OAO Novokuznetsk Iron & Steel Russia part of the EVRAZ Group has placed an order with SMS Meer, Germany for a new universal rail and section mill. The mill is designed for a capacity of 1.3 million tonnes per year. 950,000 tonnes of the annual production are rails including 400,000 tonnes per year of 100 meters long rails that can be used for high speed rail tracks or also with hardened rail heads for high axle loads such as for heavy goods trains. In addition, beams, channels and round and square bars can be produced on this mill.

The order forms part of a modernization program for the existing rail production plant. The modernization will be carried out in several part projects. For the hot rolling section, SMS Meer is to supply the rolling technology and the complete mechanical and electrical equipment and the automation system.

The latest CCS stands are used in the universal mill. This stand type is characterized by high frame rigidity, the possibility of hydraulic roll gap adjustment and fully automated stand changing. A laser profile gage is employed for inline measurement of the finished profiles. The scope of supply also includes two roughing stands with SMS Meer GmbH is a company of the SMS group, which is, under the roof of the holding SMS GmbH, a group of companies internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and nonferrous metals industry. It consists of the two Business Areas SMS Siemag and SMS Meer.

In 2009, some 9,000 employees worldwide generated a turnover of EUR 3.9 billion manipulators, grip type tilter upline and downline of the tandem stand group, all transport facilities a hot saw, the media supply systems as well as the supervision of erection and commissioning training of the customer personnel and spare parts.

This mill will be erected in the existing bays. The production standstill for changing the rolling mill will be only four months. Following the modernization, the company will be in a position to produce rails using the latest methods and in accordance with all present-day demands. The beams and channels will also be produced using the universal rolling method in future. The beams are produced using the proven XH® reversing rolling method developed by SMS Meer. The use of new rolling methods and modern stand concepts allows productivity, flexibility and availability of the mill and the quality of the finished products to be increased.

The mill is scheduled to go into production in October 2012.