London, August 03, 2017

voestalpine orders continuous bloom caster from Primetals Technologies

• Casting plant for four-strand operation designed to produce 950,000 metric tons per annum
• Production can be expanded from four to five strands
• World's most modern casting plant of its type
• Plant is Industry 4.0 compatible

Voestalpine, an international technology company producing industrial goods, has awarded Primetals Technologies an order to supply a four-strand continuous bloom caster for its Leoben steel works. The CC4 plant will replace the existing CC2 continuous caster. In four-strand operation, it is designed to produce 950,000 metric tons of highest quality blooms per annum. A fifth strand can be added to increase the production capacity if needed at a later date. The new plant is scheduled to be brought into operation at the end of 2019, when it will become the world's most modern caster of its type. The plant is also Industry 4.0 compatible.

Primetals Technologies is responsible for the basic and detailed engineering, the supply and construction of the plant, and will supervise the commissioning. The continuous caster will produce round blooms with a diameter of 230 millimeters and rectangular blooms with a cross-section of 270 x 360 millimeters, and it is designed so that it can also produce a format of 440 x 330 millimeters. The following can be processed: rail steels, case-hardening steels, machining steels, steels for seamless tubes, heat-treated steels, spring steels, cold headed and cold extrusion steels, tire cord steels, cold work steels, bearing steels and welding electrode steels.

The continuous bloom caster is equipped with the DynaFlex hydraulic mold oscillator and the LevCon mold level control. The combination of the Dynacs 3D secondary cooling system and the fully automated casting clearance DynaGap 3D with Dynamic Soft Reduction in the strand-guiding system ensure cast blooms of a consistently high quality. The plant also has an online traversing strand stirrer, with a traversing range controlled by Dynacs 3D. For loading and unloading the heat retaining boxes, a fully automatic crane is planned with a connection to a production planning system for stockkeeping. The scope of delivery also includes special mechatronic packages and an integrated automation solution.

voestalpine steel Donawitz GmbH is a subsidiary of the voestalpine corporation, it currently runs the world's most modern compact LD steel works in Leoben.

Primetals Technologies will supply the CC4 four-strand continuous bloom caster for the voestalpine steel works in Leoben, Austria. The photo shows theCC3 continuous bloom caster in the same works, which was also supplied by Primetals Technologies.

This press release and a press photo are available at www.primetals.com/press/

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.