NLMK has introduced a unique Hot Dip Galvanizing Line
Novolipetsk Iron & Steel Corporation has commissioned in Cold Rolling Shop No.5 the second Continuous Hot Dip Galvanizing Line of the Company. Its annual capacity will be as high as 150 thousand tons of 0,3-0,5 mm galvanized steel - material that is highly demanded in the market.
The new technological line is unique because it has been reconstructed from the existing Continuous Annealing Line and this work was done in an unprecedented short period. It took less than two years from the very idea to its realization. This included a feasibility study, technical assignment execution, contracting, designing and engineering, manufacturing and installation of equipment and metal structures, commissioning and start-up. In the West the same work usually takes from three to five years.
The Continuous Annealing Line conversion allowed starting a new product production and also rational using of the existing excess capacity of the Company.
The new line is a unit in which the state-of-the-art designs of specialists from NLMK and several foreign companies were implemented. A German company "Sundwig" was a general designer and supplier of the equipment. Besides the equipment was supplied by "Stein Heurtey" (France), "Mencel und Krause" (Germany) and some Russian companies. The major part of nonstandard equipment was manufactured in NLMK's Repair Plant.
Reconstruction was carried out on the basis of an original design of NLMK's Research Center proved to be highly economically effective. The line reconstruction was 5 times cheaper than a brand-new production line construction. Besides, reducing of the reconstruction time allowed the Company to leave behind its competitors in the hot dip galvanized steel market.
The line start-up results in increase of the Company's Zn-coated steel output and this will help NLMK to consolidate its position in the high value added products market.
The line reconstruction carried out in such a short time is an example of operative reacting of NLMK's management to the market changes. The new production line is intended for satisfying of the growing demand on thin galvanized sheet used in home appliances manufacturing, construction industry and some other industries. Besides, the new unit will produce galvanized material for further procession and production of metal with protective paint - varnish and color coatings. In recent years this metal market sector sees booming and it means that the new line products will be highly demanded in the market.
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