Arcelor relies on Danieli Davy Distington for its fourth slab casting project in 10 months

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Successful startup ahead of schedule for new rail rolling mill at voestalpine schienen, Austria
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Fourth order in 15 months to Danieli Centro Tube for seamless pipe mills and finishing lines
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DANEWS
Simplified process flow diagram of the Jindal Danarex process.

Danieli News n.145 March 2006, Danieli Group

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE IRONMAKING 4 BF GAS CLEANING PLANT AT BLUESCOPE STEEL, AUSTRALIA. STEELMAKING 6 NEW ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE AT GERDAU AMERISTEEL, USA. 6 TECHINT AND DANIELI SIGN CONSTEEL ALLIANCE. FLAT PRODUCTS 9 STATE-OF-THE-ART SLAB CASTERS AT BAOTOU AND HANDAN (12), P.R. CHINA. 18 HSM STARTUP AT TANGSHAN GUOFENG, P.R. CHINA. 19 COMMISSIONING OF COLD MILL COMPLEX AT UNICOIL, SAUDI ARABIA. LONG PRODUCTS 24 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. AUTOMATION 42 NEW EAF PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM FOR DRI/HBI CONTINUOUS FEEDING.

GHC orders a new 1.4-Mtpy Integrated Minimill Complex forbars and wire rod production
The turnkey order for the new DRI-based minimill complex to be installed in the United Arab Emirates, follows the one for the 2-Mtpy single-module DRI plant was received from Jindal Steel (India) in October 2005.

he United Arab Emirates largest and first integrated DRI-based minimill 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, installed and started up by Danieli on a complete turnkey basis. It will be one of the newest
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THE MOST MODERN AND COMPETITIVE MULTI-PRODUCT MINIMILL IN EUROPE

IN LONG PRODUCTS

Halyvourgiki operates one of the most advanced plants featuring Danarc EAF, FastCast billet caster, EWR for endless production of wirerod, sections and 4-strand slit small-size bars.

FACTS CONFIRM DANIELI LEADERSHIP IN LONG PRODUCT STEEL PLANTS

FROM DANIELI SCORECARD (LONG PRODUCTS)

128 ELECTRIC ARC FURNACES 196 SECONDARY METALLURGY STATIONS 366 CONTINUOUS CASTING STRANDS FOR BLOOMS 1029 CONTINUOUS CASTING STRANDS FOR BILLETS 28 HEAVY SECTION MILLS 83 SPECIALTY STEEL AND SUPERALLOY ROLLING MILLS 260 BAR MILLS 135 WIREROD MILLS 125 SECTION MILLS 13 ENDLESS WELDING ROLLING UNITS 7 SPOOLER LINES 450 DRAWING LINES 12 FORGING SHOPS 242 EXTRUSION PRESSES 783 GRINDING MACHINES FOR BILLETS AND BLOOMS 717 BASIC AUTOMATION AND PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS

Danieli News n. 145

Danieli Publicity Dept.: Tel. (39) 0432.598244 E-mail: info@danieli.com Graphic Project: Polystudio DTP: Danieli Publicity Dept. Printing: Grafiche Filacorda. Approved by the Court of Udine under authorization n.16 dated 21.04.83

Two New Challenges

Two 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.

Danieli Headquarters
Via Nazionale, 41 33042 Buttrio (UD) Italy Tel (39) 0432.5981 Fax (39) 0432.598289 www.danieli.com info@danieli.com

Worldwide Danieli Companies

info@germany.danieli.com Tel (49) 208.3780000 info@netherlands.danieli.com Tel (31) 251.500500 info@usa.danieli.com Tel (1) 724.7785400 info@sweden.danieli.com Tel (46) 240.668500 info@uk.danieli.com Tel (44) 114.2800300 info@france.danieli.com Tel (33) 1.49722269 info@spain.danieli.com Tel (34) 94.4804343 info@china.danieli.com Tel (86) 10.65614226 info@thailand.danieli.com Tel (66) 2.6933520 info@india.danieli.com Tel (91) 11.26465638

Worldwide Offices and Service Centers

info@brazil.danieli.com Tel (55) 31.32819292 info@canada.danieli.com Tel (1) 905.3049337 info@uae.danieli.com Tel (971) 4.3430771 info@egypt.danieli.com Tel (20) 2.6379442 info@russia.danieli.com Tel (7) 095.2580427 info@korea.danieli.com Tel (82) 2.5626622 info@taiwan.danieli.com Tel (886) 7.3358655 info@ukraine.danieli.com Tel (38) 056.23738001

he decision was taken not only to increase revenues (which is already a good reason on its own) but also to serve our customers 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 manufacturing seamless pipe steel plants has definitely been supported by the particularly favourable moment in the energy sector, due to the increased global consumption of oil and gas. Together with know-how and technology exclusively supplied by Kocks for finish rolling, Danieli Centro Tube is the sole supplier able to offer the whole package (mechanical, electrical, automation, reheating systems) under the same management. The consequent advantages are smoother co-ordination through all stages of the project. Danieli Centro Tube takes care of process technology and the mechanical design of main machines, Danieli Centro Combustion deals with heating systems, Danieli Automation develops process automation and related electrical systems, and Danieli Centro Maskin contributes with some auxiliary machines. 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 natural completion of Danieli Morgrdshammars range of technologies in the field of long products, necessary in order to consolidate the market leadership built up during the last 20 years. In this case too, the market has recognized our strategy by awarding significant 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-mm beams, presently under construction. - Arcelor Differdange, Luxembourg: Major upgrading of the existing plant in Differdange producing up to 1,100-mm beams. Order just recently awarded. Several other projects involving specific large-scale equipment have been executed or are under progress for this sector. The Danieli Team is fully motivated in its pursuit of excellence in these new fields too, while honoring the commitments taken. Meanwhile, we are continuing to work toward innovative ideas that we hope will support our customers in their particular challenges in the steel market. Franco Alzetta Executive Vice President Member of the board

DANEWS

COVER STORY

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

generation of integrated minimills conceived to exploit specific local (competitive) energy availability and raw material resources. The order, awarded in January 2006, foresees a new integrated minimill to produce structural steel long products, and consisting of: a 1.6-Mtpy direct reduction plant ; a 1.4 Mtpy steelmaking and casting plant; a 620,000-tpy high-speed bar mill; and a 480,000-tpy highspeed wire rod mill. Danieli will be in charge of the complete turnkey supply for the whole plant, including
2

all the above mentioned main technological production units, the auxiliary plants and auxiliary services (such as the 220Kv electrical substation, WTP, compressed air, workshops, laboratories, etc.), all infrastructure, civil works, buildings, as well as installation and startup of the whole plant. The 1.6-Mtpy direct reduction plant engineered and manufactured by Danieli is a HYL III type which, due to high plant capacity, will be enhanced by some technology concepts developed and

NI MIL L ORDER

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I LATEST M

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Sheikh Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Department of Planning and Economy and acting Chairman of the Board of GHC, and Mr Gianpietro Benedetti Chairman and CEO of Danieli at the contract signing ceremony.

Layout legend 1 Incoming oxide storage area 2 Direct Reduction Plant 3 Product storage silos for hot charge 4 Product storage open yard 5 Product storage silos for cold charge 6 Meltshop plant 7 Continuous casting machine 8 Billet storage area 9 120-tph WH type reheating furnace 10 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 plant 18 Compressed air plant 19 Water Treatment Plant (DR plant) 20 DR plant and Meltshop daily maintenance workshop, general warehouse and central maintenance workshop 21 Rolling mill Water Treatment Plant and compressed air plant 22 Rolling mill roll shop

applied to other plants by Danieli. This job represents a milestone in DRI plant construction as Danieli and HYL Technology will jointly and exclusively market innovative DRI plants incorporating technologies and process know-how acquired by HYL Technology and Danieli over the years. Further R&D activities to be carried out jointly are part of the agreement, which aims to gain a significant market share. The new minimill will feature all the latest Danieli technologies and high-tech

equipment available in steelmaking, casting, and rolling of long products. The new 150-ton full-platform, split-shell AC EAF will operate based on 100% Hot DRI coming from the new nearby DRI plant, in continuous charge mode through the fifth hole. The EAF will be equipped with HiJet Modules and HIREG electrode digital regulation system for enhanced furnace operation and for energy consumption optimization. Steel refining will take place in a 150-ton inert roof-type LF. The six-strand Fast Cast conticaster will be equipped with the latest generation tundish and mould design, hydraulic oscillators, and all means to enable high-speed casting of 130 and 150-mm structural steel billets (designed for up to 200-mm square size). In addition, it will be suitable for future upgrading for casting of higher grade steels. The meltshop will outfitted with all auxiliary plants and equipment, including material handling system, and primary and secondary fume dedusting plant. The bar mill, made up of 16 SHS stands plus two six-pass DWB high-speed blocks, will produce 8- to 12-mm-dia rebars delivered onto the cooling bed through the Double Twin Channel system at up to 37 mps. High-speed finish rolling will take place at two DWB blocks, fed by incoming stock slit into two strands at the upstream intermediate mill. The wire rod mill, made up of 16 SHS stands and a 10-pass DWB high-speed finishing block, will produce 5.5 to 8 mm plain and 8 to 16-mm-dia deformed wire rod in two-ton coils at speeds of up to 110 mps. Each mill will be fed by a 120-tph Danieli Centro Combustion walking hearth reheating furnace. Danieli Automation will supply all electicals and an advanced, fully integrated automation 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

HOT DRI CONTINUOUS CHARGE

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DANEWS

IRONMAKING

New Blast Furnace gas cleaning plant at BlueScope, Australia

The existing gas-cleaning system at Port Kembla soon to be replaced with the Danieli Corus equipment.

n November 30th, 2005, Danieli Corus received an order from BlueScope Steel (formerly BHP Steel), Port Kembla Works (NSW), for the design and supply of a new annular gap scrubber and ancillary equipment. Working in close co-operation with Lurgi Bischoff GmbH of Essen, Germany, Danieli Corus will supply the scrubber, demister, connecting gas mains, access platform system, piping, valves, and recirculating pumps.

The new equipment will replace the existing Venturi scrubber and will be installed at No. 5 Blast Furnace during a reline in 2007. The primary function of the new scrubber will be to remove particulate matter from the blast furnace gas. It will also cool the gas to reduce its moisture content and control blast furnace top pressure when the top-gas energy recovery turbine is out of operation. The new scrubber will handle 500,000 Nm3/h of dust-laden blast furnace gas at 2.0 bar inlet pressure and 150 C inlet temperature. After passing through the scrubber, the dust content will be reduced to 5 mg/m3 or below, and its temperature will be reduced to below 40 C. From there on, the blast furnace gas is used as fuel for heating blast air in the hot-blast stoves, and as supplemental fuel for steam and power generation. The engineering is well under way and the equipment is scheduled to arrive at Port Kembla Works by November 30, 2006

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

Lurgi-Bischoff scrubber fabrication.

Scrubber tower in the laydown area on site.

DANEWS 145

The key factor for success of the Sublance systems

Danieli Corus has supplied more than 80% of all Sublance systems in China, earning a good reputation for high performance in quality and service.

anieli Corus entered the Chinese market with the sublance system in 1998 at WISCO in Wuhan. In 2003, four Sublance systems were put in operation at Meishan and Benxi. Two more systems where supplied to Ningbo. The performance of our equipment and of our people made a great impression in China, resulting in a big boost for sales. In 2004 ten sublance systems were supplied to five different customers in Benxi, Jinan, Wuhan, Tonghua and Anyang. In addition to all engineering and fabrication activities, we also installed and commissioned a sublance system at Benxi. In 2005 six sublance systems were supplied to Beitai, Xiang Tan, and Xing Cheng. Nine systems were installed and commissioned at Jinan, Tonghua, Benxi, Anyang, Xiang Tan, Xing Cheng and Beitai. For 2006 we are already fabricating six systems for Maanshan, Anyang and Tiantie. The basis for this good reputation is to be found in the quality and commitment of the sublance project team. This is a small team of 15 dedicated and experienced engineers who are involved in every step of the sublance projects

(engineering, inspections during fabrication, expediting, site supervision and commissioning). This approach results in a highly efficient project execution. But, more important, the commitment of our engineers to achieve the best possible result is very high. However, though the supply of high quality products is a good foundation, it will not by itself guarantee a successful project and continuation of business. Another factor for success in China has been the good relationship established and maintained between the Danieli Corus project team and its customers. Each of these project team qualities resulted in very satisfied customers, and every single sublance system supplied has met or exceeded the contractually agreed performance guarantee figures. The performance of our project team is the key factor for success of the Danieli Corus sublance systems

1 Our supervisor has got the full attention of the operators during hot commissioning. 2 Work on site is dirty and hard, but we love it.

3 Appreciation for our efforts is here awarded with honorary citizenship in Benxi.

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

fter some delays caused by archeological excavation in the area, the hotmetal desulphurization station for Anyang I&S Group was completed and commissioned before Christmas 2005. The facility includes two desulphurization stations that ultimately will process 2.6 Mtpy in a 130- t ladle. As in most Chinese plants, the process is based upon coinjection of pulverized lime and granulated magnesium reagents. The plant commissioning coincided with the startup of an entirely new steel plant; hence, availability of hot metal for

The facility includes two desulphurization stations that will process 2.6 Mtpy in a 130-t ladle

desulphurization was, and still is, limited. Therefore, part of the commissioning team will return to Anyang in the first quarter of this year to fine-tune the plants performance and complete the final acceptance test.

In September 2005, Danieli Corus started work on the hot metal De-S contract for Tiantie Metallurgical Group. The two-station facility, with a capacity to process 4 Mtpy, is scheduled to be completed in September of this year.

Also, just before Christmas, Danieli Corus was awarded a contract to design and supply a hot-metal desulphurization facility for Handan I&S Group. The project will commence after the Chinese New Year 5

DANEWS

STEELMAKING

New 100-t high-tech FastArc EAF for Gerdau Ameristeel, USA

Techint and Danieli enter an exclusive world-wide Consteel Alliance

the continuous scrap charging system such as the 42 heats/day performances by the
Mr Don Shumake, VP and General Manager of Gerdau Ameristeel Jacksonville signing the contract with Mr John. Brandon, VP Danieli Corp.

he remarkable results achieved in electric steelmaking by adopting

Danieli EAF at Deacero Saltillo in Mexico - together with the strict patent protections on this technology 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 development 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

erdau Ameristeel has awarded Danieli the order for a new 100-t Electric Arc Furnace, to be installed in the Jacksonville plant. The state-of-the-art 6.5-m-dia shell EBT EAF will feature current-conducting arms, singlepoint roof lift, and swiveling system and fast operating hydraulic movements. The EAF will be equipped with a complete chemical-energy package consisting of side-wall oxygen, gas, and carbon injection HiJet systems, together with lime injection. A Danieli Automation HiReg Plus advanced system for electrode regulation and foamy slag control will be part of the automation and electrical control package. A highly efficient dropout chamber to complete the carbon monoxide combustion, with an in-line fume quench-tower to minimize water-cooled sections 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 produce approximately 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

scrap charging and preheating concept, is recognized to be in many cases the cleanest, most user-friendly and energy-efficient solution for todays steelmaking. High productivity and low production cost are the key benefits for Consteel users

DANEWS 145

Facts ...the best evidence of a success.

Latest orders are the further confirmation of Danieli Centro Met advanced steelmaking technology
anieli advanced technology in steelmaking, refining and conticasting of commercial and special steels is a result of years of experience supported by persistent R&D activity. This, along with the companys long established capabilities in design, supply, installation and commissioning of complete plants on full turnkey or semi-turnkey basis, is the key to success that has brought to Danieli its undisputed global leadership in this field. Proof of this is the order scorecard for the last 15 months, that includes: 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)

Electric arc furnaces

Ladle furnaces (& VD/VOD)

Late 2004 Siderurgica Balboa (Spain) Deacero Celaya (Mexico) 2005 KSC (Iran) (*) (Far East) Siderurgica Tultitlan (Mexico) OMK (Russia) Aceros Arequipa (Peru) Early 2006 GHC (UAE) 1.4 Mtpy 1.0 0.3 0.5 1.2 0.6 Mtpy Mtpy Mtpy Mtpy Mtpy 1.2 Mtpy 1.1 Mtpy

Late 2004 Siderurgica Balboa- (Spain) Deacero Celaya (Mexico) 2005 KSC (Iran) (*) (Far East) Siderurgica Tultitlan (Mexico) OMK (Russia) Republic Eng St (USA) SEAH Besteel (Korea) Aceros Arequipa (Peru) Gerdau Ameristeel (USA) Early 2006 GHC (UAE) 150 t 170 t 60 t 60 t 160 t 200 t 80 t 70 t (FastArc) 100 t (FastArc) 130 t (FastArc) 120 t (FastArc)

Late 2004 Siderurgica Balboa- (Spain) Deacero Celaya (Mexico) 2005 JSC Petrovky (Ukraine) KSC (Iran) (*) (Far East) OMK (Russia) Shougang Corp (PRC) Nanjing I&S (PRC) Highveld (RSA) Ac. Paz del Rio (Colombia) Tiantie (PRC) Gloria Steel (Taiwan) Early 2006 GHC (UAE) 150 t 70 t 170 t (LF & VOD) 60 t (LF & VD) 160 t (LF & VD) 210 t 120 t 75 t 45 t 180 t (2 sets) 35 t (LF & VOD) 130 t 120 t

DANEWS

STEELMAKING

Steelmaking

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

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1-2 First heats are processed at the 120-t VD station. 3-4 120-t LF and VD stations similar to those operating at Hunan Valin Xiangtan No. 1. 3

ince last year Hunan Valin I&S Group Co.Ltd. has been successfully operating the latest Danieli secondary metallurgy technology at its Xiangtan No. 1 steelmaking plant in the Hunan Province. In July 2005 the first new 120-t ladle furnace (LF #2) started up successfully, as part of the steelworks upgrade project that also included a second LF and a VD unit of the same capacity. The new 120-t VD unit started operation at the end of December 2005, while the startup of LF #1 is expected for spring of this year. When finally completed, the new LF and VD units will be capable of processing 2.5 Mtpy and 1.2 Mtpy, respectively, of liquid steel to feed the existing round/square bloom and slab conticasters. The range of steels processed includes high-quality tube and pipe steels, high-pressure boiler steel, carbon structural, shipbuilding, pipeline, and pressure vessel steel plates. The new units are served by an advanced Level 1 and 2 automation system from Danieli Automation
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New refining station for special high-alloy steels at GMTC, (Evergreen Group) Taiwan

Contract signing between Mr Sean C.H. Chen Deputy Chief Engineer of Gloria Steel, and Mr D. Fraschini, Area Sales Manager, Danieli.

GMTC-Gloria Material Technological Corp. has awarded Danieli Centro Met the contract for a 35-t secondary metallurgy facility made up of a ladle furnace and on-line tiltable VOD. GMTC, with its wide range of highquality products, such as tool steels, stainless steels and various ESR materials, is the only manufacturer of special high-alloy steels in Taiwan. Both LF and VOD units are equipped with automatic sampling and temperature measurement devices, wire feeders, inert-gas bottom stirring, and a hydrogen measurement unit. The tight-roof type LF is specifically designed to prevent liquid steel oxidation in the ladle during refining. Danieli Automation will supply the HiREG system (which is a key element for the LF performance) as well as the Level 1 and Level 2 advanced automation, to ensure proper equipment operation and complete control of the refining process. Startup of the new units is scheduled for the end of 2006

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FLAT PRODUCTS

DANEWS 145

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

The order marks the continuation of the excellent relationship established with Baotou Group since October 2003, with the signing of the order for a temper mill that was started up only 20 months later.

n January 20, 2006, Danieli was awarded by Baotou Iron & Steel Co Ltd (P.R.China) the order for the new conventional slab caster for its new plate mill facility in Baotou City (Inner Mongolia). The caster is designed to produce over 1.5 Mtpy of qualified slabs ranging from 200, 250 and 300 mm in thickness, 1200 to 2300 mm in width, 2400 to 7400 mm in length. The product mix includes plate grades ranging from carbon steels to HSLA, pipeline (up to X80) grades, as well as steels for shipbuilding, boiler, pressure container, automotive beam, bridge, and weather-resistant applications. The startup of the caster is scheduled within 17.5 months from contract signing. Danieli INMO mould technology, with cassette design, makes it possible to dramatically reduce the number of exchange parts typically associated with casting different slab thicknesses, and enabling a significant reduction in capital investment and associated running costs. In combination with the patented Danieli rolling element mould guidance system, it allows high flexibility in product mix and superior slab quality. As for the roll geometry, the strict quality restrictions given by plate grades to be cast led to the adoption of reduced roll diameter -and smaller roll pitches- thanks to multiple split rollers designed to ensure segments rigidity.

This solution will limit slab bulging and optimize center-line quality while reducing the bulging strains and giving a more stable mould level. The single-strand caster is a vertical curved machine, with a vertical length of 2.6 m, 9.5-m main radius and about 40 m of containment length. Maximum casting speed will reach 2 mpm. Main process features include hydraulic oscillation, dynamic soft reduction, continuous bending/unbending roll diagram, adaptive airmist secondary cooling, and top-feeding dummy bar system.
The caster is fully equipped with Danieli technological packages 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 oscillating parameters. Level 1 and level 2 Danieli Automation control architecture with mathematical models of steel solidification, and liquid pool position calculation in order to optimize dynamic soft reduction and slab cooling operations.

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

The plant includes complete downstream equipment, such as a double cutting station, deburring, marking, and slab handling facilities to allow hot charging to the plate mill
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FLAT PRODUCTS

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

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Tundish INMO Mould Top zone and bender Curved segments Unbending segments Horizontal segments Segment manipulator robot 8 Top feeding dummy bar 9 Torch cutting station 10 Deburring

t the beginning of 2006, Arcelor Group awarded Danieli Davy Distington the order for the complete modernization of the slab caster No. 1 at Sollac Mditerrane, at Fos-sur-Mer. This major order follows the one Arcelor awarded to Danieli in April 2005 for the conversion of the three two-strand slab casters in Dunkerque, presently under advanced execution stage, and confirms the successful relationship established between Arcelor Group and Danieli. The Fos-sur-Mer contract foresees the transformation of the existing two-strand, curved slab caster into a state-of-the-art vertical curved machine, with the application of all Danieli Davy Distington cutting-edge casting technologies. Practically, only ladle turret, tundish car equipment and casting floor structures will be re-used unchanged. The order, which will be managed by Danieli on a turnkey basis, will involve: the complete dismantling of the existing caster; the modifications to the civil works

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 Mditerrane, Fos-sur-Mer (France).

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and auxiliary systems based on the needs of the new machine; the installation of the new two-strand vertical curved machine; the modification of the slab discharge areas and maintenance areas; and the installation of completely new electric and automation systems. Based on the previous experience of the revamp of slab caster No. 2 in the same plant, the Customer specifically selected the complete revamping of the machine, not a top-end revamping only. The existing machine is a curved design caster with 12.2-m radius and 33.4-m metallurgical length. It involves a bottom-feeding dummy bar system, mechanical oscillator, and extraction of segments by crane for maintenance purposes. The new caster will be a vertical curved machine, with a vertical length exceeding 2.6 meters, main radius of 9.3 meters and a metallurgical length of about 36.2 meters. Top-feeding dummy bar system, hydraulic oscillator and robot-type segment manipulator will be adopted. Main project targets are to increase plant availability and reduce non-productive time, as well as a substantial improvement to slab internal and external quality. The top-feeding system, segment manipulator, high-performance equipment and maintenance free-oriented design, together with increased supported length designed for casting speeds up to 2 mpm, will enable an increase of plant productivity of about 10%, up to 2.7 Mtpy of qualified slabs. The product mix includes an extremely wide range of steels, from IF grades for automotive applications to micro-alloyed steel (including X70 for pipe applications), medium C, high-C and high-Si grades. For this reason, the new roll diagram has been specifically designed to guarantee both the advantages of the vertical design for internal quality (of paramount importance for IF grades) and superior slab surface quality, namely for crack sensitive, microalloyed, highC and high-Si grades. The key technological features embodied in the new caster are: INMO mould (Danieli patent) and integrated hydraulic oscillator; OPTIMUM segments; PDR - Peripheral Drill rolls;

Key technological features embodied in the Danieli Davy Distington casters

1 2

Dynamic Soft Reduction process, based on liquid pool mathematical model; Dynamic secondary cooling control system for air mist/water slab cooling. Danieli Automation will develop and supply the complete electric and automation systems, including level 1 and level 2 control architecture. The conversion of the machine will be carried out during the main plant shutdown scheduled in the second half of 2007, timed to coincide with a blast furnace modernization: just 78 days are foreseen between the last cast of the old machine and the first cast of the new one. This challenging time schedule has been developed in co-operation with the Arcelor team, as well as on Danieli's successful experience with similar large-scale caster conversion projects already accomplished at Posco, Korea, and ThyssenKruppStahl, Germany

1-4 INMO mould (Danieli patent) and integrated hydraulic oscillator. 5 Dynamic Soft Reduction process. Dynamic secondary cooling control system for air mist/water slab cooling.

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FLAT PRODUCTS

5.2-Mtpy slab casting plant for special steels at Handan Iron & Steel, P.R. of China
The project includes two new two-strand casters to be installed in Hangangs 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 new casters (four strands in total) designed for to produce 5.2 Mtpy of qualified slabs in ULC, 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-art vertical curved type, with over 2.6-m vertical length, 9.5-m main radius, and roll diagram with continuous bending/undending design. The containment length of about 40 m will enable a maximum casting speed exceeding 2 mpm. The machines, fed by 270 to 300-t heat 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 for this major contract thanks to the advanced technological solutions proposed and adopted in the plant, such as: INMO mould and integrated hydraulic oscillator, designed to incorporate electromagnetic flow control equipment; Advanced breakout and sticking prevention system, with full thermal mapping of the mould; OPTIMUM segments with application of the Dynamic Soft Reduction process; Air-mist secondary cooling, dynamically controlled by a mathematical model of the solidification process; Continuous bending and unbending roll diagram, designed to minimize the stress on the slab during the solidification process. Danieli is in charge of the design for the whole casting plant, including maintenance facilities, discharging and slab handling areas, the latter conceived to handle the slabs coming from the four casting strands and to allow hot charging to the downstream hot strip mill. Danieli Automation will development and
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The 5.2-Mtpy slab casting plant layout

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5.2

Mtpy

Slab Casters
supply the automation and process control systems, up to level 2, including the development of mathematical models for the process control. Plant design will be carried out in co-operation with CERI, the local design institute, with the target of casting the first slabs within 20 months of the contract initiation date

DSRC - Dynamic Soft Reduction Control block diagram

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

DSRC - Dynamic Soft Reduction Control

Roll Position Regulation

Dynamic Roll Positioning Pattern Calculation

Shell Thickness along the strand

Liquid Cone and Mushy cone Position

- surface temperatures - internal temperatures - process events - process parameters

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

Database Database Equipment Control PLC LPC - Liquid Pool Control Model

- metallurgical parameters - machine configuration

n 31 August 2005, a consortium lead by Danieli and SAIL-Steel Autorithy of India Ltd., signed the contract for a new slab casting machine, to be installed in SAIL's Bhilai plant, 40 km west of Raipur. The contract refers to the supply on a turnkey basis of a new slab casting plant designed to produce 1 Mtpy of qualified slabs. The consortium is completing its basic engineering development phase, and the execution of preparatory civil works is proceeding with respect to the project schedule. The aim of the consortium members is to complete detail engineering ahead the schedule, and the project team is infusing the project with enthusiasm in order to achieve the maximum result and meet the challenge of the booming Indian market 13

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Algoma DSPC record Direct Strip Production Complex increases production at top strip quality
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 the favourable market trend.

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

n the past year Algoma is the company that realized the highest profit per ton produced, confirming that the fTRS technology assures high-quality in steel at lower cost. For the same reason Algoma was able to endure the deep crisis in the steel market during 2001 - 2003. The 582,000 stons (170,000 stons/month) shipped in the last quarter of 2005 represents the maximum production for this plant, which recently stabilized its productivity at a level of 2 Mtpy that represents the contractual figure . The flexibility in managing the DSPC plant and the internally-developed know-how in steel production is a winning mix that continuously allows Algoma to propose new, high-quality products that meet and exceed the market demand. DSPC 700B/770 B (a superior HSLA light-gauge product with minimum yield strength exceeding 700 Mpa) is just the latest new steel grade in a long list of HSLA products for several applications, including automotive, weathering grades, drawing quality, and some high-carbon steels.

Superior surface conditions, combined with consistent dimensional and mechanical properties obtained in the hot-rolled strip, are enhanced by cold rolling. Strip customers continuously request better performance for their products, asking for new steel grades for higher quality, to reduce weight and improve the drawing characteristics for the final product. Surface quality of the Danieli fTSR (flexible Thin Slab Rolling) has been reported to be superior to the quality in the traditional rolling mill. The better geometric tolerances of a direct process makes Thin Slab Rolling a winning tool to increase the competitiveness in modern steelmaking. Based on the superior Danieli fTSC jointly with the Danieli Hot Strip Mill, Algoma has been able to concentrate on this innovative approach and focus on customer service. After the 3.0 Mtpy achieved in Tangshan, P.R. of China, the actual high production achieved 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

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>DSPC<

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Hot Strip Mill revamping at Beta Steel Corporation, USA

a superior strip surface quality (new descaler boxes will installed at furnace exit, on board the rougher and at finishing mill entry). A new crop shear before the finishing mill will replace the existing one, to increase the cutting capability for API grade production. A quick automatic WR change system on the finishing mill will allow a remarkable increase in production operating time. The existing water wall stripcooling section will be replaced by a new system, able to control the sophisticated cooling pattern required by API grades. The existing second downcoiler will be replaced by a new unit, able to coil higher-strength and thicker material with a significant increasing in coil weight. New, horizontal-axes coil handling (including coil inspection, strapping, weighing and marking facilities) also will be installed to avoid coil tilting and edge damage, and to facilitate the final processing of coils before shipping. The revamping will be done during two mill shutdowns, and will be completed by the end of 2006

his revamping will be a strategic project for Beta Steel Corporation to increase the quality and the weight of coils produced, l to make it one of the first-class strip producers in USA. According to the contract signed on November 17, 2005, Danieli Wean United will carry out the complete revamp of the hot strip mill in Portage, Indiana, USA. The revamping follows the coil box installation already supplied by Danieli in 2000. Danieli will supply the new mechanical and hydraulic equipment, as well as the related electricals and the L1/L2 automation and process control system. The revamping has four main targets: Increasing of the annual mill productivity; Increasing the coil weight up to 30 t; Increasing the quality of final product; and, Increasing the steel grade product range. The following reorganization has therefore been decided: A new slab discharging machine will be installed at the exit side of the existing reheating furnace, while the descaling system will be completely upgraded to ensure

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

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The cold plate leveler at SSAB Oxelsund: a step toward the future of ultra high-strength steel leveling
A new-concept plate leveler has been developed to challenge the outstanding goals of leveling the ultra high-strength steel plate produced in the H2 hardening line of SSAB Oxelsund plate mill (Sweden).

Design concept (Ref. to picture 1)

The new machine will be equipped with an advanced and accurate flatness measurement system and includes the following main mechanical groups: main leveler housing; top bending frame; roll cassettes; drive line; cassette changing system. In addition to the HAGC system to allow top roll-set tilting and skewing, the following features are incorporated within each of these sub-assemblies. All groups have been studied in order to obtain a high total stiffness to minimize
Main technical parameters

all machine deformations during levelling. Specific F.E.M. calculation were done to closely evaluate the correct behaviour under load.
Main leveler housing

The housing is constucted of welded steel and made of one bottom base frame, four vertical columns, and two top cross beams. The main components are tightened together via four pretensioned tie-rods to enhance the housing stiffness that is one of the key-parameters in this kind of extreme application. A FEM analysis has been carried out to verify that technical specifications are met in this regard.(ref. to pictures 2 and 3).
FEM analysis and cartridge 3D representation

1 Side and front view. 2 Leveler frame vertical displacement due to rod tightening load of 6000 kN (a quarter of the machine modeled). 3 Leveler frame vertical displacement under the maximum separating force 18000 kN and tightening load (a quarter of the machine modeled). 4 Disaxling group cartridge.

Leveling force (kN) Leveling speed (mps) Leveled material thickness (mm) Leveled material width (mm) Leveling rolls (No.) Max diameter (mm) Barrel length (mm) Roll pitch (mm) Back-up rolls (BUR) (No.) Roll diameter (mm) Barrel length (mm) Main motor nominal power (kW)

18,000 0.1 - 0.7 4.8 - 12 1500 - 3150 4+5 205 3430 220 9 x 16 = 144 205 158 9 x 160
2 3

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

Top bending frame

The traditional design of the two-halves bending frame has been improved by providing a separate system for adjusting top roll height, which is achieved through eight wedge/counter wedge assemblies actuated by an hydraulic servosystem.
Roll cassettes

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

The nine leveling rolls are independently driven to guarantee the possibility of adjusting speed as well as the torque supplied to each single roll, thereby optimizing the leveling process and protecting the mechanical components. The driving group has been studied so as to have the most reliable and lasting components, and even the space has been compacted. Furthermore, the design of the reducer has been carried out to minimize the maintenance time. The driving gears for each roll have been inserted in a dedicated cartridge, which can be extracted laterally without disconnecting all the other ones. Each cartridge is equipped with the holes for lubricating both bearings and gears. Each roll is driven by a kinematic chain formed by: an electrical motor; an extended gear coupling equipped with locking brake and safety joint for overload protection; a compact planetary reduction group with parallel axes and helicoid toothing cylindrical gears pre-reduction; a distribution group which, on one side supports 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 driving spindles. Cardan-type spindles were immediately ruled out due their limited torque/diameter ratio. The final target has been achieved by installation of nine gear-type spindle.
Cassette changing system

Cassettes are quickly removable from the leveler for maintenance and roll regrinding. A long-stroke cylinder is provided to shift the cassettes out of the leveler on a dedicated platform. A spotting system for spindle angular positioning, allowed by the individual roll drive, minimizes the down time while inserting the cassette inside the machine. This feature overcomes the typical problem of making the spindle hub match with the relevant roll spade.
Conclusions

The implementation of the new leveler design has been carried out, joining together the decades-long experience of SSAB Oxelsund as a producer of high-strength steel plates and, as a matter of fact, a revolutionary machine is now available to help steel producers facing flatness constraints on heat treatment lines for plates
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New Danieli Hot Strip Mill starts operation at Tangshan Guofeng, P.R. of China
The 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 1 Roughing area 2 Finishing area 3 Coil conveyor line 4 Downcoiler area

n January 24th 2006, the first hot rolled coil was processed and successfully coiled through the new Danieli Wean United conventional hot strip mill located in Tangshan City. The first HRC of carbon steel (Q215 grade) was coiled with a final thickness of 8 mm, starting from a slab of 135 x 1000 mm x 8000 mm.

HAGC; positive bending; WR shifting; RTCRoll Thermal Crown control system; Shaped Roll technology -to improve the flatness control capability- and further testifies to the formidability of Danieli Wean United in the Chinese market and worldwide
Main product characteristics

1 First transfer bar exiting the roughing mill area. 2 The 6-stand finishing mill.

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

Incoming slab Thickness (mm) Width (mm) Length (mm) Max weight (t) Finished product Thickness (mm) Coil OD (mm) Coil ID (max) (mm) Specific coil weight 1.2 - 12.7 mm 762 mm 1850 mm 16 kg/mm 135 mm 600 - 1300 mm 15,600 mm 21 ton

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

mill technology. The mill stand is rated for 2,000-t roll separating force and is equipped with topmounted HAGC cylinders; bottommounted wedges for automatic pass line adjustment; movable E-type bending blocks to accommodate WR bending and balancing cylinders, and to allow the shifting of the WR cylinders; and an automatic quick change system 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 selective cooling headers. The selective cooling headers will be mainly used to correct localized shape errors. These characteristic features of a cold reversing mill, together with a surface conditioning mill and tension leveling on the galvanizing line, will enable Unicoil to produce galvanized coils suitable for the painting line presently in use at the same site. Part of the production also will be sold directly to the market
1 Hot rolled strip enters the push-pull pickling line.

he first pickled and rolled coils were produced at the Unicoil cold mill complex in December 2005. Throughout January and February 2006, hot commissioning activities were targeted at producing at least 5000 tons of pickled and subsequently rolled coils to be able to start hot commissioning on the continuous galvanizing line in a continuous way during the second half of February 2006. Hot commissioning activities are expected to be completed by April 2006, and production shall proceed on a regular basis thence forth. The mill is a single-stand reversing mill using proven Danieli Wean United four-high

2 The cleaning section in the hot dip galvanizing line.

3 The single-stand cold reversing mill in operation. 4 Galvanized strip entering the skinpass/tension leveling area.

Unicoil and Danieli football friendship

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

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

The mill is part of the RAP5 integrated line.

2 White HR coils Tandem mill Black HR coils Annealing and pickling Skinpass mill No.1 finish 2B / 2D finish

Second round

The conventional method for producing CR stainless steel consists of four separate process steps: annealing and pickling of hot rolled strip, cold rolling, annealing and pickling of CR strip, and skin-pass rolling. In order to reduce the cost of investment, operation, personnel, and to improve the material quality and yield, a different concept has been developed in recent years by integrating the annealing-pickling process with the rolling process in the socalled RAP lines (Rolling, Annealing and Pickling Lines).

anieli Wean United, following this new technological concept, has designed, built, and successfully commissioned the new RAP5 line at Outokumpu Stainless in Tornio, Finland. With its production capacity by 1.1 Mtpy, the RAP5 is the highest capacity line in the world for stainless steel (see Figure 2).

Tandem mill section

The biggest challenge with the RAP5 design was to face the typical problems of stainless steel rolling (i.e. strip cooling and high rolling forces) and the specific problems of rolling in an integrated line (continuous rolling in tandem configuration, and rolling of both HR and CR stainless steel strips). However, all the goals have been successfully achieved and the RAP5 is now in operation at full productivity, covering all the foreseen product mix and achieving the targeted thickness reductions. The tandem mill (see Figure 3) consists of three mill stands with a six-high design with side-support rolls and bearings. In order to limit the rolling forces, small-

diameter WR have been used. The need to use small WR has led to the requirement to adopt a mill stack configuration with intermediate driven rolls for torque transmission and sidesupport rolls for the lateral support of the WR (see Figure 1). Moreover, in order to limit the horizontal forces acting on the WR, the roll centers are displaced along the mill center line with offsets (see Figure 4). The WR offset is adjustable in order to match, for every rolling conditions, the optimal offset (calculated by a mathematical model) that minimizes the horizontal forces on the WR and, in the end, minimizes the WR deflection and wearing on the side-support rolls and side-support bearings.
Thickness reduction capability

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

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

Coil width (mm) 1550 1550

Entry thickness (mm) 6.00 2.70

First round Second round

Exit thickness after tandem mill (mm) 3.00 1.35

Exit thickness after skin pass (mm) 2.70 1.35

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1 The work rolls and side-support rolls. 2 Flow diagram of the new RAP 5 plant which incorporates all the processes in one continuous line. 3 The tandem mill of the RAP5 line. 4 Roll displacement.

5 Thickness deviation recorded by the data acquisition system of the RAP5. The chart shows the improvement of the thickness deviation of the HR coil (blue chart) after rolling with 50% reduction on tandem mill.

Mill center line

BUR

4
DIR = 6 mm
IR

WR

Strip flow DWR = -3 I +10 mm

A production plan for a typical coil is reported in Table 1. The coil is processed two times in the line: first and second round. During the first round, the HR coil is rolled from 6 mm down to 3 mm, then annealed, pickled, and temper 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-pass rolled, and the exit coil is sold as 2B commercial finishing quality. The main rolling parameters are reported in Table 2. Implementation of the RAP5 line was a great challenge because of the high level of automation and control required, and the high productivity and product quality targets. The successful startup of the line was only

possible through the broad cooperative relationship established between Danieli and Outokumpu Polarit; a cooperation that resulted in one of the most productive and versatile lines for stainless steel in the world

Table 2 - Rolling parameters

First round Second round

Coil width (mm) 1550 1550

Entry thickness (mm) 6.00 2.70

Entry thickness (mm) 3.00 1.35

Thickness reduction (%) Stand #1 Stand #2 Stand #3 27.3 19.9 14.1 28.1 18.6 14.6

Total 50.0 50.0

Rolling forces (MN) Stand #1 Stand #2 14.5 14.8 14.6 13.9

Stand#3 14.0 13.8

Strip tension (kN) Entry Exit 500 600 500 440

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New slitting line for Alcoa Europe

The best references and the sound technical solutions enabled Danieli Frhling to bid successfully.

technologically ambitious, modern slitting line will be installed in a European facility for Alcoa, the worlds largest aluminium producer. The line main elements include a coil storage area with spool handling; a payoff reel; entry guides allowing nearly tensionfree cuts by the slitter, to ensure both increased lifetime of shear knives and the highest cutting quality; Danieli Frhlings CNC slitting shears and automatic loop control, and correction functions; and a double loop builder to increase the looping pit capacity. Braking before recoiling is made possible by an advanced vacuum roll technology that ensures the smoothest possible strip handling to avoid scratches on sensitive surfaces. Recoiling and slit strip coil handling and storage will complete the line. Alcoa gave great importance to the reduction of stoppage times and to the reliability of operation for maximizing production output. Short coil handling and threading times 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 be designed 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 an increased 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, electrical and automation equipment, Danieli Frhling also will carry out all the complete installation and commissioning works

Trimming and scrap cutting shears at Alunorf, Germany

anieli Frhling will supply Aluminium Norf, the world's largest aluminium rolling and remelt plant, with a trimming shear and an associated scrap cutter to be installed in a hot rolling mill.

These shears will replace existing equipment and ensure reliable trimming of high-quality Al-alloy strips. The design is based on a similar shear supplied to the same customer some years ago, but with different technical data and tailor-made for the actual difficult space requirements. 22

Al alloys of different grades will be cut at speeds of up to 720 mpm in thicknesses ranging between 1.0 and 8.0 mm. The shear will be assembled and no-load tested alongside the existing line still in operation. During a subsequent short mill shutdown, part of the existing equipment will be removed and partially adapted, and the new shear shall be installed and put in operation. Close cooperation between the customers specialists and Danieli Frhlings design department and project team will be the pre-condition for a timely and successful order execution

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

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PSCP - Pass Schedule Calculation Program to improve cold mill productivity

anieli Frhlings PSCP, continuously improved through the years by using both newest theoretical developments and feedback from cold mills in operation, is a powerful tool for optimizing pass sequences and production to achieve process efficiency. The program provides mill engineers with all the parameters needed to roll a certain material on a particular rolling mill, in relation to the mills design values, such as rolling force and torque, rolling speed and strip tensions. A large number of passes in different sequences can be calculated. Main output values are: Entry and exit thickness; rolling speed; strip tension forward and backward; cooling mode; coiler mode; and gear stages. The program user may calculate his own new pass schedules

1 Control pulpit for a 4-high mill for copper and copper alloys. 2 Example of screen page of the PSCP-Pass Schedule Calculation Program.

or retrieve previous schedules stored in the incorporated pass schedule management system. Additional data can be implemented also, (e.g. flatness set points, roll bending, etc.), and the connection to the mill control

system and to the Level 2 host computer also is possible. The PSCP is used regularly in Danieli Frhlings planning and design phase for new mills, but can also be used profitably and effectively for any cold rolling

mill already in operation. Field application of PSCP has shown that a 15 to 20 % productivity increase is possible as result of recalculation and improvement of practiced pass schedules

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

urrently, the first coils have been tested and the load-test phase is in full swing. The close cooperation established between Danieli Frhling, Yuncheng, and the local manufacturer ensured the timely startup of the new line. Electrical equipment, which had been supplied by Danieli Automation, is being fine-tuned now and the first slitting operations have been executed, already with good results. The line will process 1400-mm-wide aluminium and aluminium-alloy strips (mainly heat exchanger material) with thicknesses ranging from 0.05 to 0.4 mm at a speed from 0 to 800 mpm. It is one of the core elements of Yunchengs brand new production facilities in Shanghai. The high-tech solutions adopted (e.g the highprecision CNC slitter head) will ensure

The high-precision line has successfully passed no-load tests and first strips slitting.

compliance with the strict tolerances required on the slit product as regards burr height and cutting width. A similar line was delivered by Danieli Frhling in Sweden some years ago, and since then has been working successfully for the customers full satisfaction

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FastCast Plus technology for high-speed casting of special steels

Excellent productivity and quality results at ABS, Italy.

he ABS Luna FastCast Plus caster has been operating successfully since Autumn 2000, originally casting 160x200-mm special steel blooms at speeds up to 6 mpm with the possibility of directly feeding the rolling mill, for endless rolling operation. The productive combination of ABS process know-how and Danieli state-of-the-art art technology has made it possible to achieve continuous improvements in bloom quality and plant productivity throughout five years of operation. In 2005 the new 200x240-mm section was added to the machine, confirming again the casters flexibility, and giving ABS a winning combination of excellent material quality and high plant productivity. The ABS Luna conticaster's advanced design (see DaNews 139 for full details), puts this kind of machine at the peak of world conticasting technology for quality and special steel billets and blooms.

Steel grades

Production (%)

Bearing steel Spring steel Creep-resistant steel Casehardening Casehardening re-sulphurised Tempering-hardening steel Tempering-hardening re-sulphurised Forging steel Forging micro-alloyed Casehardening micro-alloyed steel Tempering-hardening micro-alloyed Boron steel micro-alloyed Improved machinability steel
1 ABS Luna caster product mix - year 2005.

2 1.4 0.5 4.3 14.3 14 35.4 2.2 1 1.3 12.3 8.6 2.7
2 On line Quality Control System.

The combination of experience and technological innovation resulted in a simple management of the bloom caster, enabling full control of the machine in each process phase. The conticaster is equipped with a Quality Control System (QCS) for machine operation monitoring and control in real-time. When the casting parameters are not in the pre-set valid ranges, the billet produced will be designated on the Level 2 24

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Bloom shape

Side dimension 0.5% Rhomboidity 0.6% Torsion 0.3% Bulging = absent

Thanks to - Mould taper - Primary cooling - Optimization of primary cooling for each grade - Supporting zone - Larger corner radius - Aligment of the machine with segment cartridge design

Surface quality

Thanks to - Regular and smooth oscillation - Proper powder lubrication marks 0.3 mm - Larger corner radius - Absence of longitudinal and - Proper oscillation parameters transversal cracks - Optimization of primary cooling for each grade - Absence of mould powder entrapment
Internal quality

Edge zone thickness comprising fine grain size 10 mm

Thanks to - Mould taper design versus parabolic taper technology - Larger corner radius - Optimization of primary cooling for each grade - Mould powder lubrication dedicated for sections and grades

(and directly also on HMI) as INSPECT; otherwise the billet will be designated as PRIME (see Figure 2). This led to very high performance and production standards, with excellent results in surface and internal quality of the as-cast product. As a result, ABS has increased its competitiveness in the automotive market considerably, making it possible to scale-up the entire casting and rolling process, reconfirming its position as one of the leading producers of automotive steels in Europe. Another Danieli four-strand special steel bloom caster has been operating successfully at ABS since 1990, casting a large number of sections ranging from 180-mm square, to 200 and 405-mm-dia round blooms

ABS standard grade classification for edge zone thickness

Grade 0: Th10 mm

Grade 1: 8Th<10 mm

Grade 2: 6Th<8 mm

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

Absence of blowholes/pinholes Absence of macroinclusions

Absence of internal cracks (subsurface, mid way, corner, central)

Center unsoundness and Segregation results

- Perfect sealing among ladle shroud, tundish, SES, mould - Optimization of M-EMS parameters - 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 - Tundish superheat control - Mould level control and stopper regulation - 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 - Mould, Strand and Final EMS - Secondary cooling parameters - Optimization of tundish superheat - Index of carbon segregation in high C 1.07

Aspects 105 mm bar rolled from 200x240 mm bloom

Performances RR 5.5 : 1 Internal quality: checking by ultrasonic test fulfil all customers quality requirements

Thanks to - Primary solidification - Minimum billet central porosity - Rolling parameters - Heat treatment cycle

3 Sulphur print of a 200x240 mm as-cast bloom. Steel grade 38MnSiVTiS6. 4 Sulphur print of a 105 mm bar rolled from 200x240 mm bloom. Steel grade 42CDS4. 5 Bloom shape, surface and internal quality. 6 Hot-rolled product results.

>FastCast Plus <

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Special steel large-round bloom conticaster at Jangsu Huaigang, P.R. of China

Further confirmation of the Danieli FastCastTM technology for top level applications.

1 Contract signing ceremony for the new special steel bloom caster. Top, right: handshaking between Mr. He Daping, Board Chairman of Huaigang, Mr. Huang Tianwen, President of Sinosteel, and Mr. E. Cantarutti, Director of Sales for Danieli.

he six-strand large-size bloom caster for special steels (see order announcement in DaNews 144) will be installed as an extension of the existing facilities of Jangsu Huaigang (Nanjing I&S Group). The caster, featuring a curved mould, 14-m main radius, and designed for cast sizes up to 500-mm-dia round , will be put into operation during 2006. The round cast blooms will feed a new bar mill directly connected to the conticaster for hot-charging purposes, for conversion cost savings. In case the hot charge is not performed, the off-line slow cooling practice for some specific steel grades is foreseen before the round blooms are transferred to the rolling mill area for the cold charge mode. Steel grades to be produced will include alloy structural, spring, free-cutting, bearing, and gear
26

qualities. The production capacity requested for the new conticaster is as high as 1.2-Mtpy of 380, 450, and 500 mm high-quality round blooms. The upstream process route is based on a 90-t converter, ladle furnace, and vacuum degassing technology. The new caster is designed to cope with a total hourly steel output ranging from 190 to 240 tph (typical of the converter short 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 steel flow pattern and limited temperature difference between strands. Combination of mould and final EMS to achieve

2 EMS: Three-phase 6-pole versus two-phase 4-pole torque effect. 3 Typical bloom surface achieved with hydraulic mould oscillation.

>FastCast <

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Startup of the >FastCastTM< special steel bloom caster at Republic, USA

Successfully completed the first step upgrade of the Canton (OH) steelmaking facilities.

proper cast bloom internal quality (carbon segregation and central porosity), even in case of very demanding requirements such as bearing steel. The three-phase / six-pole Danieli-Rotelec design will make it possible to achieve optimal stirring, even at the corners. Hydraulic mould oscillation. The oscillation parameters (frequency and stroke) and consequently the negative and positive strip time can be separately adjusted in order to achieve the most suitable conditions for the proper mould powder behavior, in terms of mould lubrication and surface quality. The oscillation mark depth (reduced up to 50%) associated to its more even shape, leads to better surface quality of the rolled material for low-, medium- and high-carbon steels. Bloom on-line quenching technology, applied in case of hot charge of low alloy, fine grain, N-content steel grades, with the aim to sharply cool down the bloom surface, thus avoiding the AlN precipitation on the boundary grains which could be detrimental to the quality of the subsequently hot-rolled bars (hot shortness).

he first step toward completion of the Republic Engineered Products Canton steelmaking upgrade project was made on January 22nd 2006, with the first billets successfully delivered by the new five-strand FastCast highspeed billet and bloom caster. The job was performed in an extremely smooth way, to full customer satisfaction. The new conticaster, featuring all the latest technological packages, such as stopper rods, hydraulic oscillators, mould EMS, air mist cooling, and full process automation, is suitable for casting billets from 170-mm square, up to 250x190-mm rectangular blooms, at maximum rates of 155 tph. The conticaster is part of a complete expansion project of the existing steelmaking facilities, carried out by Danieli, which also includes a new 200-t LF, a VD station, and a major upgrade of the existing 200-t EAF. Startup of these units will take place in the next few months. Republic Engineered Products, Inc. is a leading producer of high-quality SBQ steel for highly engineered applications, for automobiles, off-highway vehicles, and industrial equipment

Other main features are the electromechanical stopper rod mechanism in the tundish, radioactive mould-level detection system, airmist secondary spray cooling, multi-point unbending design, and a Level 1 and 2 automation system for the full equipment operation, and process control provided by Danieli Automation

1 The team that successfully completed the conticaster startup. 2 Front view of the 5-strand caster in operation. 3 Internal view of the cooling chamber.

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

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 Morgrdshammar, signing the Contract for the Rolling Mill project. Standing, from left: Mr C. Prm, 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.

Arcelor Differdange, Luxembourg

Arcelor Differdange, a world leader in production of heavy sections, will carry out a major modification and modernization of its Grey-mill in Differdange, with the aim of enhancing plant operation, efficiency and final product quality. The mills product range includes up to 1,100-mm parallel-flange beams, rolled in up to 120-m lengths. The order, awarded in February 2006, foresees the complete re-arrangement

of the intermediate/ pre-finishing rolling mill area. To this end the existing intermediate stands and the associated mechanization equipment will be replaced by a two-stand universal-reversing tandem mill with automatic fastchanging system, installed in-line with the present UF finishing stand, at a distance of over 120 m from the same. The tandem mill will give several reversing rolling passes to the leading stock coming from the existing BD mill, and will feed the existing universal finishing stand, where the rolled bar will undergo the final sizing pass. A high degree of automation will be made available by the HPC/AGC control systems and a reliable minimum tension adjustment. Danieli will be responsible for the supply of equipment and services on a complete turnkey basis. Electricals and an advanced automation system will be

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Danieli will upgrade Arcelors Differdange large beam mill (Luxembourg) and install a superflexible bar mill in Huta Warszawa (Poland), as well as automatic profile stacking facilities at Acindar Performa, Argentina.
provided by Danieli Automation. A dedicated project time schedule, based on Danieli's long experience in similar cases, will allow fast project execution and the hot startup of the upgraded plant in 19 months from the date of the order.

Acindar Performa, Argentina

Performa SA (formerly F. Bonelli y Cia), will upgrade its San Nicols section mill finishing end with the installation of a new automatic stacking plant for profiles. The 12-m-long single-head magnetic stacker, to be installed at the delivery side of the straightener and cold cut-to-length facilities, will be suitable for processing 19 to 76-mm angles, corresponding channels, beams, flats, tees, and round and square bars up to 38 mm, at rates of 40 tph in a first stage. The unit will be able to handle two 6-m-long or one 12-m-long bar layers for formation of regular stacks weighing from 1 to 4 t, automatically strapped or tied. Future extension is foreseen, with an additional section to reach an overall length of 18 m to cope with production capacities of up to 60 tph. Danieli Automation will supply the electricals and the automation and process control systems. Startup of the new facilities is scheduled for the end of year 2006

Huta Warszawa plant layout with main parts highlighted.

Huta Warszawa, Poland

The new Danieli high-capacity superflexible bar mill to be installed at the Warsaw steel complex will integrate the steel meltshop supplied by Danieli in the middle 90s, creating a complete minimill which will be one of the most advanced and highly productive plants of this type in Europe. The supply will be on a complete turnkey basis, excluding civil works, and will include all technological equipment making up the mill and all auxiliary plants and systems, such as water treatment plant, etc. The mill will be fed by a 160-tph Danieli Centro Combustion walking-hearth reheating furnace to be directly connected to the existing caster for direct hot charging of billets. The 18-stand Danieli Morgrdshammar mill will be made up entirely of heavy-duty SHS housingless stands with automatic fast-changing system for maximum mill efficiency and operational flexibility. The advanced Level 1 and Level 2 automation systems, as well as all mill drives (full-digital AC type) and electrical equipment for the whole mill and auxiliary services, will be supplied by Danieli Automation. The mill will be able to produce a very broad range of product sizes and steel grades. Plant startup is scheduled in 2007.

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

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he latest upgrade to be carried out at the Corporacion Aceros Arequipa minimill in Pisco will result in an increased overall production capacity up to 0.5 Mtpy, and in an extended range of rolled products sizes, including 100-mm rounds, angles and corresponding channels and flats. The existing 40-ton spout-type EAF revamped by Danieli, will be replaced by a new 70-ton EBT FastArc EAF equipped with the latestgeneration supersonic oxygen injectors and Hi-Reg Plus Electrode regulation system. The meltshop will be served by a new 130-ton A7/M7class, EOT teeming crane supplied by Danieli Centro Cranes. The new Danieli fume-treatment plant will be expanded to manage the increased fume volumes, and the four-strand CCM will be upgraded to increase productivity and quality of the 14-m long billets. Previous upgrades carried out by Danieli involved the 40-t EAF, ladle furnace and conticaster, fume-treatment plant, rolling mill modernization, and completion with a highspeed wire rod line. Rolling mill capacity will be increased up to 0.5 Mtpy, and the size range will be expanded to include 100-mm rounds, angles and corresponding channels and flats. A new 70-t EAF and a further implementation of the four-strand caster and fume-treatment plant will allow Aceros Arequipa to cope with the new operating conditions. Danieli also will supply a new 130-t casting crane. The rolling mill will be fed by a new 80-tph Danieli Centro Combustion walking-hearth reheating furnace (designed for future connection to the conticaster for hot-charging purposes) and transformed into a fullycontinuous arrangement through the

installation of SHS housingless stands and auxiliary machinery. At full capacity the wire rod line will produce coils up to 2 t. Danieli Automation will supply all electricals and an advanced process control and automation system for the entire upgraded minimill. The exisiting control systems will be upgraded, revamped and integrated with new modern systems to face the steelmaking challenges of next decade. The new solution will be ready for a total integration and future expansion to higher levels such as Supply Chain Management systems. The process control systems include new modules for melting, refining and casting. The rolling mill also will be heavily upgraded with a new reheating control and optimization system, new DMC2000 mill master control with 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 scheduled for spring 2007
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1 Detail of the cooled roof of the 40-t existing EAF. 2 Inside the cooling chamber of the fourstrand conticaster.

3 Overall view of the highspeed wire rod line. 4 Example of screen page from the EAF process control system.

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

he aim of the major upgrade of TSWs casting and rolling facilities in Trier is to enhance plant efficiency, productivity and product quality. The plant modification includes: Upgrading of the Danieli conticaster for production of larger billets (160x160mm, 8.5-m long) and casting of quality steels. This will involve the installation of protected stream casting technology and mould electromagnetic stirring system. New hot and cold charging facilities, including a quick billet transfer for the existing billet cooling bed. Supply of a new high-speed wire rod line to be installed behind the existing roughing and intermediate mill.

The new mill is designed to produce approximately 0.5 Mtpy of 5.5 to 22-mm wire rod in a wide range of quality steel grades, as low, medium and high carbon, cold heading, spring steel, prestressed, and welding wire and drawing grades, rolled at finishing speeds of up to100 mps. Coil weight will be up to 1.6 t but the equipment is already designed for future production of 3-t coils. The mill layout incorporates several advanced features for the efficient production of first-class quality wire rod, e.g. the facilities for temperature-controlled rolling. To this end the project foresees: Modifications in the roughing and intermediate mill area, including new crop and cobble shears and two new ESS pre-

finishing stands in H-V arrangement. A cooling and equalization loop in front of the finishing block for temperature-controlled rolling. A 10-pass DWB high-speed finishing block, loop layer, DSC controlled cooling line, and a combined vertical / horizontal Sund coil handling and compacting system. Danieli Automation will supply all electricals and a new automation system (up to Level 2) for the upgraded conticaster and rolling mill. Danieli also will supply a complete new water-treatment plant and will be in charge of all the equipment installation. Plant startup will take place at the beginning of 2007

Danieli Morgrdshammar key technological features in wire rod rolling: highspeed, vibration-free laying head, DWB-Delta Wire rod finishing Block, DSCDanieli Structure Control on-line controlled cooling system, Rotating Reforming Tube and Easy Down coil forming system.

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110-mps wire rod line at Ori Martin, Italy

The existing bar/rod mill in Brescia will incorporate the latest technology in wire rod rolling for special steel.
ccording to the agreement signed in November 2005, the existing Danieli wire rod production outlet, operating since the mid-80s at Ori Martins combined special steel bar and rod mill in Brescia, will be replaced by a new 90-tph high-tech wire rod line. The new lines operation will enable Ori Martin to enhance final product quality and to enlarge the range of the on-line heat-treated grades, as well as to increase the finishing speed up to 110mps. The line will be made up of on-line precooling facilities (as part of the DSCPlus Danieli Structure Control system), 8-pass DWB highspeed finishing block, the latest-generation Danieli laying head, and a controlled cooling conveyor with RRT/Easy-Down coil forming system. A trestle-type vertical transport system will 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-dia quality wire rod in coils up to 2.4 t for automotive and similar demanding applications. The complete automation system (Level 1 and 2) as well as all electricals will be supplied by Danieli Automation. The supply will be made on a complete turnkey basis, excluding the civil works. The lines startup is scheduled for Autumn 2006

Technological 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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New QTB line for Riva Acciaio Verona, Italy

anieli will supply a new QTB surface-quenching and self-tempering line to the Riva Acciaio #2 rolling mill in Verona, to replace an existing quenching line. The state-of-the-art new line will be designed to process 8 to 32-mm-dia rebars (on two strands for the smaller range) rolled at speeds of up to 29 mps, and at output rates of up to 100 tph. The supply also includes automation and control systems by Danieli Automation. Startup of the new line is scheduled for summer 2006

New high-speed bar delivery system at Megasa, Spain

he two-strand Megasa bar mill in La Corua will be upgraded with the installation of a Double Twin Channel high-speed bar delivery system of the latest Danieli Morgrdshammar generation. The new system will replace the present bar-feeding unit at the cooling bed entry (part of the highspeed bar mill originally supplied by Danieli) and will enable Megasa to produce 8 to 32-mmdia rebars, rolled on two strands at finishing speeds of up to 40 mps and at production rates of 160 tph. This will be one of the fastest Danieli high-speed bar

delivery systems ever supplied. Danieli Automation will supply all electricals and an advanced Level 2 automation system for the new line. Startup is scheduled for summer 2006

Spotlights of Danieli bar mill finishing end technology

Multi strand bar slitting.

Quenching and selftempering process (QTB).

Twin-channel high-speed bar discharging system.

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

t the end of January, voestalpine Schienen's new rail mill in Leoben/Donawitz restarted after the transformation into what now must be considered the world's most modern rail rolling mill. The new plants construction was carried out in two successive steps: The first stage was completed on September 30th 2005 with the hot tests of the new 1100mm-dia Break Down reversing mill, only four weeks 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 the new UFR reversing intermediate/finishing mill. This called for interrupting plant operation from Novemer 29th 2005. The first rails produced have been UIC60 sections, all within the tough rail tolerances from the very beginning. The use of the advanced Prefabricated Module technology to establish the new equipment foundation contributed significantly to minimizing plant downtime. The state-of the-art plant applies the latest Danieli technology in hot rolling of rails. In particular the UFR-mill, based on the latestgeneration SCC (Stand Core Concept) stands and on the innovative Ultra-Flexible Reversing rolling technology, grants higher precision and quality in rails production, higher plant flexibility and efficiency, as well as an increased specific hourly production.

The new rail mill at voestalpine Schienen

The final stage construction of the new rail mill was successfully completed on January 31. Full production is expected by June.

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 size tolerances since the first rolled rail (UIC 60).

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

The UFR mill is made up of three 980-mmdia 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 section replacement times of just 15 minutes. The new mills advanced arrangement gives VAS a unique possibility of just-in-time production even with small-volume order lots, contributing considerably to i enhancing the companys 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 jointly expressed by VAS and Danieli.
>We are very happy about this success, we have realized precisely what we have announced, says Hans Pfeiler, Chairman of the Managing Board of voestalpine Schienen GmbH. Our team has worked in close cooperation with the Danieli experts day and night from the shut-down of the old mill two months ago. Following a detailed activity plan, the old line has been removed and replaced by the new mill in a record time. We can actually say that with the successful start of hot operation, a new era of rail production has just begun. The customer benefit is more than ever in the center of all our activities. Congratulations for the high degree of professionalism and the timeliness of all participants to the project!!<

he super-flexible medium section mill in operation at Maanshan Iron & Steel (Masteel), recently set another daily production record with 2767 t/day produced. This state-of-the-art Danieli rolling mill, successfully started up in April 2005, produces a wide range of sections, including up to 400-mm high-quality parallel flange beams, ultra-light H-beams, I-beams, and corresponding channels. Based on the latest universal rolling technology, it is made up of 15 SHS housingless stands in two-high horizontal or universal arrangement equipped with automatic, quick program changing system. All universal stands can be reassembled quickly as two-high stands to adjust the mill to the roll pass schedule, depending on the product being rolled. This feature, together with the quick stand changing system, substantially benefits plant efficiency and availability and contributes to enhanced mill productivity

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

he new mill was installed at the Al-Jubail steel complex, where another high-capacity Danieli bar and section mill has been operating successfully since 1993. Made up of 18 SHS stands, 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. Maximum coil 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 uninterrupted production at the mill; and the TMB system that, while enhancing the mills 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 (water treatment and compressed air plants, roll turning shop, EOT cranes, etc.), all buildings, civil works, and road system, as well as construction of the entire plant

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 cooling conveyor. 7 Wire rod coils finishing services. 8 Cooling bed and bar finishing services. 9 Workshop.

RSB Reducing and Sizing Block startup at Aos Villares, Brazil

Five hours from rolling of first bar to start of commercial production.
n January 2006, a new Kocks/Danieli four-pass RSB Reducing and Sizing Block started operation at the Pindamonhangaba special steel bar and rod mill, where a Danieli high-speed wire rod line has operated since the beginning of 2004. Remarkably, commercial production of quality bars started in the evening of Tuesday, January 24th, following the RSB hot run which started only a few hours earlier the same day. The RSB, acting as finishing 36

block for quality straight bars and bar-in-coils, or for preparing the feeding sizes to the wire rod finishing block, enhances plant efficiency, productivity, and product quality. Based on three-roll technology and designed for future lowtemperature finishing rolling, the new RSB is designed for finishing rolling of 17.5 to 76-mmdia stainless and special steel bars, 18 to 38-mm-dia bar-incoils, plus the feeding sizes for the wire rod block

More startups for Danieli Morgrdshammar

First USA EWR line starts operation at Sterling Steel (IL)
High-carbon steel billets were successfully processed right from the start.
At the end of December 2005, the first billets of high-carbon steel were successfully welded at the new Endless Welding Rolling line installed at Sterling Steel Companys 12 high-speed wire rod mill. Line testing continued smoothly in January with extremely good results, leading to a considerable increase in plant hourly production, to full customer satisfaction. This allows uninterrupted production of long products to take place for the first time in the USA and, significantly, on high-carbon steel billets right from the start. The new EWR line is designed for automatic continuous welding of 130x130 mm, 11-m-long billets at rates of up to 100 sht/hr for low, medium and high-carbon spring steel. The billet welding process is particularly beneficial in wire rod mills as it enables production of customized-weight and extraheavy coils, even starting from lowweight billets. Coil weight selection from the endlessly-rolled wire rod is performed by a new shearing unit installed at the reforming tube, at the end of the roller conveyor.
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CONFIR CTS M FA NI EL SH I LE ADER

of over 1 Mtpy has been in operation there since August 2005. The new Endless Welding Rolling line will benefit the mills productivity, efficiency, and material yield, resulting in lower overall production costs. Final product range of the Sonasid 80-tph rolling mill is 8 to 40-mm-dia plain and deformed bars, and up to 60-mm sections.

Rolling mill upgrade completed at Ferrosider, Italy

In November 2005, the second phase of the Ferrosider rolling mill modernization in Brescia was completed with the successful startup of three new, additional SHS Universal stands. Phase 1 plant upgrading, which included two pre-finishing / finishing SHS stands, was completed last year. All of the new stands are fitted with quick-changing facilities. The plant upgrade has enabled the mill to expand its product range and to enhance product quality, plant efficiency and operating flexibility. Danieli Automation supplied the electrical, control and automation systems for the new equipment.

BILLET WELDING LINES SUPPLIED OR UNDER CONTRACT WORLDWIDE SINCE 1997

16 EWR

EWR billet welder starts operation at Sonasid,Morocco

It is the first endless rolling line for long products in Africa
In January 2006 a new EWR line started billet welding operation at Sonasid's 400,000-tpy bar and section mill, making this company the first in Africa able to operate in endless rolling through automatic continuous on-line billet welding, for uninterrupted production of long products. The new billet welder was added to the Danieli rolling mill in operation since July 2002 as part of the Jorf Lasfar minimill. A Danieli steelmaking plant with a potentiality

QTB on-line heat treatment system in operation at Fletcher Steel, New Zealand
A QTB on-line surface-quenching and self-tempering line for 10 to 32-mm-dia rebars has been operating since October 2005 at the Fletcher Steel Ltd bar mill, to full customer satisfaction. The new line has enabled production of high yield-strength rebars, starting from low carbon steel (the so-called Seismic QT Fletcher Steel product) at speeds

up to 14 mps. A corresponding QTR line also has been installed at the Fletcher Steel wire rod mill and will be started up in the next few months to produce quenched and tempered deformed wire rod in coils. Installation of the new lines allows Fletcher Steel to expand its product range, adding the new Seismic QT to the previous SeismicMA (Micro-Alloyed) reinforcing steel products, to meet any specific customer need
1 EWRs self-centering billet clamping system provides full contact on the four billet sides for better and more uniform current transmission from clamps to billet. 2-3 EWR billet welding: flashing and upsetting phase. 4 SHS pre-finishing / finishing housingless stands at Ferrosider.

IP
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Complete new seamless pipe complex to NSMMZ Nizhnie Sergi, Russia

The new, state-of-the-art facility is a strategic investment by Nizhnie Sergi Hardware 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 be installed in the existing industrial complex (Sverdlovsk Region) where the revamped electric steelmaking shop (presently producing square billets) will produce up to 200-mm dia round billets, to be used as starting material for the complete tube size range. The mill output will reach 450,000 tpy of finished pipes in the range of 48 to 177.8 mm OD, for oil industry (casing, tubing, line pipe, coupling) and mechanical applications (construction, boiler). This high-capacity seamless tube plant represents the state-of-the-art in all process areas. High-quality tubes with excellent geometrical tolerances and proper material characteristics will be produced at very economical production costs. Danieli Centro Tube will supply the entire package of machinery for the hot rolling line and finishing lines (mechanical equipment, furnaces, electrical equipment and automation, hydraulics, etc.), including the supervisory services to ensure proper handling of the project through all stages of the schedule, from design through manufacturing, up to plant commissioning. Within the Danieli Group, Danieli Centro Tube also will take care of the process technology, the mechanical design and project management, co-ordinating the activities of Danieli Centro Combustion (reheating furnace and heat treatment facilities), Danieli Automation (overall process automation and electrical supplies), and Danieli Centro Maskin and Danieli Breda (cutting saws and upsetting lines).

The basic components of the new plant are: The hot rolling line, to transform the billets into green pipes, based on five-stand Danieli FQM (three-roll retained mandrel mill) and 24-stand stretch reducing block (three-roll stands 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 rolling mill, in accordance with the most updated requirements of the international standards (API, DIN, ASTM) and domestic standards (GOST, TU). The equipment is designed to comply with special requirement of end users (Quality Control System, ends phosphatizing) and to realize Premium Joint pipes.

Machining and assembly of piercing mill stand, speed reducers for stand No. 4-5-6 (RMM-Retained Mandrel Mill), cone-type roll, plug bar thrust block carriage.

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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 in accordance with the applicable International and 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 of tubes for line pipe, casing, tubing and coupling application, and guarantees the maximum flexibility for the production scheduling

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AUTOMATION

New automation system for CC2 conticaster of Riva Acciaio Verona, Italy

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The new main pulpit of the CC2 conticaster is a unique example of centralized control as applied to the continuous casting process.

The new system allows the operators to control the entire caster from the central pulpit, thus eliminating the need for a fulltime operator in the mold, cutting torches, and product removal areas.

he order to revamp the automation systems of the six-strand billet caster at the Galtarossa plant was awarded in April 2005. Design, engineering, installation and commissioning were carried out by Danieli Automation in just five months! The 8-m radius caster produces 140-mm square billets in a wide range of low-, medium-, and high-carbon steels for various final applications. This unit was last revamped by VAI in 2002, with the existing automation being supplied by the same manufacturer at that time. This revamp project had two important extra goals: to eliminate the need for operators other than those in the main control pulpit; to be completed within five months from the order date. The project required a total revamp of the automation, including major changes to the Level 1 units: the central PLC was extended in order to perform additional control functions for the spray water, hydraulic units, ladle turret, and tundish, which originally had been performed by individual small localized PLC units. The integration of the automation components was enhanced by installing a new Local Area Network communications capability, and a communication channel with the central Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) computer also was added. A Fast Data Analyser (FDA) system was installed, allowing comprehensive real-time acquisition, recording, and display of all the process data, at rates of up to 100 samples/sec. This new tool, which collects data directly from the Level 1 PLC units over the Ethernet LAN, creates the potential for investigations, problem detection, and off-line analysis that previously was not possible. A Process Setup Function (PSF) was supplied, with the capacity of editing and storing the standard process practices, and transmitting these to the Level 1 PLC units, thus automatically changing the process set points according to the production schedule. A reporting function also was included, with the transmission of caster production reports to the customers MES. As one of the main

goals was the elimination of the existing local pulpits in favor of the centralization of all the caster controls and displays, particular care was given to the design of a brand new control pulpit for the CC2. A new CCTV system featuring 32 LCD screens and multi-source digital processing of the feeds from the cameras was supplied. The existing cameras were reused, with the addition of some new ones in order to allow remote monitoring of more of the equipment, in particular the billet withdrawal, cutting, transfer, and collecting zones. Three new PC-based HMI systems were supplied, in order to provide the operators with real-time graphical information on the equipment and process status. A brand new control desk was installed, featuring all the commands needed for manual interventions or emergencies. The tight project schedule set was respected: after the plant shutdown the revamped CC2 caster restarted production in a very smooth and 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 they appreciate the considerable extra information that is now available to them. The rationalization of the electronic equipment, in particular the elimination of obsolete PLC units, has resulted in considerable savings in spare parts and maintenance, and an improvement in overall reliability. New screens and reports are available to the various users: maintenance engineers, operators, process engineers, and plant managers now can access more details on the caster equipment, the performance of the process, and the heats cast. Finally, the elimination of the remote operator workplaces has led to a significant savings in manpower. This project is an excellent demonstration of how Danieli Automation can implement new automation systems for existing conticasters, to bring it to the state-of-the-art level

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Hipac Technology for the second hand 5-stand Tandem Mill in Malaysia
n 2003 Megasteel acquired cold mill complex equipment from Thyssenkrupp Beeckerwerth, including a continuous pickling line, temper mill and tandem mill. Danieli Automation was chosen by Megasteel as electrical and automation supplier. Due to the high-quality product mix chosen by Megasteel for the tandem mill (automotive strip), Danieli Automation replaced completely the automation control system and the digitalization of the existing drives. Thanks to its wide flexibility, Danieli Automations HiPAC Control system was the perfect platform to control the tandem mill, which allowed Danieli to complete the installation and commissioning stages in a very short time and reach the target plant performances. Danieli Automation provided a new Level 1 control functions: production management system, mill management system, monitoring and setup, as well the engineering and services for the reutilization of the other electrical equipments. HiPAC (High Performance Automation Control) HiPAC control systems, was used to control and supervise the entire mill. Its basic design provides: digital dynamic control and high overload capability for the Main DC converters (total power of 48,000 kW); Level 1 high-performance controller; Level 2 server with high reliability distributed client architecture supported by a fault-tolerant server. The Level 1 HiPAC system, based on the latest real-time control

Flatness and cooling control HMI.

Mimic of tandem mill overview.

technology, provides state-of-theart control algorithms, including: speed master; thickness control; flatness control; mass flow; threading and slow down functions. An aggressive flatness control is actuated at stand #5. The strip flatness reaches the target value immediately after threading, thanks to the new flatness predictor function implemented by Danieli Automation. Advanced compensation functions (i.e. friction compensation, roll eccentricity, selective roll coolant system) for disturbing factors complete the high accuracy of the Level 1 HiPAC platform. The Level 2 HiPAC schedule and setup management provides the

optimal setup for the control system parameters depending on processed coil characteristics and relevant rolling practices. Run-time models calculate the dynamic mill setup to achieve the stop target profile during threading and rolling phases to maximize production and strip quality and to minimize head and tail off-gauge lengths. Adaptation: a strategy to adapt the setup to the process actual long-term deviations is provided. Such a model is supported by a soft-sensoring function that continuously investigates the process. Electrical Equipment The revamping of the electrical portion 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 new digital controllers for the existing drives and new field exciter circuits for the existing motors, to increase the dynamic response time of the system

The tandem cold mill in operation.

41

DANEWS

AUTOMATION

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

ecent experience with continuous feeding of DRI and/or HBI to EAFs has confirmed the soundness of Danieli Automations new concept for EAF process control systems. Thanks to the continuous monitoring of the melting process -from the EAF preparation to tapping- the new version of the system can manage continuous feeding of different materials: hot and cold DRI, and HBI, even with parallel feeding of two of these materials. The control system divides the process into multiple steps, and this makes possible a gradual approach toward intermediate targets. Those steps in which arcing is used are in turn split into multiple phases, which represent the basic elements of the process. The steps into which the process is divided are the following: EAF preparation. Melting of the batch charge. DRI continuous feeding. Refining. Tapping. The process control system interacts continuously with the basic automation, to obtain real-time process data and report the set points (both fixed and calculated) for the power input, the continuous feeding, and all other equipment installed (modules, burners, lances, ). The control of each phase ending is performed via 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 predefined temperature range. A subsequent increase

of temperature is performed to match with the superheat required at tapping. At the end of continuous feeding the refining phase takes place as well, during which the key parameter, the bath temperature, is constantly monitored up to tapping. The generation of bath enthalpy targets is performed according to the various weights and types of the charged materials. The current enthalpy estimation is based upon energy balance models that cyclically calculate the differences between the supplied energy (either electrical and/or chemical) and the various energy losses (radiation, fumes, electrical). From the current thermal status of the bath, the process control predicts its notional average temperature. In particular, the constant recalculation of the continuous feeding rate set point is based on extending these calculations as a set of iterative predictions across the next few minutes of the heat.
The most significant advantages obtained with this new EAF process control approach are: Enhanced precision of the process control that matches the energy inputs to the materials charged, thus reducing the specific consumptions without affecting the quality of the tapped steel. The energy balance models permit the automatic optimal recovery from any power-off delays encountered. Ability to predict the future thermal status of the bath optimizes the control of the continuous feeding rate. Ability to predict the tapping time optimizes the management of the tapping step and the synchronization with successive treatment areas. Reduction in the difference between the actual tapping temperature and that aimed for, thus also improving the process in the ladle refining furnace

BUCKET CHARGE

Scrap

MELTING

Electrical energy Chemical energy (burners, oxydation)

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

42

EAF Process Control

DANEWS 145
1 1 Melting Profile: main parameters control and thermal balance estimation. 2 Process Step: Material additions control charged on EAF. 3 Main process steps of the electric furnace and thermal balance during the DRI feeding stage.

REFINING

DRI FEEDING

Slag foaming

TAPPING

Chemical energy from carbon oxidation Steel chemistry control

DAI - Danieli Automation India Danieli Automation expands its capabilities by setting up a new operation in India.
Danieli Automation expands its capabilities by setting up a a new operation in India. Thanks to the 25 engineers based in Salt Lake City (Bidhanagar), Technological Area of Kolkata since January 2006, Danieli Automation will better serve the Indian market 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

Electrical Energy (405 kWh/t)* Carbon (DRI 91% + Coal 9%) (95 kWh/t)* Chemical reactions (120 kWh/t)*

Total 620 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)*

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DANEWS

COLD PROCESSING

CP

Conditioning line for stainless steel slabs started up at JISCo, P.R. China
n January 2006, a 250,000-tpy conditioning line for special steel slabs was started up at JISCo, Jiyuguan (Gansu Province). The line, designed to process stainless steel slabs at temperatures of up to 500 C, is basically made up of two grinding machines for conditioning the slabs wide faces. Each unit is equipped with an edge grinder for processing the slabs narrow

New 100,000-tpy billet conditioning line for Simec Intl., Mexico

2

faces. The two grinders are served by slab-handling equipment and auxiliaries that include a secondary dustcollecting filter and swarf handling. The successful startup of the new line further strengthens Danieli Centro Maskins leading position in China in this field

imec International S.A. de C.V. operates a highquality steel bar production plant near Puebla. A significant investment to upgrade this plant will include the installation of a Danieli billet conditioning line for processing of 160x160-mm, 5 to12-m-long engineering steel billets, with an annual capacity of about 100,000 tpy. The grinding machine, like all others supplied in recent years by Danieli Centro Maskin, will be based on the latest Hi-Grind technology (the digital evolution of the previous analogical PowCo

system), to achieve the best surface quality. The grinder will be equipped with a 160 kW AC motor and will have the flexibility to use different sizes of grinding wheels. High standardization, with all the critical components available inhouse and the well proven process to be used in this case, will allow Danieli to deliver all the equipment in less than eight months. This will make it possible to start production by the end of summer 2006. The electrical equipment and the automation system will be supplied by Danieli Automation

1 Grinding station for stainless steel billets in operation at NAS-North American Stainless, USA. 2 JISCo and Danieli Officials at the Contract signing ceremony for the slab conditioning project in Jiyuguan (Sep. 2003).

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DANEWS

FORGING & EXTRUSION

DANEWS 145

Hydro Aluminum Extrusion and Danieli Breda: a success story!

Over the past 25 years, Danieli Breda has supplied Hydro Aluminium with 10 new extrusion presses and has acquired orders for revamping 22 existing units, in 13 different countries.

fter long periods of production activity, all machines require certain procedures and/or modifications to keep performing at high levels. These procedures are vital to prevent obsolescence, and to improve operation when the machines are used with newer equipment. Also, parts that have fulfilled their service lives must be replaced. For many years Danieli Breda has addressed part of its activity on these kinds of projects, with encouraging results. One of these is the deep co-operation established with Hydro Aluminium Extrusion in modernizing several extrusion presses (see table). Nowadays it is important not only to change or modernize old components, but to improve the potentiality of the equipment in terms of longer extruded billet, reduction of dead cycle time, and of the extrusion time mantaining and even improving the final product quality. These kinds of projects are then addressed toward all machine systems and components, mechanical, hydraulic and electric and automation, 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 altering basic 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 automation and process control systems

New extrusion presses supplied since 1993

Plant location Suzhou, P.R. China Tonder, Denmark Atessa, Italy Aldural, Argentina Ornago, Italy Century, UK Acro, Brazil Tonder, Denmark Bohn, Usa Nenzing, Austria

Year 2004 2002 2000 2000 1999 1997 1996 1996 1994 1993

Power (MN) 3500 3500 3500 2200 2600 3500 1800 3500 2500 2400

Revamped extrusion presses since 1993

Plant location Tolouse, France Seneffe, Belgium Uphusen, Germany Birtley, UK Birtley, UK Bedwas, UK Portalex, Portugal Bedwas, UK Karmoy 1, Norway Karmoy 2, Norway Atessa, Italy Karmoy 3, Norway Atessa, Italy Tonder, Denmark Acro, Brazil De La Roca, Spain Tonder, Denmark Ornago, Italy Tonder, Denmark Automotive, USA Atessa, Italy Ornago, Italy Raeren, Belgium

Year 2006 2006 2006 2005 2005 2005 2004 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2002 2002 1998 1997 1997 1997 1996 1996 1995 1995 1995

Power (MN) 2200 1600 2200 1600 3500 2500 2650 2200 3600 3600 2000 3600 2200 2500 1800 2200 2500 1800 2500 2750 1630 3000 1200

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

45

DANEWS

SERVICE

DanOil Bearings to improve plate/Steckel mill performance at Ferriera Valsider, Italy

Thinner-gauge capability opens new market niches.
Danieli Service

Technical assistance program at Sonasid, Morocco

Danieli and Sonasid are cooperating in an ambitious technical assistance project with the common target of reaching a 60,000 t per month productivity in the seventh month after the first heat. The technical backup support project is structured to assist and train the customer personnel at different levels and in a wide range of activities, showing and verifying the correct operative, maintenance, and safety procedures. The expected advantages are: A faster learning curve; The establishment of a continuous learning process; A faster return on the investment. The Danieli team involves 20 specialists for a scheduled project duration of six months. The project will consist of two main stages:

erriera Valsider has been successfully producing structural steel plates and hot rolled coils since 2001. Danieli supplied the plate mill, which has a capacity of 420,000 tpy. With ever-increasing demands on product quality, Ferriera Valsider sought advice to help them roll thinner plates, and to ensure the thickness variation of the product was well within the end users demands. DanOil Bearings, part of Danieli Service, executed the project because of their specialized knowledge of oil film bearings. The alignment of the rolls within the mill stand was found to compromise the rolling of thinner plates, and so a program of refurbishment for the WR and BUR chocks was started. The BUR chocks were found to be in reasonably good condition, and all that was necessary was to machine the outer faces to enable new wear plates to be fitted. The WR chocks required an extensive program of repair commenced. The damaged chock bores were welded and stress-relieved before being machined to the drawing dimensions. The chocks also were equipped with new wear plates to ensure optimal alignment of the WR and BUR. To improve gauge performance of the mill, the existing oil film bearings were converted from the old, full-key design to semi-keyless design. New, white metal bushings also were supplied to maximize the performance of the new semi-keyless sleeves.
46

As well as machining the existing BUR, the worn out roll necks were repaired in Danielis workshops. This involved metal spraying the roll 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 a thickness of 1.8 mm, instead of the 2.6 mm before the project

Exclusive DanOil bearings contract from CSN, Brazil

Practical on-site training

Danieli team supported Sonasid people to increase their confidence with the new equipment with hands-on training regarding the equipment features and maintenance procedures, operative practices, and plant safety.

DanOil Bearings Division have become one of the preferred suppliers for oil film bearings to CSN. Danieli supplied 40 roll sleeves for the hot and cold mills in CSN's Volta Redonda works in January 2002. Since delivery, the sleeves have performed to CSN's complete satisfaction during the extended trial period. To confirm their satisfaction CSN placed an order for their total requirement for 2006, and are committed to purchasing their needs for 2007 at the end of the first quarter of 2006

Back-up support during production and transfer of experience

During this stage, now ongoing, Danieli specialists are supporting Sonasid people by supervising and demonstrating the correct way to perform activities related to operation, technological processes, and mechanical/ electrical maintenance

DANEWS 145

SRW/DRW roller guides for high-speed bar and wire rod finishing blocks
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.
he SRW-DRW - 1000 (Single pair/Double pair Rollers) series is the latest generation of entry roller guides for high-speed finishing blocks. SRW and DRW guides are completely interchangeable and are available with a roller height of 18, 24.4, and 30 mm, for installation close to the rolling rings. All Danieli wire rod lines since the year 2000 have been equipped with RW guides, able to cope with extremely severe applications, such as: DRW 30 utilized for round 24; DRW 18 utilized for round 5.5mm at 115mps. The use of SRW/DRW guides makes it possible to achieve very tight product tolerances and a superior surface quality. Customer feedback confirming their satisfaction outlines Morgrdshammars superiority on high-speed lines. The success of these guides arises from our design: High-quality stainless steel with precise machining; 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 and accurate adjustment; Independent control for each single roller for macro 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 unbeatable precision. These guides confirm Morgrdshammar as the world leader in design, construction, and commissioning of guides since 1945 when the first roller guides were developed, patented, and introduced into the market

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

New rolling ring locking device for ESS cantilever stands

locking/unlocking sequence. The fixed stud bolt solution avoids any problems of seizing or damage on the heli-coil and relative pinion thread. All locking/unlocking sequences are completed using the central hydraulic unit and quick couplings (hoses), instead of the heavy pneumatic impact wrench. Special attention in the development of the new device was paid to the recovery of all parts of the existing locking unit. As a consequence, to apply the new device to existing rolling units, only simple machining of a front flange and execution of two thread holes on a front pinion surface is necessary 47

ompared with the current pneumatic impact wrench procedure, the new hydraulic axial locking device makes it possible to avoid using the central bolt, thus ensuring the following major advantages: Total reliability and repeatability of the exact axial locking force. The correct -and unique- preload pressure avoids operator error during

Danieli manufacturing centers same quality worldwide

aintaining peak competitiveness in the global market demand ever faster response to the customers requirements with high-quality standards for all products. The Danieli Group achieves these goals with its manufacturing and assembly shops worldwide. DFE-Danieli Far East (Thailand) and DME-Danieli Metallurgical Equipment (P.R. of China) are fully-owned local companies managed by Danieli people. This enables us to guarantee quality and timely supplies. DME is located in a 21,000 m2 building area, and includes an office building and a three-bay workshop for assembly and mechanical machining. Production in the DFE started in September 2005. Production in DME started in December 2005.
Workshop figures at a glance

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

575,000 sqm dedicated to manufacturing and assembly. 185 machine tools. 45,000 man hours per month machining capacity. 400 t hoisting means (up to 1,000 using jacking supports). 9,600 tpy gear cutting and grinding capacity. 15,000 tpy heat treatment capacity. 1,000-mm-thick narrow gap welding

At Danie l

dont sh o we i

round pa

no ble e quip m

48

en

f or

ARCELORS HIGH-CAPACITY MINIMILL FOR MERCHANT BARS IN BRASIL

Belgo Siderurgia operates in Piracicaba an advanced Danarc EAF-based meltshop for 1.2 Mtpy and a high-speed merchant bar mill able to reach up to 0.7 Mtpy even with the smallest sizes.

IN LONG PRODUCTS

FACTS CONFIRM DANIELI LEADERSHIP IN LONG PRODUCT STEEL PLANTS

FROM DANIELI SCORECARD (LONG PRODUCTS) 128 ELECTRIC ARC FURNACES 196 SECONDARY METALLURGY STATIONS 366 CONTINUOUS CASTING STRANDS FOR BLOOMS 1029 CONTINUOUS CASTING STRANDS FOR BILLETS 28 HEAVY SECTION MILLS 83 SPECIALTY STEEL AND SUPERALLOY ROLLING MILLS 260 BAR MILLS 135 WIREROD MILLS 125 SECTION MILLS 13 ENDLESS WELDING ROLLING UNITS 7 SPOOLER LINES 450 DRAWING LINES 12 FORGING SHOPS 242 EXTRUSION PRESSES 783 GRINDING MACHINES FOR BILLETS AND BLOOMS 717 BASIC AUTOMATION AND PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS

LETS MEET

Please visit us at the forthcoming Exhibitions and Conferences

Metal + Metallurgy China

Beijing P.R. of China Duesseldorf Germany Cleveland, OH USA Moscow Russia Shanghai P.R. of China Paris France

April 18-21

Wire and Tube

April 24-28

AISTech

May 1-4

Metallurgy-Tube

May 23-26

Aluminum

June 13-15

ATS

June 19-21

IN FLAT AND LONG PRODUCTS

Danieli designs, manufactures, constructs and starts up competitive steel plants and equipment worldwide, either on a turnkey basis or supplied as individual units. The Danieli design concept aims to reduce production and depreciation costs, while improving product quality for complete customer satisfaction, from Ore to finished Flat and Long products.

Danieli Headquarters Via Nazionale, 41 33042 Buttrio (UD) Italy

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