• New bar-in-coil (BIC) outlet will enable Hebei Xinggang Technology to manufacture products of superior coil shape and surface quality
• Work started in August 2023 and is expected to be completed in late 2024
• Hebei Xinggang to produce 16 to 52 millimeter bar from 160 to 180 millimeter square billets at a line speed of 18 meters per second

Primetals Technologies is supplying a new bar-in-coil (BIC) outlet for the Hebei Xinggang Technology plant, which is being relocated to Xingtai City, Hebei Provence, China. For this custom production process and equipment solution, Primetals Technologies will engineer, install, and implement a new BIC outlet. Also included are two shears, a water cooling line with closed-loop temperature control system, two latest-generation pouring reel coiler machines, a product-surface-friendly guiding and coil handling system, a vertical stem pallet system, and a comprehensive mechatronics package.

A Holistic View

Hebei Xinggang Technology preferred the Primetals Technologies solution because it took the entire production chain into consideration instead of focusing only on equipment. Hebei Xinggang Technology also considered the performance reputation of the Primetals Technologies Enhanced Temperature Control System (ETCS), which it had previously chosen as part of a second wire rod mill ordered from Primetals Technologies. The company also factored in Primetals Technologies’ successful track record of delivering similar BIC projects for five customers in the Asian market.

Producing Bar with Less Waste

BIC is a relatively new process for producing special-steel straight bar in the form of rolled coils of high quality. It allows steelmakers and suppliers to store inventory more efficiently and produce different kinds of bar with less waste and labor.

“Our BIC solution is state-of-the-art in terms of speed, reliability, and process flexibility,” says Mengmeng Li, China Sales Operation Manager at Primetals Technologies. “Hebei Xinggang will use it to maintain its position as a leading quality steel supplier in one of the world’s most competitive markets.”

The project is on a fast track. Work began in August 2023 and is projected to be completed in late 2024, along with two wire rod mills, which Hebei Xinggang Technology has ordered from Primetals Technologies. For the BIC line, Primetals Technologies will provide engineering and services via its long rolling business based in Sutton, Massachusetts, the U.S.A. Primetals Technologies’ regional company in China will provide equipment and overall project management.

Once complete, the solution from Primetals Technologies will enable Hebei Xinggang Technology to manufacture a product of superior coil shape and surface quality. The BIC line will turn 160 to 180 millimeter square billets into bar measuring 16 to 52 millimeters in diameter at speeds of up to 18 meters per second. Finished coils will weigh up to 2.5 tons.

Primetals Technologies will provide a new bar-in-coil (BIC) outlet for Hebei Xinggang Technology. This project and the implementation of two wire rod mills from a prior order are expected to be completed in late 2024. Pictured in this photo are representatives from Hebei Xinggang and Primetals Technologies.