Allegheny Technologies Inc. has selected Siemens VAI Metals Technologies to design, engineer, and supply the hot-rolling mill for ATI Allegheny Ludlum’s Brackenridge, Pa., new advanced specialty metals hot-rolling and processing facility.
The total cost of the facility, including the hot-rolling mill, is estimated to be about $1.16 billion and will take approximately four years to complete. The new facility is designed to produce ATI’s flat-rolled titanium and titanium alloys, nickel-based alloys and specialty alloys, grain-oriented electrical steel, zirconium alloys, and stainless alloys for sheet, strip, Precision Rolled Strip® products, and continuous-mill plate product forms.
“The Siemens VAI next-generation totally integrated hot-rolling mill is the critical part of ATI’s new hot-rolling and processing facility. We believe our new facility will provide unsurpassed manufacturing capability and versatility in the production of our unique range of flat-rolled mission critical specialty metals. It also provides the capability to manufacture advanced new alloys that we currently do not produce,” said L. Patrick Hassey, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. “We expect our new hot-rolling and processing facility to further transform our Flat-Rolled Products segment’s operating performance across business cycles by significantly improving our cost structure and expanding our position in key markets through new capabilities, faster throughput, improved productivity, and higher quality.”
Werner Auer, CEO of Siemens VAI Metals Technologies added, “We believe this is the most powerful and most technically advanced hot-rolling mill ever built.”
Key facts on the Advanced Specialty Metals Hot Rolling and Processing Facility:
- Common facility to produce hot bands for titanium and titanium alloys, nickel-based corrosion and high temperature alloys, zirconium alloys, super and duplex stainless alloys, grain-oriented electrical steel, and austenitic, ferritic, and martensitic stainless alloys
- Hot bands capable to produce finished product up to 78.62 inches, or 2 meters
- Facility design – 88.5 inches, or 2250 millimeters, hot rolling system with continuous variable crown system and a 7-stand, 4-high finishing mill
- Separating force over three times current capability
- Advanced walking beam furnace, laminar cooling, and slab and plate handling
- Fully automated facility with “best available” controls technology and increased productivity
- “Best available” technology in all areas for environmental friendliness.
Allegheny Technologies Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified specialty metals producers in the world with revenues of $3.1 billion during 2009. With approximately 8600 full-time employees worldwide, ATI’s major markets are aerospace and defense, oil and gas/chemical process industry, electrical energy, medical, automotive, food equipment and appliance, machine and cutting tools, and construction and mining. Its products include titanium and titanium alloys, nickel-based alloys and superalloys, grain-oriented electrical steel, stainless and specialty steels, zirconium, hafnium, and niobium, tungsten materials, and forgings and castings.
With its headquarters in Linz, Austria, Siemens VAI Metals Technologies is a global leader in providing technologies, solutions, and services for the mining, iron, and steelmaking industries as well as for the flat rolling sector of the aluminum industry. Siemens VAI offers products for all production steps from ore to the finished product, mechanical equipment, electrics and automation, complete IT solutions as well as innovative service and modernization packages.