Italian steel producer Feralpi Siderurgica, part of the Feralpi Group, has granted the final acceptance certificate (FAC) to Primetals Technologies for the successful revamp of its 6-strand billet caster at the Lonato del Garda plant. The upgrade was completed within six weeks during the 2023 summer shutdown.
Primetals designed and preassembled the caster bow and molds as single-piece units, allowing for a smooth installation process. The revamp included retractable oscillators mounted on mobile carriages, enabling individual mold changes without halting production on all strands, a significant boost to productivity.
The project included key mechanical upgrades, automation features like the LevCon Autostart function, and a custom optimization of the withdrawal drives, improving response times and mold-level stability by 34pct. Feralpi praised the advancements, noting enhanced precision and minimized breakout risks.
Feralpi Group is a major European supplier for the construction sector, with a production capacity of 2.45 mln tons across operations in Europe and North Africa. Founded in 1968, Feralpi Siderurgica is a leading producer of reinforcing steel and related products.
