China’s Shougang Jintang awarded Fives Stein a contract to supply three vertical digital furnaces for a continuous annealing line and two continuous galvanizing lines. The order for the furnaces includes the engineering, key equipment and on-site supervision. The continuous annealing line will be among the largest in the world with an annual capacity of more than 1 million metric tons. It will produce steel strips in widths up to 2,080 mm (82 inches). With an hourly throughput capacity of over 230 metric tons at a process speed of 420 meters (1,378 feet) per minute, the line will process more than eight steel coils per hour. The commissioning of the three processing lines is scheduled for early 2011.
One of the continuous galvanizing lines will also be capable of producing steel strip widths of up to 2,080 mm (82 inches). It has a focus on leading-edge products for the automotive industry. The other continuous galvanizing line, with an hourly steel-strip capacity of 110 metric tons in widths up to 1,630 mm (64 inches), is dedicated to more conventional products. With the three combined lines, Shougang Jintang will increase its production capacity in annealed and coated steel coils by 2 million metric tons per year.