A rolling-mill expansion at Steel Dynamics’ facility in Columbia City, Ind., includes a new billet welder and an induction furnace. The billet welder and spooler line will produce spooled coils up to 5 tons. The 3-MW induction furnace will heat the stock coming from the existing mill. The expansion also includes a 70-meter conveyor connecting the existing medium section mill to the new spooler line, six housingless roller stands complete with quick stand-changing table, a six-pass Delta-type finishing block driven by a low-voltage 2.5-MW motor and finishing services.

The benefits of the expansion include: higher efficiency, productivity and better material yield in downstream cold processing; high mechanical characteristics and good weldability; reduction in coil handling; and cost savings through more efficient operation that occurs when the spooler process is combined with the EWR endless rolling process (up to $20-22/ton).