Austrian plantmaker Siemens VAI Metals Technologies (Siemens VAI) has announced the receipt of a contract from the medium sized Chinese steel producer Xingtai Iron & Steel Corp., Ltd. (Xingtai Steel) for engineering and supply of key equipment for a 50-mt capacity AOD stainless steel converter, a ladle furnace of the same capacity and a four-strand billet caster.
The meltshop equipment in question will form part of a new production facility being built at Xingtai in Hebei Province, which will enable the company to enter the stainless and special steel market for long products. The total value of the order is mentioned as a two-digit million euro figure. The new meltshop is scheduled to start up in June 2010.
The scope of supply for the AOD converter includes the engineering and supply of core components such as the tilting drive, valve station, rotary joint, tuyeres and special hydraulic components. Level 1 and Level 2 automation, including the metallurgical process model for stainless production, will also be provided.
Moreover, for this project Siemens Ltd, China will be responsible for the local manufacturing and supply of certain key components for the AOD converter and ladle furnace in addition to electrical equipment and Level 1 automation for the meltshop.
Siemens VAI had previously supplied components for one LD (BOF) converter, two ladle furnaces, two billet casters and five long product rolling mills to Xingtai and had also upgraded two of the company's existing casters.