BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

01/11/2007

New Mill, New Technology, New Market for BMZ

The SMS Meer three-roll technology for seamless tubes, shown here compared with the standard two-roll design, makes it possible to roll high-quality tubes in high volumes, with flexibility and consistency.

Belarus doesn't earn a lot of attention, but the eastern European is the site of a new seamless tube mill using a new rolling technology, and representing a new market for that country's largest steelmaker. In July, at its plant in Zhlobin, 120 milis southeast of Minsk, Byelorussian Steel Works (BMZ) celebrated the official opening of a complete seamless tube plant supplied by SMS Meer (www.sms-group.com). BMZ produces around 1.8 million metric tons/year of steel that it processes into wire rod or bars.

The new tube mill will expand BMZ's range of finished products by 250,000 metric tons/year of seamless tubes. The SMS Meer line is designed to produce tubes ranging in diameter from 21.3 to 168.3 mm, and in lengths from 6 to 15 m. The finished products will be oil-country tubular goods, ball bearing tubes, boiler tubes, and structural tubes.

SMS Meer supplied all the key equipment for the new mill's hot and finishing sections, including electrical equipment, automation, and process technology.

The core of the new installation is the new PQF process developed by SMS Meer, and installed for the second time this year. SMS introduced PQF in 2003, and claims it is already the leading process technology for seamless tube production.

PQF - for "premium quality finishing" - is a three-roll process that allows the operator to overcome technological limitations of conventional two-roll MPM processed, and enables them to satisfy market demand for higher product quality. PQF makes it possible to roll premium-quality seamless tubes in high volumes, with process flexibility and a stable rolling process, making process automation more reliable. According to SMS, five more PQF mills will be commissioned in the coming 12 months, in China, India, and Russia.

by Metal Producing & Process

Source:

http://www.33metalproducing.com/full_story.php?WID=16720

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