The new withdrawal straightening unit (WSU) will provide 200t of reduction force per pinch roll, a significant increase from the previous 130 tons, resulting in better internal strand containment and improved quality. Increasing the number of pinch rolls from nine to eleven will significantly enhance strand containment, soft-reduction accuracy, and internal bloom quality. This improvement is mainly due to the reduced roller pitch between pinch rolls, which ensures a finer distribution of reduction forces along the strand. In addition, an expanded soft-reduction window will allow for greater process flexibility.

Primetals Technologies will also supply a new secondary cooling concept designed to support a wider speed range, boosting production flexibility. The new approach will enable higher strand temperatures,

further enhancing bloom quality.

The caster will be equipped with DynaPhase, Dynacs 3D, and DynaGap Soft Reduction 3D-dvanced secondary cooling and soft-reduction technologies that improve quality by calculating thermodynamic effects such as conductivity, density, and strand temperature. Combined with a new electromagnetic stirrer, these features will deliver superior internal quality with a segregation index of 1.05.

Following the upgrade, the caster will deliver significantly enhanced performance when producing high value-added products, especially demanding steel grades such as bearing steel, high-strength spring steel, and high-carbon wire rod.

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Key facts: Primetals Technologies Upgrades 5-strand Bloom Caster

Capacity: 1.2 million tons per year

Bloom dimensions: 300 x 390 millimeters

Steel grades: Medium-carbon and high-carbon steels for bridge cables, bearings, hard wire, spring steel, and cold-heading steel