According to SMS group, the project entailed installation of new rolling stands, replacing units that had been set up in conventional UR-E and UF arrangement with a compact 3-stand tandem reversing mill.

SMS group said the goal of the project was to expand product range, increase production and allow for processing of new high-strength grades. To that end, the new stands offer rolling forces, hydraulic adjustment under load and a fully automatic quick program change function, SMS group said. 

The project also included new roll shop equipment, a new automation system for real-time process control and a hydraulic adjustment system for the bottom roll on the breakdown stand, allowing for an increase in rolling flexibility.

"With only 16 days, the main shutdown for the revamp, including the demolition of the old stands, was tightly scheduled, and this tight schedule was strictly adhered to. The SMS team was there to support us throughout the entire execution phase of the project," said Jim Shelton, Nucor-Yamato Steel’s roll mill manager. "We are confident that this revamp will give us a decisive advantage in the market.”