MMK Commissions Heavy Plate Mill from SMS Siemag
07/28/2009 - Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works commissions a heavy plate mill made by SMS Siemag.
Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK), Russia, has commissioned a heavy plate mill made by SMS Siemag.
Designed for an annual capacity of some 1.5 million tonnes, the new heavy plate mill will produce plates up to 4800 mm wide. Production will focus on pipe grades (up to X120) as starting material for large-diameter pipes for use in the gas and oil sector. Other areas of application will include bridge construction and ship-building as well as heavy mechanical engineering.
With a rolling force of 120 MN, MMK’s new mill is one of the world’s most powerful heavy-plate mills. Described as the most advanced mill of this type in the Urals, the mill was set up within 32 months from contract signing.
SMS Siemag’s scope covered the complete process line for plate production with two walking beam furnaces, the mill stand, plate cooling system, hot leveler, cooling and inspection bed, shear line, finishing area with cold leveler, and heat treatment facilities. SMS Siemag also provided the complete electrical equipment, drive systems and all automation systems.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attended the commissioning of MMK’s new heavy plate mill as did Heinrich Weiss, Chairman and CEO of SMS group. Weiss also serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce.
Siemag originally supplied several of the rolling mills for Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works when it was founded in 1932.
SMS Siemag AG is a company of the SMS group, which is, under the holding SMS GmbH, a group of companies internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and nonferrous metals industry. It consists of the two Business Areas SMS Siemag and SMS Meer. In 2008, some 8900 employees worldwide generated a turnover of more than EUR 3.6 bn.
