Open / Close Advertisement

Nucor Breaks Strip-Casting Record with Castrip Process

01/16/2008 - Nucor sets a new record for sequence casting -- 24 ladles of steel, cast continuously, over a 38-hour period -- at the world's first commercial Castrip-based strip-casting facility for plain-carbon steel sheet.

Nucor Corp. has set a new record for sequence casting—24 ladles of steel, cast continuously, over a 38-hour period—at the world's first commercial strip-casting facility for plain-carbon steel sheet. The new record was set in late December.
 

“Nucor looks forward to the operation of the second Castrip facility under construction in Blytheville, Ark., which is scheduled for start-up in late 2008.”
 
“The synergy created from the expertise of these two plants has already redefined new standards of quality and performance for thin strip casting."
 
Dan DiMicco
Nucor Chairman and CEO
 
Total throughput for the record was 2467 tons cast, while producing 2387 tons of prime coils. The previous record of nine ladles and 12 hours of casting had stood until early December when it was eclipsed with a 14-heat sequence, followed a week later by an 18-heat sequence. Within 10 days, both achievements were shattered by this world-record performance.

 
"This record highlights not only a step change in productivity but also the remarkable strides made in product quality over the past twelve months" said Dan DiMicco, Nucor's Chairman and CEO.
 
Nucor’s strip-casting facility, which is located at the company’s Crawfordsville, Ind., facility, uses the Castrip(R) Process. This process was developed for the production of ultra-thin hot band gauges that can compete with traditional cold-rolled material for a range of applications. The facility, which initiated production in May 2002, achieved 100,000 tons of cumulative production in June 2004; at that time, the facility was producing sheet down to a thickness of 0.84 mm (0.033 inches).
 
"We are very proud of the dedication and focus of the Crawfordsville team that continues to push the envelope of strip casting,” said DiMicco. In addition to the new sequence-length record, the Crawfordsville plant also achieved a new high-water-mark in December for monthly production and shipments, achievements that complement an annual production record that was also set in 2007.
 
“Nucor looks forward to the operation of the second Castrip facility under construction in Blytheville, Ark., which is scheduled for start-up in late 2008,” said DiMicco. “The synergy created from the expertise of these two plants has already redefined new standards of quality and performance for thin strip casting."
 
Based in Charlotte, N.C., Castrip LLC is a joint venture of Nucor, BlueScope Steel of Australia, and IHI of Japan. The company was formed to market and license intellectual property related to the twin-roll casting of carbon and stainless steels developed jointly by its three owners. Castrip is a registered trademark of Castrip LLC.