Aug 24 2009
The Italian steel producer Arvedi and Siemens have joined forces to usher in a new era in steel production. Liquid steel can now be processed in a single production step from casting and rolling through to coiling of the finished metal sheet This first "endless strip production" (ESP) facility has now started operating in Cremona, Italy, and is set to produce over two million metric tons of steel per year. Thanks to the uninterrupted process, energy savings of up to 45 per cent are possible compared to conventional steelworks. This reduces the factory's CO2 emissions to a similar degree and cuts process costs by up to 50 per cent.
Start of endless production in the Arvedi ESP facility near Acciaieria Arvedi (Cremona, Italy).
In the Arvedi plant in Cremona, finished high-quality metal sheet is produced from the tapped liquid steel in only 3.5 minutes from final point of solidification to hot rolled coil, exactly in line with the customer's specifications. The inventor and industrial magnate Giovanni Arvedi realized the ESP-pilot plant together with Siemens VAI Metals Technologies as industrial partner. As the licence holder, Siemens will market the innovative technology worldwide in the future.
The ESP method makes it possible to use all the liquid steel's thermal energy. At the same time, thin strips can be produced of a better quality and at lower costs compared to alternative methods. The products of the Arvedi ESP facility are suitable for use in the automotive industry, in the production of household appliances and in the construction industry as well as for the manufacture of pipes, metal sections, machines and other mechanical equipment.