German plantmaker SMS Siemag has announced that Turkish steelmaker Habaş has successfully commissioned a hot strip mill supplied by SMS Siemag, in the western Turkish city of Izmir. Production of the first coil in July this year marked Habaş' entry into the market for flat steel products.
According to SMS Siemag, the compact hot strip mill is designed for an annual production of 2.5 million mt of hot strip. The strip widths vary between 700 mm and 2,100 mm and the strip gages between 1.2 mm and 25.4 mm. The hot strip mill is designed for the production of a wide range of premium steel grades according to international standards as, for instance, carbon steels and multiphase steels as well as pipe grades up to strength class X80.
Habaş may increase the plant capacity to 4.5 million metric tons per year with installation of a second reheating furnace at a later stage.