wiredinUSA July 2018

Aluminum at sea

Upgrade for wire rod mill

Verifying the conditions of the terminations by thermography

Kroman Celik (Yucel Boru Group) contracted Danieli for the modernization of its high speed wire rod mill, originally supplied by Danieli in 2006. The upgrade project includes the addition of a TMB-twin module block and a newly designed HSS high speed shear before the sizing block. The new systems will guarantee a size tolerance of ± 0.1mm, and 60 percent out- of-roundness on 4.5mm diameter wire rod produced at 115m per second. Kroman Celik’s new technology will expand its wire rod range from the current 5.5mm-20mm diameter to 4.5mm-26mm diameter, and also widen steel grade production to premium grades. The Danieli plant performs thermo- mechanical rolling (low temperature rolling down to 750°C and normalizing rolling), featuring a single-pass family in the pre- finishing and upstream mill, and increasing rolling mill availability by minimizing size- change downtime. The modernized mill be in operation by summer 2019. In addition, a 1,400-ton cutting force scrap shear and a baler will be installed, to produce bales weighing over 1,000kg in a variable bale length up to 1m.

DNV GL has developed the first type approval scheme for the use of aluminum cables and connectors onboard vessels. “This type approval represents another first for the DNV GL rule set, and demonstrates our commitment to moving classification forward to help our customers,” said Geir Dugstad, senior vice president, director of ship classification and technical director at DNV GL Maritime. The new type approvals will allow copper to be replaced with aluminum. The cost savings can be significant, with the price of aluminum in 2018 at approximately one third that of copper. Aluminum’s lower conductivity means that a thicker cable is required, but this is compensated for by an overall lower weight. For example, a typical offshore support vessel may have 60 tons of copper cables installed. If these were replaced with aluminum, the weight would fall to 30 tons. Even with the price of special terminations factored in, the overall estimated saving from switching to aluminum from copper is 50 percent. In addition, a vessel with aluminum cables is lighter and more fuel efficient – resulting in lower operational costs.

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wiredInUSA - July 2018