Russian steel products manufacturer Severstal-Metiz, part of Russian steelmaker Severstal has announced that it has installed and launched an additional heating line for its 2,000 mt press at the steel sections shop of its Cherepovets plant. According to the company’s statement, the modernization will increase the productivity of the unit by 30 percent.
The equipment was manufactured by a domestic company. Induction heating chambers and a workpiece transfer mechanism were integrated into the existing equipment. As part of the modernization, the hydraulic system was significantly upgraded, including an increase in the working fluid level in the accumulators, the reconfiguration of pumps and the installation of cooling systems. The new mechanism will heat the workpiece for the future section in three minutes.
Sergey Kovryakov, CEO of Severstal-Metiz, stated that the need for modernization under the current challenging economic conditions is driven by market requirements, adding that shaped sections of various cross-sections are in demand in several sectors, including mechanical engineering, road construction, infrastructure, bridge construction and hydraulic engineering. He said that the company decided to increase the productivity of the 2,000 mt press in order to fully meet customer needs.
Once the upgraded unit reaches full capacity, production is expected to increase by more than 1,300 mt per year. The workshop is currently refining heating modes and adjusting process cycles to ensure the smooth operation of all three lines.