A joint venture of Chinese steel producers Taiyuan Iron and Steel Group Co. (TISCO) and Shandong Xinhai Industry granted the final acceptance certificate (FAC) to Primetals Technologies for an extensive combination of meltshop and casting equipment at a stainless steel plant in Linyi, Shandong province, China.
All equipment has been implemented successfully, with performance figures exceeding the customer’s expectations. For example, charge-to-tap times of less than 89 minutes, including the intermediate deslagging process, are achieved on a regular basis, which is particularly remarkable as the mass build-up of materials in the AOD converter is high.
The process optimization systems are also showing great results. The contractual performance value for the hitting rate, i.e., 85 pct for a temperature range from -10 to +15 degrees Celsius, was already reached during startup. These systems are now exhibiting hitting rates of almost 100 pct for the given temperature and carbon windows. In addition, plant availability was already above 99 pct during the performance test phase.
The key equipment for this large project supplied by Primetals Technologies comprises four converters in total, two continuous slab casters, the AOD Controller, which is a process control system, and the process optimization system AOD Optimizer. Primetals Technologies has engineered, supplied, and implemented two AOD converters and two converters that can be used for either AOD or DeSi processes, the latter process desiliconizes the melt before it is sent to the AOD converters. The converter scope also encompasses Vaicon Quick vessel-suspension systems that ensure the fastest-possible vessel exchange.
Since 1988, Primetals Technologies has supplied eight new slab casters to TISCO, and the Chinese steel producer has tasked Primetals Technologies with 24 casting projects in total to date. The two stainless slab casters at the site in Linyi have an annual capacity of 0.9 and 1.2 mln tons and a maximum width of 1,600 and 2,100, respectively. The bow radius is at 9 meters.
TISCO is a holding subsidiary of China Baowu Iron and Steel Group and was founded in 1934. TISCO is focusing on the development of special steels, for example ultra-wide, ultra-thick and ultra-thin strip tubes and high-quality silicon steel for electric vehicles.
Based in Linyi, China, Shandong Xinhai Industry processes, manufactures, and distributes metal products. The company produces plating alloys, high nickel alloys, manganese alloys, and other products.
