core sector communique

SMS Meer delivers two Contirod casting and rolling lines to China

Two Chinese producers have each placed an order with SMS Meer, Germany, for the supply of a new Contirod casting and rolling line. Jiangxi Copper Co. Ltd.(Guixi City) and Shandong Xiangrui Copper Co. Ltd.(Jinan) are thus strengthening their positions as producers of high-quality copper wire rod. The Contirod lines will enable them to produce at competitive prices.

With the new wire rod mill, Jiangxi Copper from the Jiangxi Province will be able to double its annual capacity from 400, 000 t to 800, 000 t. The Contirod line is designed for an output of 60 t per hour. It comprises a newly designed gas control system for the SMS Meer shaft furnace for copper cathode melting and a modular Hazelett twin-belt caster for a casting cross-section of 123 mm  70 mm. The line also includes a highly flexible 14-stand rolling mill with variable frequency AC drives and integrated coil compacting and foil packing equipment.

Shandong Xiangrui Copper from Jinan (Shandong Province) aims to produce annually 320,000 t of quality copper wire rod from copper cathodes on the new line. This Contirod line is designed for a –production rate of 48t per hour.

Commissioning of both plants is scheduled for May 2012.

SMS Siemag commissions new meltshop in Russia

SMS Siemag, Germany, has successfully commissioned a new EAF meltshop at Pervouralsk Novo Trubny Works (PNTZ), ChelPipe Group, a Russian producer of pipe products. The new meltshop called Iron Ozone 32 will provide plants within the ChelPipe Group with high-quality round billets that comply with all standards and requirements for seamless pipe production. The shop will have an annual billet production capacity of 1.1 million t.

‘’Iron Ozone 32 is another quality step forward in both technical equipment and in the applied ecological standards project,’’ noted ChelPipe CEO Alexander Fyodorov.

The product range will include carbon steels especially for the production of tubes for application in the oil natural gas industry.

Vladimir Putin, Russian Prime Minister, participated in the ceremonial start-up of the first stage of the project. The first stage included the launch of the 120-t electric are furnace with state-of-the-art ARCCESS technology as well as of the 120-t ladel furnace.

In January 2011, the five-strand billet caster of SMS Concast was commissioned with a production capacity of 660,000 t of billets per year. The first ladle was used to produce 220-mm round sections. Further section sizes are 150-mm round and 150-mm square.

For all production facilities SMS Siemag supplied highly efficient gas cleaning plants for primary and secondary dedusting, as well as the complete water supply and treatment system. These systems meet the most exacting environmental standards. The scope of supply includes the complete X-Pact electrical equipment and automation system.

SMS Siemag, SMS Concast and SMS Mevac supplied the complete process equipment for the new production facilities and as part of contract processing rendered services such as erection and commissioning supervision as well as training.

The twin-tank vacuum degasser (VD) from SMS Mevac and a three strand bloom caster are expected to be commissioned in the near future.