April 2007 — For Celsa Steel (U.K.) Limited, SMS Demag AG, Germany, successfully commissioned a turnkey steelmaking plant with a downstream continuous billet caster from Concast AG, Switzerland. The facilities are installed at the customer’s operations in Cardiff, Wales.

Acting as consortium leader, SMS Demag provided the engineering and supplied the equipment for the 1.2 million tonnes/year steel plant. The scope of supply also included the complete electro-technical outfit.

The EAF meltshop for carbon steel consists of a 140-tonne AC ARCCESS^® electric arc furnace with electric bottom tapping, a 140-tonne ladle furnace, and the associated dust extraction facilities. The six-strand Concast billet caster features Convex^® technology for rapid high-capacity casting of various section sizes.

The automation supplied by SMS Demag comprises the higher-lever sequence controls and the technological process models for the EAF and LF processes. The entire automation system was tested and optimized prior to commissioning. During the test phase, Celsa’s personnel received intensive practical training in preparation for hot commissioning and subsequent production. This allowed “Plug & Work” to be implemented, which resulted in a significant reduction in startup time.

SMS Demag’s supply package also comprised scrap-handling equipment, supply systems for additives and alloying agents (including bins and conveyors), ladle servicing equipment, steel ladles and vehicles. SMS Demag also supplied the water treatment plant, high- and low-voltage supply systems (including transformers), as well as supervision of erection and commissioning.

Celsa Steel (U.K.) Limited is a member of the Celsa Group.

SMS GmbH is the holding for a group of companies internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering relating to the processing of steel, non-ferrous metals and plastics. The group is divided on the one hand into the Business Areas SMS Demag and SMS Meer under SMS metallurgy and into the Business Area SMS Plastics Technology. In the year 2005 some 9,250 employees worldwide generated a turnover of about EUR 2.33 billion.