Austria-based plantmaker Siemens Metals Technologies has announced that it will modernize the cooling section in the hot rolling mill No. 2 of Chinese steelmaker Wuhan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd (WISCO).
The modernization works will enable higher cooling rates which will help WISCO to produce additional steel grades, in particular for the automotive industry and pipeline construction. At the same time, the use of expensive alloying agents can be reduced thanks to improved strip cooling. Modernization of the cooling system is scheduled to be completed in February 2015.
With an annual production capacity of 5.6 million metric tons of hot strip, WISCO's hot rolling mill No. 2 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, which commenced operation in 2003, is one of the most productive plants in China. It produces strips with widths of between 700 and 2,130 mm and thicknesses ranging from 1.2 to 25.4 mm.