Thyssenkrupp Steel and Primetals Technologies have successfully launched slab caster No. 4 and hot-strip mill No. 4 at the Bruckhausen site in Duisburg, Germany. The project transformed a former combined casting and rolling line into two independent, modernized units, boosting production capacity from 1.8 to 3.1 mln tons per year and enabling a shift toward premium steel products.
Despite a tight schedule and up to 1,000 workers on-site, the project was completed on time through efficient coordination. Key upgrades include the installation of a 2-strand continuous caster with advanced automation features like DynaWidth and DynaFlex, enabling flexible slab-width changes and improved strand surface quality.
The modernized hot-strip mill features a 4-high reversing roughing mill, enhanced finishing stands, and a new strip cooling system. Advanced automation systems, including Contour and Flatness Optimizers and Level 2 cooling models, support precise control and consistent material properties, critical for high-strength steels and e-mobility applications.
A two-year maintenance contract has also been signed for caster No. 4, with Primetals providing ongoing support via its digital Maintenance and Asset Technology (MAT) platform. The upgrade is part of a broader modernization plan initiated in 2021. Thyssenkrupp Steel, which produces about 11 mln tons of crude steel annually and employs 26,000 people, aims to deliver 5 mln tons of CO2-neutral steel by 2030 and reach full climate neutrality by 2045.
