NLMK casts first slabs at the revamped continuous casting machine in Lipetsk

Russian steelmaker NLMK announced that the first slabs have been successfully cast at the newly revamped continuous casting machine with a capacity of 2.5 million mt per year in NLMK's main production site in Lipetsk. The objective of the reconstruction project was to increase output, expand the product mix and ensure a consistently high quality of concast slabs for further conversion into flats. 
              
Currently the maximum thickness of slabs produced by continuous casting machines in Russia is 300 mm. Following the revamp NLMK has become the first Russian steelmaker to produce slabs with thicknesses of up to 355 mm for further conversion into thick plate which is in high demand from mechanical engineering and power industries.
 
The Project with an investment of RUR 4.7 billion ($1.6 billion) aims to increase steel output from 9 to 12.4 million mt per year at NLMK's Lipetsk site