The Kametstal plant, part of the Metinvest mining and metallurgical group (Kamensk, Dnipropetrovsk region), has completed the reconstruction of continuous casting machine No. 1 in the converter shop as part of its 2025 investment program.
According to the company, following the successful completion of the second stage of the investment project, key equipment of the machine’s pulling and straightening devices has been upgraded.
It is specified that new motor reducers for the pulling and straightening device were installed on each of the seven streams of the CCMC-1, on which thermal shielding was also performed.
“In this way, steelmakers have solved the urgent issue of extending the service life of motor reducers, which ensure the stable movement of the pulling and straightening devices. Previously, this equipment failed prematurely due to the destructive effects of high temperatures,” the report states.
Encoders were also installed and put into operation on all upper motors of the gear motors. These devices, thanks to feedback in control, make it possible to control and stabilize the speed of the continuously cast billet and, thus, increase the accuracy of its cutting.
The second stage of the reconstruction of the No. 1 continuous casting machine was carried out without additional machine stoppages, given the need to fulfill orders for commercial steel products, particularly those of higher quality, for domestic and European customers. Each stream was technically prepared in advance for the replacement of equipment, and during the technological stoppage, updates were carried out in pit stop mode.
As a result of the second stage of reconstruction, metallurgists received a number of technical and economic advantages: several times longer service life of the motor reducers of the stoves; maximum precision of cutting the billets, which made it possible to reduce metal consumption. In addition, the technical solutions implemented optimized the operation of the pulling and straightening device to reduce electricity consumption on the upper and lower motor reducers by 1.2 kW*hour while maintaining stable casting on the machine.
Kametstal is part of the Metinvest Group.
