Germany-based plantmaker SMS Siemag has announced that it has received the largest order ever in the history of continuous casting, from German steelmaker AG der Dillinger Hüttenwerke for supply of a new thick slab caster.
The German steelmaker placed the order in November 2011 and the commissioning of the two-strand vertical-type continuous caster is scheduled for spring 2014. Dillinger Hütte is investing €300 million in this new continuous slab caster to manufacture high-quality slabs for heavy plate production.
Dillinger Hütte has been producing the world's thickest slabs, at 400 mm, at its continuous caster No. 5 (CC5) since 1998. The CC5 was modernized in 2010 and now casts 450 mm thick slabs. With the new continuous caster No. 6 (CC6), Dillinger Hütte aims to further expand its leadership in the heavy plate market.