German plantmaker SMS group has announced that it will upgrade China-based Zenith Steel Group’s existing wire rod mill at its Changzhou works in China, enabling the company to enter the automotive and special steel markets.
With this modernization, Zenith aims to widen its portfolio to include round bars and to maximize the rolling speed for smaller-diameter products. Thanks to the modernization, Zenith will be able to extend its current bar-in-coil diameter range from 16 mm to 42.5 mm and roll smaller products at speeds of up to 42 meters per second. This will make this mill the first of its kind in the world to operate at such high speeds.
In the future, it will even be possible to roll products of 50 mm diameter for special applications. Additionally, the company will be able to produce heavy compact coils of up to 2.3 mt for automotive applications. To this end, bearing, spring, high-carbon, pre-stressed wire, alloy and tool steels will be added to the range of processed steel grades.
Currently, the company’s wire rod mill produces 780,000 mt per year of wire rod, from 11.5 mm up to 26.5 mm in diameter, in commercial steel grades.