New standards in energy efficiency, environment protection and digitalization

voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl, a subsidiary of the international technology and capital goods group voestalpine and located in Kapfenberg, Austria, has placed an order with SMS group

(www.sms-group.com) to supply an electric arc furnace, an AOD converter and secondary metallurgical facilities for the construction of a high-tech stainless steel plant which will set new standards in energy efficiency, environment protection as well as innovative automation of the production processes.

The new stainless steel plant is intended to replace the existing plant of voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl GmbH & Co KG at the Kapfenberg location and will produce 205,000 tons of high-performance steels per year for application in the aerospace and automotive industries as well as for the oil and gas sector.

On a site of approximately 50,000 square meters, the globally most advanced plant for the production of stainless steel will be estab­lished within the next three years. Hot commissioning is scheduled to take place in the middle of 2021.

The steel plant concept unites cost-efficient process solutions with optimized process sequences and high plant availability. The plant engineering will feature a high degree of automation and digitalization in all production steps.

The centerpiece of the plant will be a 55-ton electric arc furnace (EAF) able to melt high-purity scrap and alloys into liquid steel on the basis of electrical power that is completely generated by renewable energy sources. In addition, the exhaust heat generated during the process will be used to dry the ultra-pure scrap in a separate plant before it is fed to the electric arc furnace.

The 60-ton vacuum converter will combine the classical AOD process for medium carbon contents with decarburization and degassing under vacuum for steel grades having low and ultra-low contents of carbon and nitrogen.

The scope of supply furthermore includes three ladle furnaces (LF), two vacuum degassers (VD), one vacuum oxygen degasser (VOD) and one ladle treatment stand (LTS). The VOD system will be used for the production of special high-quality stainless steel grades of highest purity.

In terms of energy efficiency and environment protection, too, the new stainless steel plant will set new benchmarks. Closed cooling water circuits and heat recovery systems will minimize emissions and the consumption of resources. Forward-looking air purification systems will meet the most stringent environmental requirements.

All components of the stainless steel plant will be equipped with

X-Pact^® electrical and automation systems. The X-Pact^® MES 4.0 production planning system and the innovative X-Pact^® process guidance system (PGS) will lay the foundation for digitalization of the most-advanced stainless steel plant worldwide.

The manufacturing execution system X-Pact^® MES 4.0 is the holistic, modular solution for planning and control of the entire metallurgical process chain and of all production facilities. Based on planning modules, it considers the interaction of all factors relevant for decision, such as plant condition, product quality and energy consumption, i.e. horizontal networking takes place. Reporting is completely web-based and provides detailed data analyses.

For all facilities within the plant, the automation concept X-Pact^® process guidance will merge process-oriented operation of the different automation levels in a uniform look and feel. The modular design will provide a basis for reporting, tracking, material manage­ment and for metallurgical models. New sensors can be added respectively available data be transferred shortly.

All components of the stainless steel plant will be monitored in a central control station.

SMS group will furthermore supply the technological equipment for the Kapfenberg training center where the complete plant complex will be digitally visualized for training purposes.

The supply scope of SMS group includes basic and detail engineer­ing, mechatronic plant technology, supervision of erection on site and commissioning of the above mentioned components. To make sure transition of production from the existing to the new stainless steel plant will be accomplished smoothly, it is planned to train the customer’s staff on site and in the test center of SMS group in Germany.

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exlabesa has awarded SMS group (www.sms-group.com) the contract to supply two 35 MN extrusion presses. The extrusion presses are to be installed at the production locations in Doncaster, UK, and in Minden, Germany. Each extrusion press is planned to be designed for a production capacity of around 10,000 tons of aluminum profiles.

exlabesa’s plant in Doncaster, UK, will be upgraded as a result of this investment. The new 35 MN extrusion press will replace the existing 20 MN extrusion press. The new press will be used primarily to ex­trude profiles for automotive, architectural, and industrial applications from aluminum billets with a diameter of ten inches (254 millimeters) and a maximum length of 1,400 millimeters.

The second, equally powerful 35 MN extrusion press will expand the exlabesa group’s production capacity at its Minden works in Germany. In this way the extrusion press works will be able to respond more quickly and more flexibly to the growing demand for aluminum profiles and continue to offer a consistently high level of product quality to its customers in the automotive, mechanical engineering, construction, electrical engineering, furniture, and retail sectors.

Both presses are equipped with an ecoDraulic system. This system, with its intelligent, automatic start-stop control function, switches off all hydraulic pumps that are not required during the extrusion process. The use of ecoDraulic enables average energy savings of ten percent compared to modern presses without this system. As a result, the new presses at exlabesa group meet the requirements of the ecoplants label, which is awarded to particularly energy-efficient SMS group machinery.

Another feature is the newly developed self-adjusting, moving discard shear. The shear automatically compensates for vertical tolerances in the tool stack. What’s more, it can be used to improve the quality of the profile: after shearing the shear moves a few millimeters away from the die, so when the shear is moved up there is less danger of the aluminum being pulled out of the die pre-chamber. This in turn lowers the risk of air inclusions in the extruded profile.

Commissioning of the extrusion press in Doncaster is planned for the beginning of 2019. The extrusion press in Minden is scheduled to extrude its first billet in the last quarter of 2019.

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GRAZ, MARCH 6, 2018. International technology Group ANDRITZ has received an order – as part of a consortium – from l’Office Nationale de l’Électricité et de l’Eau potable (ONEE) for supply of hydro- and electro-mechanical equipment for the new Abdelmoumen pumped storage hydropower plant located on the River Issen in Taroudant Province, about 140 km southwest of Marrakech, Morocco. The order value for ANDRITZ is over 120 million euros. Construction work will start in the first half of 2018 and is expected to be completed in 2022.

ANDRITZ’s scope of supply comprises design, manufacturing, delivery, installation, supervision, and commissioning of two 175 MW reversible pump turbines, motor generators, and electrical power systems. The consortium leader, the French company VINCI CONSTRUCTION GRANDS PROJETS, will perform all of the important civil engineering work for the project. Both companies are combining their expertise to jointly realize the technically challenging 3 km steel-lined waterway, consisting of a 2 km-long penstock, more than 700 m of tunnels made of sections of between 3.5 and 5 m in diameter, and three shafts up to 60 m in height.

To provide a reliable base for the design of the pump turbines, ANDRITZ conducted broad research and model testing activities. Operating under the outstanding, high net head of about 554 m, the ANDRITZ design ensures that the two pump turbines are able to accommodate 20 rapid mode changes per day and at the same time meet both the high efficiency and reliability requirements for many years to come.

Abdelmoumen will cover peak-load energy demands and provide rapid response power to regulate the Moroccan grid.

ANDRITZ GROUP

ANDRITZ is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metal working and steel industries, and for solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial segments. Other important fields of business are animal feed and biomass pelleting, as well as automation, where ANDRITZ offers a wide range of innovative products and services in the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) sector under the brand name of Metris. In addition, the international technology Group is active in power generation (steam boiler plants, biomass power plants, recovery boilers, and gasification plants) and environmental technology (flue gas cleaning plants) and offers equipment for the production of nonwovens, dissolving pulp, and panelboard, as well as recycling plants.

A passion for innovative technology, absolute customer focus, reliability, and integrity are the central values to which ANDRITZ commits. The listed Group is headquartered in Graz, Austria. With over 160 years of experience, 25,600 employees, and more than 250 locations in over 40 countries worldwide, ANDRITZ is a reliable and competent partner and helps its customers to achieve their corporate and sustainability goals.

HYDRO

ANDRITZ Hydro is one of the leading global suppliers of electromechanical equipment for hydropower plants. With over 175 years of accumulated experience and more than 31,000 turbines installed, totaling approximately 430,000 megawatts output, the business area provides the complete range of products, including turbines, generators, and additional equipment of all types and sizes – “from water to wire” for small hydro applications to large hydropower plants with outputs of more than 800 megawatts per turbine unit. ANDRITZ Hydro has a leading position in the growing modernization, refurbishment, and upgrade market for existing hydropower plants. Pumps (for water transport, irrigation of agricultural land, and applications in various industries) and turbogenerators for thermal power plants are also assigned to this business area.

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PMB Silicon Sdn. Bhd., based in Sarawak, Malaysia, has contracted SMS group (www.sms-group.com) to supply two SAF (Submerged Arc Furnace) for the production of silicon. The planned production capacity is 32,000 tons of silicon per year. Commissioning is scheduled for autumn 2018.

SMS group’s scope of supply includes the basic and detail engineering as well as the equipment for the 24-MW submerged arc furnaces, which essentially comprises two furnace-rotating gear units, the furnace vessels, gas hoods, the installation of a power supply and mains voltage compensation system, and the supervision of erection and commissioning.

A special feature is the rotating furnace vessels, which prevent carbide precipitation in the furnace mix.

With this plant PMB Silicon is securing its in-house silicon production. Silicon produced in this way is used as a main alloying element for the production of aluminum alloys in Press Metal Berhard plants.

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Jianlong Beiman Special Steel Co., Ltd., based in Qiqihar, China, has awarded SMS group (www.sms-group.com) a contract to supply core components for a high-speed wire rod mill for quality steel.

The centerpiece of the new wire rod mill, which has an annual capacity of 500,000 tons, is the ten-stand wire rod finishing block. To comply with the high metallurgical requirements of the finished products, the wire rod mill has been designed for low-temperature rolling.

This is achieved by installing a cooling and equalizing loop upstream of the block. The rolling schedule includes wire rod with diameters from 5.5 to 25 millimeters, and rebar with diameters ranging from 6 to 16 millimeters, which are finish-rolled at speeds of up to 115 meters per second.

In addition to the wire rod finishing block, the scope of supply also includes two cantilever compact roughing stands, the group of shears upstream of the block, and the loop laying head including pinch roll unit. What’s more, SMS group is also supplying the design for the LCC^® (Loop Cooling Conveyor) with three-fan technology, as well as the coil handling system.

To allow the plant to be extended at a later date, space has also been set aside for further water boxes and a MEERdrive^®PLUS block, ensuring the plant is equipped to handle closer tolerances.

Commissioning will take place in spring 2019.

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Chinese steel producer HBIS Laoting Steel Co. Ltd. has ordered two new, twin-strand continuous slab casters from Primetals Technologies. The casting plants have a combined capacity of 4.2 million metric tons of slabs per annum and will form part of a new production facility for high-quality steels being built in the Laoting district in the south east of the autonomous city of Tangshan. Potentially hazardous tasks will be handled by LiquiRob casting platform robots. The two continuous slab casters are scheduled for commissioning in February and March 2019.

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Small section mill for the Philippines

The Philippine company, SteelAsia Manufacturing Corporation, has placed an order with SMS group (www.sms-group.com) for the supply of a new small section mill. The mill, which will be designed for an annual capacity of 500,000 tons, will be the SteelAsia’s seventh rolling mill. It will be built at the Phoenix Petroterminal Industrial Park in the Municipality of Calaca, Province of Batangas. The plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2018.

The small section mill will be laid out for a production rate of 100 tons per hour of a very wide range of products. In addition to I-beams, H-beams, equal-sided angles and U-beams, it will also be possible to produce various bars, flats and squares. This flexibility is achieved by 18 housingless stands in horizontal, vertical, convertible and universal configuration. An in-line quenching and tempering line will allow high-strength grades to be produced.

The 90-meter-long cooling bed will be equipped with a water spraying system for improved cooling of the sections. Downline of the cooling bed, a multi-roller straightener will be arranged. A cold shear, two cold saws, two finishing sections, each equipped with a bar bundler, a magnetic stacking machine and four tying machines for up to seven ties will complete the plant.

The new rolling mill line will be supplied with fully integrated automation. “We decided in favor of SMS group because they proposed the best technical solution. Furthermore, SMS group’s vast experience in the design and manufacturing of section mills was a crucial aspect,” says Benjamin O. Yao, CEO of SteelAsia.

SteelAsia Manufacturing Corporation is the largest producer of rebar in the South East Asian Region. The company’s six rolling mills at different locations spread all over the Philippines have a total capacity of 2.3 million tons per year. Around 50 percent of all steel bars employed in the country are produced by SteelAsia. More than 80 percent of the demand for steel bar used in the country’s land, air, sea, electricity and communication infrastructure is supplied by SteelAsia.

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Graz/Vienna, September 4, 2017.  International technology group ANDRITZ has received a contract from the state-owned Chinese energy utility company Fengning Pump Storage Co. Ltd., State Grid Xinyuan Co. Ltd. to supply two variable speed pump turbines for the new Fengning pumped storage power plant in Hebei Province, China. The contract value amounts to just under 70 million euros, and completion of the project is scheduled for 2021.

The ANDRITZ scope of supply includes two pump turbine motor generator units with variable speed and a nominal capacity of 330 MVA in generator mode and of 345 MVA in pump mode. Additionally, AC-excitation, governor, as well as protection and computer control systems will be supplied.

The Fengning pumped storage plant will be the world’s largest pumped storage power plant, equipped with 12 x 300 MW pump turbine units in one cavern. The two variable speed units will be supplied by ANDRITZ.

For ANDRITZ, this order means a re-entry into the rapidly growing Chinese pumped storage market; it is also the first order to be awarded worldwide for supply of variable speed pump turbine units to China.

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thyssenkrupp System Engineering has received an order from the Chinese automotive manufacturer SGMW for the manufacture and delivery of body stamping dies for a new vehicle generation. The contract value is in the double-digit million euro range. Under the contract thyssenkrupp will plan, design and manufacture tools for the production of exterior body parts, including fenders, doors and side panels, for the new SUV “CN300M”. Additionally, the two companies have concluded a joint agreement to explore further, longterm cooperation in the field of automotive manufacturing technology.

SGMW, a joint venture between GM China, SAIC and Wuling Motors, is one of the largest automotive manufacturers in China with an annual production capacity of more than two million vehicles. From 2019 the company plans to produce around 150,000 of the new SUV models per year. In addition, SGMW is already a major manufacturer of electric vehicles with planned production capacities of up to 800 cars per day.

Ingo Steinkrüger, CEO of thyssenkrupp System Engineering: “Manufacturing demanding dies is one of our core competencies which we are continuously expanding. This creates the basis for extremely high production quality. In addition to major international automotive manufacturers, we are also supplying more and more Chinese producers with our manufacturing solutions. With our location in Shanghai, we will continue to expand our relationships with customers based in China.”

At the end of 2015, the automotive supplier opened a new site in Shanghai to strengthen its Chinese business and expand its local product portfolio. It has more than 250 employees producing body making solutions as well as assembly and test systems for the local automotive industry. thyssenkrupp has been supplying the Asian market with automotive production plants from China for more than ten years.

“About thyssenkrupp System Engineering:
thyssenkrupp System Engineering is an international systems partner for all key elements of the car body and powertrain process chains in the automotive industry. Its capabilities also include automation solutions for electric storage and drive systems, solutions for innovative lightweight designs as well as lines and test systems for the aircraft industry. The company is a strong and reliable partner that supports its customers in optimizing their value chains and efficiency.

About thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions:
The Industrial Solutions business area at thyssenkrupp is a leading partner for the engineering, construction and service of industrial plants and systems. Based on more than 200 years of experience we supply tailored, turnkey plants and components for customers in the chemical, fertilizer, cement, mining and steel industries. As a system partner to the automotive, aerospace and naval sectors we develop highly specialized solutions to meet the individual requirements of our customers. More than 21,000 employees at over 70 locations form a global network with a technology portfolio that guarantees maximum productivity and cost-efficiency.”

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• Elevators and escalators supplied at the Greenhill Hotel and Village Market
• Key project in one of the most commercially-promising regions for innovative transportation solutions
• thyssenkrupp’s Global Distributor Management team opens up access to new markets across the world

thyssenkrupp Elevator aims to play an important role in the development of Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, currently supplying its mobility solutions in the Greenhill Hotel. Located in the affluent Gigiri suburb, the Greenhill Hotel is a central part of the popular Village Market shopping and leisure complex and has been built to meet growing demand from local diplomats and business institutions. The elevators and escalators provided by thyssenkrupp Elevator will ensure smooth and comfortable passenger transportation within the complex.

The Greenhill Hotel is a key project to have benefitted from thyssenkrupp Elevator’s innovative distribution partner approach. While the company is present in more than 70 countries it has set up a network of strategic distribution partners to help reach other markets where relevant business is identified but is not mature or large enough to establish a direct presence. While certain areas of Africa are lower in development tables, Nairobi has been listed among the top 10 most dynamic cities in the world¹ and represents a significant business opportunity for thyssenkrupp Elevator’s technology innovations.

Dr. Sushanthan Somasundaram, Head of the Global Distributor Business of thyssenkrupp Elevator commented: “We are very proud to have contributed to this important project in what is a really promising part of the world. Our collaboration partners in the location opened and managed the opportunity, which allowed us to provide cutting-edge technology and vital infrastructure to make a real difference, even though we have no field presence of our own there.”

thyssenkrupp Elevator’s partner approach comprises four Distributor Management Centers (DMC) it has built in key global locations. These DMCs take care of the company’s strategic partners throughout the whole process, from sales to execution, to ensure that the right mobility solutions are provided. This DMC structure covers more than 40 additional markets and 32 strong partners.

Somasundaram adds: “It is essential to find new solutions for people transportation that save time and reduce consumption of energy and environmental resources. As a business we support cities all over the world with innovative solutions that meet the requirements of urbanization, and we are pleased that through our distributor network our reach and urban footprint can continue to grow.”

Africa: Rising up!
Since the dawn of the new millennium, the continent of Africa has posted above-average economic growth, as well as continuing high rates of urbanization. It is estimated that half of Africa’s people will live in cities or towns by 2030. At one time the tallest building in the entire Southern hemisphere, the Carlton Centre retains the title of tallest buildings in Africa. At 223 meters (732 feet) tall, the building is crowned with a popular observation deck offering majestic panoramic views. Built in 1973, this 50-floor Johannesburg (South Africa) landmark combines office space with a large shopping mall. All across the African continent, ambitious projects are underway. Hope City, near Accra (Ghana) is an architecturally stunning, USD 10-billion high-tech tower cluster aimed at making Ghana a go-to destination for the information and communication technology industry. The highest tower there is planned to be 270-meter (886 feet) high. Meanwhile, the Al Noor Tower in Casablanca (Morocco) is due to be completed in 2018 and is designed to represent the 54 countries of Africa by measuring exactly 540 meters (1,800 feet).In Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia has launched the construction of its new 198-meter headquarters. South Africa is still in the game, as well. If built, Centurion Symbio-City will soar to a height more than double that of the Carlton Centre – 447 meters (1467 feet) – and feature a rooftop garden and embedded wind turbines.

¹ http://www.jll.com/cities-research/City-Momentum?utm_source=Linkedin&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=800246350&utm_campaign=GlobalGlobal%20-%20Cities

About us:
thyssenkrupp Elevator
thyssenkrupp Elevator brings together the Group’s global activities in passenger transportation systems. With sales of 7.5 billion euros in fiscal 2015/2016 and customers in 150 countries, thyssenkrupp Elevator built its position as one of the world’s leading elevator companies from scratch in a mere 40 years’ time applying thyssenkrupp unique engineering capabilities. With more than 50,000 highly skilled employees, the company offers smart and innovative products and services designed to meet customers’ individual requirements. The portfolio includes passenger and freight elevators, escalators and moving walks, passenger boarding bridges, stair and platform lifts as well as tailored service solutions for all products. Over 900 locations around the world provide an extensive sales and service network to guarantee closeness to customers.

Together with our customers we develop competitive solutions for current and future challenges in their respective industries. With our engineering expertise we enable our customers to gain an edge in the global market and manufacture innovative products in a cost- and resource-friendly way. Our technologies and innovations are the key to meeting diverse customer and market requirements around the world, growing on the markets of the future, and generating strong and stable earnings, cash flows and value growth.

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