Danieli will supply Azovstal Iron & Steel Works, Ukraine, with a hi-tech twin-strand thick slab casting facility, to be installed in Mariupol, Ukraine.

The plant will produce up to 2.5 million tonnes/year of slabs in peritectic, low-alloy, low-carbon, ultra-low carbon and medium-carbon steels. The caster will be one of the most versatile plants in the world, able to cast top quality slabs within an extremely wide range of working conditions. The machine will cast three different thicknesses, 220, 250 and 270 mm in widths ranging from 1250 to 2100 mm for a maximum slab length of 12 m.

The caster will employ a new vertical mould design that improves internal steel quality by reducing inclusions and minimizing breakout. Additional features will include:

• Dynamic Soft Reduction to dynamically modify slab profile during casting.
• Dynamic spray control to control slab solidification through all process variations.
• Dynamic mould oscillation to accommodate steel grade variations and casting speed changes.
• Automatic mould width adjustment system.

Azovstal will be in charge of the local portion of the job, acting as Danieli's co-supplier. Danieli Automation will supply electricals, automation and L1/L 2 process control system.

Startup of the caster is scheduled within 19 months from contract signing.