Yongfeng successfully commissions two eight-strand billet casters

Yongfeng Lingang Co., Ltd, China has successfully started production on the two eight-strand high-speed billet casters delivered by SMS Concast. The new casters have been installed in the newly built basic oxygen furnace (BOF) steelmaking plant by Yongfeng Lingang in Linyi City and reach a capacity of approximately 2.6 million tons per year.

While the first caster is producing on eight strands, the second one is equipped with seven strands, but prepared for the addition of an eighth strand in the future. Both machines cast billets of 165 millimeters square in a range of low-carbon and cold-heading steels. The production of SBQ (special bar quality) such as spring and bearing steels, is planned for the future.

This innovative project includes high-speed casting molds featuring INVEX technology and compact oscillation mechanisms with CONDRIVE direct drives, which enable the oscillation stroke and frequency to be adjusted electrically even at very high casting speeds. Secondary water-cooling and the five-roller withdrawal and straightening units (WSU) are designed to handle these high casting speeds. SMS Automation Level 1 and Level 2 systems control the equipment in order to achieve the required process stability and product quality.