The company said the projects will allow it to enter higher quality markets while supporting international tire cord, seismic rebar, prestressed concrete strand, alloyed cold heading and welding wire product lines. 

The new wire rod outlet will be part of RM No. 05, allowing EMSTEEL to offer plain wire rod in coil from 5.5 to 24 mm and rebar in coil from 8 to 16 mm. Primetals Technologies has also redrafted the mill to optimize tolerance and reduce wear on existing passes and loading on mill stands. 

Features of the new machine include an 8-stand eDrive Morgan no-twist mill, Morgan reducing/sizing mill, intelligent pinch roll and Morgan laying head, a Morgan Stelmor controlled cooling conveyor, in-line heat treatment via Morgan waterboxes, and a vertical pallet and horizontal C-hook coil conveyor system. It includes a level 1 basic automation system and a complete level 2 long rolling process expert system. 

EMSTEEL said the mill is designed for thermomechanical rolling and fine grain rebar. Equipment will be constructed before installation for less downtime and faster commissioning. 

The RM No. 03 wire rod mill upgrade will include a new Morgan Stelmor controlled cooling conveyor to improve overall cooling capabilities. The new roller modules with blowers will integrate into the mill’s existing coil handling system while the Optimesh air distribution will enhance tensile uniformity for small diameter products, the company said. 

The upgrade also includes new drives, a new motor and a fully integrated automation system.