Tangshan Iron & Steel Group Co. Ltd., P.R. China, recently awarded Danieli Centro Met a contract to supply a new 6-strand billet caster for quality steel grades.

The 9-meter radius continuous caster will have a 1.2 million tonnes/year nominal designed capacity for 150-x150-mm billets in quality steel grades including low, high / medium carbon and low-alloy fine-grain steels.

The unit’s ladle shroud, tundish stopper rod device associated with submerged nozzle and mould powder practice will facilitate complete protection of the liquid steel stream, thus reducing oxygen pickup and consequently the non-metallic inclusion content. A 1000-mm long mould copper tube will facilitate high casting speeds, resulting in steel output ranging from 28 to 30 tonnes/hour from each strand, according to the specific steel grade being cast.

The machine will also be equipped with Danieli Rotelec mould EMS, which will facilitate high sub-surface and internal quality. Danieli will also provide the hydraulic mould oscillation system to enhance billet surface quality, as well as complete process control with Level 2 automation.

Startup of the new conticaster is scheduled by September 2006.