YK Steel of Korea commissioned SMS group to supply a new mini-mill with integrated melting, casting and rolling and including all electrical and automation systems. Instead of relocating and upgrading an existing plant, YK Steel instead opted for a completely new mini-mill that will start production in 2025 at the company’s Dangjin site. YK Steel will use the mini-mill to produce reinforcing steel with diameters ranging from 10 to 35 mm (0.39-1.4 inches). The products manufactured in the mini-mill will be sold as 6- to 12-meter-long (20- to 39-foot-long) packages with a maximum weight of 450-550 kg (992-1,212 pounds) and large packages weighing up to 2 tons.

Nutec Group announced effective Feb. 1, 2023, Genaro F. Cueva will step down from the position of CEO, remaining in his position as Chairman of the Board. He will be replaced as CEO by Daniel Llaguno, currently president, Nutec Fibers Division. This transition had been announced internally back in September 2022.

Hotwork USA joined Munich, Germany-based Robur Industry Service Group as of December 2022. Hotwork USA specializes in refractory dryout and other furnace services utilizing proprietary equipment. The Lexington, Ky.-based company is partnering with Robur companies Excelsius and Fios to service clients with industrial furnaces. The move gives Robur Industry Service a truly global approach in furnace service offerings for clients in the metals, glass, cement and hydrocarbon industries.

General Motors Co. (GM) and Lithium Americas Corp. will jointly invest to develop the Thacker Pass mine in Nevada, which the companies say is the largest known source of lithium in the United States and the third largest in the world. Under the agreement, GM will make a $650 million equity investment in Lithium Americas, which estimates the lithium extracted and processed from the project can support production of up to 1 million EVs per year. Production at Thacker Pass is projected to begin in the second half of 2026. Lithium Americas expects the project to create 1,000 jobs in construction and 500 in operations.

Solar Atmospheres of Western PA successfully vacuum heat treated two massive H13 extrusion dies at its facility in Hermitage, Pa. A new 10-bar, 600-HP high-pressure gas-quench vacuum furnace from Solar Manufacturing was able to fully harden the two H13 extrusion dies in successive cycles. The dies, received from two different customers located in Ohio, resulted in an as-quenched hardness of HRC 50-52 using nitrogen as the quench gas. The hollow die was 30 inches OD x 15 inches ID x 103 inches long and weighed 16,000 pounds. The solid die, belonging to a different customer, was 34 inches OD x 64 inches long and weighed 14,000 pounds. Post-quench each component was triple air tempered, resulting in a final hardness of HRC 46-48.

Centorr Vacuum Industries announced that Randy Fellbaum has been promoted to the position of chief operating officer (COO). Fellbaum joined Centorr in 1997 as an electrical engineer and quickly rose to manager of the electrical engineering department. Skilled in all instrumentation and controls technologies, he led the company’s efforts in computer-controlled HMI implementation in the early 2000s.

Thyssenkrupp Steel recently inaugurated its newest hot-dip galvanizing line in Dortmund, Germany. By using modern regenerative burners from WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH in double-P radiant tubes, the plant typically saves between 15-30% fuel compared to conventionally heated furnaces. At the same time, particularly low NOx emission values are achieved thanks to the patented FLOX combustion process. Due to the excellent temperature uniformity of the radiant tubes used, the heating system is set up for a later switch to green fuels such as hydrogen.

North American Stainless (NAS) will proceed with a $244 million expansion to its production facility Ghent, Ky. The expansion will boost the company’s total capacity by 200,000 tons annually, a 20% increase, and add 70 new jobs. For its 13th major expansion since 1990, NAS will build a new cold-rolling mill and temper mill; upgrade its annealing and pickling lines to support the new rolling mill; and expand its melt shop to include a 400-metric-ton crane. The continued importation of subsidized stainless steel, and the accompanying national security threats, made the expansion a pressing priority.

Aerobraze Engineered Technologies Oklahoma City has been awarded a five-year contract with the United States Air Force (USAF) for the remanufacture of F-16 fighter aircraft regenerative heat exchangers at Tinker Air Force Base. Located in Oklahoma, Tinker Air Force Base is the headquarters of the Air Force Materiel Command’s (AFMC) Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center (OC-ALC), which manages aircraft, engines, missiles and more. Aerobraze Oklahoma City specializes in the remanufacture and overhaul of F-16 Inconel and aluminum heat exchangers. Assemblies meet stringent U.S. military requirements, including extreme temperatures, to resist cracking and failure over long-time use. These processes have resulted in efficiency and significant cost savings to maintain and extend the life of F-16 operations.

L&L Special Furnace Co. shipped a dual-chamber heat-treating and tempering furnace to a global manufacturer of shopping carts and display cases located in the southeastern United States. The equipment will play a role in keeping key production equipment online along with thermal processing of various projects. The top chamber, which is rated to 2350°F (1288°C), is used for heat treating various steels and other nonferrous materials. The bottom chamber, which is rated to 1250°F (677°C), includes a recirculation fan and baffle for tempering, stress relieving or preheating. The effective work zone of the top chamber is 10 inches high x 11 inches wide x 22 inches deep, and the work zone of the bottom chamber is 10 inches high x 10 inches wide x 20 inches deep.