According to the companies, the customer, Hangzhou XZB Tech Co. Ltd., has contracted for a furnace plant with three annealing bases, two heating hoods and one jet cooling hood. Hangzhou XZB Tech is a leading Chinese manufacturer of cold-formed components for the automotive industry.

"This HPH bell-type annealing plant uses hydrogen as protective gas; moreover, it features a usable diameter of 4,200 mm and a usable height of 5,300 mm for each base, which results in an average charge weight of approximately 48 tons wire rod per each annealing base," Tenova Thermprocess said in a statement.

The plant will be capable of processing both hot-rolled and drawn wire coils. Production is to begin late this fall.