Germany-based plantmaker SMS Group has announced that it will supply a new continuous thick slab caster for Russian steelmaker NLMK Group’s steel mill No. 2 in Lipetsk in Central Russia. The caster is scheduled to start production December 2019.
According to SMS, the new plant will replace a two-strand caster which was supplied by SMS in 1976, and will be built in the same place. The continuous caster is to be completely rebuilt from the ladle turret to the exit section, and will be equipped with state-of-the-art continuous casting technology to ensure both maximum plant productivity and slab quality. The plant will be designed for a maximum annual production capacity of two million mt.