Baosteel Group, P.R. China, recently awarded Danieli Davy Distington a contract for a 2.8 million ton per year slab caster. Following an official exchange of contracts on January 11th 2005, the caster design is well underway, and final completion is scheduled for early 2007.

The new caster will rely on cutting-edge Danieli Davy Distington technology, including the INMO Mould, the Danieli Davy Distington patented hydraulic mould complete with its unique guidance system and advanced width adjustment system. This shall be combined with the 'OPTIMUM' segments equipped with Danieli Davy Distington's PDR Cool Roll Technology and Dynamic Soft Reduction throughout the machine from below the bender to the final exit segment.

The twin strand machine will be fed by a 350-tonne liquid steel capacity ladle turret fitted with hydraulic tilting to increase the caster yield over a conventional turret design. The caster will produce a wide range of steel grades for slabs that are 230 mm thick and 900 to 1750 mm wide. Danieli Davy Distington will also be responsible for the complete automation system with the latest technological packages, including Liquid Pool Dynamic Soft Reduction Control with Advanced ELT Lifetime secondary cooling control model.

This contract marks the latest in a series of high-profile projects for Danieli in Asia, including a contract for the No. 4 Slab Caster at Baoshan Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. in Shanghai.

Baoshan Iron and Steel has achieved an annual steelmaking capacity of 20 million tonnes with a product mix dominated by steel plate and tube and supplemented with steel bar and wire. It is also currently developing high grade products, such as steels for automobile, shipbuilding, household electric appliance, pipeline steel and oil tube applications.