VAI plant posted record steel output in one caster in Belgium

摘要

VAI has completed a contract for the expansion of a stainless steel making plant at Ugine & ALZ Genk, Belgium in sixteen months on turn key basis. The integrated performance test of all equipment was fulfilled recently and 404 heats of approx. 120 t per heat were produced in fourteen days, that means on average nearly 29 heats per day - a new record for stainless steel productivity. VAI supplied new equipment to ALZ, consisting of an electric arc furnace, revamp of an existing MRP converter into an AOD converter, and a revamp of the existing 1-strand 2000 mm slab caster. Already on October 1, 2002 the caster started successful production. With this investment Ugine & ALZ Belgium doubles its annual production capacity from 600,000 tonnes to 1,200,000 tonnes. While the new steel making facilities were installed additionally to the existing equipment, the existing casting machine and MRP converter had to be replaced within a comprehensive shut down period of three weeks.