Gerdau Açominas, Brazil, has awarded a contract to SMS Demag Inc., Pittsburgh, and SMS Demag Ltda., Brazil, to supply a combination bloom/beam blank casting machine, ladle rinsing station and water treatment facility.

The 4-strand caster will be designed to produce bloom sizes measuring 300 x 460 and 300 x 350 mm, and a single beam blank section measuring 400 x 480 x 120 mm for an annual production of 1.5 million tonnes. The casting machine will be used to produce high quality steel grades (High Carbon, Automotive Forging, CHQ and others).

In order to obtain the stringent quality requirements, mold electromagnetic stirring and soft reduction technology will be an integral part of the machine configuration. Other advanced technological features include hydraulic oscillation, plate molds with parabolic taper and dynamic spray cooling utilizing a dual media air-mist system.

The beam blank section will be utilized to feed the existing heavy section mill for the production of structural profiles. With the mill entry shape substantially conforming to that of the finished product, the efficiency of the rolling process will be significantly enhanced.

SMS Demag's contract includes engineering, equipment manufacturing and supply, Level 1 and 2 automation as well as training and on-site supervision. Start-up is scheduled for mid-2006.

SMS Demag Inc. and SMS Demag Ltda. form parts of the Metallurgical Plant and Rolling Mill Technology Business Area of the SMS group. The SMS group is internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering relating to the processing of steel, non-ferrous metals and plastics. The group is divided into the Business Areas of Metallurgical Plant and Rolling Mill Technology, Tube, Long Product and Forging Technology and Plastics Technology. In the year 2003 around 9500 employees worldwide generated a turnover of around EUR 2.20 billion.