Spain’s Tubos Reunidos S.L.U. has ordered an RH plant from Germany's SMS Mevac. The plant will be designed to produce 400,000 tonnes per year of steel of high cleanness in terms of inclusions and with ultra-low gas contents for the manufacture of seamless steel pipes. Commissioning is scheduled for the third quarter of 2013.

With this plant, Tubos Reunidos will fulfill the demanded requirements on steel cleanness. In alloyed steel production, the low hydrogen content will be achieved via the LF–RH production route in an electric steel plant. A convincing feature is the short cycle time of the metallurgical treatments in the ladle furnace and the RH plant with subsequent cleanness treatment in a separate ladle treatment station. The treatment cycle time is less than 60 minutes. This makes it possible to install the individual plants in a special arrangement developed for Tubos Reunidos. Thanks to the stationary RH vessel, a short suction pipe can be installed. To achieve the required high utilization of the plant, two ladle transfer cars will be used.

By means of a ladle lifting device (rocker type), the ladle will be lifted out of the ladle car for the treatments, which leaves the car available for use during the vacuum treatment. Within this project, Tubos Reunidos will receive comprehensive consultation from SMS Mevac to achieve significantly improved metallurgical results.

The scope of supply includes the engineering, as well as the delivery of the following key components: ladle lifting system, vacuum vessels, vessel transport car, TOP burner lance, vacuum pump, snorkel maintenance car, electrical equipment including instrumentation, supervision of erection and commissioning as well as metallurgical consultation.