Primetals Technologies said the mills will be installed at the steelmaker’s Lázaro Cárdenas slab plant, giving it the ability to finish the slabs it produces on site. The strip mill will be capable of producing 2.5 million metric tons annually; the skinpass mill is being designed with a capacity of 650,000 metric tons.  

The mills are part of a US$1 billion investment ArcelorMittal is making in its Mexican operations. 

"Construction of the new hot strip mill, alongside the other projects in our investment program, which are geared towards enhancing the efficiency and quality of our operations, will enable us to optimize our asset base and increase the proportion of finished steel products for our domestic customers," said ArcelorMittal Mexico chief executive Victor Cairo. 

The strip mill, which will consist of a roughing mill and a seven-stand finishing mill, will be able to roll slabs in thicknesses of 220 mm or 250 mm. Primetals Technologies also will supply a reheating furnace, crop shear, a strip cooling line, two downcoilers, the modular coil shuttle car system, the water treatment plant, the high- and medium-voltage power supply, the roll shop, a laboratory, and the bays and cranes.

Primetals Technologies' skinpass mill package includes a mill stand, entry and exit reels, a flattener, a side trimmer and inspection equipment.

Additionally, the company will be responsible for the engineering and supply of the level 1 automation and drives for the strip mill, skinpass mill, coil storage, and the water treatment plant; the level 2 and level 3 automation for the strip mill; and the basic engineering and supply of the plant electrics. 

The new mills are to be started up in 2020. 

You can find Primetals Technologies' full announcement here.  ​