Acerias Paz del Rio, Colombia, recently signed an agreement with Danieli to modernize the company’s meltshop and rolling mill located in Belencito, with the aim of increasing plant capacity and efficiency.

In the meltshop, a new 3-strand Fast-Cast billet caster will replace the present ingot casting process. The new machine is designed to cast commercial and quality steels in 130- to 160-mm square billets in open or protected stream casting. The caster will be equipped with an FNC^® system, ladle turret and tundish car lifting systems, stopper rods and Danieli Rotelec Mould EMS. Danieli will also supply a new 100/25/5-tonne EOT teeming crane and a water treatment plant for the caster.

In the rolling mill, rolling billets from the caster rather than the former ingots will strongly enhance plant productivity, efficiency and product quality, and will also help to reduce the transformation costs. A new 70 tonnes per hour Danieli Centro Combustion walking hearth reheat furnace will heat up the billets produced at the new caster.

A new twist-free compact roughing mill, made up of two SHS housingless stands, will replace the 3-high rougher presently used for cogging the ingots and feed the present double-strand bar and rod mill.

Danieli Automation will supply the electrical and automation system.

Startup of the new facilities is scheduled for spring 2006.