Concast Upgrades North Star Steel Caster
03/01/2004 -
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Concast Upgrades North Star Steel Caster
March, 2004 — North Star Steel recently began hot commissioning of its revamped 4-strand continuous caster in Beaumont, Texas.
The caster modernization, carried out by Concast, included revamping the existing ladle turret to add lifting/lowering capability, as well as adding a powered shroud manipulator, dual compact tundish cars and full-delta tundishes. New cartridge meter mold assemblies were installed for the production of 130- and 152-mm billets, and Concast M-EMS electromagnetic stirrers were installed on each strand. An electromechanical short-lever oscillation system, intensive multi-zone secondary spray cooling system, new strand guide and support equipment and Concast’s CCS continuous straightening machines were also installed in this caster upgrade. Concast also provided all electrical equipment and process automation software related to the revamp.
The start-up went extremely well, with high-quality billets produced in the first cast. According to Beaumont’s casting manager, the high productivity of the new caster challenged the capacity of both the existing EAF and the existing cooling bed.
North Star Steel, a division of Cargill Steel, produces merchant grade and special bar quality rounds, wire rods, reinforcing bars and structural steels at the Beaumont facility.
