Marcegaglia orders from Danieli for big Ravenna expansion

In the framework of the expansion at its Ravenna facilities, Italian steelmaker Marcegaglia has placed an order with equipment supplier and plant-builder Danieli for flat product finishing lines – which Danieli says is the biggest such order made of a single supplier in recent years in Europe. The Ravenna expansion will involve the construction of a 65,000 sq. m. enclosed area which will house a new two-stand four-high reversing cold mill, a combined galvanizing and painting line No. 3 (350,000 mt per year – of which 150,000 mt will be painted), a hot dip galvanizing line No. 4 (600,000 mt per year) for pickled cold rolled coils and cold rolled coils of large thickness. The combined galvanizing and painting line will be the first to be built in Europe that will use Near Infra-Red technology to apply the traditional two coats of paint. Furthermore, the speed of painting - at 180 meters per minute - will be very high compared to usual levels. The new equipment is expected to be put into operation gradually during 2009 and 2010, with line No. 4 expected to begin production before line No. 3. Marcegaglia's Ravenna innovations constitute part of an overall €1 billion investment, which also involves, among others, the building of a new tubemaking facility in Poland.