Additionally, Abinsk is now able to produce more quality steel grades, such as high carbon steel for wire and spring steel. Moreover, the new technology not only increases the availability of the steel works, but also decreases maintenance costs. Conversion costs also are substantially lowered. The energy requirement of the electric arc furnace is reduced from 410 to 370 kWh/metric t. Primetals had received the order in early 2016.
Abinsk Electric Steel Works is one of Russia’s leading producers of reinforcing bars and other long products. The company runs an electrical steel works and two rolling mills in Rajon Abinsk, located in the South Russian region of Krasnodar. Primetals was responsible for the basic and detail engineering, the production and supply of the new equipment, and supervised their construction and commissioning. Also, the electrical steel works was equipped with new cross-plant process automation.
The modernization also involved installing a PLC-Based electrode control system and a new oxygen injection system for the electric arc furnace in the steel works. In addition, high-current cables and the complete high-current busbar system after the furnace transformer were replaced. The off-gas elbow was re-engineered, and a new furnace pressure control system with Direct Evacuation Damper after the hot gas duct of the furnace primary suction line was installed.
The main hydraulic system of the electric arc furnace was modified to improve furnace movements and minimize the power off times, approx. by 20 s per each scrap charging. In addition to the electric arc furnace also the ladle furnace was modernized and equipped with a new, four strand wire feed and a new lime injection system.
For the modernization of the 6-strand continuous billet caster, Primetals supplied stopper casting equipment, consisting of stopper mechanisms with electromechanical actuators, shroud manipulators, emergency cut-off gates and automatic mold powder feeders. For casting at higher speeds, the maximum casting speed being 5 m/min for the 130 x 130 mm casting format, new DiaMold tube molds, DynaFlex mold oscillators, electromagnetic stirrers, roller blocks and secondary cooling spray headers were installed. A new billet marking machine was installed in the run-out area of the plant. The existing turnover cooling bed was modernized, new hydraulic cylinders installed, and the cooling bed hydraulic system modified.
_{(Source: Primetals Technologies, Limited)}