According to SMS, the project will increase the 30-year-old caster’s output by 42%, taking it to 2.7 million metric tons annually. It also will increase maximum slab width from 1,600 mm to 2,200 mm. 

“The greatest challenge of this project was the customer’s request to expand the slab width … without extensive rebuilding of the foundations, which would have made the overall project less efficient. The special design of the segment carrying frames to be installed by SMS group will allow the existing foundations and anchor bolts of continuous caster No. 2 to be maintained without any modifications,” the company said. 

The 2-strand caster has a machine radius of 10.5 m, which will remain unchanged, despite the wider slab width. 

The rebuilt caster will be equipped with a remotely adjustable mold, hydraulic mold oscillation and a gap control system operating with position-controlled clamping cylinders, SMS group said. 

You can read more about the project here.