Mittal Steel has announced plans to build a new hot strip mill in Cracow, Poland. The new 2.4 million tonnes/year mill, which will be able to roll steel strips up to 2100 mm wide, will be among the largest of its kind in Europe.

Siemens VAI will supply the mill on a turn-key basis and its own technologies will be applied. In addition to engineering and construction, the scope of supply also includes start-up and commissioning of the plant.

The hot strip mill comprises one reheat furnace and a 4-high reversing roughing mill. The new mill will feature the Encopanel heat-retention system for reduced temperature loss and harmonized temperature distribution, which will help to facilitate lower reheating temperatures and lower required power in the finishing mill. The project also includes a 6-stand, 4-high finishing mill with SmartCrown shifting and bending technology, employing specially shaped work rolls to enhance profile and flatness control. The finishing mill also features a laminar-cooling system with QuickSwitch laminar-cooling headers to allow for a more precise cooling control and two VAI PowerCoilers with four wrapper rolls for the reliable coiling of high-strength-steel grades. In addition, Siemens VAI will provide all electrical and automation systems for the mill.

Siemens VAI, a company of the Siemens Group Industrial Solutions and Services (I&S), is one of the world's leading engineering and plant-building companies for the iron and steel industry as well as for the flat-product-rolling sector of the aluminum industry. The company provides a comprehensive range of supplies and services for all related technological processes and integrated automation solutions for the entire life-cycle of metallurgical plants.

The Siemens Industrial Solutions and Services Group (I&S) is the integrator of systems and solutions for industrial and infrastructure facilities and global service provider for the plant and projects business covering planning, installation, operation and the entire life cycle. I&S uses the electrical and technical products of other Siemens Groups in order to enhance productivity and improve competitiveness of companies in the sectors of metallurgy, water treatment, pulp and paper, oil and gas, marine engineering, open-cast mining, intelligent traffic systems and industrial services. In fiscal 2004 (to September 30) I&S employed a total of 30,000 people worldwide and achieved total sales of EUR 4.290 billion.