The LXQ fiber laser marker series has a remote connection capability that can grant control of the system to an expert or partner anywhere in the world.

Danieli received an order from Russian steelmaker OMK for a direct reduction plant that will include an electric-arc furnace (EAF) and direct reduced iron (DRI) technology. Part of a new melt shop at the Vyksa Steel Works, it will produce 2.5 million tons per year of slabs, seamless pipe and rail wheels. According to Danieli, it will be the largest single-module direct reduction plant in Russia. The facility will utilize Danieli’s Energiron DRI technology, which allows the processing of a wide range of iron-oxide pellet qualities and includes ultra-low-NOx burners.

Tenaris will invest $11 million at its melt shop in Koppel, Pa., to expand the plant’s size range capabilities. The facility’s caster line will undergo upgrades to increase its steel bar size capabilities and improve safety, IT and automation systems at the mill. The expansion will allow the melt shop to produce bars in a wider range of sizes while securing a reliable source of billets for Tenaris’ seamless mills in Bay City, Texas; Ambridge, Pa.; and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. The project is expected to last 14 months, and it is scheduled for completion by the end of the second quarter of 2021.

F&B Manufacturing installed two hydroform deep-draw presses from Quintus Technologies to elevate both the capacity and capabilities at its Phoenix, Ariz., facility. The presses’ flexible forming technology allows F&B engineers to offer more options to serve customer production streams while also addressing new applications and markets. Both presses feature a modular dual-tray shuttle system that allows F&B to draw up to 10 inches (254 mm) deep and accept blank sizes up to 43.1 inches (1,095 mm) in diameter, a 25% increase over previous capacity. Using high isostatic pressure up to 11,600 psi, parts can be formed in a variety of tough materials and thicknesses to tight tolerances with minimal thinning.

Liberty Steel Group (LSG), part of GFG Alliance, acquired the strategic French steel assets of France Rail Industry business (Hayange) and the Ascoval steelworks. Hayange, located in Moselle, manufactures a range of steel rails for nationally significant infrastructure clients, including France’s national rail operator and the operator of Paris’ metro system. The site, which employs around 430 people, produces over 300,000 metric tons of rail per year. Ascoval, based in Saint-Saulve in northern France, has approximately 270 employees. The plant uses electric-arc furnace (EAF) technology and has the capability to produce 600,000 metric tons of steel blooms, billets and other forged products annually from recycled scrap metal. Ascoval will use recycled steel to supply Hayange, creating an integrated French GREENSTEEL rail business.

Commercial Metals Company (CMC) announced plans to build a $300 million micro-mill in Mesa, Ariz. According to CMC, the facility will be the first in the world to produce merchant-bar-quality (MBQ) products through a continuous-continuous production process. It will allow CMC to more efficiently meet West Coast demand for rebar and MBQ products. The micro-mill, CMC’s third such facility, is expected to start up in early 2023 and employ approximately 185 people. It will achieve an estimated nominal annual capacity of 500,000 tons, including 150,000 tons of merchant product.

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.

ArcelorMittal announced its intention to build an electric-arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking facility at AM/NS Calvert in Alabama. Once completed, the planned facility will be capable of producing 1.5 million tons of steel slabs annually for the hot-strip mill. It will also produce a broad spectrum of steel grades required for Calvert’s end-user markets. Construction is expected to take 24 months, and the new facility is anticipated to create 300 new jobs.

Let’s investigate how high temperature is used in large industrial equipment and processes.

SECO/WARWICK will deliver a controlled-atmosphere brazing (CAB) line to a global manufacturer of cooling systems for electric-car batteries. This is the second CAB line ordered by the company, which is based in Asia, but it’s the first that will be used for its battery cooling systems. The system will be designed for soldering large battery coolers. CAB technology has been the basic production method for most heat exchangers for passenger cars and other vehicles for several decades. According to SECO/WARWICK, its CAB technology has become the most frequently chosen for soldering battery cooler plates in the hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) industry.