Conclusion
The MouldAlign measuring system ena-

bles for the first time to gather comprehen-
sive information about the mould condition
and how the mould is aligned to the first
caster segment. These important and
quality-relevant data were not available in
the past. It overcomes the imits of
mechanical gauges which deliver operator
dependent data that are not suitable for
quality-relevant monitoring.
Gassen Instruments GmbH, Duisburg,

Alignment instructions (Picture: Gassen Instruments) Germany
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Digitalization in steel and rolling mills
Online monitoring of the slab temperature

during hot transfer
An integrated iron and steelworks has been using an online temperature model to monitor the slab temperatures
during hot transfer. This has improved process security of the hot transfer and makes for uninterrupted, model-
based monitoring of the slab condition – an important step towards a digitalized steel mill.
Hot transfer of slabs range of the second and third ductility starting from the torch cut in the discharge
minimum, of the continuous caster via the hot trans-
The transfer of slabs from the steel plant intensively cooled slabs do not develop fer down to the slab piles ahead of the
to the rolling mill is subject to specific a martensitic microstructure, reheating furnace at the rolling mill. The
material-dependent rules. If a long dis- in ferritic steels the decrease in impact use of the model provides the great advan-
tance has to be covered from the steel work is greater than in austenitic steels. tage that no measurements have to be
plant to the rolling mill, the slabs are cov- taken to know the temperatures of the
ered by heat retention hoods during the Online monitoring of the slabs slabs under the heat retention hoods dur-
transport (figure 1). From the point of during hot transfer ing the transport and in the slab storage
materials technology, various aspects area [1].
must be considered, including that: At the integrated steelworks, slabs of The temperature profiles of all slabs
carbon steel slabs tend to cracking if stainless, titanium-stabilized ferritic steel are at any time available for retrieval, for
cooled at too high rates, are transferred from the meltshop to the example, to plan the subsequent produc-
ferritic chromium steel slabs must be hot rolling mill. In order to ensure that the tion. For a consistent quality control pro-
charged hot, slabs are in a condition adequate for rolling, cess, STT stores the calculated temper-
slabs of high-Si steels (dynamo and they must be charged into the reheating atures also in the data system of the
transformer grades) have a very coarse- furnace at specific temperatures. During works. Any incidents of missed limit val-
grained microstructure (pure ferritic the transport the slabs are covered by heat ues will be signaled and stored. The
solidification). This type of slabs fall in retention hoods in order to avoid excessive model will also trigger messages when
the same category as ferritic chromium cooling of the slab surface. slabs are reaching times or temperatures
steels, During the hot transfer, use is made of that are critical for the next downstream
when subjected to mechanical stress STT (Slab Temperature Tracking), an online processing step. This function makes it
(e.g. during crane transport) the slab temperature model which simulates each possible to give preference to hot trans-
temperatures shall not be within the slab’s temperature along its transfer route, fer cars carrying slabs of lower tempera-
tures and to react to unforeseen circum-
stances. STT makes the overall process
Table 1. STT model variants
of hot slab transport safer and more pre-
Variant Task Data sources dictable.
Simulation Planning of slab temperature control Data provided by the

Three application variants of the
from the torch cut down to the reheating operator
STT process model
furnace
Process Presentation of the current cooling Data from the current slab The STT process model simulates a
process during the slab transport, transfer temperature field for each slab, taking
supported by slab logistics and tempera- into account the currently prevailing cir-
ture control cumstances, such as piling situation,
hot transport, water cooling, etc. It
Replay Review of the cooling process (e.g. in Stored process data
allows the temperatures to be tracked
case of irregularities)
from the slab discharge and handling
Dr.-Ing. Uwe Grafe, Fundamentals of Materials Technology; Dr. rer. nat. Michael Hönig, Melting and Casting
Technology; Uwe Plociennik, Melting and Casting Technology; Dr.-Ing. Markus Reifferscheid, Vice President R&D;
Ronald Wilmes, Sales E&A Continuous Casting, SMS group GmbH, Düsseldorf

Figure 1. Hot transfer car with slabs (Picture: SMS group)
area via the slab store down to the the arrangement of the slab piles and er data relevant for the description of
charging of the slab into the reheating the positions of each slab within a pile, the process route.
furnace. The simulation takes into the geometry of the covering hoods, The model determines the values used in
account: insulated roller tables and/or water the calculations for the circumstances
thermos-physical material properties basins, changing with time for each step of the
based on the chemical composition of process data, including the transfer process chain [2].
low and high-alloyed steels, speed, data from tertiary cooling (spray The X-Pact ® Solid Control simulation
the slab geometry, cooling, retarded cooling, etc.) and oth- model developed by SMS group provides
Figure 2a. Curves of the core temperature, average temperature Figure 2b. Temperature profile of the slab at the caster end
and surface temperature of the strand during continuous casting (Picture: SMS group)

Figure 3a. Slab yard with 14 storage areas for slab piles. The Figure 3b. Illustration of a single slab pile and the thermal
colours indicate the thermal condition of the slabs with respect conditions of the slabs with respect to their onward transport,
to their onward transport (Picture: SMS group) of the isotherms in the slab core (width x thickness) and of the
time-temperature curves. (Picture: SMS group)
the starting temperature profile for the In numerous instances, the tempera- Planning by means of the “simulation”
STT model (figure 2). X-Pact ® Solid Con- ture simulation can be performed while variant of the model allows mill operators
trol is an advancement of the DSC model the slab is in the slab preparation or stor- to define time and temperature targets in
[3] using parameters from the continuous age areas, taking into account materi- advance, avoid the production of defec-
casting process. The temperature field is al-specific aspects like phase transforma- tive slabs and achieve a smooth produc-
relayed from the one model to the other tions and precipitations. Depending on tion process. This provides economic
via an interface at the time of the torch the task on hand, the temperature field benefits because the scrap rate will be
cut. calculations of the slab can be two or reduced.
STT is used in three application vari- three-dimensional. Heat insulation pits or
ants, which differ with respect to the task hoods are simulated as a multi-body sys- Heat insulation pit. For the analysis of
to be performed and the data supply (table tem. materials-technology related aspects,
1). The mathematical-physical model is the Process data are entered by the quality such as precipitation, continuous cool-
same in all three variants. engineer in the form of data files, or by ing transformation (CCT), hydrogen
logistics models which are used to simu- effusion, the model provides two or
Variant “Simulation” late the production process. Also slab three-dimensional simulations of sever-
stores holding more than 2,000 slabs can al slabs, e.g. in a heat insulation pit, (fig-
This variant provides temperature and be simulated, and the times the slabs need ure 4). Based on such simulations, rules
material simulations that support the qual- to rest within the piles until they are ready can be defined for logistics in the slab
ity engineer in planning and implementing for dispatch can be calculated, for exam- preparation area, which will improve
the temperature control of the slabs. The ple, for logistics (figure 3). Tasks can be process control and reduce defect-relat-
“simulation” variant is an advancement of defined in such a way that the slabs remain ed costs.
SMS group’s previous TMCP (Tempera- securely within the specified temperature
ture and Microstructure for Cast Products) window for the scarfing and grinding pro- Reheating furnace. In hot charging
model. cesses, and for loading. practice, the slabs delivered to the hot
Figure 4a. Heat insulation pit without cover (Picture: SMS group) Figure 4b. Simulation of the 3D temperature field (in °C) of 60
slabs in a covered pit (Picture: SMS group)

rolling mill must not have cooled down

below a defined minimum temperature
when being charged into the reheating
furnace. This prevents slabs from crack-
ing before and during the reheating pro-
cess in the furnace (figure 5). For the
critical titanium-stabilized ferritic steel
this minimum temperature is 200°C.
Should the slab be charged at a lower
temperature into the reheating furnace,
there is the risk of defects occurring in
the transfer bar during hot rolling. The
reason for this is the limited formability
of the material, which also shows in the
declining impact work when the materi-
al cools down. Figure 5. Simulated versus measured slab temperatures from the torch cut to the
reheating furnace; green – surface, red – core (Picture: SMS group)
Residence times. Slabs to be hot charged
loose heat during the transfer and in the
piles ahead of the reheating furnace. The cooling of the slab surface until ferrite Other applications include:
question: “How long may the slabs stay transformation of the surface is com- Determination of the longest possible
under the hood of the hot transfer car and plete. residence time of the slabs until hot
later on in the pile before the minimal per- This may, for example, be performed by grinding. In order to avoid cracks caused
missible temperature has been reached?” controlled cooling in a water cooling sec- by the grinding process, grinding has to
was answered by off-line simulations (fig- tion. be performed at temperatures above
ure 7) , and has improved process security the material-specific temperature at
as a result. Water cooling. In pile cooling practice, the which martensite transformation sets
slabs are piled with the core temperatures on.
Phase transformation at the slab sur- being approx. 980°C. The slabs need In case of retarded cooling, it is possible
face. In hot charging practice, low-carbon approx. 150 h to cool down to 80°C. This to determine the times it takes slabs cov-
steel slabs featuring partial transformation time depends on the slab’s position within ered by heat retention hoods or slabs
will suffer surface cracking during reheat- a pile. The cooling time can be shortened placed in pits to reach their target tem-
ing unless the following measures are tak- by cooling in a water basin. To this pur- peratures, or to simulate the slab temper-
en before charging the slabs into the pose, the slabs first cool down to 400°C atures given a defined residence time.
reheating furnace: core temperature in the pile for 30 h, Determination of the shortest neces-
holding the surface temperatures of the before they are placed in a water basin. sary residence time until completion of
slabs (including at the edges) above the Only after one hour in the water basis, the the γ → α transformation. This is to
Ar3 transformation temperature (aus- target discharge temperature of 80°C will maximize the capacity of the existing
tenite-ferrite), be reached. slab storage area by accelerated cooling
Figure 6a. Schematic plot of the change in impact work with changing Figure 6b. Transfer bar in the roughing mill showing lateral
temperatures for steel 1.4520 (Picture: SMS group) fracture. The slabs were charged at room temperature

the slab. The results of this comparison are

used as input information for the simula-
tion subsequently performed by STT “Pro-
cess”.
Variant “Replay”
This variant allows processes that have

already been completed to be replayed.
The objective of this function is to sup-
port quality engineers in identifying the
origins of irregular features found on the
slabs.
The replay function simulates, in retro-
spect, processes that have already been
finished. These simulations help operators
analyze the reasons for irregularities occur-
Figure 7. Longest possible times a slab may rest in a pile after a given residence time ring in the process. In so doing, the replay
under a hood without running the risk that the slab temperature falls below the feature uses the process data stored in the
minimum acceptable temperature at which it may still be charged into the reheating
data base. It simulates faster than real
furnace (Picture: SMS group)
time, checking whether temperature con-
trol was able to keep the slab tempera-
of slabs after completion of the phase tions and the respective residence times. tures within the specified ranges and
transformation. STT monitors the process by the follow- quantifying any deviating temperatures.
Identification of the causes leading to ing means: The alarm messages stored whenever
slabs being damaged in the slab prepa- simultaneous simulation of the temper- irregularities have occurred make it easy
ration area or during subsequent cool- atures of all slabs in the slab storage to focus on potentially critical slabs.
ing. area,
cross-sectional 2D temperature field Conclusions
Material model. Temperature field calcu- calculation at half-length of the slab,
lations require the knowledge of the graphical visualization of the slabs’ The STT (Slab Temperature Tracking) mod-
steels’ thermos-physical properties. The changing position during the transport, el developed by SMS group simulates slab
data about these properties is provided by graphical visualization of the slab tem- temperatures during hot transfer from the
a materials model integrated in the STT perature curves, continuous caster to the reheating furnace
model. This materials model calculates the database storage of the process route in the hot rolling mill. The model affords
enthalpy, thermal conductivity and density and of the calculated temperatures for the flexibility to combine any cooling pro-
for carbon, low and high-alloy steels based each slab, cesses (in piles, pits, heat retention hoods,
on the chemical composition of the issuing of alert messages when critical water basins, etc.) and simulates them in
respective steel grade. target temperatures or residence times real time as a multi-body system. The
An additional materials model is provided critical for the downstream slab trans- model makes the overall process of hot
for assessing the susceptibility to cracking port are being approached. slab transport safer and more predictable
based on displayed TTT curves. All the The HMI displays the slabs as they are - a key step towards the digitalized steel-
materials models take into account in their being hot charged on a transfer car cov- works.
calculations the chemical composition of ered with a hood. The temperatures are
the respective steel grade and contain duc- known at all times. Any effects on the tem-
tility curves for the evaluation of the temperature distribution within the slabs References
perature curves. caused by unforeseeable delays are visible
immediately. The thus calculated temper- [1] M. Hoenig, U. Plociennik, M. Reifferscheid, U.
Variant “Process” atures may be used in connection with a Kerp, M. Nuellmann, TMCP – Temperature and
microstructure for cast products, Proceedings
warehouse management system to opti- 8th European continuous casting conference,
The objective of this model is to monitor mize the process control (for example, by 2014, pp 878
online the temperature control of the defining the times until a slab is ready for [2] H.-P. Jung, D. Leuverink, U. Grafe, M. Hönig, U.
Plociennik, M. Reifferscheid, Simulation der Proz-
slabs leaving the caster along their way hot grinding or hot charging). For purposes
esskette für einen Ventilstahl, Stahl und Eisen
through the slab preparation and storage of documentation and quality control, the 138 (2018) No. 1, p 48
areas, during the hot transfer and, if simulated slab temperatures and those [3] T. Reip, A. Barani, F. Stevermuer, U. Plociennik,
applicable, during forced cooling. The measured at specified positions are stored U. Grafe, H. Reifferscheid, A. Wessely, Utilization
of the DSC ® model to expand the material port-
temperature curves are calculated in real as time-stamped data in a data system.
folio for Outokumpu Nirosta. 8th European Stain-
time, taking into account the available The measured slab temperatures are com- less Steel & Duplex Stainless Steel Conference
process tracking data of the slab posi- pared with the initial temperature profile of 2015, Graz, Austria, pp 157

Hot rolling
NLMK updates reheating furnace at its hot-

rolling mill in Lipetsk, Russia
NLMK has started installation of the reheating furnace equipment in its hot-rolling mill at the Lipetsk site in
Russia. A new walking-beam furnace will replace a previous-generation pusher-type furnace.
T
he new furnace will add 110,000 t per “The start-up of the new furnace will not only
year (+2%) to the hot-rolling mill’s out-
put, improve product quality thanks to
increase NLMK’s rolled products output, but
a more sophisticated technology for charg- also enable a complete transition to a high-
ing slabs into the rolling mill, reduce ener- performance, resource-saving technology
gy consumption by 50% and cut this sec-
tion’s emissions by half. Investment in the
intended for heating slabs before rolling.”
project will total 4.4 billion Rubel (approx. Sergey Filatov, managing director, NLMK
61 million Euro). The production capacity
of the new furnace is 320 t per hour (2.25
million t per year). hot-rolling mill is operational without any For the first time in NLMK Group, the
Sergey Filatov, managing director, capacity reduction. The construction full cycle of BIM (building information
NLMK, said: “The construction of the began in July 2018. At present, foundation modeling) technology was used for the fur-
reheating furnace is one of the key pro- work has already been completed at the nace design and the organization of con-
jects of our group’s investment pro- construction site, slab transport mecha- struction and assembly works. This tech-
gramme. The equipment upgrade is nisms have been installed, and the furnace nology enabled the company to create a
aimed, among other things, at the devel- shell is now being installed. It is planned digital twin of the future unit and, already
opment of the sales portfolio through prod- to complete the upgrade in September at the design stage, mimic the construc-
uct quality improvement. The start-up of 2019 and bring the unit into operation as tion process, eliminate possible errors in
the unit will not only increase NLMK’s early as in October. advance and optimize the volumes and
rolled products output, but also enable a Throughout 2004 – 2011 new genera- schedule of construction works.
complete transition to a high-performance, tion furnaces were installed at the hot-roll-
resource-saving technology intended for ing mill. This new furnace will be the fourth
heating slabs before rolling”. in a row; with its launch, the last obsolete
The furnace update is a brownfield pro- reheating furnace will be decommis- NLMK
ject, that is being implemented while the sioned.
One of the new walking beam furnaces

installed previously (Picture: NLMK)

Digitization of quality management processes
Digital system Eyeron receives award at the

“Industry of the Future” forum in Moscow
At the French-Russian forum on future cooperation Fives’ real-time steel quality control solution, Eyeron, was
awarded in recognition of its successful implementation at the Severstal steelmaking plant and rolling mills.
T
he French-Russian “Industry of the “The system allowed us to significantly reduce
Future” forum, which was held for the
non-conforming products. The quantity of slabs
first time in Moscow on 11 April 2019,
was jointly organized by the French Alli- requiring scarfing was also decreased.”
ance “Industrie du Futur”, the technologi- Peter Mishnev, Quality director of Severstal Russian Steel division
cal centre of the French-Russian Chamber
of Commerce “Nauka Innov”, the Russian
Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs,
Russian Ministry of Industry, the Embassy
of France to Russia, with support from
MEDEF International and Fives. During the
one-day event, representatives of busi-
nesses and ministries, academics and
technical experts shared their vision of the
industry of the future, as well as techno-
logical and industrial cooperation. At the
forum Fives was represented by a strong
delegation, headed by Frédéric Sanchez,
Fives’ chairman and CEO, who is also
chairman of MEDEF International.
A major focus was placed on the poten-
tial of the digital economy, technologies,
additive technologies, automation, robot-
ics, big data and IoT. The system Eyeron,
a real-time quality management software
tool, was successfully implemented at
Severstal, a leading Russian steelmaker.
Since 2018 Severstal has been using
Eyeron in the steel shop, the hot strip mill
2000 and the plate rolling shop No. 2. It Severstal’s and Fives’ teams receive the award in the presence of Oleg Bocharov,
enables the shops to automatically man- Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation (Picture: Fives Group)
age more than 20,000 rules to make deci-
sions on product quality.
“This is the first intellectual system to Peter Mishnev, Technical Development thanks to the forward-thinking and spirit of
automatically certify product quality in the and Quality director of Severstal Russian partnership between the teams of Sever
metallurgical industry of the Russian Fed- Steel division, added: “Following the stal and Fives,” said Frédéric Sanchez dur-
eration, and it’s the first system in the results of last year, the system allowed us ing the ceremony. Recognizing these sig-
world which not only makes the decision to significantly reduce non-conforming nificant achievements, the award was
on certification, but also offers possibilities products. The quantity of slabs requiring presented by Oleg Bocharov, Deputy Min-
to rework slabs and rolled products, con- scarfing was also decreased. The financial ister of Industry and Trade of the Russian
sidering the quality required by our clients. benefit totaled € 1.7 million.” Federation in the presence of Sylvie
The system has a very high potential, and “It is in Fives’ DNA to develop innova- Bermann, French Ambassador to Russia.
we plan to introduce it into other productive solutions for and together with its cli-
tion shops of the plant,” said Alexander ents. Eyeron, a breakthrough digital appli-
Shevelyov, chief executive officer (CEO) of cation for steel quality management, was
Severstal. implemented at the Cherepovets plant Fives Group

Strip processing lines
Pickling line-tandem cold mill optimized at

Hyundai Steel in just a few weeks
After a short refurbishment, all performance tests were successfully completed. The capacity of the pickling
line-tandem cold mill has been increased to feed an additional galvanizing line. Prior analysis enabled the
targeted modernization with reduced investment.
P
rimetals Technologies optimized the the individual stands. The objective was to 14, and the plant was brought up to its pre-
drive and automation equipment of achieve the maximum degree of forming vious throughput within three days.
the pickling line-tandem cold mill along the complete line, and to come as All the verifications for more than 20
(PLTCM) No. 1 at the Dangjin plant of near as possible to the load limits of the individual product groups – mainly intersti-
Hyundai Steel, a Korean steel producer, individual stands. tial free grades and other products for the
within a short period of time. After a refur- The continuous power of the new automotive sector – were completed by
bishment phase at the end of 2018, all the machines is around 36 percent higher and the end of the first month. The plant also
agreed proofs of performance for the pro- they allow the rolling work to be optimally significantly surpassed the contractually
duction of more than 20 different product redistributed in the tandem mill. Some of agreed parameters within the first few
groups were completed by January in a the low-voltage drives were also replaced. weeks.
period of just four weeks. The production For example, the rollers on the infeed side PLTCM no.1 at Hyundai’s Dangjin site
capacity of the PLTCM was substantially are now equipped with motors and drives now has a capacity of around 1.8 million t
increased at the same time, which now that are up to 50 percent larger in order to per year. It processes cold steel strip in
enables it to supply cold-rolled strip to an deliver the required pulling force at higher widths ranging from 600 to 1,800 millime-
additional strip galvanizing line at the speeds. In addition to the renewal of the ters. The entry thicknesses can vary
Suncheon plant. The refurbishment was drive equipment, the technological con- between 1.2 and 6 millimeter, and from
preceded by a detailed analysis of the trols in the basic automation and the Level 0.25 to 3 millimeters on the exit side. The
weak points of the entire plant and the 2 rolling regulations were modernized. The maximum strip speed is 1,400 meters per
development of a targeted refurbishment refurbishment of all parts of the plant was minute. The line consists of four four-high
concept. This increased the production planned in great detail and completed right stands and one six-high rolling stand.
potential of the existing lines and mini- on schedule within the timeframe of 15 Primetals Technologies had equipped the
mized the investments needed for new days. It was even possible to hold the first line with process automation back in 2006.
equipment. tests of the rolling operation one day earli-
The analysis preceding the refurbish- er than scheduled. The first strip was suc-
ment showed that, instead of replacing the cessfully rolled as planned on December Primetals Technologies
entire drive train, only the drive trains on
stands two and three had to be replaced
to eliminate the weak points. The available
installed reserves of stands one, four and
five were utilized and the load optimally
redistributed to achieve the required
increase in throughput for the complete
plant. New transformers and cycloconvert-
ers were installed on stands two and
three, and new motor and gear units were
mounted on the existing foundations.
The “Motor Utilization Model – MUM”
newly developed by Primetals Technolo-
gies was used for the first time to make
the maximum possible use of the installed
performance reserves of the new and
existing stand motors. The load was dis-
tributed optimally to adapt it specifically to First coils produced at Korean steel producer Hyundai Steel’s Dangjin plant after the
the product mix and to obtain the best pos- pickling line-tandem cold mill (PLTCM) no. 1 had been restarted (Figure: Primetals
sible dynamic use of the forming forces of Technologies)

Automatic control of a continuous pickling line
Gauge for crossbow measurement

optimizes leveling
In continuous pickling line No. 2 of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, laser gauges measure the crossbow of the strip
at both the entry and exit of the pickling section. The measured data is used to optimize the performance of the
upstream stretch-leveler.
I
n the No. 2 continuous pickling line of speed into the pickling line is 265 m/min, be able to achieve leveling results that
Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, a the maximum recoiling speed at the exit is would come up to requirements under all
stretch-leveler arranged upstream of 500 m/min. The setting values given in the circumstances, i.e. also in case of varying
the pickling section levels the strip and chart used to be determined empirically in strip parameters, the team at Salzgitter
removes adhering scale from the strip sur- tests with different strip grades and based was looking for a solution that would be
face. An important function of the leveling on an assessment of the existing cross- able to take into account in a reproducible
process is to minimize the crossbow of the bow. Consequently, the values in the chart way all parameters relevant for the leveling
strip so that for the downstream process- used to be exclusively based on results process – including parameters for new,
ing stages the strips are as flat as possible. derived from “shapshots”. Special cases, higher-strength grades – and make the set-
The stretch-leveler is adjusted based on for example, strip featuring parameters not ting chart a reliable control tool for the leve-
a setting chart. This chart gives the roll included in the chart, were not recognized ling process.
nest setting for different mechanical strip or could not be responded to in an appro-
parameters and dimensions. priate manner. Key information for the leveler and
The pickling line processes strips Additionally, entering the values was a downstream processes
between 800 and 1,920 mm wide, and 1.5 very cumbersome and optimizing the leve-
and 6 mm thick. The maximum entry ler setting a lengthy procedure. In order to The idea was to introduce a process
that would continuously measure the
crossbow of all strips ahead of the pickling
section, use the obtained measurement
results to optimize the existing setting
chart and, in a second step, to use them
to automate the roller setting process.
The crossbow was to be measured not
only before but also after pickling by a sec-
ond gauge arranged at the line exit. This
was to fulfill two purposes: First, it would
document the product quality and, second,
it would make it possible to transmit the
measured data to downstream processes,
such as the tandem mill, in order to inform
the operators about incidents such as dif-
ficult-to-thread strips.
The application at the Salzgitter pickling
line required a solution that would provide
a high level of measuring accuracy and be
easy to integrate into the existing environ-
ment. These requirements suggested the
installation of optics-based measuring sys-
The entry gauge is arranged between the bridle rolls and the entry of the pickling tems. For reasons of space, the only fea-
section (Picture: Salzgitter Flachstahl) sible position for the entry gauge to be
Christian Belde, Engineer Operations, Continuous Pickling Line 2, Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, Salzgitter, Germany;
Dr. Patrick Overath, Senior Software Application Engineer, nokra GmbH, Baesweiler near Aachen, Germany

arranged downstream of the leveler was

between an existing bridle roll set and the
pickling section entry.
There the strip runs at about nine
meters above the shop floor. The gauge
was to be of a compact design that would
provide the operators a maximum of safe-
ty during maintenance activities. Another
restriction to be considered in the design
was that the bay crane posed a limit to the
clearance above the strip.
It was also important that the gauge
would be easily dismantled in case person-
nel performing maintenance or repairs
would need to access the inspection door
of the entry strip accumulator situated
below the gauge.
The exit gauge documents the crossbow of the pickled strip (Picture: Salzgitter Flachstahl)
The solution: the laser-light-section
method
both capital and operating costs. An Salzgitter eventually decided in favor of
When the project team at Salzgitter encapsulated housing protects the optical nokra for reasons such as the ease of inte-
was looking for a suitable supplier, their equipment from dust, spray water and grating the mechanical and electrical
attention fell upon nokra. The measuring heat. Narrow-band filters in the receiver equipment, nokra’s profound expertise
specialists based in the town of Baesweil- optics prevent the system from being influ- gained from the design and installation of
er near Aachen, Germany, proposed laser- enced by extraneous light. optical systems for the metallurgical indus-
light-section systems equipped with two Already during the tendering phase, try and the low project costs resulting from
cameras for both measuring positions. nokra adopted a highly flexible approach to these advantages.
nokra suggested a measuring frame the system’s electrical integration. The pro- After the successful preliminary accept-
low enough to not interfere with the crane ject team at Salzgitter had planned to pro- ance testing in nokra’s workshops in Baes
movements and optical equipment vide part of the infrastructure, for example weiler, the system was shipped to the cus-
arranged at a safe distance from the strip the switch boxes, themselves in order to tomer according to schedule. The
surface, ruling out any risk of mechanical match them to the standard installations installation at Salzgitter was completed in
damage. The optics of the transmitter and within the works. As nokra had provided no more than two shifts during a sched-
receiver units was to be installed at about detailed descriptions of the interfaces as uled line stoppage, as basically all needed
1,900 mm above the passline. This layout early as during the tendering phase, the sup- to be done on site was to set up the meas-
made the nokra system more suitable for ply ranges of all the project partners involved uring frame on the prepared foundations
the application on hand than solutions could be defined at a very early stage. and connect the cables.
using either a single camera that would
have to be arranged higher above the strip
or solutions using several cameras that
would have to be installed at a very short
distance from the strip surface. The technology in detail
The nokra system captures a measuring
range of up to 500 mm above the passline. In light-section measurements, a laser arranged at 90° above the strip
The uncertainty of the height measure- projects a laser line onto the strip surface. A camera installed at an inclined
ment is ± 0.3 mm. With about 3,200 pixels angle above the strip in a sensing unit captures this projected line. When
across the up to 1,920 mm wide strips, the there is no crossbow, the camera “sees” a straight line. When the surface is
system has a transverse resolution of 0.6 curved, the camera captures a curved line from which the height of each
mm. surface point of the line can be calculated.
These were not the only factors rele- The No. 2 continuous pickling line at Salzgitter processes strip of up to 1,920
vant for Salzgitter’s decision: easy integra- mm width. To cover the full strip width, two laser-camera systems have
tion into the existing environment, project been installed in this case, with each camera capturing about one strip half.
management performance and, of course, Through this solution, the required transverse resolution is achieved. The
the costs were other important aspects. two laser lines are projected across the running strip at slightly offset
nokra’s media system provides distinct positions in order to avoid cross-talk between the two cameras. This offset is
cost advantages over competitor systems compensated by the system software.
as it requires no compressed air and no
water cooling. This has a positive effect on

system from the headquarters in Baesweil-

er via remote support.
The installed systems have fulfilled the
objective of optimizing the leveling process:
The roller setting chart no longer relies on
random samples only, but is refined by data
sets from all strips processed in the line.
What’s more, the new system has made it
much easier and less time-consuming to
add new values to the chart and keep it up
to date, also with a view to the behavior of
new grades. The result is strip of good flat-
ness for the downstream processes, such
as the tandem mill or the galvanizing and
organic coating lines.
The system has been running stably
since the completion of the commissioning
The two laser lines projected across the running strip are offset in order to avoid phase. There have been no unscheduled
cross-talk between the two channels (Picture: Salzgitter Flachstahl) stops and the system has proved that it
works reliably even without the use of com-
pressed air and water-based cooling. The
As the design of the interfaces had was to check the factory calibration with a encapsulated measuring beam shielded by
been agreed in great detail long before the ruler. an additional protective housing has been
scheduled delivery, the project team at performing as expected under the ambient
Salzgitter had been able to complete ahead First experience conditions of the pickling line. The only ser-
of the delivery not only the programming vice activity required is to clean the glass
for integrating the new gauge into the pro- The entry gauge measures the cross- panes from time to time.
cess control system but also the testing of bow of the strip right after the stretch-leve- Keys to the success of the project were
the electrical systems and the interfaces. ler. Each strip is measured along its com- the exact interfacing details which nokra
Thus the gauge could become operational plete length. The measured data is displayed was able to provide as early as during the
immediately upon completion of the instal- and stored, and forms the basis for optimiz- tendering phase and the great deal of flex-
lation work. ing the roller setting chart for the ibility that the company demonstrated in
As in the nokra system the laser source stretch-leveler. The exit gauge documents integrating the system into the existing
and the camera are firmly connected to the crossbow of the pickled strip. This plant environment. Another essential
each other within a common housing, all gauge is needed because on its way from aspect was that nokra could bring to bear
needed to be done during commissioning the pickling tank to the recoiler the strip is profound experience from a great many
subjected to various deflections and defor- installations of optical measuring systems
mations all of which may change the original in the iron and steel industry. Consequently,
leveling result and have an effect on the flat- the planning and commissioning effort for
ness. Such a comprehensive documenta- the project team was very low.
tion is particularly important for strips that The project team’s future plans are to
after pickling are directly shipped to an use the data measured by the entry gauge
external end customer. But also for internal as input for the inline control of the
“customers” like the tandem mill, the data stretch-leveler and stop using the roller set-
is very useful as the operators can be ting chart.
informed in advance about the arrival of Another conceivable option is to use the
strip featuring a pronounced crossbow. crossbow measurements also to optimize
The data provided by the second gauge upstream processes, such as hot rolling,
can also be used to further refine the set- e.g. by analyzing in which way cooling and
ting chart for the stretch-leveler, as the data coiling processes promote the formation of
measured at the pickling entry can be com- crossbow. A first step to this end is to
plemented by the measurements taken superimpose the topographic data captured
from the strip as it leaves the pickling sec- at the pickling line entry with the heat maps
tion. from the wide hot strip mill in order to ana-
In light-section measurements, a laser The measured data is displayed to the lyze, for example, the impact of the cooling
arranged at 90° above the strip projects a operating staff on the control pulpit, and curves on the occurrence of crossbow.
laser line onto the strip surface. A camera
installed at an inclined angle above the
transferred to the existing level 2 system
strip in a sensing unit captures this and to the group-wide level 3 quality sys-
projected line (Picture: nokra) tem. The nokra engineers can access the nokra GmbH

STEEL PROCESSING | 93
Case study
Need more speed: an application of the

welding carriage that increases performance
Aumayr GmbH, Austria, specializes in custom-made ventilation pipe systems. With its high-quality work, the
family-run company has been involved in a number of prestigious projects, such as Europe’s most modern
music theater in Linz. For a large ongoing project, Aumayr manufactured around 1000 running meters of
ventilation pipe components – an impressive quantity produced by means of the ArcRover 22 from Fronius.
A
umayr is one of Austria’s most “Investing in the ArcRover 22 was absolutely the
renowned manufacturers of ventila-
right decision”
tion pipe systems and has approxi-
mately 300 employees working at three Erwin Kunst, Head of Metalworking at Aumayr GmbH
locations in Austria and the Czech Repub-
lic. The family-run company, founded in
Linz in 1965, has a lot of top-class equip- produce custom-made products from ventilation pipes. Even as the order was
ment for metalworking, featuring comput- scratch. being calculated, it became clear that new
er-controlled laser cutting and stamping This innovative metalworking approach alternatives to the previously manual weld-
machines, servo-electric bending means that Aumayr can manufacture ven- ing process would be required due to the
machines, and other high-tech systems. tilation pipes that conventional ventilation hundreds of running meters of weld seam
Its machine park, together with its manufacturers would struggle to produce. and the customer’s stringent quality
in-house design and development depart- At the start of 2018, the company received demands. Above all, sheet metal thick-
ment, enable the company to develop and a large order for welded stainless-steel nesses up to four millimeters had to be
Aumayr welded around one thousand running meters of

ventilation pipe components. This picture shows the as-yet
unheated and unfinished components (Picture: Fronius)

94 | STEEL PROCESSING
welded without warping and in consist-

ently high quality to create ventilation pipe
components that were sometimes as long
as six meters, as high as 2.5 meters, and
as wide as 1.5 meters.
Mechanization, quality, and cost

effectiveness
The key aims when the ventilation compo-

nents were being manufactured were to
have a mechanized welding process,
achieve perfect weld-seam quality in all
components, and optimize costs by elimi-
nating the need for reworking and working
at a higher welding speed.
To meet these criteria, Aumayr decided
to purchase a Fronius welding carriage: the
sturdy, flexible ArcRover 22. “The com-
pact design of the welding carriage and its
compatibility with the Fronius TPS 5000 The ArcRover 22 welding carriage with guide rails welds a longitudinal seam (Picture:
CMT and TPS/i 500 welding systems we Fronius)
already had in our fleet were the primary
reasons for choosing it. We’ve now been
using the ArcRover 22 since March 2018.
Our welders particularly like the durability
and ease of use of the welding carriage,”
explains Erwin Kunst, Head of Metalwork-
ing at Aumayr. He continues, “Even during
the initial tests, we were able to achieve
improved and, most importantly, consist-
ent weld-seam quality at a higher welding
speed. The carriage is also easy to mount
and always stays on the track thanks to its
guide rails.”
Achieving perfection by combining

processes
The welding experts opted for a pulse pro-

cess with an average amperage of 300
amperes in order to achieve optimal root
formation when welding the approximate-
ly four-millimeter thick side walls of the
ventilation components. This approach
ensures the necessary heat input. The
somewhat “cooler” Fronius CMT (Cold
Metal Transfer) mixed process – unbeata- Welders love the ArcRover 22 from Fronius primarily because of its impressive durabili-
ble in terms of welding quality – was used ty and ease of use (Picture: Fronius)
for section welding the flange plates and
bracing ribs in longitudinal and transverse
directions. The mixed process adjusts the processes were the key factors in achiev- cantly optimize the welding quality as
ratio of hot pulse process cycles to cool ing the consistently reproducible high well as the production times. Investing in
CMT process phases as required for the quality of the weld seams,” explains the ArcRover 22 was absolutely the right
specific application, resulting in perfectly Erwin Kunst. “It ultimately vastly exceed- decision.”
welded, virtually spatter-free metal con- ed our expectations. The Fronius welding
nections with zero distortion. experts deserve a special thank you for
“The constant speed of the welding their advice and support right from the Fronius International GmbH,
carriage combined with the right welding start. Together we were able to signifi- Pettenbach, Austria

Machining of narrow strip edges
Laser-assisted online inspection of the strip

edges reveals minor contour deviations
The new ConScan® system by hpl-Neugnadenfelder Maschinenfabrik visualises the edge contour shape of
narrow strips, thus allowing the operator to intervene immediately in the production process in case of minor
deviations from the specified contour.
W
hen machining the edges of nar- continually increased, hpl-Neugnadenfelder are to be measured and the measured val-
row strips as for example after a had been asked by many of its customers ues directly incorporated into the control
slitting process, the shape of the to find a solution for a precise online meas- of the knife positions.
strip edges is an essential part for many urement of strip edge contours. This has ConScan® is equipped with two laser
applications. On the one hand, no cutting resulted in the development of ConScan®, sensors on each strip side. They project
burrs should arise; on the other hand, spe- a laser-based system for the visualization lines on the target edge which are detect-
cial applications require the strict obser- of strip edge contours. ed by cameras mounted at a tilted angle.
vance of specified radii and the position of It displays in real-time the contour of all Their resolution is a few µm. Based on the
their vertices. strip edges graphically on a screen. The course of the projected lines, the strip
Experienced operators recognise by the system visualizes typical defects, as for edge is calculated by the software and dis-
flow of chips generated during the machin- example burrs, edge chippings as well as played on a screen.
ing process if the edge contour radii and edges that are out of alignment. hpl-Neugnadenfelder has developed
corresponds to the specifications. This, Tests show that even the smallest devia- ConScan® for strips having, for example,
however, includes a very high subjective tions such as minor edge chippings can be just been cut in a slitting line and featuring
influence. The machined edge contour can displayed clearly in full detail. strip widths ranging from 2 to 200 mm and
be assessed more objectively if a sample This allows the operator to adjust the strip thicknesses from 0.3 to 4 mm.
is cut at the end of the coil which is then chip removal during the running produc- Because of being only about 300 mm long
examined, for example, under a transmit- tion: the quantity of produced high-quality in direction of the strip, the system can
ted light microscope. This method is very strips increases, production downtimes also be retrofitted into existing edge trim-
accurate but has the disadvantage of are avoided. ming lines
examining the edge shape only after a The system displays deviations from
complete coil has been machined. the specified edge contour of approxi-
Since the requirements regarding the mately one-hundredth of a millimetre. In a hpl-Neugnadenfelder Maschinenfabrik
exact shape of the strip contours has been further development stage, the deviations GmbH, Ringe, Germany
Each strip edge is scanned by

two laser triangulation sensors
(Picture: hpl-Neugnadenfelder)

Long steel products
Special structural steel for the construction

machinery industry
Machines for the construction industry are used under the most challenging conditions. For complex
construction work on difficult subsoil, solid and durable equipment is required. thyssenkrupp Schulte, a
company of the group’s Materials Services Business Area, has proven to be a reliable dependable partner for
these extreme requirements.
O
ne longstanding customer of thys-
senkrupp Materials Services is
BAUER Maschinen GmbH, a leader
in the development and manufacture of
special foundation engineering equipment.
The company designs and builds large
rotary drilling rigs, cable excavators, dia-
phragm wall milling machines, cutters and
grab systems, and vibrating equipment as
well as all the necessary tools. Their foun-
dation engineering parts such as the masts
of the drilling rigs and booms of the cranes,
use special structural steel.
Every year, thyssenkrupp Schulte deliv-
ers around 350 metric tons of special
structural steel to this customer just-in-
time and tailored to requirements.
Outstanding properties
The decisive factor in the selection of the

material is its properties. “We ensure that
our partners receive only the finest mate-
rial. Special structural steel is particularly thyssenkrupp Material Services operates a global distribution network and offers
remarkable for its wear resistance, which tailored supply chain management (Picture: thyssenkrupp)
makes the equipment extremely resilient
and tough,” says Christoph Hartmann,
Regional Coordinator for Special Structur- Around 90 percent of the material is vides tailor-made services for more than
al Steel at thyssenkrupp Schulte in from the XAR® family and the high- 70,000 customers from industry, trade and
Munich. strength N-A-XTRA® fine-grained structur- construction. The basis for this is a wide
A further factor in the choice of material steel produced by thyssenkrupp Steel range of flat products, sections and tubes
al is its strength which allows the wall Europe. In total, thyssenkrupp Schulte sup- for all requirements and tailored to the indi-
thickness of the parts and components to plies its customers with around 50,000 vidual wishes of customers. Another deci-
be reduced while at the same time provid- tons of special structural steel yearly. sive competitive advantage is customer
ing high load-bearing capacity. This is an thyssenkrupp Schulte GmbH is the proximity. With over 40 locations, thyssen-
important criterion for the mobility of vehi- materials partner for steel, stainless steel krupp Schulte is always close to its cus-
cles weighing several tons each. and nonferrous metals. The company pro- tomers and can deliver quickly and reliably
anywhere in Germany. The diverse product
range, competent technical advice and
“Special structural steel is particularly comprehensive services round off the port-
remarkable for its wear resistance, which makes folio of Germany’s largest materials dealer.
the equipment extremely resilient and tough”

Christoph Hartmann, Regional Coordinator at thyssenkrupp Schulte thyssenkrupp Materials Services

Residential construction
“Lilla Integralen” building with distinct

façade made from colour coated steel
The eye-catching “Lilla Integralen” features a façade made from GreenCoat colour coated steel, from SSAB,
and has been named a finalist for the esteemed Swedish architectural award Plåtpriset 2019.
S
SAB continues to strengthen its posi- “Since we see sustainability from a long-term
tion among innovative architects that
create award-winning buildings.
perspective, we try to find a good balance
Recently, renowned Sandellsandberg between the environment and social
Arkitekter decided to use sustainable responsibility in architecture”
GreenCoat ® steel for the highly unique
Thomas Sandell, Sandellsandberg Arkitekter
“Lilla Integralen” apartment building in the
newly constructed residential district of
Vallastaden in Linköping, Sweden. The “Lilla Integralen” is one of five buildings ture and the sustainable community build-
first phase of the housing project in Val- nominated for the Swedish Plåtpriset 2019 ing. As in previous years, PLÅT19 pre-
lastaden resulted in 1000 homes being award, which aims to encourage and pay sented some of the world’s foremost
built by 40 different architects. tribute to innovative and sustainable build- architects, material experts, researchers
“Lilla Integralen” is an elegant semi-de- ings, where the properties and expres- and facade innovators who showed the
tached house with four apartments on sions of the metals are utilized in a suc- possibilities of the metal facades.
three floors and a roof terrace. The distinc- cessful architectural design. PLÅT19 is an
tive shape of the building utilizes a sinusoi- exclusive architecture event that focuses
dal profiled façade made from premium on the possibilities of metal in the architec- SSAB
GreenCoat ® colour coated steel to ensure
sustainability and durability in harsh weath-
er as well as high aesthetics. The Metallic
Silver colour was chosen to create beauti-
ful light reflections in the relatively dense-
ly populated neighborhood of Vallastaden.
“Since we see sustainability from a long-
term perspective, we try to find a good
balance between the environment and
social responsibility in architecture. When
we draw a house, it will last for many gen-
erations to come, and that of course plac-
es demands on the material we use. Using
GreenCoat ® steel, which offers both dura-
bility and environmental benefits, felt obvi-
ous,” explains Thomas Sandell, the archi-
tect at Sandellsandberg Arkitekter.
In addition to high performance and
aesthetics, most GreenCoat ® products
feature a Bio-based Technology (BT) coat-
ing with Swedish rapeseed oil instead of
fossil based oils, which are traditionally
used. This patented coating technology is
currently the only one of its kind on the
market.
The building process went smoothly
with GreenCoat® being commended for its
ability to be adapted to the great number
of details that the design of “Lilla Inte- The elegant, yet playful “Lilla Integralen” was inspired by old industrial buildings. It
gralen” required. was nominated for the Swedish architectural award Plåtpriset 2019 (Picture: SSAB)

Heinrich Georg and HIT enter into a strategic cooperation
Autonomous low-floor transport vehicles for

the intralogistical transport of heavy loads
Heinrich Georg GmbH Maschinenfabrik and Hafen- und Industrietechnik GmbH (HIT) including its sister
company HIT Machine Technology GmbH have signed a cooperation agreement with respect to the use of
autonomous low-floor transport vehicles in connection with machine tools and plants from Heinrich Georg.
I
n steel and aluminium strip produc- The cooperation with HIT now enables Driverless transport systems
tion or in the manufacture of cores Heinrich Georg Maschinenfabrik to offer a orientate themselves in their--
or magnetic yokes for transform- solution following the trend of digitalization surroundings
ers, the transport of material and prod- and the growing interlinking of production
uct to and from the various production processes. The autonomously operating The vehicles’ central elements are the
stages ties up resources and may delay move-e-star low-floor transport vehicles drive axles which integrate the traction
processes. A similar situation we find in from HIT are designed to automatically drive, the steering system and the lifting
the mechanical engineering sector: transport loads of between 2 t and 120 t system. They give the move-e-star excel-
when machining large and heavy parts weight, for example, coils or stacks of lent maneuverability. The vehicles can
and components, such as aluminium transformer plates, within production are- freely move about the floor: they can drive
slabs or turbine rotors, unproductive as. They slide underneath the load-carry- forwards and backwards, sideways or at
waiting times often occur as a result of ing racks, pick them up and navigate auton- an angle, and even turn “on a table”. Thus,
transport means being needed for other omously to their destination where they the vehicle can easily and safely perform
tasks. set the load down again. transport tasks even in tight spaces and
Bernd Peter Schmidt (left), Managing Director of the Transformer Lines Division and Director of GEORG, and Andreas Thölke,
Managing Director of HIT Machine Technology GmbH (Picture: Heinrich GEORG Maschinenfabrik)

The 20-t-payload move-e-star is extremely flat thanks to

its eight low-slung axles and its Vulkollan wheels.
(Picture: HIT Hafen- und Industrietechnik GmbH)
aisles. It handles thresholds and gradients Under the cooperation agreement, HIT ate autonomously and, being optimally
with ease as it comes with a dynamic leve- will supply the vehicles, the automation controlled by a dedicated software, they
ling system. technology and the interfaces to connect do not tie up any other transport equip-
Andreas Thölke, Managing Director of to the plant operator’s control system, ment. Additionally, they can be easily ret-
HIT Machine Technology GmbH, explains which issues the transport orders and rofitted in existing production facilities as
how the autonomous navigation of the receives the “complete” messages. they do not require any physical altera-
transport platforms works: “The system According to Bernd Peter Schmidt, tions, such as the installation of guiding
orientates itself within the production Managing Director of the Transformer rails, etc.”
area by means of laser scanners. It cre- Lines Division at Heinrich Georg, autono- The new transport platforms move-e-
ates a map of the current situation and mous transport provides a number of sig- star can be easily integrated into digitalized
determines the optimal route. We call nificant advantages: “At our customers’ production environments, further paving
this “natural navigation”, as the transport facilities cranes usually have to perform a the way for Industry 4.0.
platforms need no rails or wiring in the whole lot of different tasks and they are
floor. Moreover, they are not very often used at their maximum capacity. The
demanding in terms of levelness of the low-floor transport vehicles provide a Heinrich Georg GmbH Maschinenfab-
floor.“ great deal of flexibility because they oper- rik, Kreuztal, Germany
Liebherr orders high-strength steel plate for new heavy-duty mobile cranes
News brief
NLMK Clabecq, Belgium, is going to sup- High-strength Quend plates are high-strength Quend 960 and Quend 1100
ply high-strength Quend 1100 steel for designed for use in the construction of grades (minimum tensile strength 960
the telescopic booms of Liebherr’s new bulk vehicle frames, bulk lifting and han- MPa and 1,100 MPa, respectively) were
type of mobile cranes. dling machinery, vehicle trailers, and other tested for compliance by lifting equipment
machinery where high structural strength manufacturers Liebherr, Manitowoc
Liebherr’s new crane type will be designed is of the essence. The use of Quend plates Cranes and Tadano Faun GmbH.
for a load capacity of 230 t. The prototype reduces the weight of structural compo-
was recently exhibited at the international nents by more than 20%, thus reducing
trade fair for construction and mining the cost of production and increasing the NLMK,
machinery, bauma 2019. performance of the machines. In 2018 Liebherr

Updated IoT analytics include streaming analytics and machine learning capabilities
Ulbrich Stainless Steel uses AI-embedded

solution to flatten its big data challenges
Staying ahead of maintenance and production challenges that keep precision metals rolling out of its plants on
time is a high priority for Ulbrich Stainless Steel & Specialty Metals. That’s why the global company recently
chose SAS® Analytics for IoT to analyze the data created by its plant sensors.
U
lbrich Stainless Steel manufacturers
the metals used in a wide range of
specialty products from engine parts
to the wire used in stringed musical instru-
ments. “Precision and quality are key fac-
tors in manufacturing highly engineered
metals that support our customers’ varied
needs,” said Jay Cei, Chief Operating
Officer at Ulbrich. “Collecting machine and
sensor data from our factories and inte-
grating that with ERP system data will help
us understand the intricate relationships
between equipment, people, suppliers
and customers. Using SAS to learn what
our IoT data means is critical for under-
standing how we can become more pro-
ductive and efficient in the future.”
“Streaming analytics will not only help
Ulbrich understand what is happening now
with their machines, but it will also enable
them to predict future events, such as Ulbrich Stainless Steel uses SAS analytics to help it understand the IoT data streaming
when a machine needs maintenance from its connected factories (Picture: Ulbrich Stainless Steel & Specialty Metals Inc.)
before it breaks down,” said DJ Penix,
President of Pinnacle Solutions, a SAS
implementation partner. specialized skills. Whether a data scientist, IoT,” said Marta Muñoz Méndez-Villamil in
business manager, or someone in a recent IDC Market Note. “This comes
Faster results for all users with between, they can use SAS Analytics for as a welcome message to a technology
streamlined SAS Analytics for IoT IoT to quickly select, launch, transform and that seems to be stuck at precisely this
operationalize IoT data to make informed, stage. Tools and solutions that help simpli-
Recent upgrades to SAS® Analytics for timely decisions. fy analytics, insights visualization, and
IoT mean enterprises have access to the The upgraded SAS software provides actioning of IoT data accelerate enterpris-
latest suite of AI, machine learning and open application program interfaces (APIs) es’ time to value from their IoT implemen-
streaming analytics available. to enable integration with other SAS, tations.”
The software provides a simplified way third-party and open-source products. Jason Mann, Vice President of IoT at
for any user to prepare stationary and “SAS talks about ‘democratizing analyt- SAS, said companies can no longer afford
streaming IoT data for analysis without ics’ as the ethos behind SAS Analytics for to ignore the hidden signals in their IoT
data. “To thrive, organizations need a solu-
tion that addresses data complexity and
“Tools and solutions that help simplify analytics, automates timely and accurate decision
making. SAS Analytics for IoT delivers this
insights visualization, and actioning of IoT data capability across the entire analytics life
accelerate enterprises’ time to value from their cycle – from data preparation to discovery
IoT implementations.” to scalable deployment.”
Mike Guilfoyle, Director of Research at
Marta Muñoz Méndez-Villamil, Research Director, IDC EMEA ARC Advisory Group, said there’s a gulf

between companies undertaking analyt- solve IoT challenges whether crafting pre- porting critical military operations around
ics-driven digital transformation and those cision metal parts, enhancing the satisfac- the world.
successfully scaling their efforts. “This is tion and productivity of patient-clinician To keep this aerial platform evolving,
due in large part to the underlying com- interactions, optimizing the retail customer Lockheed Martin has turned to SAS,
plexity of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) experience, or building cutting-edge air- another proven platform that has been
ecosystems and the many business needs craft. continually reinvented to meet new cus-
related to them,” he said. “To be success- tomer needs and requirements.
ful with IIoT, an organization needs an ana- Lockheed Martin makes herculean With AI and advanced IoT analytics
lytics solution that can support a diversity strides with SAS Analytics for IoT from SAS, Lockheed Martin and its cus-
of needs, including myriad use cases, dis- tomers analyze data streaming from sen-
parate user requirements, agnostic inter- Lockheed Martin’s Hercules C-130 air- sors on each aircraft to predict mainte-
operability with systems and sources, the craft has been in production and operation nance and repair needs, and ensure the
capacity to manage data at rest and in for 65 years and has been continually rein- Hercules can continue to lift, fly and deliv-
motion, and a breadth of analytics meth- vented to meet changing customer needs. er.
ods.” Today, C-130s are operated out of 70 “When you understand the probability
SAS will showcase SAS Analytics for nations around the world. The four-engine of parts failure, everything changes in the
IoT and its embedded AI capabilities via turboprop started as a troop transport in way you manage and operate your fleet,”
connected patient, connected quality, and the 1950s, but has evolved to support said Duane Szalwinski, senior manager
connected equipment demonstrations at upwards of 100 different mission require- with Lockheed Martin’s sustainment
SAS Global Forum, the world’s largest ana- ments in its lifetime. Its many mission organization. “With SAS, we’re developing
lytics conference, April 28 through May 1 capabilities include flying into hurricanes fleet-wide practices that demand a posi-
in Dallas. To learn more about the conver- to collect weather data, landing on short tive culture shift for us and our custom-
gence of AI and IoT, download The Artifi- and/or austere runways to deliver relief ers.”
cial Intelligence of Things white paper. supplies, aerial firefighting, air-to-air refue-
Ulbrich joins a growing group of enter- ling, long-range search and rescue, global
prises which depend on SAS Analytics to peacekeeping, special operations and sup- SAS Institute Inc., Cary, N.C./USA

330 tonnes of beams from Belval
Sections and merchant bars contributes to

sustainable transport in Norway
Borregaard, a Norwegian biochemicals producer is currently building a new warehouse that will allow them to
store all the lignin in one place instead of different sites, thus improving logistics and reducing CO2 emissions
from road transport. The warehouse is being built with beams from ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products.
B
orregaard and logistics company “This project will reduce CO2 emissions from
Borg Havn are building a modern,
sustainable lignin warehouse in Øra,
road transport and relieve traffic growth on
near Fredrikstad in Norway. The structure European roads. It will also greatly reduce the
of this new 19,000 square metre ware- local heavy transport related to Borregaard’s
house is currently being built with 330
tonnes of beams produced by ArcelorMit- exports from Borg Havn”
tal Europe – Long Products Sections and Per A. Sørlie, CEO of Borregaard
Merchant Bars’ mill in Belval, Luxem-
bourg.
The new warehouse will bring many “Increased volumes will allow for transportation of raw materials to its produc-
benefits: port to more European destinations, which tion facilities and products to its custom-
optimise product flow and improve will also benefit other users of the port. In ers. In addition to a joint pilot project to
logistics, this way, sea transport will increase and study possible autonomous transport
strengthen the position of the port. heavy road traffic will decrease,” says Tore solutions by ship across the River Glom-
Today, Borregaard stores lignin at a num- Lundestad, Port Director of Borg. ma between Sarpsborg and Fredrikstad,
ber of different sites, several of which are The building is also designed for future Borregaard is also looking into the future
outside the company’s premises. Lignin is energy-saving solutions such as potential for road transport using electric
currently transported via Borregaard’s own roof-mounted solar cells. vehicles.
port facility or by road to Borg Havn for “This project will reduce CO2 emissions
delivery to customers. A new warehouse Zero-emissions solutions from road transport and relieve traffic
to store all the lignin will therefore mean growth on European roads. It will also
more efficient logistics with fewer stages Borregaard is keen to have efficient greatly reduce the local heavy transport
of transportation. zero-emissions solutions for the trans- related to Borregaard’s exports from Borg
Structure of a modern, sustainable lignin warehouse (Figure: Henning Klausen, Metacon)

materials; less deep and therefore less

costly foundations due to the lower weight
of steel buildings compared with tradition-
al materials; and far longer uninterrupted
spans between columns, resulting in
much better flexibility of interior floor lay-
out.
In addition, buildings designed using
the Steligence® philosophy will be easier
to assemble (and potentially disassemble)
and therefore quicker to build, leading to
significant efficiencies and cost savings for
the construction sector.
The warehouse will be completed by the end of 2019 (Figure: Henning Klausen, Metacon) While steel’s infinite recyclability poten-
tial is clearly superior to that of alternative
materials, even then there are associated
Havn,” says Per A. Sørlie, CEO of Borre- need for better dialogue between various costs given the energy necessary to melt
gaard. specialist architectural and engineering and re-form. In this context, design where
Borregaard’s plant in Sarpsborg has an disciplines, recognizing not only specialist possible using modular steel components
annual lignin capacity of 160,000 tonnes, expertise, but also the need for enhanced can enable re-use rather than re-cycling of
and an increasing proportion is speciality co-operation between experts. Steli- steel components in new buildings at the
products. A centralised warehouse at Borg gence® further suggests that the use of end of life of the original building. This
is part of a project where Borregaard is best available technology in steelmaking, ‘re-use’ possibility gives steel a huge
investing NOK 500 million in upgrading as well as modularization of steel compo- advantage over traditional building materi-
and specialisation of the Sarpsborg plants nents in buildings where possible, has the als, particularly as regulations strengthen
producing lignin products. The project also capacity to generate efficiency gains in the regarding the sustainability credentials of
involves enhanced drying capacity, new design, construction and configurability of buildings.
ideas for the storage of liquid materials and buildings as compared to those using tra- Steel already plays a big role in the cir-
improved solutions for logistics, infrastruc- ditional construction methods. cular economy. Steligence ® will enable
ture and energy. Additionally, because steel is infinitely the construction industry and buildings
recyclable, Steligence® sets the stage for themselves to play an even more signifi-
Steligence®, a radical and architects to consider the life-cycle, recy- cant role in it. “As climate, energy and
disruptive construction industry clability and, ultimately, re-usability of a resource scarcity intensifies, win-win
concept building and its components at the earliest solutions like Steligence ® become imper-
point in the design process. ative for business and society at large.
ArcelorMittal has unveiled in June 2018 a This new approach to construction from Buildings play a huge part in all our lives,
radical new concept for the use of steel in ArcelorMittal has been brought about by so creating a construction concept that
construction, which will facilitate the next real advances in technology which now improves their social, economic and envi-
generation of high-performance buildings make steel an even more attractive mate- ronmental impact while dramatically
and construction techniques and create a rial for construction than was previously enhancing their functionality and aesthet-
more sustainable life-cycle for buildings. the case. As such, the Steligence® con- ics has been a huge but important chal-
Known as Steligence®, the concept cept has the potential to drive significant lenge”, says Greg Ludkovsky, ArcelorMit-
revolves around the idea of buildings as architectural and sustainability benefits. tal’s global head of research and
holistic entities where all aspects of design These benefits include more building development.
are considered in an integrated way, as storeys within a given height than is the “Steligence® is the culmination of sev-
part of the whole. As such, it proposes the case with traditional building systems and eral years’ intensive scientific, independ-
ent peer reviewed research to develop
specific-use steel for the construction
industry. By combining this R&D with
About Borregaard extensive consultation of leading players
in the construction industry, we have land-
Borregaard owns one of the world’s most advanced and sustainable ed on a radical new approach to construc-
biorefineries. By using natural, sustainable raw materials, Borregaard tion which is underpinned by a clear phi-
produces advanced and eco-friendly biochemicals that can replace oil-based losophy: to build a sustainable business
products. Borregaard has 1,010 employees in factories and sales offices in around a sustainable construction industry
16 countries in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. Borregaard also has strong that delivers for future generations.”
positions in ingredients and fine chemicals.
ArcelorMittal, Luxembourg

Combilift wins safety award
The Combi-PPT powered pallet truck has The Combi-PPT is a high performance bilift customer wanting to enhance opera-
won the Safety Category of the British pedestrian operated powered pallet truck, tional safety and material flow in its
Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) the first model of which was designed fol- manufacturing facilities. This proved to be
Awards for Excellence 2019. lowing a very specific request from a Com- so successful that the Combi-PPT was put
into serial production last year and models
with capacities from 3,000 kg up to 16,000
kg are now available.
According to the FLTA, the jury was
impressed by the truck’s large capacity and
its potential to replace counterbalance
trucks, improving safety in pedestrian areas.
Its design and features such as AC powered
drive, steer and lifting technology enable
very large and bulky products to be manoeu-
vred with ease in confined spaces without
the use of a ride-on forklift. Above all, it can
also do this whilst ensuring maximum safe-
ty when working in areas where other per-
sonnel may be present, in busy production
plants for example, thanks to Combilift’s
unique, patented multi-position tiller arm.
This incorporates tiller and operator offset
position with the touch of a button and ena-
bles excellent visibility from the side of the
truck, also reducing any crush risk to the
operator when working in tight spaces.
Award-winning heavy-duty forklift truck (Picture: Combilift) Combilift
DEW develops new high-strength steel
The new special steel, Corrodur 4418 With a tensile strength of at least 862 ute. What is more, the steel’s high strength
Mod, developed by Deutsche Edelstahl- MPa, a yield strength of 758 MPa and a opens up greater scope to users when it
werke (DEW), a company of the Schmolz toughness of at least 81 J at -10°C, Corro- comes to dimensioning components and
+ Bickenbach Group, is characterized by dur 4418 Mod, also known as Super 13Cr, planned increases in performance with
high strength, outstanding toughness is far superior to conventional 13% chrome unchanged dimensions.
and very good resistance to pitting and steels. The very good resistance to pitting With this steel grade, DEW was one of
stress corrosion. and stress corrosion is a noteworthy attrib- the first steel manufacturers to be qualified
by the leading oil and gas company, Statoil
ASA (since 2018: Equinor ASA) according
to NORSOK M650 for a strength level of
minimum 110 ksi yield strength. Corrosive
media, such as acid gases or chloride, con-
stantly attack the materials-handling tech-
nology at high temperatures in the oil and
gas extraction sector. Corrodur 4418 Mod
takes over where conventional chrome
steels reach their limits and offers users an
The new special steel devel- extremely high-performance material solu-
oped by DEW increases process
reliability in the oil and gas tion. DEW presented the new steel at the
extraction field (Picture: recent NACE International Corrosion Con-
Deutsche Edelstahlwerke) ference & Expo in Nashville, USA.
Deutsche Edelstahlwerke (DEW)

Rentel offshore wind farm based on thermomechanically rolled heavy plate
Steel from the Saarland is helping Bel- The plate is used to form the monopile MW, Rentel can supply around 285,000
gium achieve its climate targets. The foundations of 42 wind turbines and of Belgian households with green electrici-
largest turbines installed so far in the the farm’s electrical substation. They are ty.
Belgian North Sea stand firmly on 55,000 installed at water depths of 22 to 36 m
t of thermomechanically rolled heavy The wind farm covers an area of 22.72
plate produced by Dillinger. km². With a total installed capacity of 309 Dillinger
Konecranes and Demag operate under new name
Both companies will from now on oper- global brands such as Demag, Gottwald techniques and capacity of manufactur-
ate under one name: Konecranes and and Noell being added to Konecranes’ ing more than 1,000 cranes per year,
Demag Private Limited. product portfolio. In India, Konecranes with exports to the Middle East, Austral-
and Demag are now geared to offer ia and Asia.
This name change follows acquisition of products which can be used across
the Material Handling & Port Solutions industries like general engineering, steel,
(MHPS) segment from Terex Corpora- power, automotive, paper to name a few.
tion by Konecranes PLC in 2016. The The company has a state-of-art 48,000 Konecranes,
acquisition led to some of the leading m2 manufacturing facility and patented Demag
SCT 2020 – 6th International Conference on Steels in Cars and Trucks
The sixth edition of the international the automotive, supplier and steel ogie Marketing, with advisory support
conference and exhibition on Steels in industries together”. Papers presented by Steel Institute VDEh, which estab-
Cars and Trucks will be staged in Milano will cover topics like steel components lished this conference series in 2005.
from 14 – 18 June 2020. in cars and trucks, manufacturing com- ArcelorMittal is the main sponsor of the
ponents, new steels, modelling, simu- event.
During the five-day conference future lations and testing. Specially featured
trends in steel development, process- will be the initiative Lightweight Forg-
ing technology and applications will be ing and cooperation in R&D. The con- TEMA Technologie Marketing,
discussed under the motto “Bringing ference is organized by TEMA Technol- Steel Institute VDEh
World record bridge building project in the Emirates
SSAB’s S500MC steel was used as the uring 32.39 m, has already earned a
basic material from which the corrugat- place in the Guinness World Records
ed plates were made to build a bridge in book as “the largest metal buried
Ras Al Khaimah. bridge span”
Shammal Bridge is part of the UAE gov-
Opened to traffic in March this year, the ernment’s Phase 2 expansion of Emirates
bridge can withstand a load of 2,000 Road project to link Rak with the rest of the
vehicles per hour and was completed UAE. The bridge is located within the
in half the time it would have taken to “mega” Rak Ring Road that was also
build a similar bridge made of concrete. recently completed.
It is also estimated that the bridge will ViaCon in Poland produced the corru-
last more than a 100 years and require gated steel plates used to build the bridge.
less maintenance than other bridges
accommodating heavy traffic. The steel
arch structures comprise corrugated SSAB
iron sheets that are installed in line with
pre-approved designs and project The new steel structure bridge in the UAE
requirements. The bridge span, meas- (Picture: SSAB)

106 | STEEL DISTRIBUTION
Steel processing in combination with engineering services
SSAB enhances steel processing services

for customers in Central and Eastern Europe
SSAB is providing new processing opportunities for customers to explore, with a laser cutting machine and
top-class press brake. The new machines were presented during a unique event at the SSAB steel service
centre in Oborniki, Poland.
A
round 130 manufacturing executives an extremely narrow radius. A control sys- The SSAB Shape service centre in
and representatives from SSAB, tem in the press enables energy saving of Oborniki, Poland offers numerous
including SSAB CEO Martin Lind- up to 90% that of a conventional machine, design, processing and prefabrication
qvist, met at the SSAB Shape steel service reducing the environmental footprint of the services for manufacturers looking to
centre in Oborniki, Poland in March. After production process. create new and innovative products,
inspirational seminars and a plant tour, “The combination of SSAB’s high- reduce assembly times and utilize the
they were given an exclusive demonstra- strength steels, such as Strenx and Har- full benefits of the steel grade chosen.
tion of the new laser cutting machine and dox, and the press brake has allowed for The new investments in machinery will
press brake that began operations in Q4 of completely new possibilities for lighter, benefit customers that share SSAB’s
2018. stronger and more sustainable products. drive for innovation, uniqueness, and a
“Many of our excellent and long-term The combination of the new, patent pend- more sustainable world. Those looking
customers have developed fantastic prod- ing forming technique and the machine’s for engineering and product solutions
ucts and continue to drive innovation, and CNC control system enable us to deliver can contact SSAB Services for more
they expect us to follow suit. In order for high accuracy details in a stable process. information and assistance.
SSAB to serve our customers with both Every delivery will fit right in, reducing Driven by customer demand, SSAB
capacity and capability, we have decided assembly time for our customers,” continues to invest in creating a more
to invest in new machines. There is clear explains Tobias Svensson, Managing complex diverse range of services. The
market demand and this will support our Director of SSAB Poland. latest addition in machinery will allow
customers in their future developments as The laser-cutting machine nicely com- SSAB to serve customers with a wider
well,” says Jonas Gozzi, Head of Shape plements our plasma and flame cutting range of products and create new possi-
Projects. capabilities. It is a more suitable choice for bilities for innovative solutions. Allowing
The new press brake has a maximum cutting thinner dimensions of advanced SSAB to perform steel processing in
press power of 2000t, which makes it opti- high-strength steel allowing for narrow tol- combination with engineering services
mal for forming thicker materials up to 12.2 erances and high-quality edges. “The laser will enable customers to speed up the
meters in length, and powerful control sys- cutting machine fills a gap in the market development and time to market of their
tems enabling high accuracy on the final for large-size, high-quality details. Our products.
product’s tolerance. It also features a pat- machine fits right in with a flexible 3D
ent pending technology that allows for the head, a powerful 6 kW laser source and a
forming of completely unique parts with table of 14 m x 4.1 m,” says Svensson. SSAB AB, Stockholm, Sweden
The SSAB Shape service centre in Oborniki,

Poland offers numerous design, processing
and prefabrication services for manufacturers
(Picture: SSAB)

STEEL DISTRIBUTION | 107
Negative price effects and a slowdown in demand
Klöckner & Co reports lower earnings in first

quarter of 2019 despite higher sales figures
Operating income (EBITDA) has significantly decreased to €34 million compared to €56 million in Q1 2018.
However, sales are up by 4.6% to €1.7 billion (Q1 2018: €1.6 billion). Also, sales via digital channels increase
further to 27% (Q1 2018: 19%).
K
löckner & Co reports price-driven sales “Negative price and volume effects dominate
growth of 4.6% to €1.7 billion in the
earnings development in 2019”
first quarter of 2019. Operating income
(EBITDA), at €34 million, was below the Gisbert Rühl, Chairman of the Management Board, Klöckner & Co SE
€56 million recorded in the first quarter of
2018. While Klöckner & Co benefited from Growth in sales and operating Klöckner & Co Group, is geared to develop
a very positive price environment in the first income yet in fiscal 2018 into the leading industry platform for steel,
quarter of the prior year, earnings in the first metal and related products. As a pioneer of
three months of fiscal year 2019 were Klöckner & Co’s sales went up 7.9% to the digital transformation in the steel indus-
impacted by negative price effects. Demand €6.8 billion in fiscal year 2018, largely on try, Klöckner & Co’s target is to fully digitalize
was also down, primarily due to the weak- account of the higher price level. Operat- its supply and service chain as well as to
ness of the European automotive sector. ing income (EBITDA) improved by 3.4% to expand the independent open industry plat-
Compared with net income of €21 million €227 million. Aside from the positive trend form XOM Materials to become the domi-
in the prior-year quarter, the net loss in prices over much of the year, this nant vertical platform for the steel and met-
amounted to €10 million. As a result, earn- increase was primarily a result of optimiza- al industry and its neighboring industries.
ings per share were €-0.10 (Q1 2018: €0.21). tion measures. Net income was €69 mil-
Digitalization of the supply and value lion, compared with a prior-year figure of kloeckner.i and diva-e join forces in
chain as well as expansion of the XOM Mate- €102 million boosted by one-off tax the field of digital strategy
rials independent industry platform are core effects. Earnings per share consequently
components of the “Klöckner & Co 2022” stood at €0.68 (2017: €1.01). kloeckner.i, the digital unit of Klöckner &
strategy. The proportion of sales generated For its key markets of Europe and the Co, and diva-e, leading Transactional Expe-
through digital channels further increased to USA, Klöckner & Co mostly expects to see rience Partner for digital business, have
27% in the first quarter of 2019 (Q1 2018: slight growth in real steel demand and cor- intensified their cooperation and will now
19%). XOM Materials likewise continued its responding growth in Group shipments for offer their consulting services jointly. Chris-
dynamic growth, with 17 contracted distrib- 2019. Sales, on the other hand, are antici- tian Dyck, CEO of kloeckner.i, explains:
utors and 230 customers on the platform in pated to rise sharply on the back of invest- “On the back of successfully digitalizing
April 2019. Additionally, XOM Materials was ment made in expansion and an expected Klöckner & Co, we began offering digital
launched in the USA in the first quarter of higher overall steel price level than in the consulting services to external companies
2019. The Group’s digital unit, kloeckner.i, preceding year. at the start of the year. To do this, we coop-
began providing consulting services to exter- Klöckner & Co is one of the largest pro- erate with selected premium partners such
nal companies during the reporting period. ducer-independent distributors of steel as diva-e to ensure we are able to offer our
An initial consulting project with a DAX 30 and metal products and one of the leading customers a top-quality, end-to-end con-
company is already being implemented. steel service companies worldwide. Based sulting and implementation package.” Sirko
In light of negative price effects and a slow- on its distribution and service network of Schneppe, Managing Director and CSO
down in demand – notably in the automotive around 160 locations in 13 countries, diva-e Platforms, says: “Pooling our con-
business – Klöckner & Co expects to generate Klöckner & Co supplies more than 100,000 sulting and solutions portfolio is the logical
operating income (EBITDA) of €50 million to customers. Currently, the Group has next step in our longstanding successful
€60 million in the second quarter and full-year around 8,500 employees. collaboration. Both partners are passionate
EBITDA of €180 million to €200 million before As a pioneer of change in the steel indus- not only about developing theoretical digital
significant non-recurring items. With regard to try, Klöckner & Co is in the process of digi- concepts, but also implementing actual dig-
EBITDA after significant non-recurring items, talizing its entire supply and value chain. In ital projects with quantifiable economic
the aforementioned negative impact will be addition, its digital unit, kloeckner.i., is benefits.”
mainly compensated by the sale of one site in increasingly providing consulting services
the United Kingdom with an expected gain of for external business clients. XOM Materi-
more than €30 million. als, an independent venture launched by the Klöckner & Co SE, Duisburg, Germany

Coil storage and dispatch
Tata Steel unveils fully sustainable storage

facility for coils in IJmuiden, NL
Air-curtains to prevent heat loss, automated loading bays and energy-recovering cranes are just some of the
innovations housed in Tata Steel’s new steel coil storage facility in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, designed to be
the most sustainable yet. The official opening of the new, ultra-modern storage facility for steel coils took place
on Wednesday 8 May.
T
he so-called LA Hall enables the steel “This new building, which is entirely
company to optimise logistics pro-
cesses and further improve deliveries
constructed from steel and clad with our own
to customers while at the same time being steel panels, is a textbook example of how you
energy neutral. The new 10,000 square can construct an extremely functional and fully
metre facility has a capacity of 50,000 t of
steel coils and is strategically located, sustainable building with steel”
close to the company’s galvanising lines, Hans van den Berg, director of Tata Steel in IJmuiden, NL
where the steel is coated with a layer of
zinc as protection against corrosion.
“The new storage warehouse enables organise the processes on our site even director of Tata Steel in IJmuiden. “It is
us to serve customers even better and to more efficiently,” says Hans van den Berg, also important that this new building,
which is entirely constructed from steel
and clad with our own steel panels, is a
textbook example of how you can con-
struct an extremely functional and fully
sustainable building with steel,” says van
den Berg.
In the new storage warehouse, the very
latest technologies have been applied in
the field of security and computer technol-
ogy. The fully automatically controlled LA
Hall is twice as large as the other storage
facilities on the Tata Steel site in IJmuiden.
The building is energy neutral and has
been designed in such a way that the
residual heat from the cooling water from
the nearby hot strip mill is used to heat it.
The cranes in the warehouse are equipped
with a system which stores the energy
generated when a load is lowered, which
can then be used to lift the load. The ware-
house is also well insulated.
Tata Steel is one of Europe’s leading
steel producers, with steelmaking in the
Netherlands and the UK, and manufactur-
ing plants across Europe. The company
supplies high-quality steel products to the
most demanding markets, including con-
struction and infrastructure, automotive,
packaging and engineering.
The new 10,000 square metre facility has a capacity of 50,000 tonnes of steel coils and is
strategically located, close to the company’s galvanising lines (Picture: Tata Steel Europe) Tata Steel Europe

PANORAMA | 109
worldsteel short range outlook April 2019
Global steel demand continues to grow in

slowing economic environment
The World Steel Association (worldsteel) forecasts global steel demand will reach 1,735 Mt in 2019, an increase
of 1.3% over 2018. In 2020, demand is projected to grow by 1.0% to reach 1,752 Mt. worldsteel released its
short range outlook in April 2019.
C
ommenting on the outlook, Mr Al ly slower than in 2017. In 2019 and 2020 turing performance. Mild government
Remeithi, Chairman of the worldsteel growth is still expected, but in a less stimulus cushioned the economic slow-
Economics Committee said, “In favourable economic environment. China’s down in 2018. In 2019, the government is
2019 and 2020, global steel demand is deceleration, a slowing global economy, likely to heighten the level of stimulus,
expected to continue to grow, but growth and uncertainty surrounding trade policies which is expected to boost steel demand.
rates will moderate in tandem with a slow- and the political situation in many regions In 2020, a minor contraction in Chinese
ing global economy. Uncertainty over the suggest a possible moderation in business steel demand is forecasted as the stimulus
trade environment and volatility in the confidence and investment. effects are expected to subside.
financial markets have not yet subsided
and could pose downside risks to this fore- Chinese steel demand still robust Weaker world trade environment
cast.”
In 2018, global steel demand increased Steel demand in China continues to decel- Steel demand in the developed economies
by 2.1% (after adjusting for China induction erate as the combined effect of economic grew by 1.8% in 2018 following a resilient
furnace closures – see note in October rebalancing and trade tension is leading to 3.1% growth in 2017. We expect demand
2018 short range outlook), growing slight- slowing investment and sluggish manufac- to further decelerate to 0.3% in 2019 and
Demand for finished steel; Mt = million t; y-o-y growth rate (Picture: worldsteel)

110 | PANORAMA
0.7% in 2020, reflecting a deteriorating Having overcome the shocks of demonetisa- The Turkish economy is still reacting to
trade environment. tion and the Goods & Services Tax (GST) the currency crisis of August 2018, which
In 2017-18, steel demand in the US ben- implementation, the Indian economy is now led to contraction in steel demand. This is
efitted from the strong growth of the econ- expected to achieve faster growth starting in expected to continue into 2019, with some
omy driven by government-led fiscal stim- the second half of 2019 after the election. stabilisation in 2020.
ulus, leading to high confidence and a While the fiscal deficit might weigh on public
robust job market. In 2019, the US growth investment to an extent, the wide range of Latin America
pattern is expected to slow with the wan- continuing infrastructure projects is likely to
ing effect of fiscal stimulus and a monetary support growth in steel demand above 7% A broad recovery in steel demand across
policy normalisation. Therefore, both con- in both 2019 and 2020. Latin America is expected to continue
struction and manufacturing growth is Steel demand in developing Asia despite internal and external uncertainty.
expected to moderate. Investment in oil excluding China is expected to grow by Recovery in Brazil is in its third year with
and gas exploration is expected to decel- 6.5% and 6.4% in 2019 and 2020 respec- the construction sector expected to mild-
erate as well, while a boost in infrastruc- tively, making it the fastest growing region ly improve in 2019. On the other hand,
ture spending is not expected. in the global steel industry. In the ASEAN steel demand growth in Mexico is expect-
The EU economies also face the dete- region, infrastructure development sup- ed to be moderate, influenced by weak
riorating trade environment and uncertain- ports demand for steel. mining investment, fiscal budget con-
ty over Brexit. We expect slower growth straints, policy uncertainties and a slow-
in demand for steel in the major EU econ- MENA region ing US economy. The political situation
omies (especially in those more export in Venezuela and its impact on the region
dependent) in 2019. Steel demand growth Economic diversification efforts in the Gulf is unclear.
is expected to improve in 2020, dependent coast countries continue in reaction to a
on a reduction in trade tensions. low oil price environment but fiscal consol- Steel demand from the automotive
Japan recorded growth in steel demand idation is still supressing construction and construction sectors
in 2018, supported by a favourable invest- activities. Steel demand is expected to
ment environment and continued con- continue to contract in 2019, with a minor As pent-up demand and government stim-
ulus measures subsided, the automotive
industry saw a sharp slowdown in growth
“Uncertainty over the trade environment and in 2018 in many countries, in particular in
volatility in the financial markets have not yet the EU, Turkey and China. The largest
decline was observed in Turkey (-9.0%)
subsided and could pose downside risks to this and in the UK (-5.5%). As a result, global
forecast” auto production growth decelerated to
2.2% in 2018 from 4.9% in 2017. In 2019,
Al Remeithi, Chairman of the worldsteel Economics Committee
global auto production will continue to
decelerate to 1% growth with stabilisation
expected in 2020. However, in Latin Amer-
struction activities as well as a boost in recovery expected in 2020. ica, especially in Brazil, auto production will
consumer spending prior to the consump- Iran’s steel demand will also contract in buck the trend and continue to show a
tion tax increase. In 2019 and 2020, steel 2019 as the reinstatement of US sanctions steady rebound.
demand is likely to contract slightly due to causes a recession in the economy. The momentum of construction activi-
a moderation of construction activities and The situation in North Africa looks ties is also expected to moderate a bit in
decelerating exports despite the support brighter, with Egypt recovering strongly the developed economies, but thanks to
provided by public projects. after the structural reforms of 2017. Invest- the rebound in the developing economies,
Steel demand in Korea has been con- ment in energy and a recovery in the real global growth will be maintained at a 3%
tracting since 2017 due to reduced demand estate market are expected to drive Egyp- level in 2019-20. However, in China, Tur-
from two major steel using sectors, ship- tian steel demand. Other North African key, South Korea and Argentina, construc-
building and automotive. Steel demand is economies are also expected to show tion activities are expected to continue to
expected to continue declining in 2019 due resilient growth in steel demand backed by contract in 2019. With weakening invest-
to toughened real estate market measures strong investment activities. ment and a worsening trade environment,
and a deteriorating export environment. A the global machinery sector is expected to
mild recovery is expected in 2020. CIS and Turkey show a steady deceleration that will last till
2020, which will be more pronounced in
Developing economies present a Despite improved oil prices, growth in major production hubs such as Germany,
positive but mixed picture steel demand in Russia will continue but is Japan and China.
expected to be constrained by structural
Steel demand in the emerging economies issues. The growth outlook for Ukraine is
excluding China is expected to grow by 2.9% stable and improving, supported by World Steel Association, Brussels,
and 4.6% in 2019 and 2020 respectively. domestic consumption. Belgium

PANORAMA | 111
Advanced high strength steel market forecast
Europe leading the AHSS market aiming to

enhance production of lightweight vehicles
A smart report published by Fact.MR details that vehicular safety functions are a key growth factor across
developed and developing economies, thereby creating constant opportunities for advanced high strength steel
manufacturers. This study further enlightens the readers about different market aspects such as market share,
forecasted demand and competitive dashboard.
A
dvanced high strength steel was intro- vital to know that, AHSS delivers greater in order to reduce fuel emissions and fulfill-
duced with a motive to partly address degree of fuel efficiency, quality, durability ing GHG requirements.
concentrated formability with and affordability; these features are highly Based on this Fact.MR analysis, Europe
enhanced strength as a substitute for conven- appreciated across the automotive industry. maintains its leading position as a highly
tional steels. They were associated with com- profitable region for advanced high strength
plex geometrical parts which require high Automotive light-weighting trend steel manufacturers. It should be noted that
formability. Hence, advanced high strength Intensifies the AHSS demand demand for advanced high strength steel is
steel is been actively employed across multi- quite high in Europe, particularly in the EU 5
modal applications like automotive rails, front It is anticipated that with the proliferation nations, where the automakers are aiming
end structures, crash boxes, automotive pil- of technology hitting a higher path, appli- to reduce vehicular weight in an attempt to
lars and doors, as well as sill reinforcements. cations for advanced high strength steel fulfill futuristic regulations concerning tail-
According to report findings, sales of would continue to rise in automobiles. The pipe emissions. It is anticipated that Europe
advanced high strength steel are experi- role of advanced high strength steel will would continue its run as the largest market
encing a major surge, in line with mounting become crucial in enhancing fuel econo- for advanced high strength steel during
preference of end-use industries for mate- my, crash safety and engine performance, 2019, closely followed by North America.
rials that possess favorable mechanical thereby, making it a practical investment Some of the prime manufacturers from
properties. It is highlighted that demand in the automotive sector. the advanced high strength steel manufac-
for advanced high strength steel is project- This study by Fact.MR highlights that turers market are United States Steel Corpo-
ed to surpass 13.8 million tons in 2019, light-weighting is on the move across differ- ration, Tata Steel Ltd, thyssenkrupp AG, Arce-
recording an improvement from 2018. In ent industrial landscapes, including automo- lorMittal SA., Nucor Corp, Baoshan Iron &
addition, the report stated that advanced tive. Interestingly, federal governments all Steel Co., Ltd, AK Steel Holding Corp, POS-
high strength steel market is anticipated to around the globe are daunting safety and CO, SSAB AB and Steel Technologies LLC.
broaden at a volume CAGR of over 10% fuel regulations, which has pressed OEMs The advanced high strength steel market
during the forecast period until 2027. to lessen weight of vehicles as well as asso- remains a consolidated landscape, with the
Global automakers are facing challenges ciated components. Therefore, this is push- monopoly of the leading players. Buoyancy
in relation to safety enhancement as well as ing automakers to contemplate the use of of the leading players in the advanced high
fuel efficiency improvement. The focus of effective materials like advanced high strength steel market can be attributed to
many automotive manufacturers has been strength steel. Furthermore, automakers are their global presence, and high orientation
fixed at setting up efficacious solutions, even focusing on vehicular weight reduction toward R&D activities. In addition, leading
including advanced high strength steel. It is players are also entering into strategic col-
laborations with end-use industries to
achieve long-term customer retention and
repeat sales. Apart from growing with the
existing end-user segments, manufacturing
companies in the advanced high strength
steel market are venturing into niche appli-
cations with good growth potential.
Advanced High Strength Steel Market

Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition
Tracking - Global Market Insights 2018 to
2027
Global market for advanced high strength steel (Picture: Fact.MR) Fact.MR, Rockville, MD/USA

112 | PANORAMA
Market report
Global metallurgical coke market is

expected to reach US$ 241.1 billion by 2027
The global metallurgical coke market is estimated to be valued at US$ 186 billion by the end of 2018 and is
forecast to reach US$ 241.1 billion by the end of 2027. The market is projected to grow at a compound annual
growth rate (CAGR) of 2.9% during the forecast period. Some factors influencing the growth of the concerned
market are growth of construction industry, increasing automotive production and positive global steel
production outlook.
I
ron and steel production is one of the tries, are expected to create significant Among source ash content segments,
main application areas of metallurgical opportunities for the metallurgical coke the low ash content segment dominates
coke. Hence, the dynamics of the market owing to increasing government the metallurgical coke market owing to
steel industry will directly impact the met- initiatives to promote the domestic manu- high demand from steel manufacturers.
allurgical coke market. Increasing steel facturing industry. Further, recovering eco- Furthermore, low ash content coke is used
demand from various industry verticals is nomic growth and increasing industrial and in cupola furnace to produce casting prod-
expected to push the growth of steel pro- institutional investments in Latin American ucts.
duction, which in turn, is expected to drive Countries, such as Argentina, Brazil and By end use, the iron & steel segment
the growth of the metallurgical coke mar- Mexico, will create an optimistic outlook accounts for a significant share in the glob-
ket. Growth in infrastructural spending and for the growth of the metallurgical coke al metallurgical coke market. In 2017, iron
growing residential and commercial con- market. & steel segment is estimated to have
struction are other important factors pro- accounted for more than 87% of metallur-
jected to fuel the demand for metallurgical Metallurgical coke market forecast gical coke demand. The segment is
coke over the forecast period. Moreover, expected to create incremental $ opportu-
increasing protectionist government The global metallurgical coke market is nity worth US$ 39.1 billion between 2019
stance owing to over production of metal- estimated to witness healthy growth over and 2027.
lurgical coke and steel by Chinese manu- the forecast period. The global metallurgi- Some of the key market participants
facturers is also expected to significantly cal coke market is segmented on the basis reported in this study on the global met-
influence the global metallurgical coke of product type, ash content and end use allurgical coke market include OKK
market during the forecast period. and region. Koksovny, a.s., SunCoke Energy Inc.,
The growing construction industry is On the basis of product type, the blast Ennore Coke Limited, Hickman, Wil-
expected to have a positive impact on the furnace coke segment is estimated to liams & Company, Mechel PAO, Sino
global metallurgical coke market. Con- have dominated the global metallurgical Hua-An International Berhad and Drum-
struction industry is the biggest consumer coke market in 2017 and is expected to mond Company, Inc.
of steel and any growth in the construction maintain its prominence throughout the
industry pushes the demand for steel, forecast period. The Technical coke seg-
thereby in turn driving the growth of the ment is expected to grow at a significant
metallurgical coke market. Developing CAGR owing to growing demand from the Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.,
countries, such as India and ASEAN coun- chemical industry. New York City, USA
Persistence Market Research
Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Their research model is a unique collaboration of
data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. PMR’s new market
study titled “Metallurgical Coke Market: Global Industry Analysis 2013–2018 and Forecast 2019–2027” provides in-depth
analysis on the global metallurgical coke market and offers an in-depth examination for the forecast period 2019 to 2027.
The metallurgical coke market report evaluates the macro & micro economic factors supporting the growth of the global
and regional level market. This research study on the metallurgical coke market also offers insights on the market
dynamics and competition landscape in the global as well as the regional markets.

Asia
ATI STAL commissions new line
Allegheny Technologies Incorporated sion-rolled stainless steel strip products The recent expansion includes a 1,219
(ATI) has commissioned STAL 3, the lat- for the Asian market. It is located in the mm wide cold rolling mill enabling produc-
est expansion of its 20-year STAL joint Xin-Zhuang Industrial Zone of Shanghai. tion of sheets thinner than a human hair, a
venture to produce precision stainless The joint venture brought together what bright anneal line and associated auxiliary
steel strip for China and the Asian mar- was then Allegheny Ludlum – now Alle- finishing equipment. STAL’s products are
kets. gheny Technologies – owning 60% and sold across Asia, including China, Japan,
Shanghai No. 10 Iron and Steel Works – Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and India.
The STAL joint venture was formed in now China Baowu Steel Group – owning
1995 with the purpose of specializing in 40%. It was last expanded in 2007, when
the manufacturing and marketing of preci- STAL 2 was brought on-line. Allegheny Technologies Incorporated
Asia
thyssenkrupp to establish Additive Manufacturing TechCenter Hub
The new facility in Singapore is to serve gapore is considered a fertile ground for for customers in automotive, capital
as an extension of the TechCenter for the innovation to grow. The Research, goods, chemical, mining and other heavy
additive manufacturing launched in Mül- Innovation and Enterprise 2020 of Singa- industries. It will provide a complete range
heim an der Ruhr, Germany in 2017. pore, which is the country’s roadmap for of additive manufacturing services from
research and development, includes addi- part identification diagnostics, project
The future Singapore Additive Manufac- tive manufacturing as one of the key ena- delivery to training and capability building.
turing TechCenter Hub, supported by blers that will support the country’s push The facility will also host additive manufac-
the Singapore Economic Development for leadership in advanced manufacturing turing engineers who will work together
Board (EDB), aims to unlock the poten- and engineering. with their colleagues in Germany to devel-
tial of additive manufacturing for cus- thyssenkrupp’s TechCenter Hub in Sin- op various products and solutions leverag-
tomers in Singapore and across Asia gapore, together with the existing Tech- ing on this innovation.
Pacific. Center in Germany, will focus on innova-
Additive manufacturing in Asia Pacific is tions around additive manufacturing
expected to see large grow rates and Sin- solutions in metal and plastic technologies thyssenkrupp AG
Europe
Dillinger expands E-Service with customer app
The new “E-Connect” app provides cus- can be identified quickly and reliably as Dil- during flame cutting,” says Dr. Günter Lux-
tomers of Dillinger using the E-Service linger heavy plate by using a smartphone or enburger, member of the Dillinger board of
platform added service functionalities. tablet to scan its barcode or by manually management. The modular structure allows
entering the rolled plate number. “Custom- the app to be continuously adapted to
While customers can find and download ers can find all certificate information and changing requirements through additional,
information about their orders in Dillinger’s test results for ‘their’ plate here. Based on customer-focused developments.
E-Service area, including current order sta- this, they can obtain information on pro-
tus, certificates, invoices, delivery history cessing with just one more click, including
or tools for plate processing, the app now the optimum cooling time during welding or Aktien-Gesellschaft der Dillinger
offers even more practical services: a plate the recommended preheating temperature Hüttenwerke
Europe
kloeckner.i and diva-e join forces
kloeckner.i, the digital unit of internation- Over the past five years, kloeckner.i has Klöckner & Co online shops selling steel
al steel distributor Klöckner & Co, and accumulated vast experience in digitaliz- and metal products have already been
diva-e, a leading Transactional Experience ing the internal processes and sales chan- launched in six countries. Most recently,
Partner for digital business, have intensi- nels of Klöckner & Co. Thanks to diva-e’s the partnership reached another mile-
fied their cooperation and will now offer long-standing support in the technical stone by developing the online shops into
their consulting services jointly. development of software and platforms, platforms through which 30 third-party

vendors now sell complementary prod- offering digital consulting services to customers a top-quality, end-to-end con-
ucts. external companies at the start of the sulting and implementation package.”
Christian Dyck, CEO of kloeckner.i, year. To do this, we cooperate with
explains: “On the back of successfully selected premium partners such as
digitalizing Klöckner & Co, we began diva-e to ensure we are able to offer our kloeckner.i, diva-e
Europe
Tibnor acquires Sanistål’s steel distribution business
SSAB’s subsidiary Tibnor has completed The transaction includes Sanistål’s from the acquisition, as the companies’
the acquisition of the steel distribution modern and highly automated steel dis- product offering complement each oth-
business of Danish Sanistål A/S. tribution center (42,000 m2) in Taulov er very well. For SSAB, the acquisition
and four other sales offices in Denmark provides an attractive channel to grow
The acquisition was approved by the Danish as well as a sales office in Latvia. steel sales.
competition authority in March 2019. It sup- Around 130 employees will transfer to
ports SSAB’s strategic target to strengthen Tibnor as part of the transaction. Sub-
its Nordic home market position. stantial synergy potential is expected SSAB
Europe
BE Group becomes SSAB
Laser certified partner
With the addition of BE Group, the dis-
tribution network for SSAB Laser®
technology now consists of 22 dedi-
cated partners in 13 countries in
Europe.
BE Group is a long-standing partner of

SSAB in trading hot-rolled plate, strip
and tubular products. BE Group’s mem-
bership of the SSAB Laser ® product
sales network means customers in Fin-
land and the Baltics can be even more
certain of steel availability and fast deliv-
eries. “A growing number of customers Laser cutting with an SSAB Laser® unit (Picture: SSAB)
can benefit from fast, problem-free cut-
ting with shorter production time, less
need for rework and greater precision in Laser-cut product (Picture: SSAB)
the cut components since the network
of partners is given thorough training in
both the product and its applications,”
says Jouni Rättyä, senior cross product
manager at SSAB Europe.
SSAB Laser ® has been especially devel-
oped for laser cutting and cold forming
with guaranteed flatness, both before and
after laser cutting.
SSAB

The Americas
CME Group expands ferrous metals offering with new futures contract
A new U.S. Midwest Hot-Rolled Coil Futures contract will be 20 short tons in size trading on CME Globex and for submission
Steel (Platts) Futures contract comple- and will be financially settled against the for clearing through CME ClearPort, and
ments CME Group’s existing steel and Platts TSI HRC U.S. EXW Indiana price will be listed with and subject to the rules
ferrous metals product suite, and pro- assessment. Ferrous metals futures and and regulations of COMEX. As a leading
vides customers with another tool to options trading volumes have increased and highly diverse derivatives market-
manage regional price risk. more than 80% since the start of the year place, CME Group enables clients to trade
to nearly 1,500 contracts traded on average futures, options, cash and OTC markets,
The introduction of this new ferrous contract per day. Open interest reached nearly optimize portfolios, and analyze data.
by CME Group is timely given the ongoing 37,000 contracts at the end of February.
uncertainties around steel prices. The U.S. Pending relevant regulatory review peri-
Midwest Hot-Rolled Coil Steel (Platts) ods, the new contract will be available for CME Group
The Americas
Joint venture between NSBA and Pacesetter
Nippon Steel & Sumikin Bussan Ameri- Southwestern United States and Mexi- plated. The first development phase of
cas, Inc. (NSBA) and Pacesetter have co. NSPS Metals has already started this facility is to be completed in early
entered into a strategic partnership. construction of its new 12,000 m2 steel 2020.
distribution and processing center in
This joint venture will strengthen Houston, Texas. According to the plans,
NSBA’s and Pacesetter’s position in the later expansion to 24,000 m2 is contem- Pacesetter
The Americas
Forecast of US sheet metal demand
According to a report released by Free- anticipated reductions in steel production Total demand is segmented by material in
donia Focus Reports, US sheet metal in China. Through 2023, the leading trans- terms of hot-rolled steel, cold-rolled steel,
demand is to increase 2.2% yearly in portation equipment market is expected aluminium, copper, other metals such as
nominal terms through 2023. to register the fastest growth among the nickel, titanium, and zinc, and by market,
discrete sheet metal markets. Continuing such as transportation equipment, building
Gains are expected in durable goods pro- market adoption of high-value-added products, machinery appliances, electrical
duction, especially transportation equip- sheet metal capable of improving vehicle equipment, electronics, packaging, etc.
ment and building products. In addition, fuel efficiency and safety will drive gains.
value gains will be supported by metal These and other key insights are featured
prices, which will receive a boost from in the Sheet Metal: United States report. The Freedonia Group
The Americas
Maksteel USA completes acquisition of LexWest Steel
Union Partners has announced that one US distribution now spans from the mid- capabilities, and carries a variety of hot
of its steel service centers, Maksteel, has west and south regions to strategic loca- rolled, cold rolled, coated and pre-painted
completed the acquisition of LexWest tions in Los Angeles, California, and a soon- flat rolled products. LexWest Steel is a full-
Steel based in Los Angeles, California. to-be announced expansion in Arizona. line distributor of flat rolled steel products
LexWest Steel was founded in 2001 and and has been rebranded as Maksteel USA.
With the addition of LexWest, Cana- currently operates out of Los Angeles, with
da-based Maksteel now operates out of sales offices in Arizona and Texas. The
nine facilities in the USA and Canada. Its company offers slitting and cut-to-length Union Partners

116 | PANORAMA
Nickel in deficit
Growing demand for Nickel drives increased

investments in Indonesian Nickel sector
As the world’s leading source of nickel, Indonesia is seeing serious investments. Pacific Rim Cobalt Corporation
just announced assay results from its ongoing 2019 drilling campaign. VALE S.A. has also invested heavily in
Indonesian nickel production. Glencore both mines nickel and recycles it from old batteries. Lundin Mining
Corporation produces nickel and its byproducts in four countries. Cobalt 27 Capital Corporation has invested in a
nickel mine in Papua New Guinea that, like Indonesia, offers good access to customers in Chinese industry.
B
atteries play a vital role in modern cobalt and nickel mineralization at the This is creating the demand that Pacific
society, powering everything from Cyclops project will lend itself well to low- Rim is strategically working to address. As
torches and phones to electric cars. cost, logistically straightforward drilling”, electric cars come to dominate the roads,
While the role of cobalt and lithium in said Pacific Rim CEO Ranjeet Sundher. the demand for the minerals used in them
these batteries is widely recognized, nick- The company began a 50-hole core drill- is set to soar.
el is also critically important. The mineral ing program in mid-January on areas of
features in a wide range of batteries, laterite delineated by a geological mapping Getting ahead of the Nickel race
including the majority of electric cars. and a hand-augur geochemistry program.
Nickel also plays an important part in A total of 15 holes have been completed, The world’s largest source of nickel pro-
steel production, which led to a surge in covering a total of 255 m, with hole depths duction by nation is Indonesia. The country
demand from China a decade and a half ranging from 13 to 29 m. is rich with sources of the metal, many of
ago. At that time, production efforts which have yet to be effectively exploited.
increased to meet the demand; today, the The drive for clean energy But this is not the only reason why Indo-
growing importance of nickel in batteries nesia is a natural home for Pacific Rim’s
is causing fresh pressure, along with a sup- The news from Pacific Rim comes as inter- Cyclops project.
ply deficit. This increasing need for nickel est in electric vehicles – and demand for Located on the western rim of the Pacif-
has sparked more investments in nick- the batteries needed to power them – is ic, Indonesia is well positioned for export-
el-producing regions — specifically Indo- gaining significant momentum. One of the ing to China, the world’s largest consumer
nesia, the world’s largest nickel producer. most compelling reasons behind that of battery metals. China has seen massive
increased demand is the desire for clean economic development in recent decades,
Drilling results confirm assessment energy. thanks to the modernizing efforts of the
of the Cyclops project As climate change disrupts weather country’s leaders. While modernization
patterns and destabilizes lives around the can be hard to balance with environmental
One of the companies making that kind of world, industrialized countries are starting protection, the Chinese leadership are well
investment is Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp., to recognize that change as not just an aware of the problems caused by environ-
which has been been actively involved in environmental challenge but a security mental degradation, not the least of which
a drilling project located on the northern one. Those countries have responded by is due to the heavy pollution in major Chi-
shore of Indonesia, near China, which implementing clean-energy and clean-air nese cities. Those leaders are therefore
boasts the world’s largest electric vehicle policies, which are transforming the way encouraging clean alternatives, leading to
battery market. This week the company that automobile companies work. a boom in electric car research and devel-
announced results from eight of the first More than 40 automakers are pivoting opment.
fifteen holes drilled in the Yapase area of towards electric vehicles. While Tesla is Investing in exports to China is a sound
the Cyclops project. The drilling confirmed grabbing most of the headlines, most strategy for any company specializing in
the development of a complete mineral- recently by reducing the price on its Mod- battery metals. The country not only pro-
ized laterite profile and is starting to con- el 3 to make electric cars more wide- duces batteries for its own use but also
firm grades and widths that form the basis spread, more established car companies makes them for export, thus creating a
of the project’s historical estimate. are also getting into the game. It took five fresh wave of demand for nickel in a coun-
“The latest drill results continue to con- years to sell the first million EVs but just try that drove a previous nickel boom just
firm our initial impression, assessment and six months to sell the last million. Hybrid after the millennium. This boom is drawing
observations of the project’s potential, cars are increasingly common, as are the more companies to Indonesia. By setting
which is beneficially located in proximity charging points they need, and all but one up a fresh nickel and cobalt mining opera-
to the world’s largest buyer of battery met- of the major electric vehicle manufacturers tion within easy reach of China, Pacific Rim
als. We expect the near-surface nature of use nickel in their batteries. is tapping into both supply and demand,

PANORAMA | 117
ensuring an accessible market for its prod- nickel production for export to countries has operations in Chile, the United States,
ucts. including China. Vale makes a substantial Portugal and Sweden. Nickel is one of its
Pacific Rim has positioned itself as an effort to have a positive impact in the leading products, alongside copper and
early mover in the race for Indonesia bat- communities where it mines, with poli- zinc. Good results in the fourth quarter
tery metals. The company has gained 100 cies designed to mitigate the environ- ensured that the company achieved or
percent control of the 5,000 hectare nickel mental impact of mining and to provide exceeded its production targets at all its
and cobalt Cyclops Project. With produc- social benefits to locals. This is reflected operations in 2018, providing plenty of
tion and environmental permits secured, in the fast moves Vale has made in material for use in batteries and other
the project benefits from excellent infra- response to a dam breach at Brumadin- manufacturing.
structure, including close proximity to an ho, where it has poured money into help- A leading nickel and cobalt investment
eager workforce and supplies, sealed ing locals affected by the accident and vehicle, Cobalt 27 Capital Corporation
roads, ocean access, nearby port facility taken steps to protect the local environ- offers investors a chance to profit off the
and gentle topography. The existing road ment even as it sets to work on rebuild- technologies behind energy storage and
system also enables year-round access to ing. electric vehicles. To this end, it is investing
the project and connections to key nearby Glencore, one of the world’s largest in nickel production through a mine in Pap-
cities, including Sentani and Jayapura. diversified natural resources companies, is ua New Guinea. Like Indonesian Papua,
also heavily invested in mining for battery Papua New Guinea is rich in nickel depos-
Digging deeper for Nickel metals. Assets in Australia, Canada and its and well located for exports across the
Europe produce the company’s supply of Pacific to China.
As demand rises, several companies are nickel, as well as byproduct metals such Nickel’s central place in battery produc-
expanding their interest in nickel. as cobalt and copper. In addition to mining tion, and so in meeting rising EV sales and
VALE S.A. is the world’s largest nick- nickel, Glencore is one of the largest recy- building greener technology, should
el manufacturer and, like Pacific Rim, it clers and processors of nickel-bearing ensure heavy investment from companies
has made Indonesia an important part of products such as batteries, taking the min- for years to come, in Indonesia and
its mining strategy. The country is one of erals from discarded goods and finding beyond.
four where Vale operates, alongside Bra- ways to reuse them.
zil, Canada, and New Caledonia. Vale has A diversified Canadian-based metal
spent billions on developing Indonesian company, Lundin Mining Corporation NetworkNewsWire, New York, NY/USA
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118 | PANORAMA
This guitar is smash proof, but it can be used

to smash other things (Picture: Sandvik AB)
Movie about the guitar

on YouTube
(youtu.be/k1hxZyD9VGI)
Impressive musical instrument made of steel
World’s first all-metal, smash-proof guitar

Sandvik created a smash-proof, 3D printed guitar, then challenged rock legend Yngwie Malmsteen to smash it.
The guitar was to demonstrate how advanced, precise and sustainable the company’s techniques are.
R
ock stars have been smashing guitars “Additive manufacturing allows us to create
for decades, few with more enthusi-
asm than Swedish-born guitar virtuo-
lighter, stronger and more flexible components
so Yngwie Malmsteen. Global engineering with internal structures that would be
company Sandvik decided to test their cut- impossible to mill traditionally.“
ting-edge techniques by building the
Amelie Norrby, additive manufacturing engineer at Sandvik
world’s first all-metal, unbreakable guitar
and letting Malmsteen unleash his smash-
ing skills on it.
“We don’t make products for consum-
ers, so people don’t realize how far in the
forefront our methods are,” says Klas
Forsström, president of Sandvik Machin-
ing Solutions. “Creating a smash-proof
guitar for a demanding musician like Malm-
steen highlights the capabilities we bring
to all complex manufacturing challenges.”
Malmsteen, named one of the ten
greatest electric guitar players in the world
by TIME Magazine, is known for his virtu-
oso performances – as well as the fury he
unleashes on his guitars. A master of
neo-classical heavy metal, Malmsteen has
produced 30 albums and has been smash-
ing guitars onstage for over 30 years.
“This guitar is a beast! Sandvik is obvi-
ously on top of their game. They put the
work in, they do their hours, I can relate to Yngwie Malmsteen discussing with the Sandvik team about the design details of the
that,” Malmsteen said. “The result is components of the guitar (Picture: Sandvik AB)

PANORAMA | 119
amazing. I gave everything I had, but it was

impossible to smash.”
Guitar’s neck and hub made as one

piece
Sandvik engineers teamed with renowned

guitar designer Andy Holt, of Drewman
Guitars, to match Malmsteen’s exacting „The guitar’s neck is
the most sensitive
musical standards and his lightning-fast
component,” says
playing style. “We’ve had to innovate from Yngwie Malmsteen,
the top down. There’s not a single part of signing the guitar
this guitar that has been made before. It’s (Picture: Sandvik AB)
a piece of art, really,” Holt said.
The weak point in any guitar is where
the neck joins the body. Sandvik solved
the problem by milling the neck and the was sandwiched between the guitar’s us create lighter, stronger and more flexi-
main hub of the body as one piece. “You neck and fretboard. Made from hyper- ble components with internal structures
could use the guitar as a hammer and it duplex steel, a recent Sandvik innovation, that would be impossible to mill tradition-
wouldn’t break,” Holt said. the lattice structure is the strongest in the ally. And it is more sustainable because
The guitar’s neck and fretboard were world for a given weight. you only use the material you need for the
machined by Sandvik Coromant in one Several different divisions of Sandvik component, minimizing waste.”
machine from a solid block of stainless collaborated to make the instrument. For “Collaborating like this, working togeth-
steel. “Precision was critical,” said Henrik the guitar’s 3D printed body, Sandvik relied er to solve even more complex problems
Loikkanen, machining process developer on its world-leading expertise in metal is key for the future,” said Tomas Forsman,
at Sandvik Coromant. “Our software is powder and additive manufacturing. product development specialist at Sand-
built on years of experience, giving tool Lasers traced a design in beds of fine tita- vik. “Our customers’ challenges continue
and the cutting data recommendations nium powder, fusing layers of material one to grow more and more complex. We need
that helped us mill the fretboard down to on top of the other. The layers, each thin- to bring our expertise to work hand-in-
a challenging thickness of one millimeter ner than a human hair, built up to make the hand with our partners and customers to
in places.” body of the guitar. invent new ways of meeting those chal-
“Additive manufacturing allows us to lenges.”
Guitar’s body was additively build highly complex designs in small pro-
manufactured duction runs,” said Amelie Norrby, additive
manufacturing engineer at Sandvik. “It lets Sandvik
The next challenge was to strengthen the
fret and neck as they extended into the
guitar’s body. That solution took the form
of a new, super-light lattice structure that
Facts about the guitar
The guitar body was produced by additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, a

technique involving laser-melting titanium powder in microscopically thin
layers.
The guitar’s volume knobs and tailpiece, which anchors the strings, were
also created with 3D printing.
The guitar neck and hub were made of recycled stainless steel and milled
all in one machine in one continuous process. Extra material was milled
from between frets to meet Malmsteen’s preference for a scalloped
fretboard. The back of the guitar’s neck is hollowed out from the inside
and is only 1 mm thick in places.
Advanced software allowed Sandvik Coromant to simulate milling digitally
before the first cut was made, enabling the correct choice of tools, saving
manufacturing time and ensuring desirable outcomes.
Made of Sandvik’s hyper-duplex steel, the lattice structure used inside the
guitar neck is the strongest structure in the world.
A new, super-light lattice structure made Before the guitar was built, Sandvik simulated potential impact forces in
from Sandvik’s hyper-duplex steel (Picture: the same way as car makers digitally crash-test new models.
Sandvik AB)

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EVENTS | 121
Conferences and symposia

17 – 20 June 2019 South East Asia Iron & Steel Institute
SEAISI 2019
Bangkok, Thailand www.seaisi.com
ESTAD – European Steel Technology and 24 – 28 June 2019 Stahlinstitut VDEh

Application Days Düsseldorf, Germany www.metec-estad2019.com
26 June 2019 EUROFER

European Steel Day
Brussels, Belgium www.europeansteelday.eu
STEELSIM – Modeling and Simulation of 13 – 15 August 2019 Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST)
Metallurgical Processes in Steelmaking Toronto, Canada www.aist.org/conference-expositions/steelsim
ESSC – European Stainless Steel & Duplex 30 Sep – 2 Oct 2019 Austrian Society for Metallurgy and Materials
Stainless Steel Conference Vienna, Austria (ASMET), www.stainlesssteel2019.org
Alacero 60 – 11 – 13 November 2019 Alacero - Latin American Steel Association

Latin American Steel Congress Buenos Aires, Argentina www.alacero.org
7 November 2019 DVS Media GmbH

Hüttentag 2019
Essen, Germany ww.homeofsteel.de
Exhibitions, trade fairs

5 – 29 JUNE 2019 Messe Düsseldorf
GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS, NEWCAST
Düsseldorf, Germany www.tbwom.com
16 – 21 September 2019 Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabriken

EMO 2019 – The world of metalworking
Hanover, Germany www.emo-hannover.de
12 – 15 November 2019 Metal Expo (Exhibition)

Metal Expo 2019
Moscow, Russia www.metal-expo.ru
Seminars
6 – 29 August 2019 Steel Academy of the Steel Institute VDEh
Continuous Casting
Cologne, Germany www.steel-academy.com
1 – 4 October 2019 ABM – Brazilian Metallurgy, Materials and Mining

ABM Week 2019
Sao Paulo, Brazil Association, www.abmbrasil.com.br
23 - 25 October 2019 Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST)

7th AIST European Steel Forum 2019
Leoben, Austria www.aist.org/conference-expositions/
4 – 27 November 2019 Steel Academy of the Steel Institute VDEh

Refractory Technology I
Cologne, Germany www.steel-academy.com

122 | OUTLOOK/IMPRINT/ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
Preview of the September 2019 issue Publishing house

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Issue June 2019

METEC - ESTAD 2019 Steel Technology Steel Distribution Steel Processing

Leading partner in the world of metals

Digitalization and climate change are

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

DIRECT REDUCTION ARC FURNACES

35 4th ESTAD – European Steel

56 thyssenkrupp to realign the

58 Ilva Taranto to be trans- 53

59 Dalmia Seven inaugurates

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

102 Sections and merchant bars 112 Global metallurgical coke

116 Growing demand for Nickel

106 SSAB enhances processing 118 World’s first all-metal,

107 Klöckner & Co reports lower

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

US-American researcher receives research scholarship by Alexander von Humboldt

Algoma Steel appoints chief executive officer

Executive changes at Nucor

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

Changes to board of directors of Schmolz + Bickenbach

Martin Baues has been appointed by the

New member of the supervisory board of thyssenkrupp

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

Gerdau has installed a Danieli Q-MELT

Danieli’s Q-MELT suite is an automatic

Control room of an electric arc furnace (Picture: Danieli)  Danieli

As part of the first phase of the plate mill

While the first phase of this upgrading pro-

Plate being rolled in a reversing mill

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

Siempelkamp offers turnkey open die solutions

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

Colombian steelmaker SIDOC has installed

Electrode consumption in EAFs is

 Danieli Electrodes at the EAF during operation (Picture: Danieli)

Pacific Steel completes caster revamp

A continuous caster revamp by Danieli has improved over-

A highly automated PQF® (Premium

The PQF® will be used to produce tubes

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

DC electric arc furnace with pin-type

The pin-type bottom electrode requires no

In November 2018, INTECO began install-

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

SMS group has signed a contract with

The new press, to be installed in Daye’s

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

Jindal Steel & Power Limited (JSPL) and

The combi-caster, supplied by SMS Con-

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

Andritz has received an order from Hin-

The tension leveling line will be designed

Bridle rolls in an aluminium finishing line (Picture: Andritz)  Andritz Metals

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

Modernized gas cleaning system (Picture: SMS group)

A revamp by Danieli Service of a skin- a modern oil-air Rebs Turbolub® system

STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 1 (2019) No. 2

35 4th ESTAD – European Steel

56 thyssenkrupp to realign the

58 Ilva Taranto to be trans- 53

59 Dalmia Seven inaugurates

102 Sections and merchant bars 112 Global metallurgical coke

116 Growing demand for Nickel

106 SSAB enhances processing 118 World’s first all-metal,

107 Klöckner & Co reports lower

Control room of an electric arc furnace (Picture: Danieli) Danieli

Danieli Electrodes at the EAF during operation (Picture: Danieli)

Bridle rolls in an aluminium finishing line (Picture: Andritz) Andritz Metals

Single-stand cold rolling mill (Picture: Danieli) Danieli