Thyssenkrupp will add a new walking-beam furnace in Hot Strip Mill 2 in the Beeckerwerth plant at its Duisburg, Germany, location. The furnace will ensure improved surface quality of premium sheets used for exterior car body shells. Completion is scheduled for 2022. The walking-beam furnace, which will be over 50 meters long, ensures that surface defects are prevented during the reheating and rolling of slabs. This is achieved by special lifting and lowering devices that prevent damage to the surfaces of the slabs, which weigh up to 30 metric tons. Before the new furnace is built, the old unit will be dismantled.

According to Thyssenkrupp, the furnace will enable the company to meet the ever-increasing demands of automotive customers for better surface qualities.