Structural Metals Inc. has awarded Siemens a contract for new arc furnace switchgear for its minimill in Cayce-West Columbia, South Carolina, USA. With inrush limiting resistors, the new switchgear will protect and prolong the life of the arc furnace transformer. The special heavy-duty furnace breakers have a life of 120,000 operation cycles vs. 10,000 for conventional breakers. An identical system from Siemens was installed at the SMI Texas plant in 1999. The project will be managed by Siemens at its facility in Alpharetta, Georgia.