Siemens VAI Metals Technologies is to erect a new rolling mill for long products at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (Vizag Steel). The state-owned Indian company, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd. (RINL), which owns the plant, as a part of its 6.3 Mtpy expansion project wants to set up a 750,000 tpy capacity Special Bar Mill to produce special merchant bars. The value of the order is in the upper two-digit million euro range. The new rolling mill is scheduled to start operating in 2011. In spring 2008, Siemens received an earlier order for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant works whereby Siemens was contracted to supply the power distribution system as well as components of the material handling system.
Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is located in Visakhapatnam on the coast of the Indian federal state of Andhra Pradesh. At the moment, the melting capacity is being expanded from around 3.6 to 6.3 million metric tons per year (Photo: Vizag Steel).
Commissioned in 1990, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is located in Visakhapatnam on the coast of the Indian federal state of Andhra Pradesh and operates an integrated steelworks with an annual capacity of 3.4 million metric tons of hot metal, 3 million metric tons of liquid steel and 2.7 million metric tons of steel products. At the moment, the melting capacity is being expanded from around 3.6 to 6.3 million metric tons per year. As part of this expansion program, Siemens is supplying not only the mechanical and electrical equipment for a new rolling mill, which will produce special bar quality (SBQ) steel, but also the associated automation systems as well as ancillary equipment and auxiliary systems.
The project encompasses the re-heating zone, a bar rolling line and a “bar-in-coil” line. For re-heating purposes, Siemens is supplying the billet charging equipment, a walking beam furnace for around 200 metric tons of billets per hour, and the descaling equipment. Designed for a maximum speed of 16 meters per second, the rolling line consists of 18 RedRing stands and a three-stand sizing group as well as the associated pendulum, cropping, hot dividing and chopping shears. The final nine stands are being equipped with quick-change attachments. This enables rapid changeover to new end products. Contactless Orbis measuring systems, one before and one after the sizing group, will monitor the product dimensions. Thermo-processing systems will also be installed before and after the sizing section. The cooling bed after this is 132 meters long. Siemens is also supplying a cold-cutting area with a 1000 metric tons static shear and the short bar removal system. The rolling line is being completed with equipment for counting and bundling the bars as well as for bundle strapping, weighing and labeling.
For the “bar-in-coil” line, Siemens is supplying the bar conveying throughs, three pinch rolls and pre-bending machines, three Garrett pouring reels with stripper cranes, a thermo-processing system including air fans, a hook conveyor as well as machines for coil compacting, formation and labeling plus a coil discharging unit.
The electrical equipment includes 11 kV switchgear units, a reactive power compensation system, harmonic filters, converters, distribution transformers, main and auxiliary drives, motors, motor control centers and the uninterruptible power supply equipment. Siemens is also supplying all the basic and process automation as well as operator panels, an intercom system and a CCTV system.
The scope of supplies and services also covers spare parts, including main bearings, initial rolling roll and rings, guiding equipment, pinch rolls and shear blades. On top of all this, Siemens is supplying a roll shop, laboratory systems, heating/ventilation/air-conditioning equipment, fire protection equipment, jib cranes and other lifting gear. Other items of operating equipment that are also part of the project include the lubricating system, the hydraulic system, the equipment for supplying compressed air, oxygen and nitrogen as well as the water system.
Siemens is also performing supervision for erection and commissioning and is providing customer training and engineering services.