Siemens VAI Starts up Vertical Slab Caster at Baosteel
07/21/2009 - Siemens VAI Metals Technologies starts up and commissions a new vertical slab caster at Baosteel's Special Steel Branch in Shanghai capable of producing a wide range of high- and ultra-high-alloyed carbon, special and stainless steel grades.
Siemens VAI Metals Technologies recently started up and commissioned a new vertical slab caster at Baosteel's Special Steel Branch in Shanghai, China.
The new single-strand vertical slab caster is capable of producing up to approximately 270,000 tonnes annually of a wide range of high- and ultra-high-alloyed carbon, special and stainless steel grades. These include medium- to high-carbon, alloyed and high-alloyed steel grades, and 300- and 400-series stainless-steel grades. The caster has a vertical height of 40 meters, and a metallurgical length of 13.6 meters. Slabs are cast in thicknesses of 150 and 200 mm and at widths of 600 to 1300 mm. Depending on the steel grade and the slab thickness to be cast, the casting speed varies between 0.7 and 1.3 meters/minute.
The new slab caster incorporates special design features and a full array of technological packages that facilitate the production of slabs with the highest surface and internal quality. It enables Baosteel to continuously cast a wide range of highly critical steel grades that could not otherwise have been produced in a conventional bow-type caster, and will help to displace steel production in the existing ingot casting route.
Siemens VAI provided basic and detail engineering for the main caster components, as well as special equipment such as the mold, electromagnetic stirring device, the torch-cutting machine, technological packages, electrics and also Level 1 and Level 2 automation. The caster features a number of technological packages, including the LevCon mold-level-control system (equipped with autostart casting function); Mold Expert for strand-shell friction monitoring and strand-breakout prediction, DynaFlex for the online control of the mold-oscillation parameters and improved strand-surface quality; and the Dynacs secondary-cooling model capable of calculating the strand-temperature profile at any position as well as the point of final strand solidification.
The new caster’s strand-guidance system is equipped with Smart Segments which work with the DynaGap Soft Reduction technology package and input data from the Dynacs system to enable dynamic soft reduction for minimum centerline segregation. To accommodate the highest surface and internal quality demands for the critical steel grades produced at Baosteel Special Steel Branch, as well as to improve the casting flexibility, “dry casting” is practiced in the lower strand section to prevent strand overcooling. This is made possible employing internally peripherally cooled revolver-type rollers. The caster also features a Level 2 quality control system.
The new caster also incorporates a number of new and special design features, including a secondary cooling-water deflection system that fully removes water from the caster area and keeps the casting pit dry, helping to protect the machine. The caster also features an innovative segment-exchange system that enables segments to be replaced in the horizontal direction, as well as a novel withdrawal unit and a completely new slab-discharge system. During slab cutting, slabs are clamped by a second withdrawal unit and transferred through the casting pit by means a specially designed equipment system to the caster run-out area.
The Siemens VAI scope of supply was rounded off by advisory service for co-manufacturing, erection, start-up and commissioning in addition to personnel training. This caster is the first vertical slab caster commissioned by Siemens VAI.
The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is a leading international supplier of production, transportation, building and lighting technologies. The Sector comprises six Divisions: Building Technologies, Drive Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility and Osram. With around 222,000 employees worldwide Siemens Industry posted in fiscal year 2008 a profit of EUR3.86 billion with revenues totaling EUR38 billion
With the business activities of Siemens VAI Metal Technologies (Linz, Austria), Siemens Water Technologies (Warrendale, Pa.), and Industrial Technologies (Erlangen, Germany), the Siemens Industry Solutions Division (Erlangen, Germany) is one of the world's leading solution and service providers for industrial and infrastructure facilities. Using its own products, systems and process technologies, Industry Solutions develops and builds plants for end customers, commissions them and provides support during their entire life cycle. With around 31,000 employees worldwide Siemens Industry Solutions achieved an order intake of EUR 8.415 billon in fiscal year 2008.
