9th ECCC European Continuous Casting Conference – ECCC 2017

Primetals Technologies provides proper technological solutions for the revamp of long product casters, and the most recent examples for successful implementation at Feralpi (EFS) and at Abinsk (AEMZ) are presented in this paper, showing the qualitative results that can be achieved within shortest project execution time. Elbe-Stahlwerke Feralpi (EFS) in Riesa, Germany awarded PT with a contract for the modernization of the five strand billet caster in the Riesa works in Germany and the plant started operation in 2015. The aim of the project was to increase productivity and to further improve the internal as well as the surface quality of the billets. The caster was equipped with a new machine head, including DiaMold mold tubes and retractable DynaFlex hydraulic oscillators and also the secondary cooling was upgraded. In order to optimize the shutdown period the new equipment was pre-assembled and tested to keep the installation time at a minimum. OOO Abinsk Electrometallurgical Plant (AEMZ) is one of Russia's leading producers of reinforcing bars and other long products and runs an electrical steel plant and two rolling mills in Abinsk, located in Krasnodar region (South Russia). PT was awarded with this contract in March 2016 to revamp the EAF, LF and 6 strand billet CCM and the main goals are increase of productivity, reduction of production costs, improvement of billet quality and widening the production program by producing quality steel grades like cord, spring, cold heading and welding grades. Casting speeds will be increased up to 5 m/min for square section 130 mm to enable AEMZ to increase the plant annual production up to 1.5 Mill t billets. For casting quality steel grades stopper casting equipment, electromagnetic stirring system, tundish shroud manipulators and automatic mold powder feeders will be installed. The new machine head consisting of DiaMold high speed casting mold, DynaFlex hydraulic oscillation unit and mold EMS ensures high quality of cast billets. The new level 2 automation system ensures consistent production practice for production of high quality billets cast at high casting speeds.