GV do Brazil. SMS Concast and SMS Meer to build green field minimill

SIMEC Group from Apizaco, Mexico, has placed an order with SMS Concast, Switzerland, and SMS Meer, Germany, for a minimill. The plant for "GV do Brazil" will be tailored to the customer's requirements and offers high production flexibility. The minimill is to be erected near Pindamonhangaba in the Brazilian State of São Paulo.

SMS Concast will supply the steelworks for the minimill, and SMS Meer the adjacent bar and wire rod mill. The plant is designed for an annual production capacity of 520,000 t of billets and 400,000 t of bars and wire rod, which can be expanded to 560,000 tpy.

Rebars and quality steel (SBQ) will be produced in the steelworks. It operates with a 65-t three-phase electric arc furnace (EAF) which uses only scrap. The EAF can produce 30 melts per day. The melting unit is equipped with the latest generation of electrode control system and process automation for flexible furnace operation.

The subsequent secondary metallurgical treatment takes place in a 65-t ladle furnace. The ladle furnace cover features a special watercooling system. It is designed such that the airflow around the electrodes is reduced considerably, thus cutting energy consumption.

The required alloying agents are fed into the ladle and electric arc furnace fully automatically. A modern, high-performance dust extraction system filters the fumes created during the process.

The continuous casting machine produces billets of between 127 x 127 mm and 200 x 200 mm. It features three strands and can be extended to up to five strands. Convex^® technology and a hydraulic mold oscillator are used for the caster. The cast billets can either be used in the rolling mill or sold as semi-finished products. The whole plant concept is both efficient and flexible. Minimal maintenance requirements and a high level of productivity mean greater benefits for the customer.

The walking-beam furnace feeds a continuous, single-strand rolling mill. The furnace can be charged directly with hot billets. This reduces the preheating time while cutting energy consumption at the same time.

The mill features a wire rod and bar outlet section. The wire rod line produces wire rod 5.5 to 16 mm in diameter, with rolling speeds of up to 105 m/s. It consists of a 10-stand finishing block, a high-speed laying head and an 80-m loop cooling conveyor (LCC^®). Downstream coil handling equipment and a coil compactor are also installed. The bar outlet section with the high-speed delivery system (HSD^®) enables rebars 6.35 to 32 mm in diameter to be delivered onto the cooling bed at up to 38 m a second. The plant is rounded off with a fully automatic bundling and tying station and conveying equipment. The electrical and plant automation systems will also be supplied by SMS Meer.

Commissioning is scheduled for mid-2013.

Based on SMS Group information