Siemens VAI Metals Technologies has received an order from Shougang Tonghua Iron & Steel Co. to provide equipment to modernize the bar mill in Tonghua. The project will also optimize the entry of the cooling bed of the bar production and the Garrett reel in the bar-in-coil production. This is intended to considerably decrease wear on the workpieces, and improve the quality of the final products. Completion of the modernization is scheduled for mid-2012. The original bar and bar-in-coil mill was installed in 2006 by Siemens in Beijing area, and will be relocated to Tonghua in the Jilin province. With an annual capacity of 600,000 tons of straight and coiled quality steel bars, it can generate bar stock with diameters from 14 to 80mm and coiled bar with diameters from 14 to 50mm. Siemens is engineering a new entry section for the cooling bed of the bar mill. This is intended to minimize wear on the surface of the bars in this section. The bar mill will also have two new saws for cutting the steel bars to size. Siemens will also supply the associated basic automation for both plant sections and a mechatronics package for sawing and will support Shougang Tonghua with the installation and commissioning.
