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NLMK Launches New Quench and Temper Line at Clabecq Plant
11/01/2011 - NLMK’s Europe Management team recently opened its new Quenching &Tempering Steel transformation line at the NLMK Clabecq plant in Belgium.
NLMK’s Europe Management team recently opened its new Quenching &Tempering Steel transformation line at the NLMK Clabecq plant in Belgium.
The company confirmed the quench and temper line — which represents an investment of over €100 million — in 2009 despite the world financial crisis. According to the company, the new line, which has an annual capacity of 250,000 tonnes, guarantees the sustainability of the NLMK Clabecq plant. One third of NLMK Clabecq’s production will pass through the new line.
In recent years, the trend has been to supply the plate market with lighter products, with superior mechanical properties. The Clabecq mill, which is unique in combining a reversible quarto mill and a continuous finishing mill with four independent stands, specializes in the production of thin plate known for its surface finish, flatness and thickness variability control. This is the result of extensive knowledge combined with a world-class production line.
“Thanks to these niche markets, NLMK Clabecq will be able to upgrade to high added value product mix with abrasion resistant and high strength steels, used, for example, in the Yellow Goods (earth moving and mining equipment) and lifting & transport,” said Igor Sarkits, CEO of NLMK Europe-Plate. “Introducing a more complete offer to its customers will reduce the risk of price volatility experienced by this traditional steel sector. This will be the best guarantee for the future of NLMK Clabecq.”
The new line supports the NLMK Group’s strategy of development and innovation. Other recent investments include a new blast furnace and new basic oxygen furnace facility at the company’s main production site in Lipetsk. Both production facilities were built using the best available technology, which will enable NLMK to produce high quality slabs needed for the production of Q&T steels.
Located in Ittre, Belgium, NLMK Clabecq produces steel plates of thicknesses ranging from 3 to 120 mm. The plant is close to the port of Antwerp and at the center of a major European motorway network, with a third of sales destined for locations outside Europe. NLMK Clabecq employs 530 people and has an annual production capacity of 750,000 tonnes of plates.
NLMK Europe has a total capacity of over 4 million tonnes employs over 3000 employees. It comprises two Business Units: Strip Products at La Louviere, Beautor, Strasbourg, and Service Centres; and Plate Products at Clabecq, Verona and DanSteel.
NLMK, a leading international manufacturer of steel, reported 2010 production of over 11.5 million tonnes and a turnover of USD8.4 billion. NLMK’s production facilities are located in Russia, the EU and the USA and the Group employs around 60,000 employees. The Group produces a wide range of steel products including slabs and billets, hot and thick hot rolled plates, as well as cold rolled, galvanized, transformer and dynamo steel, together with reinforcing steel, wire and other metal products.
