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May 2006 — Ascometal, France, recently initiated an extensive modernization and revamp of their production site for high-grade and special steels at Hagondange. The contract for the project was placed with the Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA, while the finishing mill will be supplied by the German company Friedrich Kocks GmbH & Co KG. Electrical equipment and automation for the finishing mill will be supplied by Danieli Automation SPA.

A central component of Ascometal’s modernization is the installation of a latest-generation 5-stand Kocks 3-roll Reducing & Sizing Block [RSB]. This RSB will replace the existing four-stand 2-high finishing line as well a 3-stand 500-mm precision sizing block [PSB], which has been operating successfully in the same works since its commissioning in 1992 as the precision finishing block for round dimensions larger than 30-mm diameter.

This block – Kocks’ 60th RSB installation worldwide – is equipped with five 3-roll stands with a nominal roll diameter of 370 mm. The RSB’s heavy-duty design allows rolling of bars within a dimensional range of 16- up to 100-mm diameter. Bars rolled with the RSB will be discharged onto a new cooling bed.

The possibility of rolling finished sizes in any required sequence with the Reducing & Sizing Block ("chance free" rolling) significantly increases the plant’s flexibility. This flexibility is supported by the quick, automatic stand changing system, the pass and guide remote adjustment together with the quick roll ring change and the computer-aided adjustment of stands and guides in the roll shop.

The new 3-roll RSB will allow rolling from a one-pass family in the roughing and intermediate mill, and will reduce the number of entry sections considerably. The whole dimensional range is rolled with a minimum number of roll sets and correspondingly fewer stand changes. With the new RSB, a very large diameter range ("free-size" rolling) of up to 3 mm can be rolled with one and the same pass at the closest tolerances. The corresponding setting values for motor speed, rolls and guides as well as gear steps are calculated by the configuration program BAMICON, which has been developed for this purpose, depending on the required final product. This guarantees trouble-free and economic production of high-quality steel bars.

Commissioning of the new RSB is scheduled for the third quarter of 2007.

Ascometal belongs to the Lucchini group with its main shareholder, the Severstal Group.

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