F. Bonelli y Cia., Argentina, has placed an order with SMS Meer, Italy, for the supply of three new convertible stand groups for the mill in San Nicolás, Argentina.

SMS Meer’s scope of supply includes three stands with housingless cartridge and three additional reserve stands. SMS Meer will also supply gear boxes, motors, hydraulic and lubrication facilities and ancillary equipment.

The three convertible stand groups will be installed in an existing 300,000 tonnes per year mill that produces plain rounds and rebars with diameters from 9.5 to 19 mm, angles from 15.9 to 63.5 mm, and channels in the sizes 40x20 to 65x45 mm.

Delivery of the new stands is scheduled for the second quarter of 2005.

SMS Meer SpA forms part of the Tube, Long Product and Forging Technology Business Area of the SMS group. SMS GmbH is the holding for a group of companies 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 2004 some 9,500 employees worldwide generated a turnover of about EUR 2.20 billion.