British Steel has started work on GBP 80 million of investments to enhance its product range and improve operational and environmental performance. The bulk of the investment of GBP 48 million is financing the installation of a new billet caster at the company’s Scunthorpe site. At the same time, its Scunthorpe Rod Mill is being given a GBP 32 million upgrade while further investments are being made at British Steel’s sister company in the Netherlands FN Steel. The reconfigured mill layout and new equipment are expected to be commissioned in 2023.The new billet caster, which will manufacture lengths of semi-finished steel known as billets, is being installed by Danieli and is expected to be commissioned at the end of the year. It will enable the company to both increase capacity and grow into new markets. Cold heading, automotive spring steels, free cutting steels, rim sub & alloy steel qualities will be available through the billet caster production in 140x140mm, 155x155mm & 180x180mm sizesWork is also underway to install state-of-the-art mill equipment to significantly extend engineering capabilities at British Steel’s Scunthorpe Rod Mill. Part of a GBP 50 million investment announced in 2018, the scheme had been paused but is now being resumed under British Steel’s new ownership. The new product range will include wire rod diameters up to 28.0mm, currently the largest diameter available is 17.0mm. New product capability will become available including welding wire as well as extended capability for automotive spring steel and cold-heading grades. The product range will also offer customers considerably improved mechanical properties and enhanced options for supply condition such as normalized rolled and low-temperature rolled wire rod.The new drawing line at FN Steel will be a 6-headed drawing bench (i.e. it will use 6 dies to draw the wire to the desired diameter). Bright drawing, as utilized across all FN Steel’s lines, results in a product with close dimensional tolerances, improved mechanical properties and bright surface finish. The enhanced processing capability will enable FN Steel’s to offer drawn material in diameters from 2.5mm to 4mm across a range of grades. In early 2024, improvements in logistics and environmental performance are expected with the completion of FN Steel’s new warehouse, which will have the capacity to store 9,000 coils.
British Steel has started work on GBP 80 million of investments to enhance its product range and improve operational and environmental performance. The bulk of the investment of GBP 48 million is financing the installation of a new billet caster at the company’s Scunthorpe site. At the same time, its Scunthorpe Rod Mill is being given a GBP 32 million upgrade while further investments are being made at British Steel’s sister company in the Netherlands FN Steel. The reconfigured mill layout and new equipment are expected to be commissioned in 2023.The new billet caster, which will manufacture lengths of semi-finished steel known as billets, is being installed by Danieli and is expected to be commissioned at the end of the year. It will enable the company to both increase capacity and grow into new markets. Cold heading, automotive spring steels, free cutting steels, rim sub & alloy steel qualities will be available through the billet caster production in 140x140mm, 155x155mm & 180x180mm sizesWork is also underway to install state-of-the-art mill equipment to significantly extend engineering capabilities at British Steel’s Scunthorpe Rod Mill. Part of a GBP 50 million investment announced in 2018, the scheme had been paused but is now being resumed under British Steel’s new ownership. The new product range will include wire rod diameters up to 28.0mm, currently the largest diameter available is 17.0mm. New product capability will become available including welding wire as well as extended capability for automotive spring steel and cold-heading grades. The product range will also offer customers considerably improved mechanical properties and enhanced options for supply condition such as normalized rolled and low-temperature rolled wire rod.The new drawing line at FN Steel will be a 6-headed drawing bench (i.e. it will use 6 dies to draw the wire to the desired diameter). Bright drawing, as utilized across all FN Steel’s lines, results in a product with close dimensional tolerances, improved mechanical properties and bright surface finish. The enhanced processing capability will enable FN Steel’s to offer drawn material in diameters from 2.5mm to 4mm across a range of grades. In early 2024, improvements in logistics and environmental performance are expected with the completion of FN Steel’s new warehouse, which will have the capacity to store 9,000 coils.
