London, December 15, 2015

Primetals Technologies receives final acceptance for wire rod mill upgrade from OneSteel in Australia

• ​Water cooling line and laying head improvements increase mill utilization, reduce maintenance, improve product quality
• Rolling speed for smaller diameters increased by more than 10%
• Reduced coil height and better compacted coil shape
• Pipe support design incorporates new SR Series laying head pipe technology

Primetals Technologies has received the final acceptance certificate from OneSteel Market Mills in Australia for installed upgrades at its Laverton Wire Rod Mill. Improvements to the water cooling line and laying head have already resulted in higher finishing speeds on small diameter products. Overall effects of the upgrade are expected to boost the single-strand rod mill’s competitive position in the market.

The water cooling line was upgraded with a Morgan Water Box system, which included three traversing boxes, with split water box nozzles and a header design that ensured alignment of the pass line. A set of skid-mounted valves for each water box incorporated high-speed divert valves to minimize uncooled rings. An Enhanced Temperature Control System (ETCS) with recipes and closed-loop temperature control was installed to control the cooling process. Provisions were made in the layout of the water cooling line for an additional cooling box to meet future needs. The laying head was upgraded with a new design pipe support that incorporates the SR Series laying head pipe technology.

After only four weeks of shutdown time, both the new water boxes and the laying head upgrade were installed and running. As production resumed, mill operators immediately saw performance improvements. More efficient water box cooling has resulted in lower laying head temperatures which improved scale conditions on finished rod, decreasing downstream scale losses by 35 percent on average. Nozzle replacement cycles went from four sizes to two. The ETCS has improved overall yield by reducing uncooled front ends and providing consistent temperature throughout the coil.

The mill can now roll faster on small sizes, with speeds increasing from 90 m/s to 102 m/s on 5.5 mm rod and from 90 m/s to 100 m/s on 6.0 mm rod. There has been significant improvement in ring pattern consistency on the cooling conveyor. The post-upgrade coil package has seen coil height reductions of 50 to 100 mm and a better compacted shape.

OneSteel is Australia’s premier manufacturer of steel long products and is a leading metals distribution company in Australia and New Zealand. It has a significant presence in Australian steel as an integrated manufacturer of steel and finished steel products. The company manufactures and distributes a wide range of steel products including hot rolled structural sections, rail, rod, bar, wire and structural pipe and RHS products, and distributes sheet and coil, plate and aluminum products.

SR Series is a registered trademark of Primetals Technologies in certain countries.

 Coils emerging from laying head from Primetals Technologies

Primetals Technologies, Limited, headquartered in London, United Kingdom, is a pioneer and world leader in the fields of engineering, plant building, and the provision of lifecycle services for the metals industry. The company offers a complete technology, product, and services portfolio that includes integrated electrics and automation, digitalization, and environmental solutions. This covers every step of the iron and steel production chain—from the raw materials to the finished product—and includes the latest rolling solutions for the nonferrous metals sector. Primetals Technologies is a joint venture of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and partners, with around 7,000 employees worldwide. To learn more about Primetals Technologies, visit the company website www.primetals.com.