London, June 04, 2018

Primetals Technologies sells two copper rod mills to Southwire for end user Ningbo in China

• Will roll electrolytic tough pitch (ETP) copper
• New mills represent third and fourth supplied to this end user
• Staggered startups expected mid-2019 to early 2020

Enabling expansion into new geographic markets, Ningbo Jintian Copper (Group) Co. Ltd. has signed contracts with Southwire Company, LLC of Carrollton, Georgia, USA for two identical SCR 7000 copper rod mills to be supplied by Primetals Technologies in 2019. The first new mill will operate in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, and the second mill will be installed in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Start-up is expected in the summer of 2019 for the first mill and early 2020 for the second. These new orders bring the total number of copper rod mills supplied by Primetals Technologies to Southwire for Ningbo to four, increasing their total annual installed capacity to nearly 1 million metric tons.

Primetals Technologies is responsible for the engineering, manufacturing and commissioning of the rolling mill and coiler equipment for the Southwire SCR 7000 rolling mills to produce electrolytic tough pitch (ETP) copper for the building construction wire and cable market. The contract scope includes a Morgan No-Twist mill with 13 independently driven roll stands, which will produce 2 to 4 ton coils of 8 mm, 9.5 mm, 12.7 mm, 16 mm, 18 mm and 25 mm diameter rod from an 8,200 mm2 cast bar at a production rate of 48 metric tons per hour. Each mill will have an annual capacity of approximately 315,000 metric tons.

The contract also includes for each mill a 24-inch entry shear and table, one 18-inch roughing mill stand, four 12-inch roughing mill stands, and eight 8-inch finishing mill stands, all with hydraulic roll mounting, a rod cooling and cleaning system including injectors and air wipes, rollerized turndown, two pinch rolls, coiler, designs for a conveyor with rotary turntable, and two lubrication oil systems. The arrangement will also include the latest inline recirculating coil handling system.

Founded in 1986 as a copper bar manufacturer in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Jintian Copper (Group) Co. is one of the largest copper processing manufacturers in China and is an industrial conglomerate among the top 500 companies in China. Southwire has worked together with Primetals Technologies for more than 50 years. During that time, the company has built more than 110 non-ferrous mills for Southwire customers, in addition to completing more than 40 upgrades.

No-Twist is a registered trademark of Primetals Technologies, Limited, in certain countries.

SCR-7000 copper rod mill processing line supplied by Primetals Technologies to Southwire Company, LLC.

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.