STEEL GRIPS online - voestalpine Stahl, Austria, to replace and modernize three converters

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voestalpine Stahl, Austria, to replace and modernize three converters

Nov 29, 2007

The Austrian steel producer voestalpine Stahl GmbH, awarded Siemens Metals Technologies a contract for the exchange and modernization of three LD steelmaking converters and peripheral facilities at the company's integrated steel plant in Linz. The project involves the dismantling of the existing converters, installation of new converters equipped with a moveable skirt as well as new alloying-charging systems during tapping. The capacity of the converter vessels will be increased from approximately 160 tons to 180 tons.

The project scope for Siemens Metals Technologies includes engineering and the supply and installation of equipment, electrics and basic automation. The equipment supply for each converter plant includes the vessel shell, trunnion ring, support bearing, 4-pinion tilting drive system, VAI-CON Stopper system for minimized slag carry-over, waste-gas hood with moveable skirt and the converter doghouse.

The converters will be outfitted with maintenance-free, highly compact VAI-CON CD Link suspension systems, which are particularly suited for sites where extremely constricted space conditions prevail. The three alloy-charging and ladle alloy-addition systems will be equipped with CaC2 (calcium carbide)-charging lines to promote steel Deoxidation of the crude steel during tapping. Advisory services for onsite project activities and the converter start-ups in addition to training rounds off the Siemens' project scope.

A particular highlight of this project is that each converter will be replaced within only 49 days in a time period from April to November 2009, coinciding with the planned shutdown of the No. 5 and No. 6 Blast Furnaces for relining and upgrading purposes. In a special technique which will be applied for the first time, the top section of the existing converter foundations - which have to be renewed in order to accommodate the increased size and tapping weight of the new converters - will be sheared off with a diamond-studded cable saw and replaced with a new reinforced foundation cap. With this solution, the total replacement of the existing foundations will not be necessary.

Restart of the modernized converters is scheduled in steps for April 2009, September 2009 and November 2009 respectively. The order volume for Siemens exceeds 30 million euros.

This year voestalpine Stahl GmbH will produce more than 5.5 million tons of crude steel which will be processed to high-quality coated and non-coated flat-steel products. These will be sold as sheets, coils and plates for use primarily in the European automotive, household-appliance and building-supply industries. As part of a campaign to expand its production of crude steel to approximately six million tons per year, Siemens Metals Technologies was commissioned to replace the existing three 160-ton-capacity LD converter plants with three 180-ton-capacity converter plants. With the larger converter capacity in combination with a higher operational availability, the total crude-steel output will be increased by approximately 10%.

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