Mexico-based long steel producer SIMEC Group has placed an order with German plantmakers SMS Concast and SMS Meer for the construction of a mini-mill near Pindamonhangaba in São Paulo, Brazil.
While SMS Concast will supply the steelworks for the mini-mill, SMS Meer will supply the adjacent bar and wire rod mill. The plant is designed for an annual production capacity of 520,000 mt of billets and 400,000 mt of bars and wire rod, which can be expanded to 560,000 mt per year.
The steel mill scheduled for commissioning in July 2013 will produce rebars and special bar quality (SBQ) steel with an electric arc furnace (EAF) which uses only scrap.
The continuous casting machine will produce billets of between 127 x 127 mm and 200 x 200 mm. The cast billets can either be used in the rolling mill or sold as semi-finished products. The wire rod line will produce wire rod of 5.5 mm to 16 mm in diameter, with rolling speeds of up to 105 meter/second. The bar outlet section with the high-speed delivery system enables production of rebars ranging from 6.35 mm to 32 mm in diameter.