Siemens VAI Metals Technologies has received an order from Byelorussian Steelworks to equip the factory in Zhlobin with secondary metallurgical plants and a new 6 strand continuous billet casting plant. Thus, BMZ wishes to boost its production capacity to around 1.2 million tonnes and expand its product spectrum and quality.
The project is to be completed in early 2013.
Siemens is supplying the secondary metallurgical systems for the Zhlobin factory located in the Gomel region in the country's south west.
This includes two 100 tonne ladle furnaces, a 100 tonne RH plant, the complete alloy material management including the weighing and transport systems, a dust extraction system and water management. Integrated basic automation level 1 will ensure an optimum interplay of all plant components. The ladle furnaces and the RH plant will also have a level 2 process optimization system. This will enable BMZ to manufacture a broader range of steel grades, including high strength, alloyed and standard carbon steels. Around 1.5 million tonnes of liquid steel can be treated on an annual basis in the new secondary metallurgical plant.
Billets with cross sections of 125mm x 125mm or 140mm x 140mm can be produced on the 6 strand continuous billet casting plant. The plant is designed for both open and closed casting and achieves an annual capacity of 1.2 million tonnes. To assure high product quality, the casting plant is equipped with a series of technological packages, including DiaMold high speed permanent molds, DynafFlex mold oscillators, the LevCon mold level control system and level 2 process optimization systems.
Siemens will also be responsible for the engineering, installation and commissioning monitoring of all plants and will be in charge of training maintenance and operating personnel.
The state owned BMZ was founded in 1984 and its end products a re profiles and shaped steels, reinforcement steels, steel cables and wire. Around 85% of its products are exported. The current project with Siemens is part of a modernization program that will be running until 2015.
