Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) has refurbished and commissioned a Concasting Machine (CCM-4) with a slab capacity of 2 million tonnes per year at its main production site in Lipetsk. The upgrade will ensure better slab surface quality for rolling into flat products.

During the CCM upgrade, newly designed roll sections were installed for the first time in Russia, ensuring a more regular feed of water to cool down the slabs. This will allow a 20-30% increase in the speed of slab treatment and maintain high quality. The curvilinear two-strand machine can cast steel at a speed of up to 1.6 m/min into concast slabs.  These slabs are 200-260 mm thick, 800-1,850 mm wide and 4,500-11,500 mm long.

The project is worth RUR250 million and has been implemented in cooperation with Siemens VAI as part of the 2nd stage of NLMK’s Technical Upgrade Programme. The project will allow NLMK to fully satisfy increased quality requirements from its global customers.

For reference:
The key objectives of the 2nd phase of the Technical Upgrade Programme for 2007 - 2011 include:

- increase crude steel output from 9 to 12.4 million t per year.

- further increase self-sufficiency in key raw materials.

- increase finished rolled flats output from 5 to 9.5 million tonnes per year due to the enhancement and upgrade of NLMK’s existing rolling facilities and the acquisition of new rolling assets. 

Total investment capex into the 2nd phase of NLMK’s Technical Upgrade Programme for 2007-2011 will exceed USD4 billion