SSAB has awarded Siemens a contract for a vacuum tank degassing (VTD) facility for its Mobile, Ala., meltshop. The contract is valued at approximately $14 million. Siemens will provide two tanks, two cover-lifting devices and one vacuum-pump system. Siemens will also supply a primary de-dusting system, an automatic alloy and flux feeding system, a condenser and a machine cooling-water system. The VTD project is part of an investment program announced by SSAB in August 2008. The investment will result in an increase of the volume of quenched and tempered steels. The VTD facility, which is scheduled to be completed in May 2010, will enable SSAB to provide more value-added products.

Siemens’ scope of supply also includes Level 1 and Level 2 automation packages. The Level 1 package comprises all necessary hardware and software for basic control of the degassing equipment. The Level 2 package provides the industry-specific hardware and software used to optimize the actual steel production of the degassing unit. Metallurgical data stored in the Level 2 system is used to calculate the requirements necessary for degassing ladles of liquid steel.