Jan. 2006 — Al Tuwairqi Trading & Contracting Est., Saudi Arabia, has awarded an order to SMS Meer, Italy, for the supply of a bar mill plant for their UK-based Thamesteel Ltd., Sheerness, Kent. The mill is designed for an annual capacity of 500,000 to 600,000 tonnes of steel products.

With this new mill, Thamesteel Ltd. aims to serve the market with the full spectrum of long products, including merchant bars and wire rod. The product mix includes rounds with diameters from 16 to 63 mm, rebars with diameters from 12 to 50 mm, flats 40x5 to 160x6 to 25 mm and equal angles 40x4 to 60x8 mm. The mill will also supply the stock for the existing finishing block and wire rod line.

SMS Meer’s scope of supply includes a high-pressure descaler, 18 housingless mill stands, quenching and self-tempering facilities, lifting roller conveyor and a 102 meter long rake-type cooling bed, stacking device, bundling, weighing and transfer units and all auxiliary facilities. SMS Meer’s scope of supply and services also includes supervision of erection and commissioning and training. SMS Meer will also be responsible for the electrical equipment and automation system as well as for the software of the rolling mill and finishing line.

The bar mill is scheduled to go into full production in the second quarter of 2006.

SMS Meer SpA forms part of the Tube, Long Product and Forging 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.