The Russian steelmaker Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) has announced that, within the framework of the implementation of its investment project for the creation of a complete cycle for plate production, it is continuing the construction of its secondary steel treatment unit.
Accordingly, in late January this year, MMK started the hot testing of the ladle furnace and is currently carrying out the pre-commissioning preparatory work. In addition, MMK has almost finished the construction and installation works at the vacuum degasser, and plans in the second half of February to start its hot testing.
MMK's secondary steel treatment unit was supplied by the German secondary metallurgical equipment producer SMS-Mevac GmbH. The purpose of the secondary treatment unit is to ensure that all the steel poured into MMK's new slab concaster No. 6, commissioned at the end of 2009 to satisfy the slab feedstock requirements of the plate mill 5000, acquires the characteristics needed to produce plate with strength of up to X120 used for the production of large diameter pipes, and to broaden the mix of steel grades, especially as regards special steels.