World’s Largest Pipe-Forming Press Starts Production

Siempelkamp (www.siempelkamp.com) supplied the world’s largest press for the production of pipes to Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd., Shanghai, and put it into operation at the new plant. Featuring a capacity of 79,366 tons and the ability to bend sheet plates up to 59 ft. long and 1.6 in. thick, the first pipe was produced on January 31.

The finished pipes have a diameter of up to 4.7 ft.; 551,155 tons of steel plates can be processed on the press each year. The eight press cylinders, which were cast, assembled and tested by Siempelkamp in Krefeld, Germany, form pipes with a pressing force of 79,366 tons. Heavy parts, such as frames and press tables, were manufactured in China based on the manufacturer’s drawings.

Ormet Energizes Sixth, and Final, Potline

Ormet, (www.ormet.com) a top U.S. producer of aluminum, energized its sixth and final potline on November 28, 2007, and is now fully operational with steadily improving metal grades. The plant is operating at 90% of capacity with metal purity significantly above historical performance, the producer indicates.

“The restart was successful, with no injuries and only two failures of restarted pots,” stated CEO Mike Tanchuk. “The restart had no negative effect on the other operating lines and in fact, process stability, production, and metal purity all improved plantwide during the restart. Plant efficiency is at its historical best levels.”

Ladle Furnace In Operation at Georgsmarienhutte

SMS Demag AG (www.sms-group.com) successfully started an X-Melt 140-mt ladle furnace to Georgsmarienhutte GmbH in Germany.

Georgsmarienhutte produces steel bar, semi-finished products, and bright steel from quality steel, and high-grade structural steel, and most of which is delivered to the automotive industry, as well as automotive suppliers.

The order included the manufacture, completion, and commissioning of the plant, and equipment for the secondary metallurgical field. It included a 140-mt ladle furnace with a transformer capacity of 25 MVA; the water supply and treatment system; a stirring-gas control station; and the ladle transfer car.

SMS Demag supplied a common dust collecting facility for the two ladle furnaces, carbon injection systems, a testing/ sampling lance, a transfer station for the two ladle furnaces, and the electrical and automation systems.

Kobe Steel Starts New Melt Shop for Titanium

Kobe Steel, Ltd. (www.kobelco.com) inaugurated its new titanium melt shop at the Takasago Works in Hyogo Prefecture (in western Japan) late last year, and the $31-million operation began full commercial production in January.

The new operation converts titanium scrap into primary metal using a proprietary vacuum-arc remelting process calledthe Kobe Method. The producer states it intends to make the new melt shop, adjacent to an existing titanium melt shop, the most competitive such operation in Japan. It anticipates that the new capacity will stabilize production at Takasago, and improve the operating efficiency of its melting operation as it fills the rising demand for titanium mill products.

Kobe Steel has been expanding titanium production since 2006, at Takasago and the Kakogawa. Works, and at Kobe Special Tube Co. Ltd.

At Kakogawa, Kobe Steel inaugurated an updated and improved counter- blow hammer for closed-die forging in May 2007, allowing it to manufacture more titanium alloy forgings for aircraft engines and to serve growing demand for titanium products in developing markets. The project involved new computer process controls and a stabilization system for the hammer.

A 30% capacity expansion of the annealing/ pickling line for titanium sheet was completed at Kakogawa late in 2006.

Finally, a new welded tube line for titanium products was completed and started up last May at Kobe Special Tube Co., Ltd., in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The plant layout was also modified to improve productivity. The dedicated line increases the plant’s capacity by 30% and will produce welded tube for power plants in China, desalination plants in the Middle East, among other target markets.

RusAl Starts New Cells at Irkutsk

UC RusAl began starting up a new potline at its Irkutsk Aluminum Smelter (IrkAZ), which will increase the operation’s capacity for primary metal by 55% to 460,000 metric tons/year. RusAl estimates the cost of the expansion at more than $600 million.

The expansion includes 26 new RA-300 reduction cells, which use prebaked anode technology (to meet higher environmental standards), and dry scrubbing has been installed to absorb 99.5% of fluorides, dust, and other emissions. The potline also features a closed water cycle to reduce further environmental impact, and the expansion includes a silicon rectifier, anode rodding shop, and various other infrastructure improvements designed by UC RusAl’s Engineering and Construction division.

According to Valery Matvienko, the division head, “The modern technologies and equipment used at IrkAZ’s fifth potline will considerably increase efficiency and improve the environmental profile of the plant.”

Walking-Beam Furnace for WCI Steel

Core Furnace Systems (www.corefurnace.com) reports a successful start-up for a 300-tons/hour walking-beam furnace for reheating slabs at WCI Steel, Warren, OH. The furnace replaced three pusher furnaces supplying slabs to WCI’s 56-in. hot-strip mill.

The furnace has replaced three pusher-type reheat furnaces, and achieves fuel efficiency with low-NOx burners, among other design features. It allows WCI to reheat longer slabs, which contributes to greater product consistency. Core Furnace (www.corefurnace.com) also designed and supplied the control and automation systems for the chamber, including a thermal model-based, Level 2 control system.