Tata Steel Speciality Steels, UK, has chosen SMS Mevac, Germany, to design a VIM X-eed® vacuum induction melting furnace for its Stocksbridge site. The facility will produce high-purity steels and specialist alloys for the aerospace industry, a sector where Tata Steel is already established as a leading supplier. The project is currently in the design phase and is intended to go into production in 2014, pending final capital approval.
Mark Broxholme, Managing Director of Tata Steel Speciality Steels stated: “The potential addition of a VIM furnace to our asset base for aerospace steel production is an exciting prospect. This initiative is fully aligned with our business strategy of focusing on high added-value products, for markets with truly global reach. We are pleased to be collaborating with the SMS group who have the stature and expertise to bring this development to a successful conclusion.”
SMS Mevac, a market leader in primary and secondary steelmaking, has expanded its portfolio to include tertiary metallurgy/special steels utilising its extensive plant engineering know-how, which has been accumulated over more than 40 years as a plant builder. This strategic move into tertiary metallurgy currently incorporates three key melting and remelting technologies, namely VIM, VAR and ESR units. This new product area is supported by in-house experts having more than 20 years of experience with market leading specialist steel makers. This know-how, combined with SMS Mevac’s reputation for delivering high-performing equipment, will create state-of-the-art facilities to meet both current and future market requirements.
Cihangir Demirci, Deputy General Manager Tertiary Metallurgy at SMS Mevac, commented: “I’m very happy to be able to apply my extensive knowledge of speciality steelmaking and super alloys to the design of this new VIM unit with integrated vacuum pouring. Designing from the standpoint of a producer means that reliability and maintenance are at the heart of the design. This will result in a reliable unit with consistently high availability and performance.”
The VIM unit for Tata Steel comprises an 8-t vacuum induction melting crucible together with the associated vacuum pumping, material charging and process control equipment. All core components to be delivered by SMS Mevac will be designed to allow Tata to increase the melt size to 181 at a later date. Ancillary equipment for crucible preheating and lining maintenance are also provided. The unit incorporates vacuum ingot pouring for both top poured and bottom poured ingots, in single or multiple ingot configurations. The ingots will then be refined further in Tata’s VAR facilities before being rolled or forged into products for the aerospace market.
Michael Thiehofe, Managing Director at SMS Mevac commented: “SMS Mevac is honoured to be the chosen supplier for the VIM X-eed® unit for the Stocksbridge Works. We will closely cooperate with Tata Steel’s experts to design a plant which will satisfy the requirements of this demanding, high-end market.”
Speciality steelmaking and super alloys.
About SMS Mevac GmbH
SMS Mevac provides equipment, process know-how and additional services required for the production of high-quality steel grades worldwide. The range of metallurgical equipment covers vacuum-type and atmospheric-type treatment processes for hot metal pre-treatment, and secondary and tertiary metallurgy.
About Tata Steel in Europe
Their European operations make Tata Steel Europe’s second largest steel producer. With their steelmaking operations in the UK and Netherlands, they supply steel and related services to the construction, automotive, packaging, lifting & excavating, energy & power, aerospace and other demanding markets worldwide. The combined Tata Steel Group is one of the world’s largest steel producers, with an aggregate crude steel capacity of more than 28 million tons and approximately 81,000 employees across five continents.