Danieli recently started up three slab casters totaling five strands in one week, with two of them starting on the very same day.

The three casters were Baosteel No. 4, P.R. China (December 16), Arcelor Mittal Dunkerque CC23, France (December 19), and Stomana, Bulgaria (December 22).

Baosteel’s No. 4 Caster represents the highest-performing caster in all of Baosteel. This caster was started up more than four months in ahead of schedule. To date, 60 heats have been cast totaling 18,000 tonnes.

Arcelor Mittal’s Dunkerque CC23 is the first caster to be substantially renovated from an existing curved slab caster into state-of-the-art vertical curved design, comprising total demolition of the existing machine and replacement with new equipment from the mould to the cutting machine. This upgrade is part of an ambitious project to renovate all Dunkerque slab casters, including a similar revamp of the CC22 and CC21 casters, as well as other upgrades in the BF and meltshop areas.

This renovated caster has already exceeded the contractual performances for production ramp-up (20 heats per day), having cast 23 heats in 24 hours 12 days after the first heat was cast in half of the time contractually foreseen for this production milestone.

Stomana’s caster revamp was performed inside an old plant, with the usual normal difficulties caused by such an environment. On Dec 23, seven heats were cast, with an additional eight heats cast on Dec 24.

Danieli says the start-up of three casters in three different locations wouldn’t have been possible without the continuous and valued cooperation with the steel plants.