Mechel (Chelyabinsk Integrated Iron and Steel Works), Russia, recently inaugurated a new 6-strand Danieli continuous casting machine and upgraded "250-1" rolling mill.

The new Danieli high-speed caster has facilitated a radical change in the plant's production route, enabling the supply of continuously cast billets directly into the existing rolling mills. Previously, the mills had been fed with cogged billets produced at the blooming mill. Elimination of the blooming route will significantly benefit productivity and production costs. The new caster's direct connection to the rolling mill for direct hot charging of billets will further enhance cost saving.

Modernization of the "250-1" rolling mill, also carried out by Danieli, included two additional SHS roughing stands plus two QTB lines and associated auxiliaries. With the upgrade, the mill can now take 100-mm continuously cast billets instead of the previous 80-mm rolled billets. The new QTB lines enable production of water-quenched and self-tempered deformed bars, eliminating the need to add more costly alloy elements at the meltshop.

Mechel, a giant producer of special and quality steel, has a total capacity of up to 5 million tonnes per year of rolled bars, forgings and flat products in stainless, high speed, tool, spring, ball bearing, engineering, free cutting, heat-resistant steels and super alloys of any grade.