STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 01/2020 EXTRACT

22 | NEWS ROUND-UP
production costs. SMS group’s supply
scope included the replacement of the
existing quenching line with a new one,
installation of two dividing shears with
associated pinch rolls and a bar braking
system. Also part of the supply was the
HSD ® (high-speed delivery) line, a system
that feeds the bars onto the cooling bed
at high speed via rotating channels. SMS
group also supplied an automation package
for machine and process control. The
modernization of the temperature control
system and the bar mill outlet has
achieved greater flexibility and cost
reductions.
• SMS group
VIETNAM
Pomina issues FAC for bar mill revamp
Less than six months from contract signature,
Danieli Automation received the
final acceptance certificate for the
revamp of the bar rolling mill at Pomina
2 Works, Phu My Ba Ria Province, Vietnam.
Danieli Automation supplied the complete
electrical and automation equipment
for the bar mill upgrade, including
new AC main drives of common regenerative-type
DC Bus technology, auxiliary
drives, motor control centres, low-voltage
distribution and Level 1 automation
for the reheating furnace and the bar
mill.
• Danieli
AUSTRIA
voestalpine Tubulars starts up new crimping press
The three-die crimping press recently
commissioned at voestalpine Tubulars
(Picture: SMS group)
voestalpine Tubulars has successfully
commissioned the new three-die crimping
press supplied by SMS group.
The new press, which replaces a predecessor
model supplied by SMS group back
in 1998, will assure voestalpine Tubulars
an increase in plant availability and higher
yield. With the new press, the company
will be able to further optimize crimping
geometries and reduce set-up times. The
entire crimping cycle has been reduced to
just 17 s.
Crimping is a process that forms metal
plate into a dish without reducing the thickness
of the plate. The new press in operation
at voestalpine Tubulars carries out
the crimping centrically. During this process,
no shear stress is being induced into
the material and there is no buckle formation
in between the crimping dies. This will
result in a substantial improvement in the
crimping shapes of the wide range of very
different hollow geometries.
The new crimping press is part of the
cross piercing elongating line on which
voestalpine Tubulars manufactures highgrade
tubular products for a broad application
range.
• SMS group
EUROPE
Tata Steel outlines proposals for transformation programme
Tata Steel has proposed a transformation
programme for its European
operations to ensure business can
thrive despite severe market headwinds.
Tata Steel has highlighted plans to
urgently improve its financial performance
to make sure the European business
becomes self-sustaining and cash
positive, while enabling investment to
safeguard its long-term future. The
plans include a proposed new way of
working to boost productivity and
reduce bureaucracy as well as a focus
on increasing sales of higher-value
steel products and solutions.
The programme is focused on four
areas to improve financial performance:
Increasing sales of higher-value
steels by improving product mix and
customer focus; efficiency gains by
optimising production processes, supported
by the application of big data
and advanced analytics; lowering
employment costs, leading to an estimated
reduction in employee numbers
of up to 3,000 across Tata Steel
Europe’s operations, about two-thirds
of which are expected to be officebased
(‘white collar’) roles; and reduction
of procurement costs through
smarter sourcing and strengthening
cooperation with companies within the
Tata Steel group.
• Tata Steel
STEEL + TECHNOLOGY 2 (2020) No. 1