German plantmaker SMS Group has announced that it will supply a 20-roll cold rolling mill and a bright annealing line for the US-based North American Stainless (NAS), a subsidiary of Spanish-based Acerinox Group.
NAS is erecting a modern, high-performance production facility for bright-annealed stainless steel strip in Ghent, Kentucky, US. The output capacity of the plant will amount to 95,000 mt per year of stainless steel strips with a width range of 600-1,350 mm and a thickness range of 0.15-1.5 mm. Commissioning will take place in early 2017.
SMS Group said that, with this investment, NAS is entering the market for bright-annealed stainless steel. For this material, which is partly imported, there is a market of stable growth in the US.