The Brazilian steel producer Gerdau SA has given Siemens VAI Metals Technologies the order to revamp the bar mill at its Mogi das Cruzes location for the production of flat bar.

For this purpose, the intermediate train, the finishing train and the cooling bed will be revamped. The supply includes the mechanical equipment, the mechatronical packages and the complete electrical and automation systems. The upgraded plant is scheduled to commence production in early 2013.

The Gerdau plant in Mogi das Cruzes, state of Sao Paulo, specializes in producing long rolled products for the construction industry. The bar mill has a capacity of around 260,000 tonnes per year. After completion of the revamp, flat bar with widths between 50mm and 106.6mm and thicknesses from 5.4mm to 51mm will be rolled here. To achieve this, Siemens will modernize the combined intermediate and finishing train and the cooling bed.

The intermediate finishing train is to be equipped with five new Red Ring stands in HVHVH configuration, an automatic repeater, two crop shears, and new roller tables. In the entry section of the cooling bed, a dividing shear will be installed. To be able to retard the cooling process to specific time targets when necessary, the cooling bed will be fitted with devices for handling programmable stacks of the rolled flat bar. This will make it possible to set the metallurgical properties of the steel bar precisely.

Siemens will also supply the basic automation and Siroii mechatronics packages for control of the rolling stands and the shears. The scope of supply will also include electrical systems such as medium voltage switchgear, low voltage distribution, transformers, and motors for the drives of the rolling line, a motor control center and an uninterruptible power supply.