Widening the product range. SMS Meer revamps steel mill at Nucor-Yamato Steel

Nucor-Yamato Steel Company in Blytheville, Arkansas, USA, has placed an order with SMS Meer, Germany, for the modernization and upgrade of its NYS No.1 steel rolling mill. SMS Meer supplies the rolling mill equipment which will enable the rolling of wider sheet piling products.

The package of SMS Meer includes charging and discharging machines for the reheating furnace, modern primary descaling equipment, a new BD 1 (Break Down) stand and three new CCS^® (Compact Cartridge Stand) finishing stands.

The core of the project is a new three-stand finishing mill which replaces the existing universal finishing stand. In addition to the replaced stand, two more stands will be installed in order to provide the required passes for rolling of wide sheet piles. All new finishing stands employ the CCS^® design with hydraulic screw-down, adjustment under load and quick program change in only 20 minutes.

The finishing mill can be operated in two different ways: either in twohigh mode for rolling of structural shapes or in a universal edger for finish-rolling of beams. The new stands of the CCS^® type enable the wide sheet pile production and contribute to increase the productivity and quality of beam production.

The existing BD 1 stand will be replaced by a new one with an increased screw-down range for large slabs as well as a higher screw-down speed and accuracy. New features such as breakaway cylinders for overload protection and rolling force measurement as well as high-strength locks provide advanced functionality and reliability compared to the existing stand.

Nucor-Yamato Steel, a joint venture between Nucor Corporation and Yamato Kogyo, operates two mills in Blytheville for medium and heavy sections. The steel mill No.1 was originally installed in 1987. The installation of the new equipment is expected to be completed in early 2014.

Based on SMS Group information