NTS Steel, Thailand, recently awarded Danieli Centro Maskin (DCMK) an order to upgrade its Chonburi plant. The upgrade will feature an inspection and conditioning plant for processing 130x130 to 160x160 mm, 6- to 12-meter long engineering steel billets.

The new inspection facilities will have a capacity of over 500,000 tonnes/year. The conditioning plant, based on a Danieli Centro Maskin grinding machine in the first stage, will be suitable for processing more than 120,000 tonnes/year of billets; output of this plant can be doubled in the future with the installation of a second grinder.

The grinding machine, based on the latest Hi-Grind technology (the digital evolution of the previous analogical PowCo system), will ensure the best surface quality. The grinder will be equipped with a 160-kW AC motor and will have the flexibility to use different sizes of grinding wheels. Danieli Automation will supply the electrical equipment and automation system.

Danieli is to deliver all equipment in not more than 8 months, with start of production expected by the end of summer 2006.

NTS Steel is a member of the Millennium Steel Group.