Nov. 2006 — Siemens VAI Metals Technologies, Austria, received an order from ThyssenKrupp CSA Companhia Siderùrgica for the supply of an LD (BOF) converter steelmaking plant and two slab casters for a new integrated iron and steel works to be built in Brazil.
ThyssenKrupp is building its new iron and steel works to capitalize on anticipated continued growth in the global steel market and to utilize regional cost advantages and the geographical proximity to raw material sources. The 5 million tonne/year mill will produce slabs ranging in width from 800 up to 2000 mm with thicknesses of 200 up to 260 mm.
ThyssenKrupp intends to supply slabs from the new steel mill to domestic production plants and other processing centers. Approximately 40% of the slabs produced in Brazil are to be processed at ThyssenKrupp’s German sites, and 60% are intended for expanding into the NAFTA market. Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, the world's largest producer of iron ore, will hold a stake of 10% in this project.
For the new steel mill, Siemens VAI will supply two LD (BOF) converters with a capacity of 330 tons each, two secondary metallurgical facilities, one primary and one secondary dedusting system, and two slab casters, including the associated electrical and automation systems.
The converters will be equipped with maintenance-free VAI-CON Link converter-suspension systems, quick-change oxygen lances, and pneumatic slag stoppers, in addition to sublances and bottom-stirring equipment. The secondary metallurgical facilities will include two ladle-stirring stands for homogenization, a station for chemical heating of the liquid steel, and an RH vacuum degassing unit. The RH vessel will be equipped with a T-COB (Technometal-Combined Oxygen Blowing) lance for decarburization and precise adjustment of steel quality.
The slab casters will feature state-of-the-art technological packages to ensure the product quality and the production flow, including LevCon for automatic mold-level control, DynaWidth for online mold-width adjustment, MoldExpert for online automatic breakout prediction and strand-shell friction monitoring, and the DynaFlex mold oscillator for flexible adjustment of oscillation parameters. The straightening zone and the horizontal casting section are provided with low-maintenance Smart segments. Intermediately supported strand-guide rollers will help to ensure long service life. The casters will also be equipped with the Dynacs secondary-cooling system and with the VAI-Q slab quality-control system for quality assurance. Additionally, Siemens VAI is to supply the automation and process control systems for the slab casters, allowing all operational parameters to be optimally harmonized with one another throughout the production process.
The plant, which will be located in the State of Rio de Janeiro, is scheduled for start-up in early 2009.
Metals Technologies (MT), a division of the Siemens Group Industrial Solutions and Services (I&S), is one of the world's leading engineering and plant-building companies for the iron and steel industry as well as for the flat-rolling sector of the aluminum industry and for open-cast mining. MT, which was created from the integration of Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau, Linz/Austria and the electrical engineering product business and automation solutions of Siemens, provides a comprehensive range of supplies and services for all related technological processes and integrated automation solutions for the entire life-cycle of metallurgical plants.
The Siemens Industrial Solutions and Services Group (I&S) is the integrator of systems and solutions for industrial and infrastructure facilities and global service provider for the plant and projects business covering planning, installation, operation and the entire life cycle. I&S uses its own products and systems and process technologies in order to enhance productivity and improve competitiveness of companies in the sectors of metallurgy, water treatment, pulp and paper, oil and gas, marine engineering, open-cast mining, airport logistics, postal automation, intelligent traffic systems and industrial services. In fiscal 2006 (to September 30) I&S employed a total of 36,200 people worldwide and achieved total sales of EUR 8.819 billion.