ArcelorMittal Poland has completed a major investment at its Krakow site, finishing a 44-day modernization of Galvanizing Line No. 2 to enable production of sheet metal with the company’s new Optigal coating. The line can now produce both traditional galvanised products and steel coated with Optigal, an alloy of zinc, magnesium, and aluminium that offers improved formability and significantly higher corrosion resistance. The upgrade cost PLN 40 mln (USD 11 mln).
The new coating is expected to broaden Krakow’s product range, particularly for construction applications such as sandwich panels and trapezoidal sheets.
As part of the project, two new galvanizing baths and a transport-and-lifting system were installed. One 200-ton bath will continue producing classic coatings, while a second 180-ton bath is dedicated to Optigal. The modernization required extensive adaptations across the cold rolling mill, including installation of a track-based system to move the large baths vertically and horizontally within the plant. Due to limited space, the operation required a specialized 500-ton hydraulic crane.
Spanish firm GHI served as the main contractor, with 14 companies involved in total.
Commercial production of Optigal-coated sheet is expected to begin in 2026 following certification and homologation, ArcelorMittal said.
1 USD / 3.6 PLN
