DaNews145

Simplified process flowdiagram of the JindalDanarex® process.

Successful startup aheadof schedule for new railrolling mill at voestalpineschienen, AustriaPage 34

Fourth order in15 monthsto Danieli Centro Tube for seamless pipe mills and finishing linesPage 38

Arcelor relies on DanieliDavy Distington for itsfourth slab castingproject in 10 months0

Danieli News n.145March 2006,Danieli GroupDANEWS

he United Arab Emirates’ largest and first integrated DRI-basedminimill will be constructed at

the EISF-Emirates Iron Steel Factory site in the Mussaffah Industrial Area (GHC group) in Abu Dhabi. The new steel complex, one of the largest of this type ever constructed in the Gulf Region, will be supplied, installedand started up by Danieli on a complete turn-key basis. It will be one of the newest

T

IRONMAKING4 BF GAS CLEANING PLANT AT

BLUESCOPE STEEL, AUSTRALIA.

STEELMAKING6 NEW ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE

AT GERDAU AMERISTEEL, USA. 6 TECHINT AND DANIELI SIGN

CONSTEEL ALLIANCE.

FLAT PRODUCTS9 STATE-OF-THE-ART SLAB

CASTERS AT BAOTOU ANDHANDAN (12), P.R. CHINA.

18 HSM STARTUP AT TANGSHANGUOFENG, P.R. CHINA.

19 COMMISSIONING OF COLD MILLCOMPLEX AT UNICOIL, SAUDIARABIA.

LONG PRODUCTS24 FASTCAST™ PLUS SPECIAL

STEEL CASTING TECHNOLOGY.26 ROUND BLOOM CASTER AT

JANGSU HUAIGANG, P.R. CHINA.28 ARCELOR SECTION AND BAR MILL

PROJECTS IN LUXEMBOURG,POLAND AND ARGENTINA.

AUTOMATION42 NEW EAF PROCESS CONTROL

SYSTEM FOR DRI/HBICONTINUOUS FEEDING.

GHC orders a new 1.4-MtpyIntegrated Minimill Complexforbars and wire rod production

→ Page 2

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

The turnkey order for thenew DRI-based minimillcomplex to be installed in the UnitedArabEmirates,follows the one for the2-Mtpy single-moduleDRI plant was receivedfrom Jindal Steel (India) in October 2005.

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Danieli News n.145

Worldwide Offices and Service Centers

Worldwide Danieli Companies

Danieli Headquarters

[email protected] (49) 208.3780000


















Via Nazionale, 4133042 Buttrio (UD) ItalyTel (39) 0432.5981Fax (39) [email protected]

Danieli Publicity Dept.: Tel. (39) 0432.598244E-mail: [email protected] Project: PolystudioDTP: Danieli Publicity Dept.Printing: Grafiche Filacorda. Approved by the Court of Udine under authorization n.16 dated 21.04.83

he decision was taken not only to increase revenues (which is already a good reason on its own) but also to serve ourcustomers better with a more global range of products, and

to complete and consolidate some of our world-leading technologies. In particular, the decision to begin designing and manufacturingseamless pipe steel plants has definitely been supported by theparticularly favourable moment in the energy sector, due to theincreased global consumption of oil and gas. Together with know-howand technology exclusively supplied by Kocks for finish rolling,Danieli Centro Tube is the sole supplier able to offer the wholepackage (mechanical, electrical, automation, reheating systems) underthe same management. The consequent advantages are smoother co-ordination through all stages of the project. Danieli Centro Tubetakes care of process technology and the mechanical design of mainmachines, Danieli Centro Combustion deals with heating systems,Danieli Automation develops process automation and related electricalsystems, and Danieli Centro Maskin contributes with some auxiliarymachines. Three projects are already under execution and the order for a fourth plant has recently been awarded.Design and construction of heavy section mills was a naturalcompletion of Danieli Morgårdshammar’s range of technologies in thefield of long products, necessary in order to consolidate the marketleadership built up during the last 20 years.In this case too, the market has recognized our strategy by awardingsignificant orders to us:- VAS, Donawitz (Austria): Reconstruction of the complete rail mill,just commissioned successfully.- Siderurgica Balboa (Spain): New section mill for up to 600-mmbeams, presently under construction.- Arcelor Differdange, Luxembourg: Major upgrading of the existingplant in Differdange producing up to 1,100-mm beams. Order justrecently awarded.Several other projects involving specific large-scale equipment havebeen executed or are under progress for this sector.The Danieli Team is fully motivated in its pursuit of excellence inthese new fields too, while honoring the commitments taken.Meanwhile, we are continuing to work toward innovative ideas thatwe hope will support our customers in their particular challenges inthe steel market.

Franco AlzettaExecutive Vice PresidentMember of the board

Two New ChallengesTwo years ago Danieli decided to enter new market segments as a further confirmation of the innovative and challenging spirit that characterized its history over the past 20 years: seamless pipe steel plants, heavy section mills.

T

222

COVER STORYDANEWS

FROM FIRST PAGE

GHC orders a new 1.4-Mtpy integrated minimill complex for bars and wire rod production

generation of integrated minimills conceived to exploit specific local (competitive) energyavailability and raw material resources.The order, awarded in January 2006, foresees a new integrated minimill to produce structuralsteel long products, and consisting of: a 1.6-Mtpy direct reduction plant ; a 1.4 Mtpysteelmaking and casting plant; a 620,000-tpyhigh-speed bar mill; and a 480,000-tpy high-speed wire rod mill.Danieli will be in charge of the complete turnkey supply for the whole plant, including

all the above mentioned main technologicalproduction units, the auxiliary plants andauxiliary services (such as the 220Kv electricalsubstation, WTP, compressed air, workshops,laboratories, etc.), all infrastructure, civilworks, buildings, as well as installation andstartup of the whole plant. The 1.6-Mtpy direct reduction plantengineered and manufactured by Danieli is a HYL III type which, due to high plantcapacity, will be enhanced by some technology concepts developed and

53rdLATESTM

INIMILL ORDER

333

DANEWS 145

applied to other plants by Danieli. This job represents a milestone in DRI plantconstruction as Danieli and HYL Technologywill jointly and exclusively market innovativeDRI plants incorporating technologies andprocess know-how acquired by HYLTechnology and Danieli over the years. Further R&D activities to be carried out jointlyare part of the agreement, which aims to gain asignificant market share.The new minimill will feature all the latestDanieli technologies and “high-tech”

equipment available in steelmaking, casting,and rolling of long products.The new 150-ton full-platform, split-shell ACEAF will operate based on 100% Hot DRIcoming from the new nearby DRI plant, incontinuous charge mode through the fifthhole. The EAF will be equipped with HiJetModules and HIREG electrode digitalregulation system for enhanced furnaceoperation and for energy consumptionoptimization.Steel refining will take place in a 150-toninert roof-type LF. The six-strand “Fast Cast” conticaster will beequipped with the latest generation tundishand mould design, hydraulic oscillators, andall means to enable high-speed casting of 130and 150-mm structural steel billets (designedfor up to 200-mm square size). In addition, itwill be suitable for future upgrading forcasting of higher grade steels. The meltshop will outfitted with all auxiliaryplants and equipment, including materialhandling system, and primary and secondaryfume dedusting plant.The bar mill, made up of 16 SHS stands plustwo six-pass DWB high-speed blocks, willproduce 8- to 12-mm-dia rebars deliveredonto the cooling bed through the DoubleTwin Channel system at up to 37 mps. High-speed finish rolling will take place attwo DWB blocks, fed by incoming stock slitinto two strands at the upstream intermediatemill. The wire rod mill, made up of 16 SHSstands and a 10-pass DWB high-speedfinishing block, will produce 5.5 to 8 mmplain and 8 to 16-mm-dia deformed wire rodin two-ton coils at speeds of up to 110 mps.Each mill will be fed by a 120-tph DanieliCentro Combustion walking hearth reheatingfurnace. Danieli Automation will supply allelecticals and an advanced, fully integratedautomation system for the entire plant.Project planning foresees a progressive startup of the various sections of the plant,starting with the rolling mills in the second half of 2007 ■

Layout legend1 Incoming oxide storage

area2 Direct Reduction Plant 3 Product storage silos

for hot charge 4 Product storage open

yard5 Product storage silos

for cold charge 6 Meltshop plant 7 Continuous casting

machine8 Billet storage area 9 120-tph WH type

reheating furnace10 Hot rolling mill for bars

and wire rod 11 Bundles storage bay 12 Coils storage bay 13 Ferroalloy, lime and

additives storage

14 Fume dedusting plant 15 Water Treatment Plant

(Meltshop)16 Electrical substation

(plus electrical substation HV side)

17 Air separation plant18 Compressed air plant 19 Water Treatment Plant

(DR plant)20 DR plant and Meltshop

daily maintenanceworkshop, generalwarehouse and central maintenanceworkshop

21 Rolling mill WaterTreatment Plant and compressed airplant

22 Rolling mill roll shop

Sheikh Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Department of Planningand Economy and actingChairman of the Board of GHC, and Mr GianpietroBenedetti Chairman and CEO of Danieli at thecontract signing ceremony.

HO

TD

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TIN

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BlueScope Steel, Port Kembla Works. The existing gas-cleaning system to be replaced with the Danieli Corus equipment.

44

IRONMAKINGDANEWS I

New Blast Furnace gas cleaning plant at BlueScope, Australia

n November 30th, 2005, DanieliCorus received an order fromBlueScope Steel (formerly BHP

Steel), Port Kembla Works (NSW), for thedesign and supply of a new annular gapscrubber and ancillary equipment. Working inclose co-operation with Lurgi Bischoff GmbHof Essen, Germany, Danieli Corus will supplythe scrubber, demister, connecting gas mains,access platform system, piping, valves, and re-circulating pumps.

The existing gas-cleaning system at Port Kemblasoon to be replaced with the Danieli Corusequipment.

O

The new equipment will replace the existingVenturi scrubber and will be installed at No. 5Blast Furnace during a reline in 2007. Theprimary function of the new scrubber will be toremove particulate matter from the blastfurnace gas. It will also cool the gas to reduceits moisture content and control blast furnacetop pressure when the top-gas energy recoveryturbine is out of operation.The new scrubber will handle 500,000 Nm3/hof dust-laden blast furnace gas at 2.0 bar inletpressure and 150 °C inlet temperature. Afterpassing through the scrubber, the dust contentwill be reduced to 5 mg/m3 or below, and itstemperature will be reduced to below 40 °C.From there on, the blast furnace gas is used asfuel for heating blast air in the hot-blast stoves,and as supplemental fuel for steam and powergeneration.The engineering is well under way and theequipment is scheduled to arrive at PortKembla Works by November 30, 2006 ■

Lurgi-Bischoff scrubberfabrication.

Scrubber tower in the lay-down area on site.

The facility includestwo desulphurizationstations that willprocess 2.6 Mtpy in a 130-t ladle

55

DANEWS 145

Hot metal De-S station successfully commissionedat Anyang, P.R. of China

fter some delays causedby archeological excava-tion in the area, the hot-

metal desulphurization station forAnyang I&S Group was completedand commissioned beforeChristmas 2005. The facilityincludes two desulphurizationstations that ultimately willprocess 2.6 Mtpy in a 130- tladle. As in most Chinese plants,the process is based upon co-injection of pulverized lime andgranulated magnesium reagents.The plant commissioningcoincided with the startup of anentirely new steel plant; hence,availability of hot metal for

desulphurization was, and still is, limited. Therefore, part of thecommissioning team will return to Anyang in the first quarter of this year to fine-tune the plant’sperformance and complete thefinal acceptance test.

In September 2005, Danieli Corusstarted work on the hot metal De-Scontract for Tiantie MetallurgicalGroup. The two-station facility,with a capacity to process 4 Mtpy,is scheduled to be completed inSeptember of this year.

Also, just before Christmas,Danieli Corus was awarded acontract to design and supply ahot-metal desulphurization facilityfor Handan I&S Group. The projectwill commence after the ChineseNew Year ■

anieli Corus entered the Chinesemarket with the sublance system in1998 at WISCO in Wuhan. In 2003,

four Sublance systems were put in operation atMeishan and Benxi. Two more systems wheresupplied to Ningbo. The performance of ourequipment and of our people made a greatimpression in China, resulting in a big boost forsales. In 2004 ten sublance systems weresupplied to five different customers in Benxi,Jinan, Wuhan, Tonghua and Anyang. In additionto all engineering and fabrication activities, wealso installed and commissioned a sublancesystem at Benxi. In 2005 six sublance systemswere supplied to Beitai, Xiang Tan, and XingCheng. Nine systems were installed andcommissioned at Jinan, Tonghua, Benxi, Anyang,Xiang Tan, Xing Cheng and Beitai. For 2006 weare already fabricating six systems for Maanshan,Anyang and Tiantie.The basis for this good reputation is to be foundin the quality and commitment of the sublanceproject team. This is a small team of 15 dedicat-ed and experienced engineers who are involvedin every step of the sublance projects

(engineering, inspections during fabrication,expediting, site supervision and commissioning). This approach results in a highly efficient projectexecution. But, more important, the commitmentof our engineers to achieve the best possibleresult is very high. However, though the supply of high quality products is a good foundation, it will not by itself guarantee a successful projectand continuation of business. Another factor forsuccess in China has been the good relationshipestablished and maintained between the DanieliCorus project team and its customers. Each ofthese project team qualities resulted in very satis-fied customers, and every single sublance systemsupplied has met or exceeded the contractuallyagreed performance guarantee figures. The performance of our project team is the key factor for success of the Danieli Corussublance systems ■

D

The key factor for success of the Sublance systemsDanieli Corus has supplied more than 80% of all Sublance systems in China,earning a good reputation for high performance in quality and service.

1 Our supervisor has got the full attention of theoperators during hotcommissioning.

2 Work on site is dirty andhard, but we love it.

3 Appreciation for ourefforts is here awardedwith honorarycitizenship in Benxi.

A

6

STEELMAKINGDANEWS S

New 100-t high-tech FastArc™ EAFfor Gerdau Ameristeel, USA

erdau Ameristeel has awarded Danielithe order for a new 100-t Electric ArcFurnace, to be installed in the

Jacksonville plant.The state-of-the-art 6.5-m-dia shell EBT EAFwill feature current-conducting arms, single-point roof lift, and swiveling system and fastoperating hydraulic movements. The EAF will be equipped with a complete chemical-energypackage consisting of side-wall oxygen, gas, andcarbon injection HiJet systems, together withlime injection. A Danieli Automation HiReg Plusadvanced system for electrode regulation andfoamy slag control will be part of the automationand electrical control package.A highly efficient dropout chamber to completethe carbon monoxide combustion, with an in-linefume quench-tower to minimize water-cooledsections in the fume duct system by means

of a modulating air-water spraying system, also will be included in the main supply. The aim of the project is to produceapproximately 1 Mt/year of liquid steel. The charge mix will be 100% scrap by means of two buckets. The EAF will be designed for a tap weight of 100 t of liquid steel, with 18 t of hot heel. At an initial phase the plant will operate with the current ladles tapping 85 t, while at a later stage the EAF will be tapping 100 t heats into new ladles, at a production rate of 135 t/hour ■

Mr Don Shumake, VP and General Manager of Gerdau Ameristeel Jacksonville signing the contract with Mr John. Brandon, VP Danieli Corp.

G

he remarkable results

achieved in electric

steelmaking by adopting

the continuous scrap charging

system – such as the 42

heats/day performances by the

Danieli EAF at Deacero Saltillo in

Mexico - together with the strict

patent protections on this tech-

nology for both Techint and

Danieli, lead the two companies

to a strategic agreement.

The Consteel® Alliance, backed

by 25 references ranging from

40 to 300 tons per hour liquid

steel production units, will result

in better customer support and

enhanced technological devel-

opment to be carried out jointly

by Danieli and Techint.

Moreover, it will further protect

the intellectual properties so far

developed and patented by the

two companies.

Consteel®, with its continuous

scrap charging and preheating

concept, is recognized to be in

many cases the cleanest, most

user-friendly and energy-effi-

cient solution for today’s steel-

making. High productivity and

low production cost are the key

benefits for Consteel® users ■

Techint and Danielienter an exclusiveworld-wideConsteel® Alliance

T

7

DANEWS 145

Facts ...the best evidence of a success.

Latest orders are the further confirmation of Danieli Centro Met advanced steelmaking technology

anieli advancedtechnology insteelmaking, refining and

conticasting of commercial andspecial steels is a result of yearsof experience supported bypersistent R&D activity.This, along with the company’slong established capabilities indesign, supply, installation andcommissioning of complete plantson full turnkey or semi-turnkeybasis, is the key to success thathas brought to Danieli itsundisputed global leadership inthis field.

Proof of this is the order scorecardfor the last 15 months, thatincludes:

Eight new complete steel

meltshops (or complete

reconstruction of existing ones),

with capacity of up to 1.4 Mtpy.

Ten new EAFs (or major

upgrading of existing ones) with

capacity of up to 200 t.

Fourteen ladle furnaces with

capacity of up to 210 t.

Four VD and VOD vacuum

degassing stations with capacity

of up to 170 t.

Fifty-four continuous casting

strands for billets, blooms up to

390x510 mm, and beam blanks

up to 610x320x100 mm, for

commercial and special steels,

plus various modifications,

improvements, and upgrades

of other existing conticasters ■

Complete steel meltshops (or major reconstructions)

Late 2004

Siderurgica Balboa (Spain) 1.2 Mtpy

Deacero Celaya (Mexico) 1.1 Mtpy

2005

KSC (Iran) 1.0 Mtpy

(*) (Far East) 0.3 Mtpy

Siderurgica Tultitlan (Mexico) 0.5 Mtpy

OMK (Russia) 1.2 Mtpy

Aceros Arequipa (Peru) 0.6 Mtpy

Early 2006

GHC (UAE) 1.4 Mtpy

Electric arc furnaces

Late 2004

Siderurgica Balboa- (Spain) 130 t (FastArc™)

Deacero Celaya (Mexico) 120 t (FastArc™)

2005

KSC (Iran) 170 t

(*) (Far East) 60 t

Siderurgica Tultitlan (Mexico) 60 t

OMK (Russia) 160 t

Republic Eng St (USA) 200 t

SEAH Besteel (Korea) 80 t

Aceros Arequipa (Peru) 70 t (FastArc™)

Gerdau Ameristeel (USA) 100 t (FastArc™)

Early 2006

GHC (UAE) 150 t

Ladle furnaces (& VD/VOD)

Late 2004

Siderurgica Balboa- (Spain) 130 t

Deacero Celaya (Mexico) 120 t

2005

JSC Petrovky (Ukraine) 70 t

KSC (Iran) 170 t (LF & VOD)

(*) (Far East) 60 t (LF & VD)

OMK (Russia) 160 t (LF & VD)

Shougang Corp (PRC) 210 t

Nanjing I&S (PRC) 120 t

Highveld (RSA) 75 t

Ac. Paz del Rio (Colombia) 45 t

Tiantie (PRC) 180 t (2 sets)

Gloria Steel (Taiwan) 35 t (LF & VOD)

Early 2006

GHC (UAE) 150 t

D

8

STEELMAKINGDANEWS S

New refining station for special high-alloysteels at GMTC,(Evergreen Group)Taiwan

Secondary metallurgy technology at Hunan Valin, Xiangtan P.R. of China

GMTC-Gloria MaterialTechnological Corp. has awardedDanieli Centro Met the contract fora 35-t secondary metallurgyfacility made up of a ladle furnaceand on-line tiltable VOD.GMTC, with its wide range of high-quality products, such as toolsteels, stainless steels andvarious ESR materials, is the onlymanufacturer of special high-alloysteels in Taiwan. Both LF and VODunits are equipped with automaticsampling and temperaturemeasurement devices, wirefeeders, inert-gas bottom stirring,and a hydrogen measurement unit.The tight-roof type LF isspecifically designed to preventliquid steel oxidation in the ladleduring refining. DanieliAutomation will supply the HiREG®

system (which is a key element for the LF performance) as well asthe Level 1 and Level 2 advancedautomation, to ensure properequipment operation and completecontrol of the refining process.Startup of the new units isscheduled for the end of 2006 •

ince last year Hunan Valin I&S GroupCo.Ltd. has been successfullyoperating the latest Danieli secondary

metallurgy technology at its Xiangtan No. 1steelmaking plant in the Hunan Province. In July 2005 the first new 120-t ladle furnace(LF #2) started up successfully, as part of thesteelworks upgrade project that also included asecond LF and a VD unit of the same capacity.The new 120-t VD unit started operation at the end of December 2005, while thestartup of LF #1 is expected for spring of thisyear. When finally completed, the new LF andVD units will be capable of processing 2.5Mtpy and 1.2 Mtpy, respectively, of liquid steelto feed the existing round/square bloom andslab conticasters. The range of steels processedincludes high-quality tube and pipe steels,high-pressure boiler steel, carbon structural,shipbuilding, pipeline, and pressure vessel steelplates. The new units are served by anadvanced Level 1 and 2 automation systemfrom Danieli Automation ■

Contract signing between Mr Sean C.H. Chen DeputyChief Engineer of Gloria Steel,and Mr D. Fraschini, Area SalesManager, Danieli.

Steelmaking

S

1-2 First heats are processedat the 120-t VD station.

3-4 120-t LF and VD stationssimilar to those operatingat Hunan Valin XiangtanNo. 1.

1

2

3 4

9

DANEWS 145FLAT PRODUCTSDANEWS F

Danieli Davy Distington new slab caster at Baotou, P.R. of China

n January 20, 2006, Danieli wasawarded by Baotou Iron & Steel CoLtd (P.R.China) the order for the new

conventional slab caster for its new plate millfacility in Baotou City (Inner Mongolia). Thecaster is designed to produce over 1.5 Mtpy ofqualified slabs ranging from 200, 250 and 300mm in thickness, 1200 to 2300 mm in width,2400 to 7400 mm in length. The product mixincludes plate grades ranging from carbon steelsto HSLA, pipeline (up to X80) grades, as well assteels for shipbuilding, boiler, pressure container,automotive beam, bridge, and weather-resistantapplications. The startup of the caster is sched-uled within 17.5 months from contract signing.Danieli INMO mould technology, with cassettedesign, makes it possible to dramatically reducethe number of exchange parts typically associatedwith casting different slab thicknesses, andenabling a significant reduction in capital invest-ment and associated running costs. In combina-tion with the patented Danieli “rolling element”mould guidance system, it allows high flexibilityin product mix and superior slab quality. As for the roll geometry, the strict quality restric-tions given by plate grades to be cast led to theadoption of reduced roll diameter -and smallerroll pitches- thanks to multiple split rollersdesigned to ensure segments rigidity.

This solution will limit slab bulging and optimizecenter-line quality while reducing the bulgingstrains and giving a more stable mould level.The single-strand caster is a vertical curvedmachine, with a vertical length of 2.6 m, 9.5-mmain radius and about 40 m of containmentlength. Maximum casting speed will reach 2mpm. Main process features include hydraulicoscillation, dynamic soft reduction, continuousbending/unbending roll diagram, adaptive air-mist secondary cooling, and top-feeding dummybar system.

The caster is fully equipped with Danieli technologicalpackages that ensure top quality, such as:

INMO mould, integrated with hydraulic oscillator. Latest generation of "OPTIMUM" segments for soft

reduction practice. Advanced breakout and sticking prevention system. In-line dynamic control of slab width and oscillat-

ing parameters. Level 1 and level 2 Danieli Automation control

architecture with mathematical models of steel solidi-fication, and liquid pool position calculation in orderto optimize dynamic soft reduction and slab coolingoperations.

The plant includes complete downstream equip-ment, such as a double cutting station, debur-ring, marking, and slab handling facilities to allowhot charging to the plate mill ■

The order marks the continuation of the excellentrelationshipestablished withBaotou Group sinceOctober 2003, with the signing of the order for atemper mill that wasstarted up only 20months later.

Contract signing ceremony(1st row, from left): Mr. TangGuishi, Vice Director of CSP;Mr. Zhang Weiliang, Managerof Baotou E&T Co., Ltd.Import Dept.; Mr. G. Ximeris,Danieli Vice President, Sales;Mr. S. Manca, Danieli, SeniorSales Engineer.

O

At the Contract signing ceremony (from left):Mr S. Chevillotte, Arcelor Project Leader; Mr JC. Le Roux,Arcelor Lead Buyer; Mr C. Piemonte, Danieli Director, Sales;Mr S. Serre, Arcelor Electric & Automation Project Supervisor.

Aerial view of the Arcelor plant at Sollac Méditerranée, Fos-sur-Mer (France).

10

FLAT PRODUCTSDANEWS F

Arcelor chooses Danieli again: the 4th slab caster in France awarded to Danieli in 10 months

t the beginning of 2006, ArcelorGroup awarded Danieli DavyDistington the order for the complete

modernization of the slab caster No. 1 at SollacMéditerranée, at Fos-sur-Mer.This major order follows the one Arcelorawarded to Danieli in April 2005 for theconversion of the three two-strand slab castersin Dunkerque, presently under advancedexecution stage, and confirms the successfulrelationship established between Arcelor Groupand Danieli.

The Fos-sur-Mer contract foresees thetransformation of the existing two-strand,curved slab caster into a state-of-the-art verticalcurved machine, with the application of allDanieli Davy Distington cutting-edge castingtechnologies.Practically, only ladle turret, tundish carequipment and casting floor structures will bere-used unchanged.The order, which will be managed by Danielion a turnkey basis, will involve:

the complete dismantling of the existingcaster;

the modifications to the civil works

A

1 Tundish2 INMO Mould3 Top zone and bender4 Curved segments5 Unbending segments6 Horizontal segments7 Segment manipulator

robot8 Top feeding dummy

bar9 Torch cutting station10 Deburring

11

and auxiliary systems based on the needs of the new machine;

the installation of the new two-strandvertical curved machine;

the modification of the slab discharge areasand maintenance areas; and

the installation of completely new electricand automation systems.

Based on the previous experience of therevamp of slab caster No. 2 in the same plant,the Customer specifically selected thecomplete revamping of the machine, not a“top-end revamping only”.The existing machine is a curved design casterwith 12.2-m radius and 33.4-m metallurgicallength.It involves a bottom-feeding dummy barsystem, mechanical oscillator, and extraction ofsegments by crane for maintenance purposes.The new caster will be a vertical curvedmachine, with a vertical length exceeding 2.6meters, main radius of 9.3 meters and ametallurgical length of about 36.2 meters.Top-feeding dummy bar system, hydraulicoscillator and robot-type segment manipulatorwill be adopted.Main project targets are to increase plantavailability and reduce non-productive time, aswell as a substantial improvement to slabinternal and external quality.The top-feeding system, segment manipulator,high-performance equipment and maintenancefree-oriented design, together with increasedsupported length designed for casting speedsup to 2 mpm, will enable an increase of plantproductivity of about 10%, up to 2.7 Mtpy ofqualified slabs.The product mix includes an extremely widerange of steels, from IF grades for automotiveapplications to micro-alloyed steel (includingX70 for pipe applications), medium C, high-Cand high-Si grades.For this reason, the new roll diagram has beenspecifically designed to guarantee both theadvantages of the vertical design for internalquality (of paramount importance for IFgrades) and superior slab surface quality,namely for crack sensitive, microalloyed, high-C and high-Si grades.The key technological features embodied in thenew caster are:

INMO mould (Danieli patent) andintegrated hydraulic oscillator;

OPTIMUM segments;PDR - Peripheral Drill rolls;

Dynamic Soft Reduction process, based on liquid pool mathematical model;

Dynamic secondary cooling control systemfor air mist/water slab cooling.

Danieli Automation will develop and supply the complete electric and automation systems,including level 1 and level 2 controlarchitecture.The conversion of the machine will be carriedout during the main plant shutdown scheduledin the second half of 2007, timed to coincidewith a blast furnace modernization: just 78days are foreseen between the last cast of theold machine and the first cast of the new one.This challenging time schedule has beendeveloped in co-operation with the Arcelorteam, as well as on Danieli's successfulexperience with similar large-scale casterconversion projects already accomplished at Posco, Korea, and ThyssenKruppStahl,Germany ■

Key technological features embodiedin the Danieli Davy Distington casters

1-4 INMO mould(Danieli patent) andintegrated hydraulicoscillator.

5 Dynamic SoftReduction process.Dynamic secondarycooling controlsystem for airmist/water slabcooling.

1

4 5

2

3

12


5.2-Mtpy slab casting plant for special steels at Handan Iron & Steel, P.R. of ChinaThe project includes two new two-strand casters to be installed in Hangang’s new facility in Hebei Province, and represents the largest Chinese contract for slab casters awarded to date to Danieli.

he contract awarded in January 2006 refers to the supply of two newcasters (four strands in total) designed

for to produce 5.2 Mtpy of qualified slabs inULC, LC, MC, peritectic and HC steels,micro-alloy grades (also for pipe applications),steels for automotive applications, dual-phase,and trip steels.The two machines are of the state-of-the-artvertical curved type, with over 2.6-m verticallength, 9.5-m main radius, and roll diagramwith continuous bending/undending design.The containment length of about 40 m willenable a maximum casting speed exceeding 2 mpm. The machines, fed by 270 to 300-theat size ladles, will produce slabs up to 47 t in weight, 230 and 250 mm in thickness, 900 to 2150 mm in width.Danieli Davy Distington has been selected forthis major contract thanks to the advancedtechnological solutions proposed and adoptedin the plant, such as:

INMO mould and integrated hydraulicoscillator, designed to incorporateelectromagnetic flow control equipment;

Advanced breakout and sticking preventionsystem, with full thermal mapping of themould;

OPTIMUM segments with application of the Dynamic Soft Reduction process;

Air-mist secondary cooling, dynamicallycontrolled by a mathematical model of thesolidification process;

Continuous bending and unbending rolldiagram, designed to minimize the stress on the slab during the solidification process.

Danieli is in charge of the design for the wholecasting plant, including maintenance facilities,discharging and slab handling areas, the latterconceived to handle the slabs coming from thefour casting strands and to allow hot chargingto the downstream hot strip mill.Danieli Automation will development and

The 5.2-Mtpy slab casting plant layoutT

13

DANEWS 145

supply the automation and process controlsystems, up to level 2, including thedevelopment of mathematical models for theprocess control. Plant design will be carriedout in co-operation with CERI, the localdesign institute, with the target of casting thefirst slabs within 20 months of the contract initiation date ■

Work in progress at SAIL-BSP new slab caster at Bhilai, India

n 31 August 2005, a consortium lead byDanieli and SAIL-Steel

Autorithy of India Ltd., signed thecontract for a new slab castingmachine, to be installed in SAIL'sBhilai plant, 40 km west of Raipur.The contract refers to the supply on a turnkey basis of a new slabcasting plant designed to produce 1 Mtpy of qualified slabs.The consortium is completing itsbasic engineering developmentphase, and the execution ofpreparatory civil works isproceeding with respect to theproject schedule.The aim of the consortium membersis to complete detail engineeringahead the schedule, and the projectteam is infusing the project withenthusiasm in order to achieve themaximum result and meet thechallenge of the booming Indianmarket •

5.2

Mtpy

DSRC - Dynamic Soft Reduction Control block diagram

Roll PositionRegulation

DSRC - Dynamic Soft Reduction Control

Shell Thicknessalong the strand

Dynamic RollPositioning Pattern

Calculation

Liquid Cone andMushy cone

Position

EquipmentControl

PLC

- process events- process parameters

- surface temperatures- internal temperatures

- metallurgical parameters- machine configuration

LPC - LiquidPool Control

Model

DatabaseDatabase

BSP Executive Director (Projects) Mr R. Rmaraju and Danieli Executive VP, Mr D. Fabro, sign the agreement for thecountry’s most modern slab conticaster in Bhilai, on August 31, 2005.

O

Slab Casters

Algoma DSPC recordDirect Strip Production Complex increases production at top strip quality

n the past year Algoma is the companythat realized the highest profit per tonproduced, confirming that the fTRS

technology assures high-quality in steel atlower cost. For the same reason Algoma wasable to endure the deep crisis in the steelmarket during 2001 - 2003.The 582,000 stons (170,000 stons/month)shipped in the last quarter of 2005 representsthe maximum production for this plant, which recently stabilized its productivity at a level of 2 Mtpy that represents thecontractual figure .The flexibility in managing the DSPC plantand the internally-developed know-how in steel production is a winning mix thatcontinuously allows Algoma to propose new,high-quality products that meet and exceedthe market demand. DSPC 700B/770 B (a superior HSLA light-gauge product withminimum yield strength exceeding 700 Mpa)is just the latest new steel grade in a long listof HSLA products for several applications,including automotive, weathering grades,drawing quality, and some high-carbon steels.

Superior surface conditions, combined withconsistent dimensional and mechanicalproperties obtained in the hot-rolled strip, are enhanced by cold rolling. Strip customerscontinuously request better performance fortheir products, asking for new steel grades forhigher quality, to reduce weight and improvethe drawing characteristics for the finalproduct. Surface quality of the Danieli fTSR(flexible Thin Slab Rolling) has been reportedto be superior to the quality in the traditionalrolling mill. The better geometric tolerances of a direct process makes Thin Slab Rolling a winning tool to increase the competitivenessin modern steelmaking. Based on the superiorDanieli fTSC jointly with the Danieli HotStrip Mill, Algoma has been able toconcentrate on this innovative approach and focus on customer service.After the 3.0 Mtpy achieved in Tangshan, P.R. of China, the actual high productionachieved by Algoma, whose core business is special steel grades, demonstrates that it is possible to combine high production with best quality in a DSPC plant ■

14


> DSP

C<

Production record achieved in last quarter of 2005 - 582,000 sht. New steel grades continuously proposed.

I

Algoma Steel Company is enjoying a very good period in terms of profits, thanks in part to the flexibility and reliability of Danieli DSPC that allows maximum exploitation of thefavourable market trend.

15

DANEWS 145

Hot Strip Mill revamping at Beta Steel Corporation, USA

his revamping will be a strategic projectfor Beta Steel Corporation

to increase the quality and theweight of coils produced, l tomake it one of the first-class stripproducers in USA.According to the contract signedon November 17, 2005, DanieliWean United will carry out thecomplete revamp of the hot stripmill in Portage, Indiana, USA.The revamping follows the coil boxinstallation already supplied byDanieli in 2000.Danieli will supply the newmechanical and hydraulicequipment, as well as the relatedelectricals and the L1/L2automation and process controlsystem.The revamping has four maintargets:

Increasing of the annual millproductivity;

Increasing the coil weight up to 30 t;

Increasing the quality of finalproduct; and,

Increasing the steel gradeproduct range.

The following reorganization hastherefore been decided:A new slab discharging machinewill be installed at the exit side of the existing reheating furnace,while the descaling system will be completely upgraded to ensure

a superior strip surface quality(new descaler boxes will installedat furnace exit, on board therougher and at finishing millentry).A new crop shear before thefinishing mill will replace theexisting one, to increase thecutting capability for API gradeproduction.A quick automatic WR changesystem on the finishing mill willallow a remarkable increase inproduction operating time.The existing water wall strip-cooling section will be replacedby a new system, able to controlthe sophisticated cooling patternrequired by API grades.The existing second downcoilerwill be replaced by a new unit,able to coil higher-strength andthicker material with a significantincreasing in coil weight. New, horizontal-axes coil handling(including coil inspection,strapping, weighing and markingfacilities) also will be installed toavoid coil tilting and edgedamage, and to facilitate the finalprocessing of coils beforeshipping.The revamping will be done duringtwo mill shutdowns, and will becompleted by the end of 2006 •

Hot Strip Mill revampingcontract signing, sitting andstanding row respectively,from left:Mr. P. Righini, Director Salesof Danieli; Mr. D. Pryzbylski,President of Beta Steel andMr A. Mortoni, DirectorProjects, Mr F. Stella,Executive Mgr, Sales(Danieli), Mr M. O. Simitsek(Beta Steel), Mr E. Thokar,Sales Mgr (Danieli Corp.) andMr U. De Siervo, Sales Mgr(Danieli Automation).

T

16


Design concept (Ref. to picture 1)The new machine will be equipped with anadvanced and accurate flatness measurementsystem and includes the following mainmechanical groups:

main leveler housing;top bending frame;roll cassettes;drive line;cassette changing system.

In addition to the HAGC system to allow toproll-set tilting and skewing, the followingfeatures are incorporated within each of thesesub-assemblies. All groups have been studied inorder to obtain a high total stiffness to minimize

all machine deformations during levelling.Specific F.E.M. calculation were done to closelyevaluate the correct behaviour under load.

Main leveler housing

The housing is constucted of welded steel andmade of one bottom base frame, four verticalcolumns, and two top cross beams. The maincomponents are tightened together via fourpretensioned tie-rods to enhance the housingstiffness that is one of the key-parameters inthis kind of extreme application.A FEM analysis has been carried out to verifythat technical specifications are met in thisregard.(ref. to pictures 2 and 3).

The cold plate leveler at SSAB Oxelösund: a steptoward the future of ultra high-strength steel levelingA new-concept plate leveler has been developed to challenge the outstandinggoals of leveling the ultra high-strength steel plate produced in the H2 hardening line of SSAB Oxelösund plate mill (Sweden).

1 Side and front view.2 Leveler frame vertical

displacement due to rod tightening load of 6000 kN (a quarter of the machinemodeled).

3 Leveler frame verticaldisplacement under themaximum separatingforce 18000 kN andtightening load (a quarter of themachine modeled).

4 Disaxling groupcartridge.

1

2 3 4

Main technical parameters

Leveling force (kN) 18,000

Leveling speed (mps) 0.1 - 0.7

Leveled material thickness (mm) 4.8 - 12

Leveled material width (mm) 1500 - 3150

Leveling rolls (No.) 4 + 5

Max diameter (mm) 205

Barrel length (mm) 3430

Roll pitch (mm) 220

Back-up rolls (BUR) (No.) 9 x 16 = 144

Roll diameter (mm) 205

Barrel length (mm) 158

Main motor nominal power (kW) 9 x 160

FEM analysis and cartridge 3D representation

17

DANEWS 145

Top bending frame

The traditional design of the two-halvesbending frame has been improved by providinga separate system for adjusting top roll height,which is achieved through eight wedge/counterwedge assemblies actuated by an hydraulicservosystem.

Roll cassettes

The leveling rolls and their supporting BUR are housed within cartridges to allow a quick removal of the whole set formaintenance.Due to the significant forces to be withstood,which lead to prohibitive specific contact loadsexchanged between the leveling and BUR, a bearing-type BUR design has been selected.

Drive line

The nine leveling rolls are independently drivento guarantee the possibility of adjusting speedas well as the torque supplied to each singleroll, thereby optimizing the leveling processand protecting the mechanical components.The driving group has been studied so as tohave the most reliable and lasting components,and even the space has been compacted.Furthermore, the design of the reducer hasbeen carried out to minimize the maintenancetime.The driving gears for each roll have beeninserted in a dedicated cartridge, which can be extracted laterally without disconnecting all the other ones. Each cartridge is equippedwith the holes for lubricating both bearings and gears. Each roll is driven by a kinematicchain formed by:

an electrical motor;an extended gear coupling equipped with

locking brake and safety joint for overloadprotection;

a compact planetary reduction group withparallel axes and helicoid toothing cylindricalgears pre-reduction;

a distribution group which, on one sidesupports the planetary reducers, and on the other allows the grouping of exit shafts through idle cylindrical gears disaxling groups (ref. to picture 4) in order

to limit the working angle of spindles;spindles.

Torque demand for this leveler is pushing to the limit by the selection of main drivingspindles.Cardan-type spindles were immediately ruledout due their limited torque/diameter ratio.The final target has been achieved byinstallation of nine gear-type spindle.

Cassette changing system

Cassettes are quickly removable from theleveler for maintenance and roll regrinding.A long-stroke cylinder is provided to shift thecassettes out of the leveler on a dedicatedplatform. A spotting system for spindle angularpositioning, allowed by the individual roll drive,minimizes the down time while inserting thecassette inside the machine. This feature overcomes the typical problem of making the spindle hub match with therelevant roll spade.

Conclusions

The implementation of the new leveler designhas been carried out, joining together thedecades-long experience of SSAB Oxelösund as a producer of high-strength steel plates and, as a matter of fact, a revolutionarymachine is now available to help steelproducers facing flatness constraints on heattreatment lines for plates ■

Danieli Wean United cold leveller in a 1.1-Mtpy plate mill complex

18


New Danieli Hot Strip Mill starts operationat Tangshan Guofeng, P.R. of ChinaThe project was completed within the contract schedule thanks to the joint and full commitment among the Tangshan Goufeng and Danieli teams.

Tangshan Guofeng Hot Strip Mill layout

n January 24th 2006, the first hot rolledcoil was processed and successfullycoiled through the new Danieli Wean

United conventional hot strip mill located inTangshan City.The first HRC of carbon steel (Q215 grade) wascoiled with a final thickness of 8 mm, startingfrom a slab of 135 x 1000 mm x 8000 mm.

The 2-Mtpy state-of-the-art facility willproduce mainly carbon steel (35%), high-quality carbon steel (55%), and low-alloy steel(10%), and is basically made up of slabdescaler; four-high reversing roughing standwith attached vertical edger; hot coil box;rotary drum shear; water descaler; six four-high finishing stands; cooling section (U-tube type); two downcoilers; and a coilconveyor line.The mill features the most modern Danielitechnological packages (edger with HWAC;

Main product characteristics

Incoming slab

Thickness (mm) 135 mm

Width (mm) 600 - 1300 mm

Length (mm) 15,600 mm

Max weight (t) 21 ton

Finished product

Thickness (mm) 1.2 - 12.7 mm

Coil OD (mm) 762 mm

Coil ID (max) (mm) 1850 mm

Specific coil weight 16 kg/mm

HAGC; positive bending; WR shifting; RTC-Roll Thermal Crown control system; ShapedRoll technology -to improve the flatness controlcapability- and further testifies to theformidability of Danieli Wean United in theChinese market and worldwide ■

O1 First transfer bar exiting

the roughing mill area.2 The 6-stand finishing

mill.

1

2

1 2 3

4

1 Roughing area2 Finishing area

3 Coil conveyor line4 Downcoiler area

DANEWS 145

Starting of cold mill complex Hot Commissioning at Unicoil, Saudi Arabia

he first pickled and rolledcoils were produced at theUnicoil cold mill complex

in December 2005.Throughout January and February2006, hot commissioning activi-ties were targeted at producing at least 5000 tons of pickled andsubsequently rolled coils to beable to start hot commissioning on the continuous galvanizing linein a continuous way during thesecond half of February 2006.Hot commissioning activities areexpected to be completed by April2006, and production shallproceed on a regular basis thenceforth. The mill is a single-standreversing mill using provenDanieli Wean United four-high

mill technology. The mill stand is rated for 2,000-t roll separatingforce and is equipped with top-mounted HAGC cylinders; bottom-mounted wedges for automaticpass line adjustment; movable E-type bending blocks to accommodate WR bending andbalancing cylinders, and to allowthe shifting of the WR cylinders;and an automatic quick changesystem for WR.Shapemeter rolls are mounted on both sides of the mill. The shapemeter rolls are connected to a closed-loop flatness control that actuates WR bending, tilting and selectivecooling headers. The selective cooling headers will be mainly used to correctlocalized shape errors. These characteristic features of a cold reversing mill, togetherwith a surface conditioning mill and tension leveling on the galvanizing line, will enableUnicoil to produce galvanizedcoils suitable for the painting line presently in use at the samesite. Part of the production also will be sold directly to themarket ■

Unicoil and Danieli football teams pose for a souvenir photo.Mr A. Ceretti, Project Mgr (Danieli) was prized with MVP-MostValuable Player award.

1 Hot rolled strip entersthe push-pull picklingline.

2 The cleaning sectionin the hot dipgalvanizing line.

3 The single-stand cold reversing mill in operation.

4 Galvanized stripentering theskinpass/tensionleveling area.

T

Unicoil and Danielifootball friendship

Table 1 - Production plan for a typical AISI304 HR coil.

Coil width Entry thickness Exit thickness Exit thickness after tandem mill after skin pass

(mm) (mm) (mm) (mm)

First round 1550 6.00 3.00 2.70

Second round 1550 2.70 1.35 1.35

White HR coils

Black HR coils

2B / 2D finish

No.1 finish

Tandemmill

Annealingand pickling

Skinpassmill

Second round

20


Good performances at the six-high tandem mill of Outokumpu Stainless, Finland

anieli Wean United, following thisnew technological concept, hasdesigned, built, and successfully

commissioned the new RAP5 line atOutokumpu Stainless in Tornio, Finland. With its production capacity by 1.1 Mtpy, theRAP5 is the highest capacity line in the worldfor stainless steel (see Figure 2).

Tandem mill section

The biggest challenge with the RAP5 designwas to face the typical problems of stainlesssteel rolling (i.e. strip cooling and high rollingforces) and the specific problems of rolling inan integrated line (continuous rolling intandem configuration, and rolling of both HRand CR stainless steel strips).However, all the goals have been successfullyachieved and the RAP5 is now in operation atfull productivity, covering all the foreseenproduct mix and achieving the targetedthickness reductions. The tandem mill (seeFigure 3) consists of three mill stands with asix-high design with side-support rolls andbearings.In order to limit the rolling forces, small-

diameter WR have been used. The need to usesmall WR has led to the requirement to adopt amill stack configuration with intermediatedriven rolls for torque transmission and side-support rolls for the lateral support of the WR(see Figure 1).Moreover, in order to limit the horizontal forcesacting on the WR, the roll centers aredisplaced along the mill center line with offsets(see Figure 4). The WR offset is adjustable inorder to match, for every rolling conditions, theoptimal offset (calculated by a mathematicalmodel) that minimizes the horizontal forces onthe WR and, in the end, minimizes the WRdeflection and wearing on the side-support rollsand side-support bearings.

Thickness reduction capability

The maximum thickness reduction to beachieved was 50%. After commissioning the mill is now able to roll continuously with over 50% thicknessreduction over the entire thickness range, for both HR and CR strip. The mill equipmenthas shown its strength and reliability in theheaviest operating conditions.

1 2

The conventional method forproducing CR stainless steelconsists of four separate processsteps: annealing and pickling ofhot rolled strip, cold rolling,annealing and pickling of CR strip,and skin-pass rolling.In order to reduce the cost ofinvestment, operation, personnel,and to improve the materialquality and yield, a differentconcept has been developed inrecent years by integrating theannealing-pickling process withthe rolling process in the so-called RAP lines (Rolling,Annealing and Pickling Lines).

D

The mill is part of the RAP5 integrated line.

21

DANEWS 145

Table 2 - Rolling parameters

Coil Entry Entry Thickness reduction Rolling forces Strip tensionwidth thickness thickness (%) (MN) (kN)

(mm) (mm) (mm) Stand #1 Stand #2 Stand #3 Total Stand #1 Stand #2 Stand#3 Entry Exit

First round 1550 6.00 3.00 27.3 19.9 14.1 50.0 14.5 14.8 14.0 500 600

Second round 1550 2.70 1.35 28.1 18.6 14.6 50.0 14.6 13.9 13.8 500 440

Mill center line

Strip flow

DIR = 6 mm

DWR = -3 I +10 mm

BUR

WR

IR

A production plan for a typical coil is reportedin Table 1. The coil is processed two times inthe line: first and second round. During thefirst round, the HR coil is rolled from 6 mmdown to 3 mm, then annealed, pickled, andtemper rolled at the skin-pass mill with a 10 %thickness reduction. The exit coil (2.7 mm) is processed the second time on the line and it is rolled on the tandem mill down to 1.35 mm, annealed, pickled, and skin-passrolled, and the exit coil is sold as 2Bcommercial finishing quality. The main rollingparameters are reported in Table 2.Implementation of the RAP5 line was a greatchallenge because of the high level ofautomation and control required, and the highproductivity and product quality targets. The successful startup of the line was only

possible through the broad cooperativerelationship established between Danieli andOutokumpu Polarit; a cooperation that resultedin one of the most productive and versatilelines for stainless steel in the world ■

1 The work rolls andside-support rolls.

2 Flow diagram of thenew RAP 5 plant whichincorporates all theprocesses in onecontinuous line.

3 The tandem mill of theRAP5 line.

4 Roll displacement.

3

4

5

5 Thickness deviationrecorded by the dataacquisition system of the RAP5. The chart shows theimprovement of thethickness deviation of the HR coil (bluechart) after rolling with 50% reduction on tandem mill.

22

anieli Fröhling will supplyAluminium Norf, theworld's largest aluminium

rolling and remelt plant, with a trimming shear and anassociated scrap cutter to beinstalled in a hot rolling mill.

Al alloys of different grades will be cut at speeds of up to 720 mpm in thicknesses rangingbetween 1.0 and 8.0 mm. The shear will be assembled andno-load tested alongside theexisting line still in operation.During a subsequent short millshutdown, part of the existingequipment will be removed andpartially adapted, and the newshear shall be installed and putin operation. Close cooperationbetween the customer’sspecialists and Danieli Fröhling’sdesign department and projectteam will be the pre-condition for a timely and successful orderexecution ■


New slitting line for Alcoa EuropeThe best references and the sound technical solutionsenabled Danieli Fröhling to bid successfully.

technologically ambitious, modern slit-ting line will be installed in a Europeanfacility for Alcoa, the world’s largest

aluminium producer. The line main elementsinclude a coil storage area with spool handling; a payoff reel; entry guides allowing nearly tension-free cuts by the slitter, to ensure both increasedlifetime of shear knives and the highest cuttingquality; Danieli Fröhling’s CNC slitting shearsand automatic loop control, and correction func-tions; and a double loop builder to increase thelooping pit capacity. Braking before recoiling ismade possible by an advanced vacuum roll tech-nology that ensures the smoothest possible striphandling to avoid scratches on sensitive surfaces.Recoiling and slit strip coil handling and storagewill complete the line. Alcoa gave great impor-tance to the reduction of stoppage times and tothe reliability of operation for maximizing produc-tion output. Short coil handling and threadingtimes are essential, and the automation system

shall ensure adjustment procedures according to certain stored recipes for different products to be processed. Moreover, the line will bedesigned and constructed according to TPM(Total Productive Maintenance) regulations,which results in major advantages, such as:

Line operators perform the majority of maintenance tasks by themselves, leading to fewer delays and stoppages, and to anincreased operators’ know-how;

Maintenance department can concentrate on higher level tasks;

Reduction of time needed for cleaning,checking and lubricating the equipment;

Better identification of operators with “their” machine, and improved understanding of operational behavior.Further to the supply of mechanical, electricaland automation equipment, Danieli Fröhling also will carry out all the complete installation and commissioning works ■

A

D

1 Trimming shear assembly at Danieli Fröhling workshop.2 High-speed/High-accuracy CNC trimming shear in operation.3 Scrap cutter with automatic cutting gap adjustment.

1 2

3

These shears will replace existingequipment and ensure reliabletrimming of high-quality Al-alloystrips. The design is based on a similar shear supplied to thesame customer some years ago,but with different technical dataand tailor-made for the actualdifficult space requirements.

Trimming and scrap cutting shears at Alunorf, Germany

23

DANEWS 145

PSCP - Pass Schedule Calculation Programto improve cold mill productivity

anieli Fröhling’s PSCP,continuously improvedthrough the years by using

both newest theoretical develop-ments and feedback from coldmills in operation, is a powerfultool for optimizing pass sequencesand production to achieve processefficiency.The program provides mill engi-neers with all the parametersneeded to roll a certain materialon a particular rolling mill, in rela-tion to the mill’s design values,such as rolling force and torque,rolling speed and strip tensions. A large number of passes in differ-ent sequences can be calculated.Main output values are:Entry and exit thickness; rollingspeed; strip tension forward andbackward; cooling mode; coilermode; and gear stages.The program user may calculatehis own new pass schedules

or retrieve previous schedulesstored in the incorporated passschedule management system. Additional data can be implement-ed also, (e.g. flatness set points,roll bending, etc.), and theconnection to the mill control

system and to the Level 2 hostcomputer also is possible.The PSCP is used regularly inDanieli Fröhling’s planning anddesign phase for new mills, butcan also be used profitably andeffectively for any cold rolling

mill already in operation. Field application of PSCP hasshown that a 15 to 20 % produc-tivity increase is possible asresult of recalculation andimprovement of practiced passschedules ■

Slitting line starts operation at Yuncheng Aluminium, P.R. China

The high-precisionline has successfully passed no-load tests and first stripsslitting.

urrently, the first coils have been testedand the load-test phase is in full swing.The close cooperation established

between Danieli Fröhling, Yuncheng, and thelocal manufacturer ensured the timely startup of the new line. Electrical equipment, which hadbeen supplied by Danieli Automation, is beingfine-tuned now and the first slitting operationshave been executed, already with good results.The line will process 1400-mm-wide aluminiumand aluminium-alloy strips (mainly heatexchanger material) with thicknesses rangingfrom 0.05 to 0.4 mm at a speed from 0 to 800mpm. It is one of the core elements ofYuncheng’s brand new production facilities inShanghai.The high-tech solutions adopted (e.g the high-precision CNC slitter head) will ensure

compliance with the strict tolerances required onthe slit product as regards burr height and cuttingwidth. A similar line was delivered by DanieliFröhling in Sweden some years ago, and sincethen has been working successfully for thecustomer’s full satisfaction ■

1 Control pulpit for a 4-high mill for copper and copper alloys.

2 Example of screen page of the PSCP-PassSchedule Calculation Program.

D

C

24

LONG PRODUCTSDANEWS L

FastCast Plus™ technology for high-speed casting of special steelsExcellent productivity and quality results at ABS, Italy.

he ABS Luna FastCastPlus™ caster has beenoperating successfully

since Autumn 2000, originallycasting 160x200-mm specialsteel blooms at speeds up to 6 mpm with the possibility ofdirectly feeding the rolling mill,for endless rolling operation.The productive combination of ABS process know-how andDanieli state-of-the-art arttechnology has made it possibleto achieve continuousimprovements in bloom qualityand plant productivity throughoutfive years of operation.In 2005 the new 200x240-mmsection was added to themachine, confirming again thecaster’s flexibility, and givingABS a winning combination ofexcellent material quality andhigh plant productivity.The ABS Luna conticaster'sadvanced design (see DaNews139 for full details), puts thiskind of machine at the peak ofworld conticasting technology forquality and special steel billetsand blooms.

The combination of experienceand technological innovationresulted in a simple managementof the bloom caster, enabling fullcontrol of the machine in eachprocess phase.The conticaster is equipped witha Quality Control System (QCS)for machine operation monitoringand control in real-time. When the casting parameters are not in the pre-set validranges, the billet produced willbe designated on the Level 2

Steel grades Production (%)

Bearing steel 2

Spring steel 1.4

Creep-resistant steel 0.5

Casehardening 4.3

Casehardening re-sulphurised 14.3

Tempering-hardening steel 14

Tempering-hardening re-sulphurised 35.4

Forging steel 2.2

Forging micro-alloyed 1

Casehardening micro-alloyed steel 1.3

Tempering-hardening micro-alloyed 12.3

Boron steel micro-alloyed 8.6

Improved machinability steel 2.7

1 ABS Luna caster productmix - year 2005.

2 On line Quality ControlSystem.

T

25

>Fa

stC

astP

lus™

<

Bloom shape

Thanks to

Side dimension ±0.5% - Mould taperRhomboidity ≤0.6% - Primary coolingTorsion ≤0.3% - Optimization of primary cooling for each gradeBulging = absent - Supporting zone

- Larger corner radius- Aligment of the machine with segment cartridge design

Surface quality

Thanks to

- Regular and smooth oscillation - Proper powder lubricationmarks ≤ 0.3 mm - Larger corner radius- Absence of longitudinal and - Proper oscillation parameterstransversal cracks - Optimization of primary cooling for each grade- Absence of mould powder entrapment

Internal quality

Thanks to

Edge zone thickness comprising - Mould taper design versus parabolic taper technologyfine grain size ≥ 10 mm - Larger corner radius

- Optimization of primary cooling for each grade- Mould powder lubrication dedicated for sections and grades

ABS standard grade classification for edge zone thickness

Grade 0: Th≥10 mm Grade 1: 8≤Th<10 mm Grade 2: 6≤Th<8 mm

ABS grade result is 100% grade 0 for all products!

Absence of blowholes/pinholes - Perfect sealing among ladle shroud, tundish, SES, mould- Optimization of M-EMS parameters

Absence of macroinclusions - 1000 mm bath level- New tundish refractory materials- Stop-turbulence device- Optimize fluid dynamic by means dams design and stop-turbulence system- Secondary metallurgy process control

Absence of internal cracks - Tundish superheat control(subsurface, mid way, - Mould level control and stopper regulationcorner, central) - Mould taper

- Powder lubrication- Homogeneity of primary and secondary cooling- Optimization of Mould, Strand, Final EMS- design of withdrawal and straightening unit- Tertiary bloom cooling practice

Center unsoundness - Mould, Strand and Final EMSand Segregation results - Secondary cooling parameters

- Optimization of tundish superheat- Index of carbon segregation in high C ≤ 1.07

Aspects Performances Thanks to

∅ 105 mm bar rolled RR 5.5 : 1 - Primary solidificationfrom 200x240 mm bloom Internal quality: checking - Minimum billet central

by ultrasonic test fulfil all porositycustomers’ quality - Rolling parametersrequirements - Heat treatment cycle

DANEWS 145

(and directly also on HMI) as“INSPECT”; otherwise the billetwill be designated as “PRIME”(see Figure 2).This led to very high performanceand production standards, withexcellent results in surface andinternal quality of the as-castproduct.As a result, ABS has increased its competitiveness in theautomotive market considerably,making it possible to scale-up the entire casting and rollingprocess, reconfirming its positionas one of the leading producers of automotive steels in Europe.

Another Danieli four-strand special steel bloom caster hasbeen operating successfully atABS since 1990, casting a largenumber of sections ranging from180-mm square, to 200 and 405-mm-dia round blooms ■

3 Sulphur print of a200x240 mm as-castbloom. Steel grade38MnSiVTiS6.

4 Sulphur print of a 105 mm bar rolled from200x240 mm bloom.Steel grade 42CDS4.

5 Bloom shape, surfaceand internal quality.

6 Hot-rolled productresults.

3 4

5

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Special steel large-round bloom conticaster at Jangsu Huaigang, P.R. of ChinaFurther confirmation of the Danieli FastCastTM technology for top level applications.

he six-strand large-size bloom casterfor special steels (see orderannouncement in DaNews 144) will

be installed as an extension of the existingfacilities of Jangsu Huaigang (Nanjing I&SGroup). The caster, featuring a curved mould,14-m main radius, and designed for cast sizes up to 500-mm-dia round , will be put intooperation during 2006. The round cast bloomswill feed a new bar mill directly connected to theconticaster for hot-charging purposes, forconversion cost savings. In case the hot charge is not performed, the off-line slow coolingpractice for some specific steel grades is foreseenbefore the round blooms are transferred to therolling mill area for the cold charge mode.Steel grades to be produced will include alloystructural, spring, free-cutting, bearing, and gear

qualities. The production capacity requested forthe new conticaster is as high as 1.2-Mtpy of380, 450, and 500 mm high-quality roundblooms. The upstream process route is based on a 90-t converter, ladle furnace, and vacuumdegassing technology. The new caster is designedto cope with a total hourly steel output rangingfrom 190 to 240 tph (typical of the convertershort heat cycle), depending on cast size and steel grade. The flying tundish practice will reduce the amount of time consumed by re-stranding operation.

Caster main highlights are:Tundish design based on mathematical model

simulations to achieve uniform distribution of steelflow pattern and limited temperature differencebetween strands.

Combination of mould and final EMS to achieve

2 EMS: Three-phase 6-pole versus two-phase4-pole torque effect.

3 Typical bloom surfaceachieved with hydraulicmould oscillation.

>Fa

stC

ast™ <

1 Contract signing ceremony for the new special steelbloom caster. Top, right: handshakingbetween Mr. He Daping,Board Chairman of Huaigang, Mr. Huang Tianwen, President of Sinosteel, andMr. E. Cantarutti, Director of Sales for Danieli.

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DANEWS 145

proper cast bloom internal quality (carbonsegregation and central porosity), even in case ofvery demanding requirements such as bearing steel. The three-phase / six-pole Danieli-Rotelec designwill make it possible to achieve optimal stirring,even at the corners.

Hydraulic mould oscillation. The oscillationparameters (frequency and stroke) and consequentlythe negative and positive strip time can beseparately adjusted in order to achieve the mostsuitable conditions for the proper mould powderbehavior, in terms of mould lubrication and surfacequality. The oscillation mark depth (reduced up to50%) associated to its more even shape, leads tobetter surface quality of the rolled material for low-,medium- and high-carbon steels.

Bloom on-line quenching technology, applied incase of hot charge of low alloy, fine grain, N-contentsteel grades, with the aim to sharply cool down thebloom surface, thus avoiding the AlN precipitationon the boundary grains which could be detrimentalto the quality of the subsequently hot-rolled bars(hot shortness).

Other main features are the electromechanicalstopper rod mechanism in the tundish,radioactive mould-level detection system, air-mist secondary spray cooling, multi-pointunbending design, and a Level 1 and 2automation system for the full equipmentoperation, and process control provided byDanieli Automation ■

Startup of the >FastCastTM<special steel bloom caster at Republic, USASuccessfully completed the first step upgradeof the Canton (OH) steelmaking facilities.

he first step towardcompletion of theRepublic Engineered

Products Canton steelmakingupgrade project was made onJanuary 22nd 2006, with the firstbillets successfully delivered bythe new five-strand FastCast high-speed billet and bloom caster. The job was performed inan extremely smooth way, to fullcustomer satisfaction.The new conticaster, featuring allthe latest technological packages,such as stopper rods, hydraulicoscillators, mould EMS, air mistcooling, and full processautomation, is suitable for castingbillets from 170-mm square, up to250x190-mm rectangular blooms,at maximum rates of 155 tph.The conticaster is part of acomplete expansion project of the existing steelmakingfacilities, carried out by Danieli,which also includes a new 200-tLF, a VD station, and a majorupgrade of the existing 200-t EAF. Startup of these units will takeplace in the next few months.Republic Engineered Products,Inc. is a leading producer of high-quality SBQ steel for highlyengineered applications, forautomobiles, off-highway vehicles,and industrial equipment ■

1 The team thatsuccessfully completedthe conticaster startup.

2 Front view of the 5-strand caster inoperation.

3 Internal view of thecooling chamber.

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Arcelor chooses Danieli Morgårdshammar technology for the new heavy section mill up to 1100 mm

Arcelor Differdange,Luxembourg

Arcelor Differdange, a worldleader in production of heavysections, will carry out a majormodification and modernization of its “Grey-mill” in Differdange,with the aim of enhancing plantoperation, efficiency and finalproduct quality. The mill’s productrange includes up to 1,100-mmparallel-flange beams, rolled in upto 120-m lengths. The order,awarded in February 2006, fore-sees the complete re-arrangement

of the intermediate/ pre-finishingrolling mill area. To this end theexisting intermediate stands andthe associated mechanizationequipment will be replaced by atwo-stand universal-reversingtandem mill with automatic fast-changing system, installed in-linewith the present UF finishingstand, at a distance of over 120 mfrom the same. The tandem millwill give several reversing rollingpasses to the leading stockcoming from the existing BD mill,and will feed the existing univer-sal finishing stand, where therolled bar will undergo the finalsizing pass. A high degree ofautomation will be made availableby the HPC/AGC control systemsand a reliable minimum tensionadjustment. Danieli will beresponsible for the supply ofequipment and services on acomplete turnkey basis. Electricals and an advancedautomation system will be

Arcelor Dufferdanger plant layout (in blue the new equipment).

Mr J-M Dengler, Managing Director of Arcelor Differdange and Mr G. Nigris, VP of Danieli Morgårdshammar, signing the Contract for the Rolling Mill project. Standing, from left: Mr C. Prüm, Plant Mgr, Mr M. Loutsch, Rolling Mill Mgr(Differdange), Mr L. Maestrutti, Executive Mgr, Sales of Danieli, Mr C. Zeyen,Plant Mgr, (Differdange), Mr J. Vinciotti, Manager, New projects, Mr R. Reimen,Project Leader, New projects (Esch-Belval) and Mr W. Gaiotti, Area Sales Mgr of Danieli Automation.

Huta Warszawa plant layout with main parts highlighted.

29

provided by Danieli Automation. A dedicated project timeschedule, based on Danieli's longexperience in similar cases, willallow fast project execution andthe hot startup of the upgradedplant in 19 months from the dateof the order.

Huta Warszawa, Poland

The new Danieli high-capacitysuperflexible bar mill to beinstalled at the Warsaw steelcomplex will integrate the steelmeltshop supplied by Danieli inthe middle 90’s, creating acomplete minimill which will beone of the most advanced andhighly productive plants of thistype in Europe. The supply will be on a completeturnkey basis, excluding civilworks, and will include alltechnological equipment makingup the mill and all auxiliary plantsand systems, such as watertreatment plant, etc.The mill will be fed by a 160-tphDanieli Centro Combustionwalking-hearth reheating furnaceto be directly connected to theexisting caster for direct hotcharging of billets. The 18-stand DanieliMorgårdshammar mill will bemade up entirely of heavy-dutySHS housingless stands withautomatic fast-changing systemfor maximum mill efficiency andoperational flexibility.The advanced Level 1 and Level 2 automation systems, as well asall mill drives (full-digital AC type)and electrical equipment for thewhole mill and auxiliary services,will be supplied by DanieliAutomation.The mill will be able to produce a very broad range of productsizes and steel grades. Plant startup is scheduled in 2007.

Acindar Performa, Argentina

Performa SA (formerly F. Bonelli yCia), will upgrade its San Nicolàssection mill finishing end with theinstallation of a new automaticstacking plant for profiles.The 12-m-long single-headmagnetic stacker, to be installedat the delivery side of thestraightener and cold cut-to-lengthfacilities, will be suitable forprocessing 19 to 76-mm angles,corresponding channels, beams,flats, tees, and round and squarebars up to 38 mm, at rates of 40tph in a first stage. The unit willbe able to handle two 6-m-long orone 12-m-long bar layers forformation of regular stacksweighing from 1 to 4 t,automatically strapped or tied. Future extension is foreseen, with an additional section to reachan overall length of 18 m to copewith production capacities of up to 60 tph. DanieliAutomation will supply theelectricals and the automation andprocess control systems. Startupof the new facilities is scheduledfor the end of year 2006 ■

Danieli will upgrade Arcelor’s Differdange large beam mill(Luxembourg) and install a superflexible bar mill in HutaWarszawa (Poland), as well as automatic profile stackingfacilities at Acindar Performa, Argentina.

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he latest upgrade to be carried out at the Corporacion Aceros Arequipaminimill in Pisco will result in an

increased overall production capacity up to 0.5 Mtpy, and in an extended range of rolledproducts sizes, including 100-mm rounds,angles and corresponding channels and flats.The existing 40-ton spout-type EAF revampedby Danieli, will be replaced by a new 70-tonEBT FastArc™ EAF equipped with the latest-generation supersonic oxygen injectors and Hi-Reg Plus Electrode regulation system.The meltshop will be served by a new 130-tonA7/M7class, EOT teeming crane supplied byDanieli Centro Cranes.The new Danieli fume-treatment plant will be expanded to manage the increased fumevolumes, and the four-strand CCM will beupgraded to increase productivity and quality of the 14-m long billets.Previous upgrades carried out by Danieliinvolved the 40-t EAF, ladle furnace andconticaster, fume-treatment plant, rolling millmodernization, and completion with a high-speed wire rod line.Rolling mill capacity will be increased up to 0.5 Mtpy, and the size range will beexpanded to include 100-mm rounds, anglesand corresponding channels and flats.A new 70-t EAF and a further implementationof the four-strand caster and fume-treatmentplant will allow Aceros Arequipa to cope withthe new operating conditions. Danieli also willsupply a new 130-t casting crane.The rolling mill will be fed by a new 80-tphDanieli Centro Combustion walking-hearthreheating furnace (designed for futureconnection to the conticaster for hot-chargingpurposes) and transformed into a fully-continuous arrangement through the

installation of SHS housingless stands andauxiliary machinery. At full capacity the wirerod line will produce coils up to 2 t.

Danieli Automation will supply all electricalsand an advanced process control andautomation system for the entire upgradedminimill. The exisiting control systems will beupgraded, revamped and integrated with newmodern systems to face the steelmakingchallenges of next decade. The new solutionwill be ready for a total integration and futureexpansion to higher levels such as SupplyChain Management systems. The processcontrol systems include new modules formelting, refining and casting.The rolling mill also will be heavily upgradedwith a new reheating control and optimizationsystem, new DMC2000 mill master controlwith set up and rolling recipes data base.The revamping also includes replacement of the existing S5 equipment with a new S7 system.Startup of the upgraded minimill is scheduledfor spring 2007 ■

Aceros Arequipa, Peru, to become one of the most modern minimills in Latin AmericaA new order for a major upgrade to increase productivity and efficiency.

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1 Detail of the cooled roofof the 40-t existing EAF.

2 Inside the coolingchamber of the four-strand conticaster.

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2

3 4

3 Overall view of the high-speed wire rod line.

4 Example of screen pagefrom the EAF processcontrol system.

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DANEWS 145

New high-speed wire rod line at TSW-Trierer Stahlwerk, Germany

he aim of the majorupgrade of TSW’s castingand rolling facilities in

Trier is to enhance plantefficiency, productivity andproduct quality.The plant modification includes:

Upgrading of the Danieliconticaster for production oflarger billets (160x160mm, 8.5-mlong) and casting of quality steels. This will involve the installation ofprotected stream castingtechnology and mouldelectromagnetic stirring system.

New hot and cold chargingfacilities, including a quick billettransfer for the existing billetcooling bed.

Supply of a new high-speedwire rod line to be installedbehind the existing roughing and intermediate mill.

The new mill is designed toproduce approximately 0.5 Mtpyof 5.5 to 22-mm wire rod in awide range of quality steel grades,as low, medium and high carbon,cold heading, spring steel, pre-stressed, and welding wire and drawing grades, rolled atfinishing speeds of up to100 mps. Coil weight will be up to 1.6 t butthe equipment is already designedfor future production of 3-t coils. The mill layout incorporatesseveral advanced features for theefficient production of first-classquality wire rod, e.g. the facilitiesfor temperature-controlled rolling.To this end the project foresees:

Modifications in the roughingand intermediate mill area,including new crop and cobbleshears and two new ESS pre-

finishing stands in H-Varrangement.

A cooling and equalizationloop in front of the finishing blockfor temperature-controlled rolling.

A 10-pass DWB high-speedfinishing block, loop layer, DSCcontrolled cooling line, and acombined vertical / horizontalSund coil handling andcompacting system.

Danieli Automation will supply allelectricals and a new automationsystem (up to Level 2) for theupgraded conticaster and rollingmill.Danieli also will supply acomplete new water-treatmentplant and will be in charge of all the equipment installation.Plant startup will take place at the beginning of 2007 ■

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Danieli Morgårdshammarkey technological featuresin wire rod rolling: high-speed, vibration-free layinghead, DWB-Delta Wire rodfinishing Block, DSC-Danieli Structure Controlon-line controlled coolingsystem, Rotating ReformingTube and Easy Down coilforming system.

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110-mps wire rod line at Ori Martin, Italy

ccording to the agreement signed inNovember 2005, the existing Danieliwire rod production outlet, operating

since the mid-80’s at Ori Martin’s combinedspecial steel bar and rod mill in Brescia, will bereplaced by a new 90-tph high-tech wire rod line.The new line’s operation will enable Ori Martinto enhance final product quality and to enlargethe range of the on-line heat-treated grades, aswell as to increase the finishing speed up to110mps. The line will be made up of on-line pre-cooling facilities (as part of the DSCPlus DanieliStructure Control system), 8-pass DWB high-speed finishing block, the latest-generationDanieli laying head, and a controlled coolingconveyor with RRT/Easy-Down coil formingsystem. A trestle-type vertical transport systemwill be capable of coil transfer to the existing C-Hook conveyor in the as-formed condition,resulting in enhanced coil final quality.

The range of products will be 5.5 to 22-mm-diaquality wire rod in coils up to 2.4 t for automotiveand similar demanding applications. The complete automation system (Level 1 and 2)as well as all electricals will be supplied byDanieli Automation. The supply will be made on a complete turnkeybasis, excluding the civil works. The line’s startupis scheduled for Autumn 2006 ■

The existing bar/rod mill in Brescia will incorporatethe latest technology in wirerod rolling for special steel.

ATechnological highlights, particularly worthy of mention are:

LTR Low-Temperature Rolling capability, which will allow on-line direct control of rolled stock grain size and technological properties, resulting in elimination or minimization of traditional downstream heat treatments.

A laying head of unique patented design with oil-film plain bearing rotor supporting system, for absolute operational stability and minimized maintenance.

DSCPlus computer model, the ultimate innovation for pre-calculation of rolling and cooling parameters and for prediction of final microstructure evolution and mechanical properties for wire rod.

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DANEWS 145

New high-speed bar delivery system at Megasa, Spain

Spotlights of Danieli bar millfinishing end technology

he two-strand Megasa bar mill in La Coruña willbe upgraded with the

installation of a Double TwinChannel high-speed bar deliverysystem of the latest DanieliMorgårdshammar generation.The new system will replace thepresent bar-feeding unit at thecooling bed entry (part of the high-speed bar mill originally suppliedby Danieli) and will enableMegasa to produce 8 to 32-mm-dia rebars, rolled on two strandsat finishing speeds of up to 40 mps and at production rates of 160 tph. This will be one of thefastest Danieli high-speed bar

New QTB line for Riva Acciaio Verona, Italy

anieli will supply a newQTB surface-quenching andself-tempering line to the

Riva Acciaio #2 rolling mill inVerona, to replace an existingquenching line. The state-of-the-art new line will bedesigned to process 8 to 32-mm-diarebars (on two strands for thesmaller range) rolled at speeds of up to 29 mps, and at output ratesof up to 100 tph. The supply alsoincludes automation and controlsystems by Danieli Automation.Startup of the new line is scheduledfor summer 2006 ■

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Multi strand bar slitting. Quenching and self-tempering process (QTB).

Twin-channel high-speedbar discharging system.

delivery systems ever supplied.Danieli Automation will supply all electricals and an advancedLevel 2 automation system for the new line. Startup isscheduled for summer 2006 ■

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The new rail mill at voestalpine Schienen

First rail was rolled ahead of schedule at voestalpine Schienen, Austria

t the end of January, voestalpineSchienen's new rail mill in Leoben/Donawitz restarted after

the transformation into what now must be considered the world's most modern railrolling mill. The new plant’s construction was carried out in two successive steps:

The first stage was completed on September30th 2005 with the hot tests of the new 1100-mm-dia Break Down reversing mill, only fourweeks from the end of equipment installation,and without interruption of plant production.

The second and final step was completed on January 31st (a few days ahead of schedule),with the first rail rolled after the startup of thenew UFR reversing intermediate/finishing mill.This called for interrupting plant operationfrom Novemer 29th 2005. The first railsproduced have been UIC60 sections, all withinthe tough rail tolerances from the verybeginning.

The use of the advanced Prefabricated Moduletechnology to establish the new equipmentfoundation contributed significantly tominimizing plant downtime.The state-of the-art plant applies the latestDanieli technology in hot rolling of rails.In particular the UFR-mill, based on the latest-generation SCC (Stand Core Concept) standsand on the innovative Ultra-Flexible Reversingrolling technology, grants higher precision andquality in rails production, higher plantflexibility and efficiency, as well as an increasedspecific hourly production.

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From left: Mr H. Woehry, Roll Pass Design Executive Manager, Mr H. Moitzi, Rail Mill Production Manager (VAS) e Mr R. Leita, Executive Mgr,Projects (Danieli Service) attest product conformity and its compliance to sizetolerances since the first rolled rail (UIC 60).

The final stage constructionof the new rail mill wassuccessfully completed onJanuary 31. Full productionis expected by June.

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DANEWS 145

Medium section mill production record at Maanshan, P.R. of China

he super-flexible mediumsection mill in operation at Maanshan Iron & Steel

(Masteel), recently set anotherdaily production record with 2767 t/day produced.This state-of-the-art Danieli rollingmill, successfully started up inApril 2005, produces a wide rangeof sections, including up to 400-mm high-quality parallelflange beams, ultra-light H-beams,I-beams, and correspondingchannels.Based on the latest universalrolling technology, it is made up of 15 SHS housingless stands intwo-high horizontal or universalarrangement equipped withautomatic, quick programchanging system. All universal stands can bereassembled quickly as two-highstands to adjust the mill to the rollpass schedule, depending on theproduct being rolled. This feature,together with the quick standchanging system, substantiallybenefits plant efficiency andavailability and contributes to enhanced mill productivity ■

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The UFR mill is made up of three 980-mm-dia SCC universal housingless stands, suitable for operation in four-roll universal and two-roll horizontal arrangement, as needed. An advanced, automatic quick changing system for the stands’ ”Core” (i.e. the rolls and guides package) allows sectionreplacement times of just 15 minutes.The new mill’s advanced arrangement givesVAS a unique possibility of just-in-timeproduction even with small-volume order lots,contributing considerably to i enhancing thecompany’s market leadership. The mill produces all kinds of rails, such as Vignol rails, grooved rails, and other special sections for the rail market, rolled in 125-m lengths.Great appreciation and satisfaction on the job done so far has been jointlyexpressed by VAS and Danieli.

>We are very happy about this success, we haverealized precisely what we have announced”, saysHans Pfeiler, Chairman of the Managing Board ofvoestalpine Schienen GmbH. “Our team has workedin close cooperation with the Danieli experts dayand night from the shut-down of the old mill twomonths ago. Following a detailed activity plan, theold line has been removed and replaced by the newmill in a record time. We can actually say that withthe successful start of hot operation, a new era ofrail production has just begun. The customer benefitis more than ever in the center of all our activities”.Congratulations for the high degree ofprofessionalism and the timeliness of allparticipants to the project!!< ■

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RSB Reducing and Sizing Blockstartup at Aços Villares, BrazilFive hours from rolling of first bar to start of commercial production.

n January 2006, a newKocks/Danieli four-pass RSB Reducing and Sizing

Block started operation at the Pindamonhangaba specialsteel bar and rod mill, where aDanieli high-speed wire rod linehas operated since the beginningof 2004. Remarkably, commercialproduction of quality bars startedin the evening of Tuesday, January24th, following the RSB hot runwhich started only a few hoursearlier the same day.The RSB, acting as finishing

block for quality straight bars andbar-in-coils, or for preparing thefeeding sizes to the wire rodfinishing block, enhances plantefficiency, productivity, andproduct quality.Based on three-roll technology and designed for future low-temperature finishing rolling, the new RSB is designed forfinishing rolling of 17.5 to 76-mm-dia stainless and special steelbars, 18 to 38-mm-dia bar-in-coils, plus the feeding sizes forthe wire rod block ■

First bars rolling at Saudi Iron & Steel Co.Hadeed, Saudi ArabiaThe turnkey bar/rod mill was started up on February 1, 2006 and is continuing its tuning stage towards commissioning.

1 Walking hearth furnace.2 EWR® Endless Welding

Rolling line.3 18-stand continuous

mill.4 10-pass pre-finishing

block.5 TMB Twin Module

Block.6 Loop layer and

controlled coolingconveyor.

7 Wire rod coils finishingservices.

8 Cooling bed and barfinishing services.

9 Workshop.

he new mill was installed at the Al-Jubail steel complex, whereanother high-capacity Danieli bar

and section mill has been operatingsuccessfully since 1993. Made up of 18 SHSstands, a production outlet for straight bars,and a 115-mps TMB-based wire rod line, it is designed to produce 8 to 40-mm deformed bars and 5.5 to 16-mm (including down to 6-mm-dia deformed) wire rod. Maximumcoil weight is 2.5 t. Main highlights of the new plant are the EWR® billet welder (due for startup later

this year) that, through automatic continuous billet welding will enable uninterruptedproduction at the mill; and the TMB systemthat, while enhancing the mill’s efficiency,grants very high wire-rod finishing speeds.The complete turnkey supply included the electricals and automation system, a 110-tph walking-hearth reheating furnace, all auxiliary plants and systems (watertreatment and compressed air plants, rollturning shop, EOT cranes, etc.), all buildings, civil works, and road system, as well as construction of the entire plant ■

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More startups for Danieli Morgårdshammar

First USA EWR®

line startsoperation atSterling Steel (IL)High-carbon steel billets were successfully processedright from the start.

At the end of December 2005, thefirst billets of high-carbon steelwere successfully welded at thenew Endless Welding Rolling lineinstalled at Sterling SteelCompany’s 12” high-speed wirerod mill. Line testing continuedsmoothly in January withextremely good results, leading toa considerable increase in planthourly production, to full customersatisfaction. This allowsuninterrupted production of longproducts to take place for the firsttime in the USA and, significantly,on high-carbon steel billets rightfrom the start. The new EWR lineis designed for automaticcontinuous welding of 130x130mm, 11-m-long billets at rates ofup to 100 sht/hr for low, mediumand high-carbon spring steel.The billet welding process isparticularly beneficial in wire rodmills as it enables production of customized-weight and extra-heavy coils, even starting fromlowweight billets.Coil weight selection from theendlessly-rolled wire rod isperformed by a new shearing unitinstalled at the reforming tube, at the end of the roller conveyor.

EWR® billet welderstarts operation at Sonasid,MoroccoIt is the first endless rollingline for long products inAfrica

In January 2006 a new EWR linestarted billet welding operation atSonasid's 400,000-tpy bar andsection mill, making this companythe first in Africa able to operatein endless rolling through auto-matic continuous on-line billetwelding, for uninterrupted produc-tion of long products. The newbillet welder was added to theDanieli rolling mill in operationsince July 2002 as part of the JorfLasfar minimill. A Danieli steel-making plant with a potentiality

of over 1 Mtpy has been in opera-tion there since August 2005. The new Endless Welding Rollingline will benefit the mill’s produc-tivity, efficiency, and materialyield, resulting in lower overallproduction costs. Final productrange of the Sonasid 80-tphrolling mill is 8 to 40-mm-diaplain and deformed bars, and up to 60-mm sections.

Rolling millupgrade completedat Ferrosider, ItalyIn November 2005, the secondphase of the Ferrosider rolling mill modernization in Brescia wascompleted with the successfulstartup of three new, additionalSHS Universal stands. Phase 1plant upgrading, which includedtwo pre-finishing / finishing SHSstands, was completed last year.All of the new stands are fittedwith quick-changing facilities. The plant upgrade has enabled the mill to expand its productrange and to enhance productquality, plant efficiency and operating flexibility.Danieli Automation supplied theelectrical, control and automationsystems for the new equipment.

QTB on-line heattreatment systemin operation atFletcher Steel, NewZealandA QTB on-line surface-quenchingand self-tempering line for 10 to32-mm-dia rebars has been oper-ating since October 2005 at theFletcher Steel Ltd bar mill, to fullcustomer satisfaction.The new line has enabled produc-tion of high yield-strength rebars,starting from low carbon steel (the so-called Seismic® QTFletcher Steel product) at speeds

FACTS CONFIRM

DANIELI LEADERSHIP

16EWR®

BILLETWELDING

LINESSUPPLIEDOR UNDERCONTRACT

WORLDWIDESINCE 1997

up to 14 mps. A correspondingQTR line also has been installed at the Fletcher Steel wire rod milland will be started up in the nextfew months to produce quenchedand tempered deformed wire rodin coils. Installation of the newlines allows Fletcher Steel toexpand its product range, addingthe new Seismic® QT to the previ-ous Seismic®MA (Micro-Alloyed)reinforcing steel products, to meetany specific customer need ■

1 EWR’s self-centeringbillet clamping systemprovides full contact on the four billet sidesfor better and moreuniform currenttransmission fromclamps to billet.

2-3 EWR billet welding:flashing and upsettingphase.

4 SHS pre-finishing /finishing housinglessstands at Ferrosider.

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Complete new seamless pipe complex to NSMMZ Nizhnie Sergi, RussiaThe new, state-of-the-art facility is a strategic investment by Nizhnie SergiHardware and Steel Works (Maxi Group), and will produce up to 450,000 tpy of seamless pipes for oil industry and mechanical applications.

he new seamless pipe plant will beinstalled in the existing industrialcomplex (Sverdlovsk Region) where

the revamped electric steelmaking shop(presently producing square billets) willproduce up to 200-mm dia round billets, to be used as starting material for the completetube size range. The mill output will reach 450,000 tpy offinished pipes in the range of 48 to 177.8 mmOD, for oil industry (casing, tubing, line pipe,coupling) and mechanical applications(construction, boiler).This high-capacity seamless tube plantrepresents the state-of-the-art in all processareas. High-quality tubes with excellentgeometrical tolerances and proper materialcharacteristics will be produced at veryeconomical production costs.

Danieli Centro Tube will supply the entirepackage of machinery for the hot rolling lineand finishing lines (mechanical equipment,furnaces, electrical equipment and automation,hydraulics, etc.), including the supervisoryservices to ensure proper handling of theproject through all stages of the schedule, fromdesign through manufacturing, up to plantcommissioning.

Within the Danieli Group, Danieli CentroTube also will take care of the process technology, the mechanical design and projectmanagement, co-ordinating the activities of Danieli Centro Combustion (reheatingfurnace and heat treatment facilities), DanieliAutomation (overall process automation and electrical supplies), and Danieli CentroMaskin and Danieli Breda (cutting saws andupsetting lines).

The basic components of the new plant are:The hot rolling line, to transform the billets

into green pipes, based on five-stand DanieliFQM (three-roll retained mandrel mill) and24-stand stretch reducing block (three-rollstands featuring a sophisticated control system,in co-operation with Kocks).

The finishing floor, conceived to obtain the pipes of the reference product mix from the green pipes produced by the hot rollingmill, in accordance with the most updatedrequirements of the international standards(API, DIN, ASTM) and domestic standards(GOST, TU).The equipment is designed to comply withspecial requirement of end users (QualityControl System, ends phosphatizing) and to realize Premium Joint pipes.

T

Machining and assembly of piercing mill stand,speed reducers for standNo. 4-5-6 (RMM-RetainedMandrel Mill), cone-typeroll, plug bar thrust blockcarriage.

DANEWS 145

The following lines will be installed:Two heat treatment lines for the complete

tube size range;Two Quality Control lines, to control 100%

of the pipe production;Three finishing lines for casing, tubing

and line pipe, suitable for producing pipes inaccordance with the applicable Internationaland Domestic standards;

Upsetting line, for special end preparation; Coupling workshop, to prepare the coupling

for pipe connections.

The lines cover all the requirements in terms of quality assurance, finishing and testing oftubes for line pipe, casing, tubing and couplingapplication, and guarantees the maximumflexibility for the production scheduling ■

40

AUTOMATIONDANEWS A

New automation system for CC2 conticasterof Riva Acciaio Verona, Italy

he order to revamp the automationsystems of the six-strand billet caster at the Galtarossa plant was awarded

in April 2005. Design, engineering, installationand commissioning were carried out by DanieliAutomation in just five months! The 8-m radiuscaster produces 140-mm square billets in a widerange of low-, medium-, and high-carbon steelsfor various final applications. This unit was lastrevamped by VAI in 2002, with the existingautomation being supplied by the samemanufacturer at that time. This revamp projecthad two important extra goals:

to eliminate the need for operators otherthan those in the main control pulpit;

to be completed within five months fromthe order date.The project required a total revamp of theautomation, including major changes to theLevel 1 units: the central PLC was extended in order to perform additional control functionsfor the spray water, hydraulic units, ladleturret, and tundish, which originally had beenperformed by individual small localized PLCunits. The integration of the automationcomponents was enhanced by installing a newLocal Area Network communicationscapability, and a communication channel withthe central Manufacturing Execution Systems(MES) computer also was added.A Fast Data Analyser (FDA) system wasinstalled, allowing comprehensive real-timeacquisition, recording, and display of all theprocess data, at rates of up to 100 samples/sec.This new tool, which collects data directlyfrom the Level 1 PLC units over the EthernetLAN, creates the potential for investigations,problem detection, and off-line analysis thatpreviously was not possible.A Process Setup Function (PSF) was supplied,with the capacity of editing and storing thestandard process practices, and transmittingthese to the Level 1 PLC units, thusautomatically changing the process set pointsaccording to the production schedule. A reporting function also was included, withthe transmission of caster production reports to the customer’s MES. As one of the main

goals was the elimination of the existing localpulpits in favor of the centralization of all thecaster controls and displays, particular care was given to the design of a brand new controlpulpit for the CC2. A new CCTV systemfeaturing 32” LCD screens and multi-sourcedigital processing of the feeds from thecameras was supplied. The existing cameraswere reused, with the addition of some newones in order to allow remote monitoring ofmore of the equipment, in particular the billetwithdrawal, cutting, transfer, and collectingzones.Three new PC-based HMI systems weresupplied, in order to provide the operators with real-time graphical information on theequipment and process status.A brand new control desk was installed,featuring all the commands needed for manualinterventions or emergencies.The tight project schedule set was respected:after the plant shutdown the revamped CC2caster restarted production in a very smoothand effective manner.Riva Acciai is now enjoying the full benefits of its investment in the Continuous Caster No. 2 of the Verona-Galtarossa plant. The operators quickly gained confidence with the new automation system and theyappreciate the considerable extra informationthat is now available to them. The rationaliza-tion of the electronic equipment, in particularthe elimination of obsolete PLC units, has resulted in considerable savings in spareparts and maintenance, and an improvement in overall reliability. New screens and reports are available to the various users: maintenance engineers, oper-ators, process engineers, and plant managersnow can access more details on the caster equipment, the performance of theprocess, and the heats cast. Finally, the elimi-nation of the remote operator workplaces hasled to a significant savings in manpower. This project is an excellent demonstration ofhow Danieli Automation can implement newautomation systems for existing conticasters, to bring it to the state-of-the-art level ■

The new main pulpit of the CC2 conticaster is a unique example of centralized control as applied to thecontinuous castingprocess.

T

The new systemallows theoperators tocontrol the entirecaster from thecentral pulpit,thus eliminatingthe need for a full-time operator inthe mold, cuttingtorches, andproduct removalareas.

41

DANEWS 145

Flatness and cooling control HMI. Mimic of tandem mill overview.

The tandem cold mill in operation.

Hipac Technology for the second hand 5-stand Tandem Mill in Malaysia

technology, provides state-of-the-art control algorithms, including:speed master; thickness control;flatness control; mass flow;threading and slow downfunctions.An aggressive flatness control is actuated at stand #5. The stripflatness reaches the target valueimmediately after threading,thanks to the new flatnesspredictor function implemented by Danieli Automation. Advanced compensation functions (i.e. friction compensation, rolleccentricity, selective roll coolantsystem) for disturbing factorscomplete the high accuracy of the Level 1 HiPAC platform.

The Level 2 HiPAC schedule andsetup management provides the

n 2003 Megasteel acquiredcold mill complex equipmentfrom Thyssenkrupp

Beeckerwerth, including a continu-ous pickling line, temper mill andtandem mill. Danieli Automationwas chosen by Megasteel as elec-trical and automation supplier.Due to the high-quality product mix chosen by Megasteel for thetandem mill (automotive strip),Danieli Automation replacedcompletely the automation controlsystem and the digitalization of theexisting drives. Thanks to its wideflexibility, Danieli Automation’sHiPAC Control system was theperfect platform to control thetandem mill, which allowed Danielito complete the installation andcommissioning stages in a veryshort time and reach the targetplant performances.Danieli Automation provided a new Level 1 control functions:

production managementsystem,

mill management system, monitoring and setup,

as well the engineering andservices for the reutilization of the other electrical equipments.

HiPAC (High PerformanceAutomation Control)HiPAC control systems, was usedto control and supervise the entiremill.Its basic design provides:

digital dynamic control andhigh overload capability for theMain DC converters (total power of48,000 kW);

Level 1 high-performancecontroller;

Level 2 server with highreliability distributed clientarchitecture supported by a fault-tolerant server.

The Level 1 HiPAC system, basedon the latest real-time control

I

optimal setup for the controlsystem parameters depending onprocessed coil characteristics andrelevant rolling practices.

Run-time models calculate thedynamic mill setup to achieve thestop target profile during threadingand rolling phases to maximizeproduction and strip quality and tominimize head and tail off-gaugelengths.

Adaptation: a strategy to adaptthe setup to the process actuallong-term deviations is provided.Such a model is supported by asoft-sensoring function thatcontinuously investigates theprocess.

Electrical EquipmentThe revamping of the electricalportion included:

New DC converters for:Stand 1 (3 motors of 1400 kW,

250-530 rpm).Stands 3, 4, 5 gap adjustment

(screw down).Pay-off reel (2 motors

of 550kW, 225-650 rpm).Digitalization (retrofitting) for:

Stand 2 (6 motors of 1700kW, 250-530 rpm).

Stand 3 (6 motors of 1700kW, 250-530 rpm).

Stand 4 and 5 (6 motors of 1400kW, 250-530 rpm).

Tension reel (2 motors of 900kW, 250-530 rpm).Danieli Automation supplied newdigital controllers for the existingdrives and new field excitercircuits for the existing motors, to increase the dynamicresponse time of the system ■

42

AUTOMATIONDANEWS A

New approach to EAF process control with continuous feeding of DRI/HBI at Ispat Indo, Indonesia

EAF

Proc

ess

Cont

rol

ecent experience with continuousfeeding of DRI and/or HBI to EAFs hasconfirmed the soundness of Danieli

Automation’s new concept for EAF processcontrol systems. Thanks to the continuous monitoring of themelting process -from the EAF preparation totapping- the new version of the system canmanage continuous feeding of differentmaterials: hot and cold DRI, and HBI, even withparallel feeding of two of these materials.The control system divides the process intomultiple steps, and this makes possible a gradualapproach toward intermediate targets.Those steps in which arcing is used are in turnsplit into multiple phases, which represent thebasic elements of the process. The steps intowhich the process is divided are the following:

EAF preparation.Melting of the batch charge.DRI continuous feeding.Refining.Tapping.

The process control system interacts continuouslywith the basic automation, to obtain real-timeprocess data and report the set points (both fixedand calculated) for the power input, thecontinuous feeding, and all other equipmentinstalled (modules, burners, lances, …).

The control of each phase ending is performedvia rules for the following process variables:

Energies (electrical, bath enthalpy).Times (power-on time).Electrode position (relative to the first arc

strike point).

The DRI feeding rate is varied in order to maintain the bath within a predefinedtemperature range. A subsequent increase

of temperature is performed to match with the superheat required at tapping. At the end of continuous feeding the refiningphase takes place as well, during which the keyparameter, the bath temperature, is constantlymonitored up to tapping.The generation of bath enthalpy targets isperformed according to the various weights and types of the charged materials.The current enthalpy estimation is based uponenergy balance models that cyclically calculatethe differences between the supplied energy(either electrical and/or chemical) and thevarious energy losses (radiation, fumes,electrical).From the current thermal status of the bath, the process control predicts its notional averagetemperature. In particular, the constantrecalculation of the continuous feeding rate setpoint is based on extending these calculations asa set of iterative predictions across the next fewminutes of the heat.

The most significant advantages obtained with this new EAF process control approach are:

Enhanced precision of the process control thatmatches the energy inputs to the materials charged,thus reducing the specific consumptions withoutaffecting the quality of the tapped steel.

The energy balance models permit the automaticoptimal recovery from any power-off delaysencountered.

Ability to predict the future thermal status of the bath optimizes the control of the continuousfeeding rate.

Ability to predict the tapping time optimizes the management of the tapping step and thesynchronization with successive treatment areas.

Reduction in the difference between the actualtapping temperature and that aimed for, thus alsoimproving the process in the ladle refining furnace ■

RBUCKET CHARGE

• Scrap

MELTING

• Electrical energy• Chemical energy (burners, oxydation)

* Only for reference, estimated values based on over 1000 heats.

43

DANEWS 145

Danieli Automation expands itscapabilities by setting up a a newoperation in India. Thanks to the 25 engineers based in Salt Lake City(Bidhanagar), Technological Area of Kolkata since January 2006, DanieliAutomation will better serve the Indianmarket with special regards to:

Sales and marketing.Complete project management,

in coordination with Italy Headquarters.Sourcing of Indian vendors for

electrical and automation hardware.Complete project installation

engineering.Software development.Customer training.After-sales service and Customer

support ■

DAI - DanieliAutomation IndiaDanieli Automationexpandsits capabilities by setting upa new operation in India.

1 Melting Profile: mainparameters control andthermal balanceestimation.

2 Process Step: Materialadditions control chargedon EAF.

3 Main process steps of the electric furnace andthermal balance duringthe DRI feeding stage.

1

2

REFINING

• Slag foaming

• Chemical energy from carbon oxidation• Steel chemistry control

DRI FEEDING

TAPPING

Carbon (DRI 91% + Coal 9%) (95 kWh/t)*

Electrical Energy (405 kWh/t)*

Chemical reactions (120 kWh/t)*

Fumes (72 kWh/t)*

Electrical and Shell losses (28 kWh/t)*

Water cooling (75 kWh/t)*Slag (68 kWh/t)*

Steel (377 kWh/t)*

Total620 kWh/t *

44

Conditioning line forstainless steel slabs started up at JISCo, P.R. China

n January 2006, a250,000-tpy conditioningline for special steel slabs

was started up at JISCo, Jiyuguan(Gansu Province).The line, designed to processstainless steel slabs attemperatures of up to 500 °C, isbasically made up of two grindingmachines for conditioning theslabs’ wide faces. Each unit isequipped with an edge grinder forprocessing the slabs’ narrow

New 100,000-tpy billetconditioning linefor Simec Intl., Mexico

imec International S.A.de C.V. operates a high-quality steel bar

production plant near Puebla. A significant investment to upgrade this plant will include the installation of a Danieli billetconditioning line for processingof 160x160-mm, 5 to12-m-longengineering steel billets, with an annual capacity of about 100,000 tpy. The grinding machine, like allothers supplied in recent yearsby Danieli Centro Maskin, will bebased on the latest Hi-Grindtechnology (the digital evolutionof the previous analogical PowCo

COLD PROCESSING CPDANEWS

system), to achieve the bestsurface quality. The grinder willbe equipped with a 160 kW ACmotor and will have the flexibilityto use different sizes of grindingwheels.High standardization, with all thecritical components available in-house and the well provenprocess to be used in this case,will allow Danieli to deliver all the equipment in less thaneight months. This will make it possible to start production by the end of summer 2006.The electrical equipment and the automation system will besupplied by Danieli Automation ■

1 Grinding station forstainless steel billets inoperation at NAS-NorthAmerican Stainless, USA.

2 JISCo and DanieliOfficials at the Contractsigning ceremony for theslab conditioning projectin Jiyuguan (Sep. 2003).

1

2

I faces. The two grinders areserved by slab-handlingequipment and auxiliaries thatinclude a secondary dust-collecting filter and swarfhandling. The successful startup of the new line furtherstrengthens Danieli CentroMaskin’s leading position in China in this field ■

S

45

FORGING & EXTRUSIONDANEWS

Hydro Aluminum Extrusion and Danieli Breda: a success story!Over the past 25 years, Danieli Breda has supplied Hydro Aluminiumwith 10 new extrusion presses and has acquired orders for revamping22 existing units, in 13 different countries.

fter long periods of productionactivity, all machines require certainprocedures and/or modifications to keep performing at high levels.

These procedures are vital to preventobsolescence, and to improve operation whenthe machines are used with newer equipment.Also, parts that have fulfilled their service livesmust be replaced. For many years DanieliBreda has addressed part of its activity onthese kinds of projects, with encouragingresults. One of these is the deep co-operationestablished with Hydro Aluminium Extrusionin modernizing several extrusion presses (seetable). Nowadays it is important not only to change or modernize old components, but to improve the potentiality of theequipment in terms of longer extruded billet,reduction of dead cycle time, and of theextrusion time mantaining and even improvingthe final product quality.

These kinds of projects are then addressedtoward all machine systems and components,mechanical, hydraulic and electric andautomation, as follows:

Replacement of cast main cylinders with forged steel cylinders;

Replacement of moving crossheads and extrusion platen;

Transformation of non-moving stems into a moving stem, which allows longer billets to be used (“short-stroke" model);

Increase of press power without alteringbasic structure;

Thermal Alignment process control;Container temperature controls: heating

in four zones and cooling in two;Transformation of manual control units

into automatic units equipped with PLCs and control pulpits;

Installation of complete plant automationand process control systems ■

New extrusion presses supplied since 1993

Plant location Year Power (MN)

Suzhou, P.R. China 2004 3500

Tonder, Denmark 2002 3500

Atessa, Italy 2000 3500

Aldural, Argentina 2000 2200

Ornago, Italy 1999 2600

Century, UK 1997 3500

Acro, Brazil 1996 1800


Bohn, Usa 1994 2500

Nenzing, Austria 1993 2400

Revamped extrusion presses since 1993

Plant location Year Power (MN)

Tolouse, France 2006 2200

Seneffe, Belgium 2006 1600

Uphusen, Germany 2006 2200

Birtley, UK 2005 1600

Birtley, UK 2005 3500

Bedwas, UK 2005 2500

Portalex, Portugal 2004 2650

Bedwas, UK 2003 2200

Karmoy 1, Norway 2003 3600






Acro, Brazil 1998 1800

De La Roca, Spain 1997 2200




Automotive, USA 1996 2750



Raeren, Belgium 1995 1200

DANEWS 145

A

From top: HRH Prince Joachim of Denmarkofficially kicks off production of the new MPEpress at Hydro Precision Tubing Tonder (2003).Extrusion presses supplied to Hydro Nenzing,Austria (1993); Hydro Atessa, Italy (2002);Hydro Tonder, Denmark (1996).

46

SERVICEDANEWS

DanOil Bearings to improve plate/Steckel mill performance at Ferriera Valsider, ItalyThinner-gauge capability opens new market niches.

erriera Valsider has been successfullyproducing structural steel plates andhot rolled coils since 2001. Danieli

supplied the plate mill, which has a capacity of420,000 tpy. With ever-increasing demands onproduct quality, Ferriera Valsider sought adviceto help them roll thinner plates, and to ensurethe thickness variation of the product was wellwithin the end user’s demands. DanOilBearings, part of Danieli Service, executed theproject because of their specialized knowledgeof oil film bearings. The alignment of the rollswithin the mill stand was found to compromisethe rolling of thinner plates, and so a programof refurbishment for the WR and BUR chockswas started. The BUR chocks were found tobe in reasonably good condition, and all thatwas necessary was to machine the outer facesto enable new wear plates to be fitted. The WR chocks required an extensive programof repair commenced. The damaged chockbores were welded and stress-relieved beforebeing machined to the drawing dimensions.The chocks also were equipped with new wearplates to ensure optimal alignment of the WRand BUR. To improve gauge performance ofthe mill, the existing oil film bearings wereconverted from the old, full-key design tosemi-keyless design. New, white metal bush-ings also were supplied to maximize theperformance of the new semi-keyless sleeves.

As well as machining the existing BUR, theworn out roll necks were repaired in Danieli’sworkshops. This involved metal spraying theroll necks and accurately grinding the tapers to ensure that close gauge tolerances on the thin plate product would be achieved.The project proved successful and Ferriera Valsider is now rolling plates to athickness of 1.8 mm, instead of the 2.6 mmbefore the project ■

Exclusive DanOil bearingscontract from CSN, Brazil

DanOil Bearings Division have becomeone of the preferred suppliers for oil filmbearings to CSN. Danieli supplied 40 rollsleeves for the hot and cold mills inCSN's Volta Redonda works in January2002. Since delivery, the sleeves haveperformed to CSN's complete satisfactionduring the extended trial period. To confirm their satisfaction CSN placedan order for their total requirement for2006, and are committed to purchasingtheir needs for 2007 at the end of thefirst quarter of 2006 •

Technical assis-tance program atSonasid, MoroccoDanieli and Sonasid are cooperat-ing in an ambitious technicalassistance project with thecommon target of reaching a60,000 t per month productivity in the seventh month after the first heat. The technical backupsupport project is structured to assist and train the customerpersonnel at different levels and in a wide range of activities,showing and verifying the correctoperative, maintenance, and safety procedures. The expected advantages are:

A faster learning curve;The establishment of a contin-

uous learning process;A faster return on the invest-

ment.

The Danieli team involves 20specialists for a scheduled project duration of six months.The project will consist of twomain stages:

Practical on-site trainingDanieli team supported Sonasidpeople to increase their confi-dence with the new equipmentwith “hands-on” training regardingthe equipment features and main-tenance procedures, operativepractices, and plant safety.

Back-up support duringproduction and transfer of experienceDuring this stage, now ongoing,Danieli specialists are supportingSonasid people by supervising and demonstrating the correct way to perform activities related to operation, technologicalprocesses, and mechanical/ electrical maintenance •

Danieli Service

F

47

SRW/DRW roller guides for high-speedbar and wire rod finishing blocks

he SRW-DRW - 1000 (Singlepair/Double pair Rollers) series is thelatest generation of entry roller guides

for high-speed finishing blocks.SRW and DRW guides are completelyinterchangeable and are available with a rollerheight of 18, 24.4, and 30 mm, for installationclose to the rolling rings. All Danieli wire rodlines since the year 2000 have been equippedwith RW guides, able to cope with extremelysevere applications, such as:

DRW 30 utilized for round 24;DRW18 utilized for round 5.5mm at115mps.

The use of SRW/DRW guides makes it possibleto achieve very tight product tolerances and asuperior surface quality. Customer feedbackconfirming their satisfaction outlinesMorgårdshammar’s superiority on high-speedlines. The success of these guides arises fromour design:

High-quality stainless steel with precisemachining;

The roller assembly is studied in great detail for high-speed rolling;

Easy, fast, precise and reliable mounting due to the self-centering delta sub-base;

Media supply (cooling and lubrication) is done through the sub-base, meaning no external hoses;

Simultaneous fine adjustment of all rollers,through a single central screw, for fast andaccurate adjustment;

Independent control for each single roller formacro adjustment;

Independent vertical adjustment for all rollers;Minimized spare parts and maintenance

demand;Set-up and alignment can be performed with

the HiLINE® centering system for unbeatableprecision.

These guides confirm Morgårdshammar as theworld leader in design, construction, andcommissioning of guides since 1945 when thefirst roller guides were developed, patented, andintroduced into the market ■

Danieli WR lines are equipped with RW guides, able to cope with extremely severe applications

New rolling ring locking devicefor ESS cantilever stands

ompared with the currentpneumatic impact wrenchprocedure, the new

hydraulic axial locking device makesit possible to avoid using the centralbolt, thus ensuring the followingmajor advantages:

Total reliability and repeatabilityof the exact axial locking force.

The correct -and unique- preloadpressure avoids operator error during

locking/unlocking sequence.The fixed stud bolt solution

avoids any problems of seizing ordamage on the heli-coil and rela-tive pinion thread.

All locking/unlockingsequences are completed using thecentral hydraulic unit and quickcouplings (hoses), instead of theheavy pneumatic impact wrench.Special attention in the develop-ment of the new device was paid tothe recovery of all parts of theexisting locking unit.

As a consequence, to apply thenew device to existing rolling units,only simple machining of a frontflange and execution of two threadholes on a front pinion surface isnecessary ■

Since their introduction into the market, these guides have been installed with optimal results on more than 30 finishing blocks. More than 700 guides have been manufactured and delivered worldwide.

T

C

DANEWS 145

48

Danieli manufacturingcenters samequalityworldwide

aintaining peak competitivenessin the global market demandever faster response to the

customers’ requirements with high-qualitystandards for all products.The Danieli Group achieves these goalswith its manufacturing and assembly shopsworldwide.DFE-Danieli Far East (Thailand) andDME-Danieli Metallurgical Equipment(P.R. of China) are fully-owned localcompanies managed by Danieli people.This enables us to guarantee quality andtimely supplies.DME is located in a 21,000 m2 buildingarea, and includes an office building and a three-bay workshop for assembly and mechanical machining. Production in the DFE started inSeptember 2005. Production in DMEstarted in December 2005.

Workshop figures at a glance

575,000 sqm dedicated to manufacturingand assembly. 185 machine tools. 45,000man hours per month machining capacity.400 t hoisting means (up to 1,000 usingjacking supports). 9,600 tpy gear cuttingand grinding capacity. 15,000 tpy heattreatment capacity. 1,000-mm-thick narrowgap welding ■

AtD

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M Danieli Group three main manufacturing centers:Buttrio, Italy (Danieli headquarters); BOI industrialarea, Rayong, Thailand (DFE-Danieli Far East); and BDA industrial area, Beijing, P.R. of China (DME-Danieli Metallurgical Equipment).

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Danieli designs, manufactures,constructs and starts upcompetitive steel plants andequipment worldwide, either on a turnkey basis or supplied as individual units. The Danieli design concept aims to reduce production and depreciation costs, whileimproving product quality forcomplete customer satisfaction,from Ore to finished Flat andLong products.

LET’S MEET Please visit us at the forthcomingExhibitionsand Conferences

Metal + Metallurgy China Beijing April 18-21P.R. of China

Wire and Tube Duesseldorf April 24-28Germany

AISTech Cleveland, OH May 1-4USA

Metallurgy-Tube Moscow May 23-26Russia

Aluminum Shanghai June 13-15P.R. of China

ATS Paris June 19-21France

Danieli HeadquartersVia Nazionale, 4133042 Buttrio (UD) Italy

Tel (39) 0432.5981Fax (39) 0432.598289www.danieli.com

IN FLAT AND LONG PRODUCTS

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