Technological Solutions for the Revamp of Long Product Casters

摘要

Primetals Technologies provides technological solutions for the revamp of long-product casters. This paper presents recent examples of successful project implementations at ESF Elbe-Stahlwerke Feralpi GmbH and OOO Abinsk Electric Steel Works Ltd. (AEMZ), which underline the qualitative results that can be achieved within short project execution times. ESF, located in Riesa, Germany, awarded Primetals Technologies a contract for the modernization of a 5-strand billet caster, which was restarted in 2015. The aim of the project was to increase productivity and to further improve the internal as well as the surface quality of the billets. The caster was equipped with a new machine head, including DiaMold mold tubes and retractable DynaFlex hydraulic oscillators, and the secondary cooling system was also upgraded. In order to optimize the shutdown period and keep installation time to a minimum, the new equipment was pre-assembled and tested. OOO Abinsk Electrometallurgical Plant (AEMZ) is one of Russia's leading producers of reinforcing bars and other long products. The company operates an electrical steel plant and two rolling mills in Abinsk, which is located in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia. In March 2016, Primetals Technologies was awarded a contract to revamp the electric arc furnace, ladle furnace and the 6-strand billet caster. The main project targets were to increase productivity, lower production costs, improve billet quality, and broaden the product scope with the casting of quality steel grades such as cord, spring, cold-heading and welding steel grades. Casting speeds will be increased to 5 m/min.for 130-mm square billet sections to enable AEMZ to expand the plant's annual production output to 1.5 million tonnes of billets. The casting of quality steel grades will be possible with the installation of stopper equipment, electromagnetic stirring systems, tundish shroud manipulators and automatic mold-powder feeders. The new machine head, which features a DiaMold high-speed casting mold, DynaFlex hydraulic oscillation units and electromagnetic stirring in the mold, will ensure high quality of the cast billets. Furthermore, the new Level 2 automation system will safeguard consistency in the production of high-quality billets cast at high casting speeds.