Mechel OAO has launched an upgraded medium-section mill at its Mechel Targoviste facility (Targoviste, Romania) following the execution of fundamental renovations. The launch of the upgraded equipment in the rolling-mill shop was timed to coincide with Metallurgist Day, which is celebrated annually in Romania on the second Saturday of August.
Mechel had implemented this project within the scope of an extensive, ongoing program to modernize of production at Mechel Targoviste that includes the upgrade of a heat-treatment furnace as well as the mill itself.
Investment in equipment upgrades in the facility shop for medium-section rolled products amounted to 8.7 million euros ($12.8 million). The works were performed to improve finished product quality and to significantly reduce production costs.
Originally, the medium-section mill was designed for product dimensions from 80.80 to 140.140 mm. Following the modernization program, the mill is now also capable of rolling products with dimensions up to 150.180 mm as produced by the continuous-casting machine that was installed in the facility in March of 2007. Transition to these new product dimensions resulted in an increase in roll-train efficiency and enhanced shrinkage to obtain the desired structure of finished products. The upgrade will also allow Mechel Targoviste to reduce natural gas consumption and to significantly improve the quality of its end products.
As part of the upgrade, two additional mill stands were mounted on the mill, and new equipment for water descaling, a product tipping device and new mill rolls were also installed. New installations on the mill's heat-treat furnace included new equipment for automation of heat-treatment, product-weighting system, and the hydraulic system for the furnace floor and product input and output systems, as well as a new system of furnace burners and combustion.
The company expects the cost savings from the renovation to total approximately 2.3 million euros per year ($3.4 million).
“The completion of this project continues the series of Mechel investment projects targeted at fundamental modernization of the group's steel and rolling production assets in Romania,” commented Vladimir Polin, CEO of Mechel Management Co. OOO.
“In particular, in Mechel Targoviste a new arc furnace and a new continuous-casting machine were launched in 2006 and 2007 respectively,” continued Polin. “These efforts improve the mill's production efficiency and as a result its financial strength. Mechel management has again demonstrated the ability to transform an older, inefficient asset and adapt it to a highly competitive market. In Romania, Mechel owns four steel facilities, and in each of these the Company is actively working to modernize the equipment and enhance operational efficiency.”
Mechel, one of the leading Russian mining and metals companies, unites producers of coal, iron ore, nickel, steel, rolled products, and hardware. Its business includes three segments—mining, steel, and power—and its products are marketed domestically and internationally.