Guangzhou Zhujiang Steel Co., Ltd., P.R. China, has awarded SMS Demag AG, Germany, a contract to revamp the first strand of its CSP^® (Compact Strip Production) facility.

The first strand will be equipped with a latest-generation position controlled Liquid Core Reduction (LCR) segment adjusting system. The system will facilitate a slab-thickness adjusting range between 45 and 60 mm and a loss-free thickness reduction of the strand.

The modernization project will help Guangzhou Zhujiang improve product quality and increase production capacity from the facility, which originally started operating in Guangdong in 1999. The new system has a track record for quick return on investment, as reflected by the good results attained with the second strand, which is equipped with a position-controlled LCR and has been in operation since 2003.

In addition to narrow-face copper plates for the mould, SMS Demag’s scope of supply includes hydraulic equipment and controls, the technological control systems for LCR, and supervision of erection and commissioning. Commissioning is scheduled for the beginning of 2006.

SMS Demag AG forms part of the Metallurgical Plant and Rolling Mill Technology Business Area of the SMS 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 into the Business Areas of Metallurgical Plant and Rolling Mill Technology, Tube, Long Product and Forging Technology and Plastics Technology. In the year 2004 some 9,500 employees worldwide generated a turnover of about EUR 2.20 billion.