WCA January 2007

Industry News

Order books bulging at Concast

Concast is also supplying Pohang Iron & Steel Co, Ltd (POSCO), Korea, a three-strand continuous bloom caster – increasing the annual capacity at the site to 1.1 million tonnes. Zhangjiagang Hongchang Wire Rod Co Ltd, a member of the Shagang Group, China, has ordered a minimill from Concast. The commissioning of the minimill, with an annual capacity of 1.15 million tonnes, is planned for the spring of 2007. Kardemir AS, with head office in Karabük, Turkey, has awarded to Concast an order for a 90-tonne vacuum degassing facility with mechanical vacuum pumps.

Joining forces pays off for Nashtec

Joining forces has been one big success story for Nashtec – the offshoot of an alliance between Nabaltec AG and American Alumina producer Sherwin Alumina. Last October in their ultra-modern newly-built facility in Corpus Christi, Texas, they started production of fine precipitated Aluminium hydroxide as halogen free, flame retardant filler (registered trademark Apyral ® 40CD). The plant, adjacent to the Sherwin Alumina site, includes a precipitator, a drying and filter system, and has an annual production capability of 25,000 tonnes.

Concast, Switzerland, has seen the order books bulging recently, picking up a number of contracts worldwide. Zhangjiagang Rongsheng Steelmaking Co Ltd, a subsidiary of the Shagang Group, China, has ordered a five-strand billet caster, the eighth successive facility. The caster will be set up at Zhang Jia Gang City in the Jiangsu Province. Tunisia’s Elfouladh, Société Tunésienne de Sidérurgie, has ordered a 25-tonne arc furnace, following the successful revamping of the existing ABB-EAF in June 2005. The new arc furnace, with an annual production of 230,000 tonnes, will be equipped with EBT lip and ConsoTech burner. Commissioning is scheduled for the end of 2007. Mechel Targoviste AG, Romania, a member of the Russian Mechel group, has placed an order to build a continuous caster. With its three strands, the caster will guarantee an annual production of 500,000 tonnes.

Concast AG – Switzerland Fax : +41 1202 8122 Email : sales @concast.ch Website :www.concast.net

Nabaltec AG – Germany Fax : +49 9431 61557 Email : eviehauser@nabaltec.de Website : www.nabaltec.de

Rothe Erde orders a further ring rolling machine SMS Eumuco GmbH, Germany, has received an order from Rothe Erde GmbH, part of ThyssenKrupp Technologies, Germany, for the supply of a further ring rolling machine for its manufacturing works in Dortmund. Rothe Erde is a major producer of large-sized anti- friction bearings, such as ball joints and roller-bearing slewing rings, wire-race bearings and seamless-rolled rings of steel and non-ferrous metals. The company will use the new radial-axial ring rolling machine (type RAW63(80)/63(80)-1250/450) to expand its existing production capacities, to incorporate a planned pro- duct range of rings weighing up to around 250kg. The maximum dimensions of rings produced by the machine are 1,250mm ring outside diameter and 450mm ring height. The new ring rolling machine will form an integral part of a completely new production line, which will be the fourth production facility for rings in Dortmund, Germany. At its Dortmund works and at the Rotek subsidiary works in the USA, the company operates a total of three ring blank presses and four ring rolling machines from SMS Eumuco. A further ring rolling machine of size RAW 200(250)/200(250)-5500/630 is currently being built, for ring production in the Chinese manufacturing works of XREM, belonging to Rothe Erde, in Xuzhou, China. Rothe Erde manufactures large-sized anti-friction bearings ▲

SMS Eumuco GmbH – Germany Fax : +49 214 734 1000 Email : info@sms-eumuco.de • Website : www.sms-eumuco.de

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Wire & Cable ASIA – January/February 2007