Voestalpine group has recently started up a new, fully automated continuous caster at its site in Donawitz. A four-strand continuous bloom caster supplied by Primetals Technologies in cooperation with ergolines.
ergolines electromagnetic stirrers for Voestalpine continuous casting machine
For this supply, ergolines supported Primetals right from the design stage by developing 3 electromagnetic stirrers, a mold-, a strand- and a moveable final stirrer for each of the 4 strands of Donawitz casting machine CC4.
The most modern casting line in the world
The continuous caster, built by Primetals Technologies, is the most modern of its type and has been designed for digitalization. It has an annual production capacity of 1 million tonnes and will enable Voestalpine to enhance the productivity of the plant and the quality of the final product.
The CCM produces round blooms with a diameter of 230 mm and rectangular blooms with a cross section of 270×360 mm, with the possibility to cast also a 440 x 330 mm format.
Special attention to the product quality
Voestalpine caster has been equipped with the most technological packages, as hydraulic mold oscillators, advanced automation packages for thermal profile calculation and roll-gap control and dynamic soft reduction. Beside these packages, electromagnetic stirrers play a fundamental role for the achievement of the highest quality level requested by the customer. Mold and strand stirrers contribute to the overall structure of the bloom, final stirrer, movable and dynamically controlled by a solidification model, ensure the improvement of the blooms central soundness reducing the central segregation and the bloom porosity.
A modern line intended for a wide range of applications
The plant is designed to produce an extensive product portfolio, including rail steels, case hardened steels, cold forging and cold extrusion steels, seamless tube steels, ball bearings and springs of superior quality. Thanks to the improved quality of the finished products, Voestalpine will be able to meet but also to anticipate and increase the needs of its customers, thereby strengthening its position as an international leader in the most technologically advanced sectors.