LONG PRODUCTS BULLETIN - SMS Meer GmbH

The new medium-section mill at Steel Dynamics
Inc. (SDI) in Columbia City, Indiana, USA, is
becoming the standard for continuous mills
producing structural steel in the 6 to 15 inch
range. The main new features of the mill supplied
by SMS Meer, which came on stream in
mid-2008, are the 15 stands based on the new
compact mill stand (CS design), characterized
by high rigidity and low deflection under load
coupled with simplicity of design and reduced
weight.
Layout of medium-section mill.
34 Newsletter No. 3/2009
Long-product mills
Broad product spectrum
SDI, Columbia City, USA:
The new medium-section mill
The flexibility of the design, with three convertible
stands, allows for a wide production
range. The quick-change platform limits
change time to 20 minutes. Attention
has been given to product quality, with inline
laser profile gages and hydraulic gage
control in the last two stands.
Starting material and finished products. The mill will be fed
by three billet sizes: two square ones at an edge length of 6” and
7”, one rectangular shape of 10” x 8”, and one beam blank size
of 430 mm x 260 mm. The maximum length is 15 m (50’). The
mill is designed to roll a variety of structural shapes: W beams,
from 4” to 14”; S beams up to 15”; channels up to 15”; equal
and unequal angles up to 8”; M beams up to 12”. Product
lengths are from 20’ to 120’.
The mill is predisposed for future equipment additions to be able to
add smaller products and flats up to 12”. In addition, the equipment
is designed also to allow increasing the product range up to 18”.
Bird’s-eye view of the SDI works in Columbia City, with the new medium-section
mill in the background.