Barcelona-based Spainish steelmaker CELSA, has awarded SMS Concast the contract for upgrading its existing beam blank caster.
The six-strand machine, built by Concast in 2000, casts billet, bloom and beam blank sections of various sizes. It was originally designed for a nominal capacity of more than 1Mt/yr, provided with a prepared seventh strand and the possibility to increase production accordingly. The seventh strand is now going to be equipped with a CONDRIVE oscillation drive for beam blanks and the primary water cooling plant will be upgraded.
CELSA chose to install a new generation of mold oscillation mechanism: the CONDRIVE electrical direct drive, which is part of SMS Concast’s Industrie 4.0 portfolio. CONDRIVE technology is based on the principle of a direct servo drive motor. The system is virtually maintenance-free and provides excellent precision in controlling oscillation torque. Unlike other drive systems for oscillation (including hydraulic servo cylinders), the CONDRIVE combines simple design with online adjustment and monitoring of the oscillation curves.
Installation of the new equipment is planned to be completed by the end of 2018, and CELSA plans to install the CONDRIVE on all other strands after a trial period.