SSAB Swedish Steel S.p.A. in Ghedi, Italy, will upgrade its steel cutting line during the planned maintenance period from July to September. The upgrade will enable the facility to cut ultra-high strength SSAB steel coils to virtually any length, expanding its product range while improving surface quality and flatness, key for precision applications like laser cutting.
Currently limited to cutting coils with yield strengths up to 700MPa, the upgrade will increase capacity to 1350MPa with a thickness of 6.5mm. This will allow SSAB’s Ghedi facility to supply cut-to-length sheets from higher strength grades, including Hardox abrasion-resistant steels and Strenx structural steels.
The upgrade will also improve shipping efficiency, as coils are faster and more cost-effective to transport than cut lengths. Additionally, the Ghedi facility will be better equipped to handle low-to-mid production volumes of high-strength steels in various sheet lengths.
The Ghedi plant’s cut-to-length line, which can handle coils up to 2050mm wide, is also future-proofed for SSAB’s upcoming mini-mills, which will produce coils up to 2 meters wide. The facility processes 80,000 tons of steel annually, using fossil-free solar energy for its operations.