Rocky Mountain Steel Mills, part of Orion Steel, has started up its new Danieli universal rail mill in Pueblo, Colorado.
The rail mill is designed to produce 650,000 short tons per year of flat-bottom and thick-web rails.
Danieli highlighted that the rail mill is the most advanced in North America, featuring the company’s cutting-edge technologies in rolling automation and process control for quality rails.
The rails produced can weigh up to 88kg/m in lengths of up to 100m, with a hardness of up to 425 BHN.
The products produced meet AREMA specifications and are suitable for heavy-haul and high-speed railway applications.
Key technological areas under commissioning include the break down mill, tandem reversing mill, cooling bed, and horizontal and vertical straighteners.
Hot trials are underway, and startup activities are progressing according to plan.
