Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. announced it will add automatic roll changers at its 80-Inch Hot Strip Mill.

The $14.5 million project comprises installation of automatic roll changers on the mill's six finishing stands, reducing the time needed to change rolls from as much as 40 minutes to as little as 8 to 10 minutes per roll change. With rolls changes occurring an average of four to six times during each 24 hours of running time, the new roll changers will help to improve productivity and increase the mill's capacity from 2.8 to 3.2 million tons per year.

"The installation of the automatic roll changers is another significant step in our program to improve the efficiency of our primary operations," said Harry L. Page, Vice President of Engineering, Technology and Metallurgy. "In 2000, we added additional segments to our twin strand caster that increased its productivity. The addition of our electric arc furnace will improve our steelmaking productivity. The installation of the automatic roll changers will allow us to roll our full output from the caster, while also providing us with the opportunity to convert purchased slabs or toll roll slabs for others."

The project is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2005, with the majority of the installation to be conducted during regularly scheduled weekly downturns at the mill. This will include all excavation and installation of equipment in front of the mill. Machining work on the finishing stands themselves will take place during a 10-day outage scheduled for the fourth quarter.

Wheeling-Pittsburgh is a steel company engaged in the making, processing and fabrication of steel and steel products using both integrated and electric arc furnace technology. Products include hot rolled and cold rolled sheet and coated products such as galvanized, pre-painted and tin mill sheet. Additional steel products include roll formed corrugated roofing, roof deck, floor deck, bridgeform and other products used primarily by the construction, highway and agricultural markets.