In a statement, Kocks said one of the orders for a fifth-generation sizing block is from Chengde Jianlong, which is converting a bar mill to an SBQ mill as it looks to enter that market. 

Kocks said the sizing block will be installed behind a continuous 20-stand roughing and intermediate mill in H/V arrangement. It will produce special quality bars in diameters of between 20 mm and 100 mm.  The company said the project also entails enhancements to the mill’s furnace capacity; installation of new shears and 2-high stands in H/V arrangement; and an overhaul of the finishing area to improve steel quality.

Elsewhere, carbon bar and rod maker Weifang Special Steel Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. has ordered a fifth-generation sizing block, enabling production of SBQ in diameters of between 18 mm and 60 mm at a maximum speed of 18 m/s.

“The Kocks 3-roll technology will allow Weifang to achieve a reliable and consistent SBQ production of premium quality with perfect surface and closest tolerances to meet the high demands of the market,” the company said in a statement. 

Both projects are to be commissioned in early 2019.